These are my two most frequently used telescopes - the ETX-125 for quick grab-and-go sessions, the LX90 for more in-depth views of the Moon, planets and deep sky objects. Both are used mainly on their tripods, but they can also both go onto the pier that I made for the 200mm Dynamax (see below). The photograph shows the expert lunar observer Nigel Longshaw (at left) and me on 27 August 2005. The lunar observations of Nigel, based in Oldham, near Manchester, England, are well-known to all selenographers - they have been published in a number of articles, magazines and books. He specialises in stippling and in pencil-and-ink drawings.
I wanted a pier to accommodate both my 150mm f/8 Helios refractor and my 200mm Dynamax SCT. The refractor requires a high pier. The SCT requires a low one. I built a dual-purpose pier. The main pier is a 4-square section of glued and screwed 4x4s. This is bolted to a small, thick square concrete slab which in turn is bolted to a larger, heavy square concrete slab which lies on a level screed. Between the two slabs are two wooden slats (not depicted in diagram) to cancel vibrations. It is quite stable, despite not having deep foundations, due mainly to the weight of the base slab and its large footprint. The wooden pier is square hollowed to take a 4-foot length of 4x4 to which is attached the equatorial head for my refractor. When used, this is secured for use by two large side bolts that fasten onto metal discs set into the wood. The SCT rests on a tiltable platform that is offset from the main pier so that the wedge does not interfere with the secondary refractor pier. Adjustment of the wedge is therefore possible using with the four corner nuts. The SCT just slides onto the pier and fastens into position with a single bolt. A heavy duty polythene bag covers the pier when not in use. Here it is shown during an observing session, with SCT and binocular eyepiece - note the highly offset SCT counterweight because of the heavy binoviewer!