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telescope pier design

GEN2 PIER prepped for AP1200, with Benton Tab

telescope pier design

telescope pier foundation

GEN2 Solutions are here!

GEN2s are high-performance piers for smaller foundations or shorter heights. The same next-level engineering brings you a new version of the stiffest, most stable permanent observatory custom telescope piers available. It’s all about deflection and GEN2s also have 3x to 20x less deflection than other telescope piers on the market. Much more rigidity and greatly reduced movement mean superior performance, higher capacity, and dependable handling of critical tasks while still competitively priced.

Bending moment is maximum at the base which means the bolt diameter, number of bolts, bolt pattern, and plate thickness are critical. Deflection in the base plate is a function of the distance between the anchor bolts and the pipe. It makes little difference which side of the pipe the anchor bolts are on so the GEN2 piers put the anchor bolts inside the pipe and we use FEA to optimize the variables to reach deflections below 0.40 arcsec. The graph below shows the relationship of deflection and height for the GEN2 piers as well as the 43 and 64 SERIES piers.

telescope pier deflection
Click to enlarge the graph

GEN2s share all the great features of the 43 an 64 SERIES piers. They are completely customized to your specific mounts and desired pier height. Directly attach your telescope mount or adapter to the Mount Plate pre-drilled and tapped for your equipment. Easily move the GEN2 telescope piers when you move. Using multiple mounts on a single GEN2 pier is a simple, quick change out.

The GEN2s install just like the 43 and 64 SERIES piers. No guesswork in pier installation with CNC anchor bolt templates and Base Plate slots with 10 degree adjustability for precision PA. Fast, easy pier leveling at the base while keeping the pier off the concrete eliminates undesirable flexing top plate leveling.

Superior cable management inside the GEN2 telescope pier has the same space for two 1-1/2″ plus two 3/4″ conduits.

Benton Tabs and Thompson Tabs are also available for the GEN2 piers. THompson Tabs install the same way. Benton Tabs install under the pier rather than on top of the base plate.

Like the 43 and 64 SERIES piers, GEN2 piers are completely customized to your specific mounts and desired pier height up to 34″. The height is limited by human reach as the installer reaches the bottom of the pier through the port in the top plate to start the nuts on the anchor bolts. Bolt tightening is done above the pier.

The drawing at left shows foundation diameter for each pier type with recommended concrete cover on the anchor bolts. The GEN2 telescope piers give us a <0.40 acrsec solution on 12″ concrete foundations!



GEN2 Pier on its anchor bolts.
Reach through the top port and place washers.
Reach through the top port and start nuts on anchor bolts.
Use a socket with extensions to tighten nuts. Finish by tightening all leveling nuts below the pier.

If your template is 3/4" thick, assemble the anchor bolts with not more than 1/4" of threads showing above the top nut so that the bolt will not interfere with the socket used for tightening. Embed the anchor bolts until there is about 1/4" of space between the concrete and the bottom of the bottom nut. If installing a Benton Tab, increase the space to 1/2".
If you are using the 1/8" thick steel template, assemble the anchor bolts with 5/8" of threads showing above the top nut so that the bolt will not interfere with the socket used for tightening. Embed the anchor bolts until there is about 1/4" of space between the concrete and the bottom of the bottom nut. If installing a Benton Tab, increase the space to 1/2".