{"product_id":"sky-watcher-az-eq5-pier-extension","title":"Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 Pier Extension","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct Overview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe AZ-EQ5 Pier Extension is a column that sits between the tripod and the AZ-EQ5 head and raises the mount head 6.3\". That single figure is the whole point of the part: everything the mount carries moves up by 6.3\" without the tripod legs being extended any further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is for AZ-EQ5 owners who keep running out of room at the bottom of the swing — a long refractor or a Newtonian whose tube end reaches the tripod legs as the mount tracks past the meridian, a dovetail-mounted camera that fouls a leg, or an eyepiece that ends up uncomfortably low near the zenith. It is also the usual answer for anyone using the AZ-EQ5 in alt-azimuth mode with a long tube, where the rear of the tube swings low as the scope points high.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Features \u0026amp; Design\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRaises the mount head 6.3\":\u003c\/strong\u003e the published figure, added between the tripod head and the mount base. The tripod stays at whatever leg extension you already trust, so the extra height does not come at the cost of a wider, wobblier leg setting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClearance where it is actually lost:\u003c\/strong\u003e tube-to-leg interference on a German equatorial happens near the meridian and near the horizon. Lifting the whole head is what buys back that arc, rather than lifting the tube in its rings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRides between tripod and head:\u003c\/strong\u003e it becomes a permanent part of the column, so once it is fitted there is nothing to set up or adjust each session.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSingle-purpose part:\u003c\/strong\u003e no controls, no adjustment, nothing to align — the geometry of the mount above it is unchanged.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended Uses\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLong tubes on the AZ-EQ5:\u003c\/strong\u003e refractors and Newtonians whose tube end or camera reaches the tripod legs during a meridian pass.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAlt-azimuth observing:\u003c\/strong\u003e the AZ-EQ5 in AZ mode with a long tube pointed high, where the back of the scope drops toward the legs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStanding visual observing:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6.3\" of extra height puts the eyepiece nearer standing eye level at high altitudes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eImaging trains with a deep back end:\u003c\/strong\u003e filter wheels, off-axis guiders and long camera stacks that add length behind the focuser.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompatibility and Accessory Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSky-Watcher publishes one fitment statement for this extension: it works on the AZ-EQ5. No other mount is named, and we do not extend that to the AZ-EQ6, EQ6-R or the HEQ5 — each of those has its own extension where one exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe extension does not change how the mount is polar aligned or balanced; it moves the whole head up as a unit. Counterweights, shaft and dovetail saddle all stay as they are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are working out whether the extension solves the specific clash you are seeing, send us your tube length, the rings or dovetail you are using and what is hanging off the back, and we will work out whether 6.3\" is enough for your setup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood to Know Before You Order\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAZ-EQ5 only:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sky-Watcher publishes fitment for the AZ-EQ5 and names no other mount for this part.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe gain is exactly 6.3\":\u003c\/strong\u003e that is the published figure, and it is fixed — the extension has no adjustment range of its own.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRaising the head raises the centre of mass:\u003c\/strong\u003e the same load now sits 6.3\" higher above the tripod apex, which is a real consideration in wind or on a soft surface. Setting the tripod legs shorter recovers most of the difference.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo spec table is published:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sky-Watcher lists the fitment and the height gain for this part and nothing else — no material, thread or bolt-pattern detail — so we quote nothing beyond what they state.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e the only mass Sky-Watcher publishes for this item is 6804 g (15.0003 lb) in their own product data, which reads as a packed shipping figure rather than a bare part weight.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it difficult to set up?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. It is a one-time fitting: the AZ-EQ5 head comes off the tripod, the extension goes on in its place, and the head goes back on top of the extension. After that it stays there and each session is set up exactly as before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow much height does it add?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6.3\", measured at the mount head. The telescope and eyepiece rise by the same amount.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich mounts does it fit?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe AZ-EQ5. That is the only mount Sky-Watcher publishes for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it affect polar alignment?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt lifts the whole head without altering its geometry, so the alignment routine is unchanged. Polar alignment is redone after the extension is fitted, as it is after any change to the tripod.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan it be left on permanently?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. It becomes part of the column between tripod and head, and most owners fit it once and leave it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBottom Line\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fixed 6.3\" of extra head height for the AZ-EQ5, fitted once between tripod and mount. If a long tube is catching the tripod legs during a meridian pass, or the eyepiece sits too low near the zenith, this is the part Sky-Watcher publishes to solve it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sky-Watcher","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53896765046895,"sku":"S30202","price":120.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0686\/0049\/6239\/files\/S30202_AZ-EQ5_PierExtension.jpg?v=1785253725","url":"https:\/\/ontariotelescope.com\/products\/sky-watcher-az-eq5-pier-extension","provider":"Ontario Telescope and Accessories","version":"1.0","type":"link"}