Used: TS-Optics ATC Wedge - Mini Equatorial Wedge for Giro, AstroTrac, photo tripods

The TS ATC Wedge - stable and versatile wedge for exact polar alignment

The mini equatorial wedge is ideal for a precise alignment of compact travel guiding platforms for astrophotography. We recommend it especially for the AstroTrac, but the wedge can also be used for Baader NanoTracker, Lacerta PhotoRobot and the compact Vixen Polarie.

The TS ATC wedge allows for a more accurate polar alignment than it is possible with a standard 3 way head of a photo tripod.

Working with the TS ATC Wedge is easy:

Screw the wedge on your tripod, the thread is 3/8"

The AstroTrac or another mount is directly fixed to the wedge, also with a 3/8" thread. 1/4" screw is optional and can be found in the accessories recommendations below.

Use the polar finder scope of the guiding mounts

You can horizontal adjust the wedge with the knurled thumb screws at right and at left

With the big red thumb screw, you can fine adjust the lattitude

As soon as you have arrived at the wanted position, it is locked with the big clamping lever.

Built your own little equatorial mount out of a photo tripod with 3 way head:

A very special implementation of the ATC Wedge from TS!

Simply attach the wedge between photo tripod and 3 way head and adjust the lattitude. Then, point the wedge to the north. A compass or Polaris (North Star).

Now you have a little equatorial mount for your spotting scope or little telescope. The advantage is obvious:

locate any celestial object (moon, planets ...)

now you can track the object by moving only one axis of the tripod head. Just unfasten the formerly horizontal axis. This way, celestial observations are fun and you can get a taste of astronomy.

Safety informations: PDF Download