The Peterson Mounting Assistant (PMA) installation was a lot easier than we had anticipated. The hardest part with the whole project was getting the scope off the tripod :-) It was a LOT heavier than we remember.
The base of the tripod has six predrilled and pre-threaded holes. The main anchoring bolt is the one in the center. The PMA has three holes and they match precisely those on the base of the tripod. The installation kit has three stainless steel screws for anchoring the plate.
Attaching the three guide pins and screwing down the plate to the anchor is all there is to the PMA installation. The guide pins make sure the base is positioned such that the main bolt is directly aligned with the hole in the base of the mount of the scope. Just one try was all we needed to convince us.
The Peterson Mount Assistant is a rock-solid platform and a "must have" upgrade for the tripod. It is a bit unwieldy to pick up the scope with just one person. However, once the scope is lifted, getting it centered and locked down was fast and simple. If you have a big scope, don't even bother wondering whether you need this. Just get it. Spend your time deciding which finder (red dot or laser) to get instead.
We hope you enjoyed our week-long focus on Astronomy. Next week we will mix it up a bit, but the focus will shift to more home-improvement related topics. The weather is getting drier, so we hope to give the painting project one more go before the cold weather takes over. Have a fun weekend! [Permalink] - Peterson Mount Assistant Installation
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