When we embarked upon creating an observatory company, we realized that we needed to supply piers as an accessory for those who might be in need of one.
After thoroughly researching the genre we came up with a new approach to pier design. Now after 20 years years and thousands of piers in place around the world, our happy owners agree that we have devised an innovative pier design that is attractive, highly functional and affordable. Owners love our piers. And do great work on them!
Photos taken on SkyShed Piers grace the pages and covers of magazines, photo contests, books, APODs, websites, and more. Well known astrophotographers utilize SkyShed Piers.
The SkyShed Steel Pier design incorporates a dual leveling ability, and a pier top that rotates 360 and locks to line up your telescope in the direction of your choice. The design also includes anti-vibration stabilizer fins at the base, and multiple adapter plates allow you switch many telescopes/mounts on just one pier.
We teamed up with a high quality steel fabricator to supply our customers with a design that is quick and easy to install, and is easily transportable should you change your observing location in the future, with adapter plates which can be swapped out.
Whether it’s a Bisque, Meade, Celestron, Takahashi, Astro Physics, Planewave, Losmandy, iOptron, Orion, Skywatcher, 10Micron, Milburn Wedges, Mitty Wedges, etc., there’s a good chance one of our configurations can do the job you need. We have a long list of scopes/mounts we make piers for. *We do custom adapter work for old and “ancient” telescopes too.
We will email you an in-depth info package w/ step by step construction guide for installing a pier footing, and consult with you about the pier and your needs, all the way thru set up and beyond.
In 2016 we introduced our “HD” Heavy Duty line of larger piers for larger setups like 17″- 20″ Planewaves, 16″ and 20″ AstroTechs, etc. See the graphic below. The HD Pier has a larger diameter, thicker steel, longer fins, heavier hardware.
We ship SkyShed Piers to anywhere in North America. In Europe please contact Altair Astro (LINK www.altairastro.com) who make a metric version, known as the SkyShed Altair Pier. Altair develops a lot of the great mount adapters we use.
Normally ships in 3-4 weeks via UPS
Available in a range of colors. Order now for Bonus Black Powder Coating. Normally a $100 option.
This pier is amazing! I was able to get it mounted yesterday and did a quick setup of my RASA 11″ to take advantage of the clearish night. It’s so stable, that on the iOptron CEM120 I was getting .07 rms guiding, I was shocked.
In 2019, Michael L. wrote to us to say:
Because of a minor software problem related to T-Point, Software Bisque asked me to post my T-Point data. They mentioned that my data (RMS = 1.4 arcsecs) was the best they had ever seen for an ME II. So your 8 5/8″ HD pier ended up providing the best mount performance and stability Bisque has ever seen!
Astro Physics, Takahashi, Atlas, Orion, iOptron, Losmandy, Bisque and others
$275 U.S. via UPS Ground for 6 5/8″ and 8 5/8″ piers.
* It is important to determine the correct adapter plate to match the bottom of your telescope or equatorial mount to the top of the pier. Flat-Bottomed Meade and Celestron Fork Mounted Scopes bolt to our Standard Meade and Celestron Adapter Plates (appropriate Meade or Celestron plate is included in the pier cost). All other scopes/mounts need the addition of an adapter collar or donut at costs ranging from $120 -$250. We will determine the adapter type needed when we receive your information via email.
* If your telescope or equatorial mount is a non-standard type we will need a template of the bottom to create a matching adapter for the pier.
* Non-standard or custom Pier adapter plates and piers longer than 42″ will require an additional charge.
