Customers and dealers need to know, import freight is killer and you lose the quality to the import shipping costs!  Compare a typical Vixen 8Lb powder-painted steel weight that sells for $90 to our price below.  Not to single them out - check on Tak too - ouch!  We manufacture right here in central USA and ship direct to you, or via any dealer order direct to you, without the "middle-freight" that costs so much.  How would you like stainless-steel performance at painted steel price?  HAH! - Now you have the better alternative from Tech2000 ... low cost and top-quality and some very unusual extra features!  Users, dealers, all need to know about this, you simply cannot sleep well in the morning after without a PROPER counterweight.  We ship these all over North America in USA/Canada/Mexico, from Acapulco to Saskatchewan, LA to NY.... no matter how you spell your town, your cost and the cost from your favorite astronomy dealer does not change... it is ALWAYS the SAME!  Now everyone is happy.

    These thread into the tip of your counterweight shaft where the "toe-saver" bolt and washer usually reside to prevent a counterweight from sliding off if it loses grip.  Rounded on edges and much fatter than your bolt, it is much more forgiving when children & guests accidentally encounter it with their head in the dark, and far less likely to catch clothing - which could topple or damage your mount.

    The 3 Lb Booster has an 8mm stud since it is heavier, and this can be used on many heftier mounts such as the Mead LXD series and many more.  6mm stud is most common on lighter mountings.

    Stud Size:  Telescope mounts use 6 or 8 mm threads.  Measure the bolt thread diameter on your shaft tip - if it looks like a common pencil diameter (1/4") then use 6mm Boosters, if it looks distinctly larger (3/8") then get the heavier 8mm Booster.

    Ship:  All Boosters ship at just $10 in mainland USA.

    What now?  Well... first you should check it out fast because these are REALLY getting popular quick and the lead time is running up for us to keep in demand.  Like the proverbial "marriage-made-in-Heaven" - you automatically KNOW IT'S RIGHT.

Here are the current specifications...

• All counterweights pictured above fit all mainstream consumer import telescopes (they are all standard 20mm counterweight shaft).  If you measure the diameter of your counterweight shaft you would see it is just a little bit fatter than 3/4", then you know it is a 20mm shaft.  Many dealers make the mistake of advertizing counterweights for "3/4 shafts" when they all are actually 20mm (.787 inch to be precise).  On rare occasion a US-made mount does have a 3/4" shaft... these weights fit those fine too!


• All of our weights have many coats of black durable epoxy with a very slow cure schedule that ends up with a serious attitude to behave like it were steel instead but with flexing resilience, and pretends that there is no such thing as oxygen corrosion., and flake-off like you get with powder coated weights.  Even the core throat is completely coated with the same epoxy as the outer shell.  It is very very tough stuff and a lot more work to apply than you might think, yet we like it for beauty as well as durability, and we do it for you since we think it is what we would want ourselves every time we make them.  The entire process to make any of these weights takes a total calendar time of  26 weeks minimum!  We try to stock-up ahead of course.


• There is NO metal contact in the counterweight to your telescope balance shaft.  All have epoxy-cloth flex-shoe inside that prevents any possibility of marking your shaft.  This is a major improvement above any counterweight we have ever tried no matter how they are made.  And they are still low cost!  How is that possible?  Only because we care.


• Not to forget an important feature.  All 20mm counterweights are Gravity-Gradient (GG).  It means Reversible.  Another Tech2000 innovation.  When you run out of inward travel - reverse the weight and you have less weight.  When you run out of outward travel - reverse the weight and you have more weight.  We told you that there are some unique features.  Its not magic and the weight sure looks just like any other counterweight cylinder.  But it does work since we make them with an internal gravity-gradient!  Now you carry less weight out with your travels and do not get pinched just by changing or adding an occular or Barlow etc.


• Accurate equipment from Tech2000 means we want weights in 1-Lb increments across a wide selection span.  Now you can enjoy that too.


• We make diameters narrow on purpose.  For users particularly in the deep southerly latitudes, check diameter and length of weights to be sure your choice will not hit the tripod leg on an equatorial mount used near the equator.  If it is close then you south folks want to use our slim trimmers (Boosters) and heavier shaft weights both , because weights will be higher up on your counterweight shaft and not come into contact with the tripod legs, and the trimmers (Boosters) will allow you to use less main weights.


• Power weights (PwrWt-xxxxxx) have an automotive cigarrete lighter socket with a captive foldover water/dust cap of rubber and come with a charger.  They look just like the counterweights in the photo above except have the power socket on one end face.  Specific cords from that point we make if you need it for instance, if you specify that you have an LXD mount from Mead then we will offer a 2.5mm coaxial-DC connector on a cord for that mount under our 'special' fabrication, all real common stuff.


• And you always thought counterweights were mundane.  Now you know they can be cool technically.  Send any comments or advice to us, you never know where the next corner of innovation will bend.

  Why carry a battery pack... and a counterweight, when you already have our PowerWeight battery unit with both-in-one?

  Slide your weight on the counterweight shaft like usual...
          ... but plug into your power from the counterweight !!

  Popular models are in the chart above.  Fits every 20mm shaft that every model of consumer telescope uses today plus custom ones are available as well for other shafts/ampacities/weights.

  Recharge with our included AC charger at home, or even in use!

  12VDC Runs the mount, cameras, heaters, lighting, and all the accessories you would normally take on an outing or the backyard...
  ... but this way is WAY BETTER/FASTER/CONVENIENT.

  Stack any cigarette-lighter splitter device (from Radio Shack etc.) to produce multiple outlets, that you can use even while charging the counterweight at the same time.

  Replaceable Standard Brick-Packs:  We use Hi-rel top-line batteries inside near military performance grade for no-leak no-outgas and deep-discharge tolerance. Unscrew the end plate on this counterweight anytime, and slide-in new rechargeable battery packs (we use only the international standard dimension SLA rechargeables so you do not even need to buy replacements from us!).  All batteries we use are industry-standard dimensions so that any make will slide into the pockets we have produced inside these counterweights and connect with usual standard 3/16 terminals.

  Are we getting easier to go out observing now?  Or what! Custom sizes and capacities are available, and extra features.