Weight Drive

Beautiful construction and truly in mint condition!

You are a lucky man!

I bought this many years ago when it was considerably cheaper. I saw one unused unit go for $2,500.00 on Astromart a couple of years ago. I guess that by now there are truely collectables. I always wanted to buy a Unitron 4-inch with the 160 equatorial mount, which has ball bearings instead of bushings, and the weight drive. Just a simple 4-inch equatorial refractor. One can still find them, but be prepared to pay a premium.

-Fred

Hi Katerina,

The weight drive is the clock drive for the telescope. Instead of it being an electric motor that runs off of electricity, it has a cable wound up on a drum with weights on the end that is pulled downward by gravity and that turns the various gears of the drive. The rate of tracking can be adjusted by the round governor knob at the top of the drive.

-Fred