MLAstro P-200
Price range: 25,00 $ through 149,00 $
*Compatible with MLAstro One and MLAstro SAL-33
The MLAstro P-200 isn’t just another pier extension — it’s built like a tank. Designed to support up to 80 kg of load while weighing only 1.8 kg, it delivers unmatched strength.
Yes, it raises your mount to prevent cameras from hitting tripod legs. But more importantly, it also expands the MLAstro mount’s compatibility with a wide range of popular tripods. With the included adapters, it’s plug-and-play with iOptron, ZWO, and SkyWatcher, Celestron tripods.
So why go heavy-duty when most Chinese mounts settle for flimsy 3–4 post extensions? Because those lightweight designs simply don’t hold up. They flex under load, catch the wind, and undermine the performance of an otherwise excellent mount — and they’re not even much lighter.
We took a different path: build the extension as solid as the mount itself. The result is the P-200, one of the most stable pier extensions available today.
And we’ve got the numbers to prove it: FEM analysis shows more than 7 times less deformation under load compared to typical designs. In the field, that translates into rock-solid stability and far better wind resistance.
The P-200 doesn’t just extend your mount — it locks down your entire setup and makes sure the SAL-33 delivers at its best.
Specifications:
- Material: CNC-machined aluminum
- Height: 200 mm
- Load Capacity: 80 kg
Compatibility: We can customize an adapter for your particular tripod. Just leave a comment when you order and we’ll email you back with details.
iOptron
| Tripod / Pier | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| LiteRoc Tripod (iEQ45 / CEM60 / CEM70 / HAE69) | P-200 + iOptron adapter |
| LiteRoc Tripod (CEM26 / GEM28 / HEM27 / HAE29) | P-200, check if the center pin is removable (it should unscrew using a plier), if not, give us an email, we’ll give you the P-200 version that is compatible. If center pin is removable, the P-200 natively compatible with the tripod. |
| LiteRoc Tripod (CEM40 / HAE43 / HEM44 / GEM45) | P-200, check if the center pin is removable (it should unscrew using a plier), if not, give us an email, we’ll give you the P-200 version that is compatible. If center pin is removable, the P-200 natively compatible with the tripod. |
| iOptron Tri-Pier, mini Tri-Pier, Tri-Pier 360 | Only need the iOptron adapter, no need for the P-200. |
ZWO
| Tripod | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| TC40 | Natively compatible |
SkyWatcher
| Tripod | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| EQ3 / EQ5 | Requires P-200 + EQ3/EQ5 adapter |
| EQ6 | Requires P-200 + EQ6 adapter. Adapter have 2 parts, the collar goes on top of the center rod. |
| EQ3/EQ5/EQ6 compatible pier | You can use the respective adapter directly on the SAL-33 bottom plate without P-200. Make sure the az pin is removable. |
Celestron
| Tripod | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| AVX | Replace the center rod with a 3/8″ threaded rod and screw it into P-200 center hole. |
| CPC1100/8SE/9.25SE tripods. Any Celestron tripod that uses 3x 3/8″ thumbscrews with 142mm spacing between adjacent screws should be compatible. | Requires the P-200 and Celestron Adapter. |
AVALON
| Tripod | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| All T-pod line up (90-110-130) | Natively compatible via 2 M6 screws to the bottom plate. |
Hans F Theilacker (verified owner) –
Have the P-200 with a Celestron adapter. It provides a very solid platform for WO GT-102 astrophoto rig. It has the added benefit of matching SAL-33 and is beautiful to look at.
Hans
Luc Pisau (verified owner) –
I just got this pier extension w iOptron base to install on iOptron Permanent Pier 8038-900. This pier extension is needed to solve two issues – first, to use iOptron Permanent Pier with SAL-33 / ONE (AM3/5/7 footprint compatible) and second to rotate the mount on the pier (exact north alignment for the pier was not an option for me). While it arrived quickly, very nicely packed, and it seems to work right out of the box (hence the 5 stars), I would like to suggest a couple of changes for the future.
(1) the three counter sunk screws at the bottom of the iOptron adapter holding the extension pier could not be fully seated inside the adapter plate, so my extension plate did not stay flush when installed on the pier. I think the holes (pier extension base to iOptron adapter) are not perfectly aligned in my sample which amplified the problem. I would suggest making the counterbore holes for the screw heads about 0.7 to 1mm deeper. The fix for me was to replace the three screws in the assembly kit with six M6x30 screws installed through the pier bottom plate into the M6 threads already present into the iOptron adapter plate (screw heads are now on the opposite side of the initial design and are double the number, because the threads were already there for six screws, not because of any mechanical concerns). With a washer and a split washer, 30mm is just the right length so screws do not come out on the other side. Removing the base of the extension pier to install the screws into the iOptron adapter plate from the other side is trivial.
(2) the two M8x12 screws used to attach the iOptron adapter to the pier head may work structurally in an FAE analysis, but given the cost of what I plan to install on top of the pier, four screws would give me a lot more pace of mind. Yes, I have seen steel screws snapping before – it is not like they are individually xray inspected for manufacturing defects and cycling between -30C to +50C across time will bring out any weaknesses. Note that there are four threaded holes in the iOptron top pier plate in about the right places, (three M8 and one M10) and by shaving a little material in the center of the adapter plate (resulting shape would no longer be perfectly round) the heads of the two extra screws can be made to fit (4 hole pattern). I also understand why the design is the way it is, to allow for maximum rotation flexibility during install, so I am not sure about the best long term fix. I am replacing the two M8x12 screws with M8x20 screws and adding washers, tension (split) washers as well as a nut on the other side. It is easy to add a third M8 screw, if you are OK with going a little off center, but the fourth screw is a bit of a challenge (no obvious good place to just drill a hole and put in a 1/4″ screw and nut). What I am adding for sure is one 100x100x15mm Al plate with a 3/8 hole in the center plus a 3/8-16 by 2.5″ stainless steel screw (w a couple split washers to take up most of 4mm slop in the vertical stack between the iOptron think plate in the center and the reference surface for the 100×100 plate) to make up for having only two M8 screws connecting the extension to the permanent pier. A 120mm vixen dove rail with a 3/8″ center hole may also work (and be lower cost) instead of the thick Aluminum plate to distribute the load created by the 3/8-16 center screw across the bottom of the top plate of the permanent pier. iOptron has a very thin plate in the center of the top pier plate held in place by four M4 screws which structurally is a joke, so you do not want to rely on that to hold the head of the center 3/8-16 screw.
(3) The screws securing the top plate (of the pier extension) may not work for long if you plan on using them to remove the mount every day, and leave that plate permanently attached to the mount There are no steel or bronze removable inserts into the wall of the pier extension., and the screw diameter is low. With no pressure plates to increase friction between the removable top and the extension walls (as ZWO’s 160mm pier extension has), you have to exert more pressure into the threads of the screws to secure the top in place as the locking surfaces are very small (only the tip of the screws), potentially affecting the number of cycles to failure. I would suggest increasing the diameter of the locking screws and looking into removable / replaceable inserts if emulating the approach taken by ZWO (where the locking screws are pushing movable plates into the removable puc and have a lot more friction area than just the tip of the screws) would add too much cost. Going to four instead of three locking screws may also help.
(4) please make additional top plates available for purchase in case you have more than one mount you want to use with the same pier extension
Nguyen Trong Minh –
thanks Luc, for the super detailed review
we’ll consider all of them and make the nessecary changes.