After testing the AZ-EQ6 GT with the TOA130NFB recently, both Phil and I agreed that the EQ6 tripod suffers from Delirium Tremens with the image bouncing about anytime the focuser is touched......
Today's weather gave me the ideal opportunity to do a little bit of DIY....
The spreader has quick release clamps which allow for varying the tension easily, the bars are 16mm square solid bar and all fittings are stainless steel...
Time take: 5 hours
Material cost: $84.75
Other consumables: 2 x Stella Artois, Autosol Paste, Lots of 'Elbow Grease"
Next on the agenda is a bracket for the AZEQ6 hand control to be mounted on the head not the tripod.
Nice! Makes mine in the other thread look very crude. Still I only had a hacksaw, sandpaper and a drill to work with.
Thanks Les, I had the advantage of access to a nice drill press among other things but most of it was done with a hacksaw, files, wet&dry and some autosol paste.
If you go back and have another look at mine you'll see that between the top spreader screw and the rigid lower spreaders I put an adjustable tension chain. I can vary the tension applied by the chain for optimum benefit.
The reason is to provide a tension inwards on the lower added spreader points to offset the outwards tension generated by the original SW spreader up near the top of the tripod. Because you and I both made our bespoke lower spreaders hinged to allow fold up for transport it doesn't really provide a lot of extra benefit. It's the chain that applies the opposing tension between the two spreaders that really increases the system rigidity and thereby helps reduce vibration and reduces the inherent instability before the modification.
I would highly recommend you add the chain between the spreaders with a tensioning ability to wind the chain upwards to pull the legs inwards at your spreader against the top spreader. Without that I think your efficiciency will be markedly reduced. Once set the chain tension never needs to change. The tensioning is independent of the upper SW spreader screw. When you fold the tripod away the chain tension releases until you reassemble next time and then is re-tensioned automatically when you tighten the top spreader up as you would normally.
I only built the lower spreader spider to accommodate an anchoring point for the tension supplied by the chain.
If you go back and have another look at mine you'll see that between the top spreader screw and the rigid lower spreaders I put an adjustable tension chain. I can vary the tension applied by the chain for optimum benefit.
The reason is to provide a tension inwards on the lower added spreader points to offset the outwards tension generated by the original SW spreader up near the top of the tripod. Because you and I both made our bespoke lower spreaders hinged to allow fold up for transport it doesn't really provide a lot of extra benefit. It's the chain that applies the opposing tension between the two spreaders that really increases the system rigidity and thereby helps reduce vibration and reduces the inherent instability before the modification.
I would highly recommend you add the chain between the spreaders with a tensioning ability to wind the chain upwards to pull the legs inwards at your spreader against the top spreader. Without that I think your efficiciency will be markedly reduced. Once set the chain tension never needs to change. The tensioning is independent of the upper SW spreader screw. When you fold the tripod away the chain tension releases until you reassemble next time and then is re-tensioned automatically when you tighten the top spreader up as you would normally.
I only built the lower spreader spider to accommodate an anchoring point for the tension supplied by the chain.
Cheers
Mine is actually designed to work with the opposite forces to yours Les. It is the lower brace on mine that pushes the legs outward and the very top the leg where it contacts the top plate that prevents them spreading further.
In fact, this spreader uses the over centre principle. Push the centre plate down and past the horizontal, it then locks in position and is effectively bending the legs outward. It requires over 11Kg of downward pressure to get the brace past the horizontal. This pressure is also adjustable, by moving the clamps further up the legs 1 centimetre doubled the effort required to lock them into place and there was no visible flex in the tripod.
The original spreader is now a paperweight in my office...
In fact, this spreader uses the over centre principle. Push the centre plate down and past the horizontal, it then locks in position and is effectively bending the legs outward. It requires over 11Kg of downward pressure to get the brace past the horizontal. This pressure is also adjustable, by moving the clamps further up the legs 1 centimetre doubled the effort required to lock them into place and there was no visible flex in the tripod.
I tried forcefully spreading the legs on my HEQ5pro tripod, and destroyed it in the process
I didn't make a spreader (couldn't find the kind of clamps you're using) but used the standard spreader tray. All I did was add a thrust bearing between the bottom of the spreader tray and the hand knob. This allowed the knob to turn so easily that the upward force became too big and a tripod leg broke past its stop.
Now, the stop on the NEQ6 legs is better designed than on the HEQ5pro, so this may not be an issue for you. Just be mindful that those tripods don't have a lot of reserve engineered into them
Losing the HEQ5pro tripod eventually turned out to be a blessing, the mount now rides atop a Berlebach Planet
Thanks Steffen, I did consider this as well. The EQ6 castings seem robust enough so hopefully will hold up ok. I have noted that one leg angle is more than the others so I will be installing a shim to make them all the same.
My backup plan is a Berlebach Planet top adapter I have here that will grow some legs should the need arise....
I think the lower sections need to be beefed up a little also.... the 0.9mm s/s tube will give way to 1.6mm tube ....
For anyone interested, here is a pic of the centre pivot plate from below, a bit crude but very strong. The 3 sections of channel are through bolted to the 10mm plate disc using a pair of M6 x 20mm Stainless steel countersunk socket screws with s/s nylocs above the plate.
Mine is actually designed to work with the opposite forces to yours Les. It is the lower brace on mine that pushes the legs outward and the very top the leg where it contacts the top plate that prevents them spreading further.
In fact, this spreader uses the over centre principle. Push the centre plate down and past the horizontal, it then locks in position and is effectively bending the legs outward. It requires over 11Kg of downward pressure to get the brace past the horizontal. This pressure is also adjustable, by moving the clamps further up the legs 1 centimetre doubled the effort required to lock them into place and there was no visible flex in the tripod.
The original spreader is now a paperweight in my office...
, Rest assured Rick, I would have consumed more if there had been more in the fridge 
.....
