Star Adventurer and DIY tripod

[Astrofriend]

I have used my Star Adventurer for a while now and is very satisfaid with it. But it could be improved and I have installed an angled viewfinder to the polar telescope, rebuilt the wedge, etc.

But there is also the tripod, the one I have now is stable but very big, nothing I could bring with me on travel. All photagraphy tripods I have looked at that is maximum 0.5 meter long folded look a bit weak or are very expensive. Now I have bought an used Manfrotto model 144, very stable but too long folded. This weekend I cut off the legs to make it shorter. I don't need very high tripod now when using the angled viewfinder.

Here is my tripod project:
http://www.astrofriend.eu/astronomy/projects/project-star-adventurer-tripod/01-project-star-adventurer-tripod.html

/Lars

[Icearcher]

Hi Lars

I love what you are doing with the Star Adventurer.

Great modification on the tripod. Iv been looking at the same thing as I want a small travel tripod and my current one is a big chunky surveyor tripod like yours.

Anyone got suggestions for other common old tripods that could be substituted?

[Astrofriend]

Hi Chris,
In Sweden you can sometimes see old Linhof video camera tripods, they are stable but not as compact as this Manfrotto is.

/Lars

[Astrofriend]

Yesterday I did one more modification of the tripod. As I mention earlier I want it even more compact and lighter. Now I have remowed the outer legs. Saved 0.5 kg weight.

See photos:
http://www.astrofriend.eu/astronomy/projects/project-star-adventurer-tripod/04-project-star-adventurer-tripod.html

It got little bit more stable to. We don't have dark a sky during the summer, but I can do some test at the Moon with the 300 mm lens and have some felling how good this tripod is.

Lars