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Old 22-12-2024, 06:49 PM
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ChrisM
Sandy Ridge Observatory

ChrisM is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Gippsland, VIC
Posts: 768
Quote:
Originally Posted by OzEclipse View Post
If you want economic and not airline friendly, there are frequent listings for belt modded HEQ 5’s for about $1000 or less. Provided you don’t want to add 4kg of cameras and accessories you should get away with an HEQ5. It is not the best around but does meet your requirements for easily car portable and cheap.

I built the lightweight tripod and a diy ultralight tracking head in the late 1990’s for solar eclipse photography before all the micro trackers started coming on the market. I found that I could make the tripod very strong but it was prone to tipping because it had no counterweights. The load sat centred around the polar axis and the longish dec arm could slide laterally to balance the load. But all the weight was hanging forward. Eventually I started using the Losmandy as the head but adapted it to my tripod. Tripod is low profile. I have to sit on the ground.

Joe
Thanks again Joe - I'll check out the HEQ5 too. And all okay on your diy equipment and CoG considerations. As they say, 'Gravity never fails'.

Cheers, Chris
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