Who do you trust? Vladimir Putin, Telstra Billing, Celestron Tripods

[PeterAnderson (Peter)]

The answer is of course - None of the above.

Now the first two are pretty obvious, and it is Celestron tripods that I will deal with here.
I bought a C8 Classic 'cheapie' new in 1990 - brought it back from a holiday in the USA. Anyway, I had it set up in the observatory as a second instrument. Despite proper tightening, one leg of the tripod slid down and the telescope fell over against the door. I couldn't get into the observatory! Anyway, I carefully pushed it aside. The repair was wiring and soldering the mangled finder mount, and working on part of the bent aluminium declination fitting which was brought up to close to 'as new' condition. The tube and optics and other works were undamaged. The tripod legs were then drilled and removable holding pins inserted.

Fast forward to 2011 when I bought a CPC11. Now I mounted that on wheeley bars, but to be perfectly level I had to raise one leg of the tripod about 4cm. Guess what? Yep it slid down again. Simple solution. It now has a block of wood under it.

Well my C14 from November 2014 on CGEM DX mount is remaining firmly with the tripod legs not extended. Therefore I can't comment upon whether they would also fail, but the odds are not good, especially because of my C9.25.

Yep Bintel were flogging these off in Nov 15 for $2K on the old mount, so I had to have one of these classics. Well this time I got cunning and wrapped a wad of gaffer tape around each leg. Guess what. Each leg was playing slidies and starting to chew into the gaffer tape which, valiantly, was holding. Anyway, I made a three wheeled trolley which raised the scope 12cm and so I have fully retracted these legs as well, since the telescope was then (just) a convenient height.

Now you will ask 'Why does this turkey have an 8, 9.25, 11 and 14?' How many telescopes can he use. Well, my wife has (conservatively) about 25 pairs of ear-rings. How many ears does she have? Answer: Just the usual complement.

But, as she will tell you, they are each for a particular purpose and outfit. I won't drag this analogy along further except to say with focal reducers and barlows the various apertures give you great versatility. (There is other stuff as well, including an old Meade ETX90 - great optics, really ****ty uptake and drive, that has now expired (unmourned). This fits into a briefcase size case and appropriately filtered, is good for solar work and eclipses.)

To sum up, I have had an unfortunate history with Telstra billing, and at the moment it is an uneasy peace. Perhaps Vladimir Putin is not such a bad guy after all...no there was that Polonium poisoning matter some years ago.

Okay, the answer remains: Trust none of the above!

[astroron (Ron)]

And I thought you led a sedate life Peter.
Cheers

[casstony]

I haven't had any problems with a few different Celestron tripods yet, but I can see the potential. Perhaps you could put hose clamps or pipe clamps on the lower legs to stop them sliding in.

[PeterAnderson (Peter)]

The idea of hose clamps is great...but you shouldn't have to. This was my point. Okay, I fixed it in my own primitive way with the holding pins. Just like I will keep an eye on the declination allen key bolts (near death experience described in another post last night), I will simply not extend the Celestron tripods...three times bitten...would it be six times shy, nine times, or whatever...

Now in my three posts last night I got everything that was bugging me off my chest.

[LewisM]

Hmmm, easy one. Putin.

Celestron - just yakk since going to China (someone once claimed the lurid orange and the gawdy, grotesque shaping means you can find it easier after you throw it...no one I know in Canberra said that.... it is a very ROBUST statement )

Telstra - haven't used em since 2002. No plans to ever again either. Or Obtusless. Westnet has been exemplary since day 1 with them - never an issue that was not resolved within an HOUR. And all on THEIR coin.

So, leaves Putin. Actually, he's the only politician world wide worth a pinch of guano. He lies as much as the others, yet he has character and charisma, unlike Billery, Dump, Obomination, Merrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkel, Turnbullsheet, and so on.