Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums
Privacy Policy |
Please read our Terms
of Service | Signup and
Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu.... uh, User
gazerjim
Postmaster
Reged: 02/12/04
Posts: 7728
Loc: About where I thought I was......
|
|
No, those gray things on the pavement are not my dentures. Needing a way to pre-position my tripod in the driveway led to this "quick and dirty" fix. It amounts to first placing the tripod in a rough polar alignment position. I then put a plastic baggie over each of two legs of the tripod, and molded a half-ring of epoxy putty around each. Hopefully, this will place the tripod in proper orientation for imaging sessions.
I originally planned to use thin aluminum sheet, but found it was not thick enough.
If my wife trips over one of these, I will be looking for a new design.
Good seeing,
Jim
--------------------
Jim Fisher
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Henry J. Tillman
Edited by gazerjim (01/05/05 12:17 AM)
|
rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39737
Loc: Phx, AZ
|
|
At the visitors center on Mauna Kea they had little divits in the concrete. Bolts from the feet of the tripods (many photo tripods have these if you remove the rubber feet or thread the rubber foot up to expose this spike) fit in these divits. Each triple is labled for each mount so new docents dont' get lost.
--------------------
Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
|
Tim13
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/07/04
Posts: 575
Loc: Midwest
|
|
If your just marking the rough polar alignment position, why not just use some paint. You could paint a circle around each leg, so then the scope leg will still be sitting on the more friction friendly cement, yet be in the proper position.
Tim
--------------------
One blue telescope.
One white telescope.
One white(formerly gray!)telescope.
Imagine a world without hypothetical situations.
|
gazerjim
Postmaster
Reged: 02/12/04
Posts: 7728
Loc: About where I thought I was......
|
|
I considered using circles, marks, etc., but wanted something that would give quick and reliable positioning, especially in the dark. The Losmandy tripod I am using is super sturdy, but has a rather odd elliptical footprint that doesn't rest on points.
I'm certainy not recommending this from an aesthetic standpoint, but it was too quick and easy to resist. A more elegant solution might be to install some kind of pegs or rods on the tripod legs to fit into small holes in the concrete. I have filed and smoothed the "globs" since taking the photos--total height is <1/8".
Jim
--------------------
Jim Fisher
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Henry J. Tillman
Edited by gazerjim (01/06/05 02:37 AM)
|
|
14 registered and 15 anonymous users are browsing this forum.
Moderator: Don W, Joe Cipriano
Print Thread
|
Forum Permissions
You cannot start new topics
You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled
UBBCode is enabled
|
Thread views: 359
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 