Telescope Reviews: Question about Fujinon 25x150 mount and tripod?

Michael,

I'm not very familiar with the Atlas tripod, but from Orion's ads it appears to be very similar to Meade's standard field, and giant field tripods ....... using a long bolt that goes up through the spreader, and threads into the mount's base to secure it to the tripod.
If so (and since the Sirius P-mount is set up to mount to a G11 tripod) to use with an Atlas tripod you will simply need an adapter to go from the Atlas tripod head to the "G11 ready" pivot axel for the Sirius mount, that would be similar to the Losmandy Meade tripod adapter. see:
http://www.scopecity.com/detail.cfm?ProductID=5376

Scott Losmandy may be able to make one up for an Atlas tripod (without the tabs) or Larry at UA might be able to make an adapter that can be attached to the Losmandy 12" G11 tripod extension (I called it a riser before, but it is correctly called an extension) to duplicate a bottom plate like I machined for mine.
I suspect that if you don't have at least the adapter ... and better yet ... the extension, between the tripod's head and the UA pivot axel, you will probably have limited vertical swing of the P-Mount before it's weights hit the tripod legs.
I use my set up on a Meade giant field tripod, and it's fine for kids to adults, with the leg extensions only extended for (apx) leveling.
In the picture of the Sirius mount at the Big Bino's site, Kevin shows the Sirius mount on a G11 tripod that is using the 12" Losmandy extension.
See this G11 12" extension alone, here:
http://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/CUJ52QSW9PGJ9MTQ2QU8593HR1/product_id/EX12

In my experience both Larry at UA and Scott at Losmandy, have been very accommodating when I've needed something I couldn't either make myself, or find off the shelf.
If you already have the Atlas tripod, and it 'does' use a spreader bolt that comes up through the tripod head to secure the Atlas mount, then my best recomendation would be to see if either Scott will add a botom plate like the one on the 'G11 to Meade adapter' he sells, to the bottom of one of his 12" G11 extensions, but with the hole threaded for the Atlas spreader bolt (if different than the Meade size/thread) or Larry would make up a bottom plate for you to do the same thing and allow you to use a Losmandy G11 tripod extension.
In eiter case, you will want the spreader bolt to extend above the bottom plate, so you can use a large washer and nut as "back up" to the threads in this plate.

Also, in use you will want to be sure to extend the tripod legs so they have as wide a footprint as is pratical (enough to have a "tip proof set-up and still be stable).
Then you are good to go .....

Best regards,

Gary

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Edited by GaryHeath (10/25/09 08:44 PM)