Telescope Reviews: Another Tripod / Mount Question

Thanks Erik,

To be truthful , I'd already more or less decided what you are saying to be the BEST option , but I was just trying to figure a way of putting the tripod to SOME use.

I do a lot of my scope and 15 x 70 viewing actually from my commercial vehicle, sometimes sitting sideways in the driver seat with the tripod set low wedged around the passenger seat with the scope/ bino facing out the passenger window , sometimes, if the location allows, sitting on a box in the rear of the vehicle with the same set-up aiming through the open back doors ( which is when I am sometimes mistaken for a special police constable trying to catch cows or horses breaking the speed limit in a field)

This of course for terrestrial viewing in daylight from high vantage points accessible by vehicle , and when in Wales , ALWAYS without wearing wellington boots -- especially if there are sheep around.

Even if it is windy , sturdiness is seldom the problem.

My dissatisfaction is with the lack of perfectly smooth and precise up and down and side to side movement and a rock steady , quick settling instrument when I've found my target, and is little better really than my window mount coupled to an L -bracket -- which is another typical example of something that "does a job" without making me feel any more orgasmic than the sighting of a sheep 80 yards away at 40x in the 102mm scope would.

I feel like I need a Rolls Royce and I'm stuck with a Jeep if you understand my analogy.

Perhaps when I get my tripod and mount up to standard ,it might inspire me to actually buy an instrument capable of providing a world -class image at over 10x magnification, but another thing which worries me is the scenario if I end up buying a top notch spotting scope from one of the Big Four ( or five ) and find it cannot be mounted on to a tripod and mount I've spent enough on to have bought myself a pair of Canon 10 x 30 IS binos , for instance.

The apparant lack of universality amongst these spotting scopes is a likely cause of me being so crazy !

Regards -- Kenny.

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If everyone is thinking the same thing , no-one is thinking - General George S.Patton

Zeiss 7 x 42 BGAT
Captain's Helmsman 7 x 50
Nikon 10 x 42 Superior E
Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50
Helios 15 x 70 Observation
Strathspey 20 x 90
Televue 76 APO
Zeiss 85 Diascope
Helios 102 f5 refractor
Various eyepieces barlows tripods mounts etc.
Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ5 digital camera