EQ8 Tripod Woes

[Stephen]

Need some advice from anyone else who has purchased the EQ8 with the tripod option please!

I've run into a problem whilst setting up the tripod (not even got the mount out the box yet ) as the spider trusses do not appear to line up ...

I've rotated the pier in the tripod as per the instructions and come to attach the two parts of all three trusses together.

The "back" legs whilst separated by a small gap fastened together fine - the north leg ... has rather a large gap (which actually increases the further away from the leg you come.) It's too big to bring back in with the bolt.

I've swapped the leg truss part with another leg truss part and concluded there is no fault with the truss.

I've rotated the pier in the tripod (so the North leg is no longer North facing but off by a few degrees) and both the rear trusses are now flush to each other along their whole length ... but the North leg truss ... well it looks like this ...

No matter what I loosen off I cannot get all three trusses anywhere near close enough at the same time to fasten up. The only way I could fasten that North leg is to apply excess force to pull it in (which then will be straining the whole time) or to bend the truss (not happening!!!)

My thinking currently is that the North leg has been drilled incorrectly, hence the truss projecting off at an angle.

Any advice welcome

Thanks,

Stephen

[Steve Ward]

Can you not reverse the bracket on the pier ... ?

Looking at the top photo it would appear that this might work ... ?

[Stephen]

Can you not reverse the bracket on the pier ... ?

Looking at the top photo it would appear that this might work ... ?

Thanks for the suggestion - yes, in short I could but the picture is actually a little misleading - the truss is projected out dead centre from the pier/bracket - changing the bracket would just move the side on which the bracket arm sits - the truss itself would not move in relation

[Tinker1947]

yes reverse the bracket, the top photo shows it off set ...

[Steve Ward]

Looking at the manual it shows the bracket the other way round ... !

[Stephen]

Looking at the manual it shows the bracket the other way round ... !

11.JPG

Good spot - it does appear to show them the other way round to how it's delivered.

They are all the "wrong way round" though.

For reference purpose I've just tried all four combinations ... none work (and none actually change the position of the trusses)

[Steve Ward]

Is the Pier post aligned properly with the dowel lined up with the gap in the clamps as per the manual ... if not rotated correctly it will throw things out as you describe .

[Stephen]

Is the Pier post aligned properly with the dowel lined up with the gap in the clamps as per the manual ... if not rotated correctly it will throw things out as you describe .

Configuration 1 - pier post aligned with dowel aligned with gap

Result 1 - Rear trusses less than 10mm seperation (fasten together fine.) North truss as per first picture.

Configuration 2 - pier post rotated approximately 15 degrees off gap

Result 2 - Rear trusses flush along whole length. North truss as per second picture.

[sbooder]

I do not know if you have seen these vids by they may help

[Stephen]

I do not know if you have seen these vids by they may help

Thank you for the link, yes I spotted those this afternoon.

Sadly he skips over fitting all three bolts but from what I can see in what he does show when fitting the first bolt

1 - His trusses all appear to make contact when pulled together

2 - His trusses are on the same orientation as mine (i.e. not the same orientation as pictured in the manual.)

Thanks though!

[sbooder]

I was just looking at the photo on FLO of the EQ8 and it looks to me as if the pillar has to be at a certain height for the braces to connect, that is if the two ends of the braces are fixed on the pillar and the tripod legs respectively?

[Stephen]

I was just looking at the photo on FLO of the EQ8 and it looks to me as if the pillar has to be at a certain height for the braces to connect, that is if the two ends of the braces are fixed on the pillar and the tripod legs respectively?

Neither end is fixed, they are free to pivot up and down (which gives the pier it's ability to change the height.)

The slot in the trusses allows the bolt to be put through at any height.

I would say mine is almost about a third of the way up (two counterweights under the pier as I've seen on most setup videos.)

[sbooder]

I see what you mean now about the gap.  Just unbolt the trus from the pillar side and turn it up the other way, the truss does not come out of the bracket centrally it is off set to one side.

[Peter Drew]

As far as I can see, the video showing the setting up of the tripod has the brackets on the central slider unit the same as you have them in your first photo but the struts attached to the tripod legs are reversed. Have you tried that arrangement?.  

[sbooder]

As far as I can see, the video showing the setting up of the tripod has the brackets on the central slider unit the same as you have them in your first photo but the struts attached to the tripod legs are reversed. Have you tried that arrangement?.  

Yep, that is what I am saying too, either pillar side or leg side one needs to be flipped.

[slickfonzy]

Thanks for the suggestion - yes, in short I could but the picture is actually a little misleading - the truss is projected out dead centre from the pier/bracket - changing the bracket would just move the side on which the bracket arm sits - the truss itself would not move in relation

Can you change the bracket round the other way and also take the truss off and put it on the other side of the bracket projection so that you gain some offset from the centre of the bracket?

[Stephen]

As per my above post, I've tried flipping either the pier, or the leg or both trusses around. It makes no odds

Can you change the bracket round the other way and also take the truss off and put it on the other side of the bracket projection so that you gain some offset from the centre of the bracket?

Now that's an interesting thought but I would need to take advice on that from Aunty FLO as the nut appears to be filled with sealant and I wouldn't want to mess up my warranty

[sbooder]

Can you change the bracket round the other way and also take the truss off and put it on the other side of the bracket projection so that you gain some offset from the centre of the bracket?

Ian, you are now the third to have spotted it and judging by how quiet Stephen has gone either he read our posts or he suddenly sussed it for himself and is now immersed in mount play!

I see you are on the Planet Thanet?  That must be like observing through a big fairy light?

[sbooder]

As per my above post, I've tried flipping either the pier, or the leg or both trusses around. It makes no odds

Now that's an interesting thought but I would need to take advice on that from Aunty FLO as the nut appears to be filled with sealant and I wouldn't want to mess up my warranty

Ah, so they were attached at the factory?  It must have been a Friday afternoon mount and just boltted on in a hurry.

[Stephen]

Ian, you are now the third to have spotted it and judging by how quiet Stephen has gone either he read our posts or he suddenly sussed it for himself and is now immersed in mount play!

I see you are on the Planet Thanet?  That must be like observing through a big fairy light?

Noooo, I read every post above as flipping the bracket over (done, done and done.) - my apologies if I misunderstood.

It was only Ian's post where I realised he meant to remove the truss from the bracket itself ...

[Stephen]

Ah, so they were attached at the factory?  It must have been a Friday afternoon mount and just boltted on in a hurry.

Yup, the only modification I can make from how it's delivered it to take the bracket (with truss attached) and flip the whole thing over 180 degrees

[sbooder]

I have a question, were the brackets attached to the mount on delivery?

[Stephen]

I have a question, were the brackets attached to the mount on delivery?

Yes, all attached, all the same orientation, trusses attached to brackets same way on all legs / pier.

The only assembly step that "should" be required is to put the butterfly clips between the two truss arms

[sbooder]

Well it might be an idea to see if changing all the brackets to put the offset the other way may solve the problem, or have you tried that?  I only ask because it is very possible that more than one may have been attached the wrong way.

[slickfonzy]

Ian, you are now the third to have spotted it and judging by how quiet Stephen has gone either he read our posts or he suddenly sussed it for himself and is now immersed in mount play!

I see you are on the Planet Thanet?  That must be like observing through a big fairy light?

He he, yes, Thanet does have a distinctive orange glow, although my spot in bungalow land at Palm Bay isn't too bad.  A part-night lighting scheme is being rolled out across Kent in 2014 though, so I'm hopeful that will make a difference.