Finally the ED100 gets (brief) first light / tripod mod advice

[bomberbaz]

Hello everyone, finally, after owning it for around 5 weeks I managed to give the scope some light. It was very brief, no more than 20 minutes but I would say I am very pleased with results. Jupiter was clean and crisp showing a very steady, although not as detailed image as in the 10", the stars were beautiful pindots of light, Mirfak gave me a very pleasing view over to the west. I found 4 open clusters to view which were again nice and precise with no aberrations at all but generally a little underwhelming due to the LP though, not scope performance. Overall though I am very pleased thus far with the ota although LP near me kills so much of the potential enjoyment.

Now to why it was only 20 minutes, its in the #tag, the tripod simply is not up to it. It wobbles like a jelly and this stopped me putting anything smaller than a 14mm in the diagonal.  I do have another very substantial tripod but worry swmbo won't be pleased having it around the house as it is ugly. It is an old surveyors tripod and although it would stand up in a gale, it really is not pretty.

The mount head is a dream to use, but the tripod  it came with is too short. I am getting the tripod modded but in the meantime, and while I am on subject, best way to stabilise the existing tripod.

Fill the legs with sand, hang a heavy weight from the centre. I have made some vibration dampeners but this isn't the real problem, its the legs, too flimsy. So can anyone else think of anything else.

[PeterCPC]

You could try strapping some timber members to the legs to stiffen it all up but the real answer is a new mount.

Peter

[bomberbaz]

7 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

You could try strapping some timber members to the legs to stiffen it all up but the real answer is a new mount.

Peter

I already know this to be honest Peter but I was hoping someone might know a miracle cure for it  As I say, the actual supplied tripod (not mount) is bob on, just to short. I need to get a hold of an obliging engineer methinks. 

[Peter Drew]

I'm free Steve.  

[bomberbaz]

28 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

I'm free Steve.  

Ahh Peter what was i not thinking, I take it i would be welcome to pop up saturday with said mount and tripod?