Uni 28 is too tall; your sagely advice sought please

[Alan White]

Having hankered for a wooden classic tripod for several years, I was fortunate enough to purchase a lightly used fine example form Jabeo from here on SGL.
In my excitement I then bought a leg spreader set from Berlebach direct as well, and a fine addition it is too.
What a nice tripod, very happy, well I was until........

I had a set up with it several times recently to get myself sorted before we get weeks of clear perfect seeing (as if).
Anyways, it's great if I want to stand and observe, which I do sometimes, but its too high for my Newtonian when seated, which I do more often and find I observe better when seated.
Typically the old EQ5 steel tripod is 7 inches shorter and 'just right' in a Goldilocks way.

This was a case of heart over ruling mind as I knew it had a slight height difference and I hoped it would be all ok; what an optomist I can be.
Anyway its not what I need right now.

So what are the solutions?   Your thoughts please.
Taking a saw to it does not feel like a good solution to me!

 

 

 

[melsmore]

Taller chair?

[Ricochet]

17 minutes ago, melsmore said:

Taller chair?

Sounds like the best option to me. Something like an ironing or musician's chair where it's at a height where you're almost standing.

Alternatively for a fixed location you could dig 7" holes in the lawn. 

[geoflewis]

7 minutes ago, Ricochet said:

Something like an ironing or musician's chair where it's at a height where you're almost standing.

Google observing chair and you'll get something like this...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=observing+chair&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=FvKoWq-gC-2Ltge1v6LwBw

I have one similar to that advertised by Wex photo and it works a treat at all heights.

Geof

[L8-Nite]

A possible solution may be to make up a spreader chain to lower the tripod by giving it a wider footprint, which also adds to stability. I did this for our Telementor tripods, and prefer it to the non adjustable spreader plate.

.

[JOC]

1 hour ago, Ricochet said:

Alternatively for a fixed location you could dig 7" holes in the lawn

LOL - I was just coming back to this thread to suggest a hole!

[Alan White]

Well on the bright side, no one has suggested that I am put on the rack and stretched.....so far anyway ?

[JOC]

I've not used an astronomy tripod only a camera one and with those it is possible to not extend the legs completely to control the height - is there some reason why, for a telescope, you need to extend them completely?

[iPeace]

If I understand correctly, it's the spreader that prevents the legs from spreading out further? I got my Uni 29 (same tripod, but with geared centre column) not with a spreader stop, but with stop settings on each leg. So they can spread out further and stay stable if you like. You'd have to remove the spreader and try it out, see 'how low you can go'. I'll get pics for you shortly.

[Alan White]

Problem with spreading the legs wider is they then get in the way and a riser is needed to clear the legs and back to square one.

Perhaps digging 3 holes is the simplest solution, make the patio a bit dangerous though!

[iPeace]

[JOC]

Stilts?

[Alan White]

58 minutes ago, iPeace said:

 

Thanks for going to this amount of trouble Mike, much appreciated and I now see what you are suggesting. 

Your tripod legs have some kind of click stops fitted, the Uni 28 does not have these.
The limit of travel is controlled by the chains, shelf or in my case spreader.

The legs being spread will foul the OTA, so a drop in height that will then need a riser column.

The saw or digging is looking to the needed direction 

 

[iPeace]

1 minute ago, Alan White said:

Your tripod legs have some kind of click stops fitted, the Uni 28 does not have these.
The limit of travel is controlled by the chains, shelf or in my case spreader.

The legs being spread will foul the OTA, so a drop in height that will then need a riser column.

Indeed, I'm aware the Uni 28 doesn't have the click stops, it's just to illustrate that Berlebach makes them so they can spread further (they also happily offer them without either spreader or stops). You would have to forego the chains, shelf or spreader. You would also have to hop over each tripod leg you encounter with the OTA.

So you either need a taller stool to sit on, or a shorter Uni. Hm. (I enjoy standing anyway - having to move the chair becomes a bit tiresome.) I'd probably sell the 28 and get a shorter Uni. But if you find an old bar stool in a skip somewhere, you could try that first.

[iPeace]

43 minutes ago, iPeace said:

But if you find an old bar stool in a skip somewhere, you could try that first.

Seriously, I have considered getting a tall observing stool, something like this:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/misc/mey-observing-chair.html

But I'm sure the concept can be tested in a provisional manner before investing in something.

[Alan White]

Thanks Mike

I already have a Geoptik Nadira observing chair, but somehow its not working well with my present raised set up.

I think the sell and get a shorter one makes sense, was testing the waters to see if I had missed anything obvious.
Thank you all for your thoughts.

Very sad as a wooden tripod has been an object of desire for so long.
As they say, be careful what you wish for.

[L8-Nite]

If you are considering a chair, have a look at " Telescope Observing Chair " group on Yahoo. There are currently 44 albums showing various chairs.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/telescope_observing_chair/photos/albums 

[iPeace]

1 minute ago, Alan White said:

Very sad as a wooden tripod has been an object of desire for so long.
As they say, be careful what you wish for.

Please don't feel that way - just get a shorter one in due course!

You're absolutely right to have wished and continue to wish for one - I love mine and should have gotten them much sooner.

[Paul73]

I have the UNI 24c which has the click stop adjuster. The wider leg spread does sometimes foul the OTA. I tend not to load it up for night time use. So just pick the whole thing up and move so that the legs aren’t in the way. Not ideal when you’ve just spent a fortune on a high end tripod. 

Paul

 

[iPeace]

Why not just place an ad for a swap? Tall Uni for small Uni?