Help! Heq5 legs removal question

[MarkAR]

Good work Louise, just needs the rubber feet.

[Thalestris24]

2 hours ago, nfotis said:

Apologies if it has been already answered, but what's the rationale behind the rebuilding of the tripod with aluminium legs?

Lower weight?

Or do you want more stiffness compared to the old tripod?

 

Regards,

N.F.

 

Lower weight, as discussed above

[Thalestris24]

New tootsies came today . They needed a couple of layers of tape to make a snug fit but I was expecting that. Of course, with the current arrangement I have no way of levelling on uneven ground so I'll have to stick to somewhere flat. It's still a little heavy for me to carry (I'm a wimp, I know) though I probably could just about manage it with a laptop and small battery in a backpack. I think the 16 gauge legs will be better in terms of weight but it could be several more weeks before I get them. The weather forecast is mostly cloudy anyway 😞. 

Edited July 6, 2020 by Thalestris24

[Thalestris24]

The 16-guage tubes arrived today 🙂. Much lighter, but seem like they will still be fine. Since I fitted the 10-gauge ones I've had nothing but cloud so they haven't even been tried. There's a faint possibility of some clear spells tonight but I won't hold my breath. Will try and fit the new, lightweight legs tomorrow.

Louise

[Neil H]

Louise when i did mine i removed the 4 grub screws and it just pulled a part i dont remember it having glue . Just dont loose the pressure bar in the bottom clamp in sits in the plastic holder inside the outter leg that the inner leg passes through so when you lock the leg it does not dent it 

[Thalestris24]

Just now, Neil H said:

Louise when i did mine i removed the 4 grub screws and it just pulled a part i dont remember it having glue . Just dont loose the pressure bar in the bottom clamp in sits in the plastic holder inside the outter leg that the inner leg passes through so when you lock the leg it does not dent it 

I've done it and replaced the original legs with aluminium ones ok (see above). I'm not using the inner leg, unless I find I have to.

Louise

[MarkAR]

Well done Louise, if you find you get any vibration using the thinner tube you can always try a squirt of expanding foam inside them.

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, MarkAR said:

Well done Louise, if you find you get any vibration using the thinner tube you can always try a squirt of expanding foam inside them.

Thanks. I don't think vibration will be a problem. I'll only be using it with the 300mm lens pictured above 🙂 

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Put the new 16 gauge legs on earlier today. Looks the same, ha ha but it must be ~1.5kg lighter than with the 10 gauge legs 🙂 . No sign of any clear skies. July has been awful here. I've seen glimpses of Mars rising in the East a few times. - it certainly stands out, even through the murk. At least it's getting darker earlier. Winter's coming! 

Louise

[Macavity]

Nice one, Louise. Good idea too! 1.5kg, eh? <thinks> Every little helps?
I know some people "cannot understand [why]" etc. lol. But many folk do
genuinely find standard setups "hard work" (and for very many reasons). 😛

Ironic Aside: Just thinking of modding an RF "Antenna" (Radio Astro Tests?)
--- Replacing thin-walled Aluminium tubes with 5mm stainless steel BAR!
Hopefully my "aerial guy" can do some (socially distanced!) ladder work?! 🥳

I have a "thing about weight". lol. It's often hard to find this in the specs... 🙄

[Thalestris24]

37 minutes ago, Macavity said:

Nice one, Louise. Good idea too! 1.5kg, eh? <thinks> Every little helps?
I know some people "cannot understand [why]" etc. lol. But many folk do
genuinely find standard setups "hard work" (and for very many reasons). 😛

Ironic Aside: Just thinking of modding an RF "Antenna" (Radio Astro Tests?)
--- Replacing thin-walled Aluminium tubes with 5mm stainless steel BAR!
Hopefully my "aerial guy" can do some (socially distanced!) ladder work?! 🥳

I have a "thing about weight". lol. It's often hard to find this in the specs... 🙄

Well, the original stainless steel legs, with the inner legs and feet, weighed 4.1 kg. So a total saving of 4.1 - 1.5 = 2.6kg - which is quite significant. Of course, if I ever try it out outside I'll need level ground or some way of levelling the mount. If needed I could put something under one leg - I'm sure there's a way round it! I'm a little old lady so the weights of mounts and tripods ++ have stopped me from taking kit outside as I have to navigate two flights of stairs. I have a Star adventurer but I never got it to work properly (must have had a duff one) and a guided EQ3 pro on the Al tube legs seems a much better way forward. 

Louise