Heritage 150p on a tripod?

[Goose0211]

I’ve just been reading @Stu excellent write up, as below, on the 150p and having got this scope I’m wondering what I’ll need to mount it on my Horizon 8115 tripod - assuming this is doable and the tripod will hold the weight? The Dob mount is good but want to compare and see how it works on a tripod.  Any thoughts or advice?

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/359895-first-light-with-heritage-150p/

 

[Tiny Clanger]

I have used my heritage 150 on a manfrotto 190xpro tripod by using one of these between the standard 1/4" photo tripod head screw to the dovetail rail of the heritage. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dovetails-saddles-clamps/baader-vixen-style-dovetail-clamp.html

It works OK,  but I prefer it on the dob base to be honest, it just seems right ! I don't know your tripod, , but you do need something hefty to hold the heritage without wobbling. My ST80  frac lives permanently set up on that  tripod with that clamp at the moment, it is fine with a camera type head and no slo mo controls, because that 'scope is so wide field . For the heritage I think if I wanted to use it on a tripod a lot, I'd prefer to replace the photo pan/tilt head with a proper alt az mount , but that would cost considerably more than the £32 for the Baader clamp  !

If you do intend to use a photo head, one hint I picked up on here which has worked very well is to have the 'scope 'on the side', as if it was a camera set up  to take a portrait rather than landscape photo.

Heather

[Stu]

Glad you are enjoying the scope.

Have a look around in the DIY section for some of @Mark at Beaufort‘S posts for what he did with his 130p, very useful. I found this one for starters:

There are various options depending on budget. I know some people use a ball head with the top clamp pushed over to one side into the groove and that functions very well as a cheap alt az head. I use an Ercole which is complete overkill. A mini giro would do fine, or an AZ5, or even just a standard alt az photo head. Lots of options as I say.

[StevieDvd]

There is a nice Altair Starwave Mini AZ Mount - mini alt az mount on Astrobuysell.com/uk for £160 (not me selling).  Comes with a better dovetail clamp, looks like an ADM, and extender & weight.

I have the Teleskop Service equivalent and use that on a photo tripod, it takes quite a weight too. The tension in both alt/Az is good, unlike some other manual mounts.

[banjaxed]

I was browsing  this topic and noticed the focuser is not the standard type and could not see how you adjust the focuser. Out of interest could anyone enlighten me please.

[Tiny Clanger]

25 minutes ago, banjaxed said:

I was browsing  this topic and noticed the focuser is not the standard type and could not see how you adjust the focuser. Out of interest could anyone enlighten me please.

You turn the inner tube, it has a thread cut into it, as does the outer tube of the focuser . The whole thing is a bit rattly and imprecise, which is why people put wraps of PFTE plumbers tape on it to remove some of the slop. It's a bit rough and ready,  but it works OK, and I'm sure it keeps the price down .

You can see it in this very  useful vid.:

Heather

Edited May 22, 2021 by Tiny Clanger
added link

[Ricochet]

41 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

There is a nice Altair Starwave Mini AZ Mount - mini alt az mount on Astrobuysell.com/uk for £160 (not me selling).  Comes with a better dovetail clamp, looks like an ADM, and extender & weight.

I have the Teleskop Service equivalent and use that on a photo tripod, it takes quite a weight too. The tension in both alt/Az is good, unlike some other manual mounts.

I have one of these for my solar scope and wouldn't have considered it for a Heritage 150, I would have thought that it would be a bit too prone to vibration at high power. An AZ5 on the Horizon (assuming the head unscrews) would be my guess for the best reasonably priced option, or for £30 more the heavier but more stable AZ4/steel tripod package.

[banjaxed]

34 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

You turn the inner tube, it has a thread cut into it, as does the outer tube of the focuser . The whole thing is a bit rattly and imprecise, which is why people put wraps of PFTE plumbers tape on it to remove some of the slop. It's a bit rough and ready,  but it works OK, and I'm sure it keeps the price down .

You can see it in this very  useful vid.:

Heather

Thank you for your explanation Heather, it is as you say a bit rough and ready but now I can stop scratching my head 😀

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Tiny Clanger said:

It works OK,  but I prefer it on the dob base to be honest, it just seems right !

Isn't there a 3/8" thread on the bottom of the standard Dob base?  Couldn't you just screw this into the top of a Manfrotto or similar photo tripod?  That's how I attached my DSV-2B to my Manfrotto 058B tripod.  IIRC, there are grub screws on the Manfrotto underneath and around the 3/8" stud that can be screwed upward to bear against the bottom of the mount head to prevent it from unscrewing.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I have made a lot of modifications to my Heritage 130P.

• changed the secondary collimation knobs
• Improved the focuser with PTFE tape
• Flocked the whole tube
• Installed a finder base to allow a 9x50 finderscope
• Made a neoprene shroud
• extra dovetail to fit Skywatcher Pronto mount

The attached photo shows the Heritage on its Pronto mount

I also purchased a nice metal travel case - photo attached. This case carries 4 EPs - 24mm,17mm,10mm + Nagler 3-6mm zoom

When I purchased the 130P the 150P was not available. If it was I would undertake the same modifications but place it on an AZ5 mount. I prefer using an alt/az mount that has slow motion controls.

[Roy Challen]

Hi and welcome to SGL.

I have used the Horizon 8115 to mount my long frac. It is doable, but not really worth it. To get the eyepiece at a reasonable height, the tripod legs need to be fully extended. This, coupled with an inferior mount, makes it too wobbly to be useful. This was with the scope's original mount. However, a 150p, being a Newtonian, wouldn't require full extension to be well positioned (assuming seated viewing position).

As it sounds like you would need to buy a mount anyway, you're better off getting something like an AZ4 or 5, which will easily support the scope.

[Goose0211]

Thanks all, I think the AZ5 will seemingly do the job, just need to take the tripod apart to find the screw, which by all accounts isn’t straightforward.

[Tiny Clanger]

1 hour ago, Goose0211 said:

Thanks all, I think the AZ5 will seemingly do the job, just need to take the tripod apart to find the screw, which by all accounts isn’t straightforward.

Yep, the AZ5 will hold it easily , and has a 3/8" socket in the base which matches the standard photo head to photo tripod screw.Assuming your tripod has that, it should be no problem . I've not tried the heritage 150 on my AZ5, it has my Maksutov living on it permanently !

Most tripod heads simply unscrew from the tripod's centre column, I've no idea if your one has grub screws underneath the small platform at the top of the centre column as the Manfrottos do, but if so, it's just the work of seconds to loosen them.

[Goose0211]

1 hour ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Yep, the AZ5 will hold it easily , and has a 3/8" socket in the base which matches the standard photo head to photo tripod screw.Assuming your tripod has that, it should be no problem . I've not tried the heritage 150 on my AZ5, it has my Maksutov living on it permanently !

Most tripod heads simply unscrew from the tripod's centre column, I've no idea if your one has grub screws underneath the small platform at the top of the centre column as the Manfrottos do, but if so, it's just the work of seconds to loosen them.

Thanks, one potentially dumb question but I’m assuming the az5 would screw into the bit circled below, or would the top main head part need to be removed and maybe there’s a screw when that’s taken off?

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by Goose0211

[Pixies]

11 minutes ago, Goose0211 said:

Thanks, one potentially dumb question but I’m assuming the az5 would screw into the bit circled below, or would the top main head part need to be removed and maybe there’s a screw when that’s taken off?

 

nope - it'll attach at the point marked with the blue arrow.

You'll need to unscrew the head (above blue arrow) from your tripod 

Edited May 22, 2021 by Pixies

[Tiny Clanger]

Pixies beat me to it ... you need to remove the pan/tilt head , which should reveal a 3/8" screw . The screw protruding from the pan/tilt head, the one which goes into the base of a camera or lightweight 'scope  is a 1/4" screw.

Many tripod heads remove by simply rotating the head anti clockwise, usually not hard to do if you lock the pan / az axis so the top does not rotate . Some have extra devices to stop this happening accidentally (e.g. the Manfrotto grub screws  underneath) , and some cheaper or lighter weight tripods may have their heads permanently fixed to the column.

[Louis D]

Many lower cost tripods use a 1/4" stud to attach the head.  Others may not be removable at all.  If it is a 1/4" stud, there is a low cost thread adapter that screws into the 3/8" hole creating a 1/4" threaded hole for the smaller stud.

[Goose0211]

Got it, thanks, as I sort of thought but couldnt get the head off so did wonder!

 

[Roy Challen]

The horizon tripod is 1/4" not 3/8, so you'll need an adapter. Cheap enough from Amazon or wherever. Worth trying I suppose, but I think you'll be wanting a sturdier tripod before long.

[Tiny Clanger]

7 hours ago, Goose0211 said:

Got it, thanks, as I sort of thought but couldnt get the head off so did wonder!

 

This thread may help :