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Posted

So I’m inside my home where I generally store my scope during the day and I decide to adjust the height of my tripod because it was a bit too high the last time I had it out, one leg is plush to floor, another about an inch out and the third is about 2 inches out but the level on my tripod is dead center. Floor is level in the house, and I get the same level results on my back deck, if I put all three feet flat on the ground/ floor the level bubble is way off center. So how is this level 🤣IMG_1349.thumb.jpeg.5e56072bf1c318209847f211ee3ee36f.jpegIMG_1352.thumb.jpeg.7609a2d540f5c28635cdd838b7ab15c0.jpeg

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Maybe your leg spreader is at an odd angle?

You could try putting all the legs at the same length (all fully up perhaps), loosening the spreader, change the leg angles so the spirit bubble is level, re-tighten the spreader while ensuring the bubble stays central.

Edited by globular
Posted

My neighbour used some rubber matting to place the tripod on, that reduced the shakes a lot when zoomed in.  I was zoomed in 600x (300x lense + Barlow) to see Jupiter but it was shakey.  I forgot to put the mats down, as soon as the tripod was on the rubber mats the shaking nearly stopped.

Chrissy x

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Posted

Tripods aren't always equal with the angle of the legs. I have one of my EQ5 legs at a different length to get the bubble central. When the legs are equal it doesn't look level let alone by checking the bubble.

  • Like 1
Posted

Are the tripod feet adjustable?  One time I measured the length of the leg extensions so they were equal and the pod wasn't level.  Turns out one of the feet / pads was screwed out a bit while the other two were snug up against the leg.

Posted
1 hour ago, Chrissyfbpe said:

My neighbour used some rubber matting to place the tripod on, that reduced the shakes a lot when zoomed in.  I was zoomed in 600x (300x lense + Barlow) to see Jupiter but it was shakey.  I forgot to put the mats down, as soon as the tripod was on the rubber mats the shaking nearly stopped.

Chrissy x

I was supposed to have some Apertura Vibration bundled with my scope when I ordered it but they are backordered with no word on when the manufacturer will have more, but I bought a rubber mat to help with vibrations and I sit in a bar stool with footrests when I am observing on my deck I found that if my feet are not touching the deck vibrations tend to not be transferred as badly. 

Posted
52 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Tripods aren't always equal with the angle of the legs. I have one of my EQ5 legs at a different length to get the bubble central. When the legs are equal it doesn't look level let alone by checking the bubble.

Okay that makes sense and I just checked it with my phone app and another level, phone says it’s more or less level (-1) and of course the other level says it is level, it just looks odd your brain thinks they should be more or less the same length for something to be level unless you’re dealing with a sloping surface.

Posted

The bubble on my HEQ5 mount isn't anywhere near correct, so I don't use on it.

I don't think it was fully seated when put into the mount and I know it's not accurate because I levelled the tripod with a spirit level and the mount removed. I then added the mount back on to the tripod to see where the bubble sat, nowhere near centre is the answer. ;)

If the bubble on yours is on the tripod then a check with the mount removed to get a good flat top on the tripod would tell you whether you can rely on the bubble or not. ;)

Posted
10 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

The bubble on my HEQ5 mount isn't anywhere near correct, so I don't use on it.

I don't think it was fully seated when put into the mount and I know it's not accurate because I levelled the tripod with a spirit level and the mount removed. I then added the mount back on to the tripod to see where the bubble sat, nowhere near centre is the answer. ;)

If the bubble on yours is on the tripod then a check with the mount removed to get a good flat top on the tripod would tell you whether you can rely on the bubble or not. ;)

With the mount off it’s ever so slightly off center but still within the boundaries of the circle indicating that it’s level the mount seems to add just enough extra weight to nudge it into the center.  I’ve checked just about everything I can think of and the tripod on my old 130 SLT has all three legs the same length so it’s obviously an issue with this particular tripod or model, or maybe like Mr Spock said it’s just a Tripod that doesn’t have equal legs for where it is though this particular tripod has hash marks so you can make sure all three are at the same height. 🤷🏻

Posted

I have an SLT mount. The bubble is a course indicator. But if I'm on a slope it gets things near enough.

I've found that the mount needs to be a long way off to prevent GoTo from working. The symptom I suffered most from sloppy setting up is poor tracking of a object in the field of view.

 

 

Posted

if the mount is an equatorial  here is no need to level the tripod.

To test the built in bubble level adjust the tripod till the bubble is centred, tighten everything up and then lift the tripod off the floor and rotate 180 degrees. If the floor is level then the bubble should be centred. 

 

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