Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Tripod

[Space Beagle]

Mark at Beaufort's solution for a rdf looks quite good, see above post.

I'm very happy with my combo of a Red Snapper RS283 tripod and Triton Ballhead Grip which will set you back just over what you'd pay for the Horizon tripod.

From the picture of Marks set up, his Manfrotto Grip looks very similar to the Triton so his flash bar for the rdf would probably work with both.

Doc

[Paul Riley]

Mark at Beaufort's solution for a rdf looks quite good, see above post.

I'm very happy with my combo of a Red Snapper RS283 tripod and Triton Ballhead Grip which will set you back just over what you'd pay for the Horizon tripod.

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From the picture of Marks set up, his Manfrotto Grip looks very similar to the Triton so his flash bar for the rdf would probably work with both.

Doc

Very nice setup,thanks for sharing

[booner1]

hi , i know this is an old thread but am looking for advice on this topic...my 11 year old son has become interested in astronomy and i have recently bought him celestron 15 x70 binos, i am now in the process of sorting a tripod, i looked at manfrotto mkc3 h02 and set the binos on it in the shop it seems 'ok' but im wondering are the binos a wee bit heavy for this tripod, as i have nothing to compare with i am at a bit of a loss, tbh they seemed a bit big for tripod to me, or am i worrying unduly, as this hobby is in its infancy and do not want to over spend unless you experienced guys out there think that this £50 tripod is really not cut out for the job! cheers

[Paulb3098]

Hi, I've been using the these bins with the Horizon 8115 for over the past year and it's a great set up, really sturdy and suitable for my son to use and also extends high enough for me (6ft 6"). Even left the tripod in the garden for a week and it's as good as new. Couldn't recommend them highly enough. Paul

[Rebus]

The main thing to consider is the height of the tripod for comfortable viewing. I have a pair of 12 x 50's and use an old(ish) Velbon D-700 video tripod (with fluid video head) and with the geared centre column extended, this extends up high enough for me to stand up and look through at most angles comfortably. At the moment Venus is quite high during the early evening and I can view this (and it's moons) quite easily without doing myself an injury!

I do have a Manfrotto 190PROB for my camera but this is not tall enough for me. It also means i can use the bins on the Velbon and still use the camera if I want to.

Of course you can always sit down, but I find this inconvenient if I move throughout the sky too much.

Cheap/flimsy tripods are to be avoided if possible as they won't do the job properly - Of course, as with most things your budget will dictate what you get but I'd not skimp personally.