My magnetic deviation is only 1* 11" I can use a tripod!

[JBW]

But which one is the question. At most it will have 15 lbs of gear on it. Without extending the center post it should be 50 to 55 inches tall. I will use it for astro-photography so sturdy like a rock as my mount tracks is needed. Light weight is a bonus. Translation 2" stainless steel legs are nice but cost a lot to ship to the Philippines. Talking about cost under 300US is a must.

Suggestions?

Brian

[Manfred M]

Get the best tripod you can afford without a centre post. Weight is not really an issue as most decent tripods have a hook that you can use to hang weight on to stabilize it; that will take your total weight up. If I have 15lbs of camera gear, I will easily hang 15 - 20lbs of weight to keep the tripod steady, so your base load can go from the 15 lbs you are thinking of to 30 - 40 lbs quite quickly.

If using it on soft ground (grass, dirt, etc.) look at something that also comes with spikes rather than the more usual pads on the bottom of the legs.

Frankly stainless steel is not going to be a great material for tripods and I am not aware of any made from SS tubes. As you are not going very far, aluminum should be fine (and inexpensive) as materials go. Tripod ratings are rather "iffy", when you look at the rated weight.

If you are looking at a maximum of 15 lbs of gear, I would not get one rated at less than 30+ lbs (more is better) and get something with as few sections as possible (I would suggest 3 maximum) with as large diameter legs as you can find. Don't forget that your head needs to be rated for roughly the same load as the tripod (a tiny bit less, as the head's weight can be left out of the calculation).

The main issue is your price range. Heavy duty tripods tend to be more expensive.

[JBW]

Get the best tripod you can afford without a centre post. Weight is not really an issue as most decent tripods have a hook that you can use to hang weight on to stabilize it; that will take your total weight up. If I have 15lbs of camera gear, I will easily hang 15 - 20lbs of weight to keep the tripod steady, so your base load can go from the 15 lbs you are thinking of to 30 - 40 lbs quite quickly.

If using it on soft ground (grass, dirt, etc.) look at something that also comes with spikes rather than the more usual pads on the bottom of the legs.

Frankly stainless steel is not going to be a great material for tripods and I am not aware of any made from SS tubes. As you are not going very far, aluminum should be fine (and inexpensive) as materials go. Tripod ratings are rather "iffy", when you look at the rated weight.

If you are looking at a maximum of 15 lbs of gear, I would not get one rated at less than 30+ lbs (more is better) and get something with as few sections as possible (I would suggest 3 maximum) with as large diameter legs as you can find. Don't forget that your head needs to be rated for roughly the same load as the tripod (a tiny bit less, as the head's weight can be left out of the calculation).

The main issue is your price range. Heavy duty tripods tend to be more expensive.

The SkyWatcher Adventurer is rated at 11 pounds. All of my gear plus the Skywatcher comes in at about 15 pounds. So if I add on weight for steadiness you're right I'll need at least 30 pounds of capacity. Maybe I just make a cement pier.

[Stagecoach]

Maybe I just make a cement pier.

That may be a very good idea if you anticipate being able to do all of your work from one spot.

Cheap concrete block construction with a concrete slab on top with a fixing through for whatever

[JBW]

That may be a very good idea if you anticipate being able to do all of your work from one spot.

Cheap concrete block construction with a concrete slab on top with a fixing through for whatever

The best sky for my type of photography is the southern sky and I have a spot where I have excellent views of the Eastern and Southern skies.

I was thinking rolled chicken wire filled with cement about 2 feet in the ground with a steel plate on top. But hollow block would work too and we have some lying around.

[Stagecoach]

The best sky for my type of photography is the southern sky and I have a spot where I have excellent views of the Eastern and Southern skies.

I was thinking rolled chicken wire filled with cement about 2 feet in the ground with a steel plate on top. But hollow block would work too and we have some lying around.

I suspect the first thing to do Brian is consider how you want to stand/sit at the rig, what the rig is going to be, clearance for rotating and tilting. Then we can get our drawing boards out

[Saorsa]

If you plan on working from the same spot, a 3" cast iron pipe would make a pretty good solid base.

[JBW]

I suspect the first thing to do Brian is consider how you want to stand/sit at the rig, what the rig is going to be, clearance for rotating and tilting. Then we can get our drawing boards out

sit on a stool or a wheelchair (depending how my health goes). This rig set up for camera first and probably camera and telescope sometime in the future. Camera height 52". The rig is @ 16" tall so a pier of 36" seems about right. The total weight of rig and gear will be @ 15 pounds. Clearance to shoot between 20* and zenith Where's your drawing board?

[JBW]

If you plan on working from the same spot, a 3" cast iron pipe would make a pretty good solid base.

It would but the acidic air and rain makes rust a major problem. PVC pipe or rolled chicken wire filled with cement would last longer.

[Ken MT]

It would but the acidic air and rain makes rust a major problem. PVC pipe or rolled chicken wire filled with cement would last longer.

What about galvanized steel plpe e.g. water pipe

[JBW]

What about galvanized steel plpe e.g. water pipe

if there is some in the neighborhood. Still and all I would fill it with cement and we have the chicken wire already. Our fence is two + meters tall, eight inches thick and is made out of rolled chicken wire filled up with cement. Very strong.

The pier would be about 36" above ground and maybe 12" underground with a diameter of about 3". Including the footing maybe 2 bags of cement.

[george013]

It would but the acidic air and rain makes rust a major problem. PVC pipe or rolled chicken wire filled with cement would last longer.

Cast iron filled with cement will survive you. Pvc is getting older under the sun, not uv resistant.
If you've solved the problem of the pillar, there're 2 others left. How to fix it stable in the ground and how to connect your gear.

Is the air acidic or the ground?

George

You just answered.
I don't know what you mean with cement, but I would prefer concrete. Cement shrinks and doesn't add that much strength as concrete.

George

[JBW]

Cast iron filled with cement will survive you. Pvc is getting older under the sun, not uv resistant.
If you've solved the problem of the pillar, there're 2 others left. How to fix it stable in the ground and how to connect your gear.

Is the air acidic or the ground?

George

You just answered.
I don't know what you mean with cement, but I would prefer concrete. Cement shrinks and doesn't add that much strength as concrete.

George

Fix it in the ground with a pad. Maybe one bag of cement with 2 sand and 3 gravel. Use the Oben quick release assembly to connect the rig to the pier.

With 80 million people in the Philippines cooking with charcoal or wood pretty much everything is acidic.

[george013]

Fix it in the ground with a pad. Maybe one bag of cement with 2 sand and 3 gravel. Use the Oben quick release assembly to connect the rig to the pier.

With 80 million people in the Philippines cooking with charcoal or wood pretty much everything is acidic.

You make your own concrete mortar.

How do you connect the plate to the pillar? Even if you did find a way to fix a threaded pin in it, there will be 2 more things to think about. The thread pin must be vertical in every way. You can´t correct that afterwards. If you attach the plate to the threaded pin you must screw it up to the end to get rid of the open space in the thread. You can´t adjust it, unless you use a long thread with a contra nut. Using a tripod you can turn the tripod or the center pillar.

Probably the first solution, a steady tripod with enough weight hanging on it is the best idea. Eventually on a prepared underground.

George

[JBW]

You make your own concrete mortar.

How do you connect the plate to the pillar? Even if you did find a way to fix a threaded pin in it, there will be 2 more things to think about. The thread pin must be vertical in every way. You can´t correct that afterwards. If you attach the plate to the threaded pin you must screw it up to the end to get rid of the open space in the thread. You can´t adjust it, unless you use a long thread with a contra nut. Using a tripod you can turn the tripod or the center pillar.

Probably the first solution, a steady tripod with enough weight hanging on it is the best idea. Eventually on a prepared underground.

George

I don't think you looked at the Oben. The plate has four bubbles built in. You attach the plate to the cement the same way you attach it to a monopod with a bolt. Then you attach the other end to the rig. yes it has to be square but that is doable.

I don't understand your not understanding mixing cement. Cement comes in a bag. Mix it with sand, gravel and water. Not a big problem.

[george013]

I don't think you looked at the Oben. The plate has four bubbles built in. You attach the plate to the cement the same way you attach it to a monopod with a bolt. Then you attach the other end to the rig. yes it has to be square but that is doable.

I don't understand your not understanding mixing cement. Cement comes in a bag. Mix it with sand, gravel and water. Not a big problem.

The plate is screwed up the bolt. Normally leveling is done by changing the position of the bolt, the tripod. If the bolt is fixed you can't change it.

In Holland we've bags with pure cement, so called pure portland cement, ready to use cement, a mixture of portland and sand and ready to use concrete, a mixture of portland, sand and stones. From what I found I think it's the same in English. The first two are called cement, the last one concrete mortar.

George

[JBW]

The plate is screwed up the bolt. Normally leveling is done by changing the position of the bolt, the tripod. If the bolt is fixed you can't change it.

In Holland we've bags with pure cement, so called pure portland cement, ready to use cement, a mixture of portland and sand and ready to use concrete, a mixture of portland, sand and stones. From what I found I think it's the same in English. The first two are called cement, the last one concrete mortar.

George

Yup we are talking about cement. You can buy pre mixed but most people here buy the Portland and mix in their own sand and gravel.

Another option is the Manfrotto 385 Air Cushioned Center Post. Attach the plate to it, line everything up square with the plate going north and south. Place a tube or chicken wire around it and pour.

The quick release goes in and out no problem. The 22 pound limit is well past the maximum of 15 lbs that I'll be using.

[george013]

Yup we are talking about cement. You can buy pre mixed but most people here buy the Portland and mix in their own sand and gravel.

Another option is the Manfrotto 385 Air Cushioned Center Post. Attach the plate to it, line everything up square with the plate going north and south. Place a tube or chicken wire around it and pour.

The quick release goes in and out no problem. The 22 pound limit is well past the maximum of 15 lbs that I'll be using.

It's air cushioned. Never heard of it. Mostly important to protect your fingers I read. Before you buy it, there is air in the outer column that escapes slowly. Be sure that you don't close that escape when you put it in the concrete.
When constructing a flat plane with 3 threaded pins in it, you can use it and level it by using contra nuts. You keep your equipment as new.

George

[JBW]

It's air cushioned. Never heard of it. Mostly important to protect your fingers I read. Before you buy it, there is air in the outer column that escapes slowly. Be sure that you don't close that escape when you put it in the concrete.
When constructing a flat plane with 3 threaded pins in it, you can use it and level it by using contra nuts. You keep your equipment as new.

George

and I don't need the Oben because the wedge will bolt directly to the Manfrotto. If I'm going to encase the Manfrotto in cement why do i need to keep the air valve free?

[george013]

and I don't need the Oben because the wedge will bolt directly to the Manfrotto. If I'm going to encase the Manfrotto in cement why do i need to keep the air valve free?

It's what I call a point of no return. If it's ok, ok. If not ....
Are you still able to turn the plate?

George