Post by RobbW on Aug 4, 2010 21:38:59 GMT -6
Can anyone offer advice on how to steady your tripod and make it sturdier? My telescope shakes pretty bad with the slightest touch. A big part of that is the lightweight mount that came with my scope. Unfortunately, I can't afford to upgrade my mount. So I'm looking for other ways to make the entire setup a little more sturdy.
I've read recommendations on other sites that say to fill your tripod legs with sand or thin-set cement. Or hang weights or bottles of water from your tripod. Or set sandbags on each tripod leg. Or anchor your tripod to the ground (grass) using one of those dog tie-out anchors that you screw into the ground and attach a leash to.
Only problem with all the advice I've read elsewhere is that it is all anecdotal. Everyone had heard or read that these tips work, but no one had actually tried them for themselves. I'm wondering if anyone here has actually successfully used a special technique to help sturdy your tripod and dampen any vibrations.
I'm kind of digging the idea of filling the tripod legs with sand or thin-set cement. Only problem with that is I would think you'd never be able to adjust the height of your tripod legs again. Which I guess wouldn't be a big deal if you always set up your tripod at the same height.
What about those vibration suppression pads you can buy for your tripod? Do they work? Are they worth the cost? Anyone have a DIY version of these pads?
I'm hoping my lightweight tripod won't be a problem for much longer anyway as I'm asking around the engineers at my company to see if we have any old survey tripods that aren't being used anymore. I hear those are supposed to be pretty solid! Anyone else use one of those?
I've read recommendations on other sites that say to fill your tripod legs with sand or thin-set cement. Or hang weights or bottles of water from your tripod. Or set sandbags on each tripod leg. Or anchor your tripod to the ground (grass) using one of those dog tie-out anchors that you screw into the ground and attach a leash to.
Only problem with all the advice I've read elsewhere is that it is all anecdotal. Everyone had heard or read that these tips work, but no one had actually tried them for themselves. I'm wondering if anyone here has actually successfully used a special technique to help sturdy your tripod and dampen any vibrations.
I'm kind of digging the idea of filling the tripod legs with sand or thin-set cement. Only problem with that is I would think you'd never be able to adjust the height of your tripod legs again. Which I guess wouldn't be a big deal if you always set up your tripod at the same height.
What about those vibration suppression pads you can buy for your tripod? Do they work? Are they worth the cost? Anyone have a DIY version of these pads?
I'm hoping my lightweight tripod won't be a problem for much longer anyway as I'm asking around the engineers at my company to see if we have any old survey tripods that aren't being used anymore. I hear those are supposed to be pretty solid! Anyone else use one of those?
