After the loss of Alyn I am not taking my favorite RUclips astrophotographers for granted. Cuiv, I love your videos and truly appreciate what you do for the community.
Oh wow, I did not know Alyn died. Gosh, he was only 34. I loved watching his videos and looking at his photographs of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. He will truly be missed. I urge everyone to visit Wales and in particular Brecon Beacons to see what Alyn saw through his eyes. Blessings to Alyn.
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Un peu comme toi (il me semble) : j'adore collectionner les joujous technos...Le probleme c'est qu'il en sort tjs un plus fun que le precedent...Alors ils s'emplient ds mes etageres, mon portefeuille se vide et je ne fais pas de vrais progrés en astrophoto ! C'est ta faute 🤣...but I like it !
I find older/vintage heavy duty metal tripods, then I fabricate simple “pier extension/adapters. Recycling older heavy duty telescope tripods and land survey tripods I also recommend.
The LX80 or LX800 tripod? If the LX80 tripod, be aware that I recall some users reported effectively a leg suddenly ripping off, and everything falling to the ground!
I watched the entire video despite the fact that the last thing I should buy is ANOTHER tripod, and I couldn’t buy this one if I tried. Still fun to watch.
Excited for this coming Monday!! I am here Burleson Texas watching the weather prediction go from cloudy all day with thunderstorms to only partly cloudy. Hoping that something I have been waiting a decade for won’t be ruined by clouds!!! Good luck on your travel plans here to Texas and hope you find the clearest sky’s available.
Depending on the thread size for foot replacement, you might look into claw feet. Just an additional option at your disposal. Claw feet work well for gravelly, rocky surfaces, or rough concrete, especially if on a slightly uneven or sloped grade, like a driveway or patio that's sloped for water runoff. Another advantage to claw feet is that they aren't as damaging to floor surfaces if you have to bring your equipment in quickly - strong winds or rain storm. I don't have a serious mount like you, just a Star Adventurer. I use heavy duty aluminum video tripods - each about 9-10 lbs. One of them has the bowl head. The other I fashioned my own stationary mounting surface with a 3/8" x 16 screw stud. They both have the center support arms like yours. The leg span isn't as wide as yours, but they have enough heft to keep them still, at least for my use.
Ooh very interesting! Now I'm looking at various feet types, and I also see these: item.rakuten.co.jp/dtc/4560376575619/?ultra_crid=4560376575619&scid=af_sp_etc&sc2id=af_113_0_10001868&ifd=57&icm_agid=&gclid=CjwKCAjw_LOwBhBFEiwAmSEQAbPcp8MA6W7B2pEofzDYXcx3G5iuDSDG2jIbIqPkQ1C_Rzk5eg_xLxoCYKcQAvD_BwE&icm_cid=18507582849&icm_acid=255-776-8501&iasid=wem_icbs_ I wonder how well they would work!
Love it, even when Cuiv does a review of equipment we can't buy it is still compelling watching. You are right though, some manufacturer needs to think about picking up this product line for USA/Europe market.
Congratulations on this exciting acquisition! If you’re ever in the market for another beefy tripod, I second the losmandy hd folding tripod. It has served my c11 scope and MYT mount for 7 years with rock solid support. Hopefully your skies clear up soon!
Now I'm really curious about that tripod! And there's also Takahashi tripods that have excellent reputation - I'm just worried about adapter plates for those!
That attitude towards your special, last of its kind tripod that none of us can buy is proper... Something would be wrong if you didn't feel that way. Cool tripod! 👍👍
honestly, watching you getting excited about astro gear is the best thing on youtube xD in my experience you can't really trick physics, more weight just requires more energy to move it, skywatcher steel tripods are great imho. Having said that, this product looks very interesting, especially those extensions. I just wish, they would be available in europe or something similar to that design. Clear skies !
Yeah I agree! I just didn't want to deal with how to adapt a SW tripod to the mount, and the PE200 is fairly expensive here :-) I knew for sure this carbon tripod would work, and it's very portable too! And yeah, there should be other makers thinking of those extensions...
I always use the metal spike feet on my tripod regardless of the surface. I've found in the past that the rubber will always yield somewhat under stress (like from wind) and be ever so slightly less stable than metal spikes. Only on an indoor hardwood floor would I use the rubber substitutes. IMVHO
What is funny: You're buying these expensive super light carbon fiber tripods, then just using them 100% of the time on your balcony and not taking them anywhere. I just love how excited you get about new gear. You are literally giddy. Now show us some images from this new setup! :)
Cuiv, my wife says that next time I go to Tokyo I should not come back, to upside down South Africa, and just move into your home. That way you and your wife can pay for all my astro goodies and even buy food for me. She is tired of me spending all our cash on astro stuff "recommended by Cuiv" 😀 On a more serious note, the tripod that I use on my AM5 and my WD20 were both shipped with my SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro mounts. These work really well and can be found on some of the older SkyWatcher telescopes that had the EQ3 mount, these can be bought for dirt cheap secondhand. However, if I could find the tripods shipped with the Celestron AVX then I would grab it as the legs are thicker and heavier. I never understood why they shipped such a great tripod with such a junk mount but that is a whole different debate. Thanks again for an entertaining and informative review.
Hahaha my apologies to your CFO! What adapter do you use for the SW tripods, the PE200 works? And I agree on the AVX tripod, I had adapted mine for the Vixen SXD2 mount and it was beautiful!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I have the PE200 with the SkyWatcher adapter that is shipped with the PE200. On the second tripod I have the PE160 and I had a local engineer make an adapter which is identical to the one shipped with the PE200. I use the PE160 with the AM5 and SkyWatcher Esprit 100 and the PE200 with the WD20 and the 8”EdgeHD. I also bought a 14” Meade LX200 to obtain the Field Tripod which I plan to mount my Mesu e200 onto for my 14” EdgeHD.
Hey Cuiv, you are teasing us with a discontinued product! 😭 Just a short story from me regarding tripods. Just after I started doing astrophotography about 4yrs ago, my tripod was terrible. I said to myself, that's ok, how hard is to buy another tripod? Easy-peasy lemon squeezy! Right? Wrong!!! Even after searching around forever, the choices are very narrow! I'ts almost sort of amazing, how companies do not sell their tripods or have alternatives, unless I also buy the mount! I went as far as looking at surveyor tripods used in road constructions, because I saw sturdier tripods for better prices, than from astrophotography vendors!
Right?! It's such a complicated task to just buy a tripod, and then make sure that you have the right adapter plate or half pier or whatever to fit your mount!
The CGX-L tripod (Celestron) is stout, portable, and (used/mint) around $250. An EQ-6 rides tall in the saddle - no need to raise the tripod, just lower the chair. Pack weight (cased) is around 60 pounds - it's got thick sticks.
It looks nice, we expect of course a real comparison with the original carbon tripod for more detailed data. In general, heavier tripods and piers are more stable (like the iOptron Tri-pier) than the lightweight carbon tripods.
That's a nice tripod for sure. Sell it to me. 😆 But I suggest that you not use the hanging "sling bag thingy" to put heavy things in. You should put the heavy weight on the center of the spreaders, or even just hang it from there somehow. What will make that tripod stronger is a low center of gravity and a force (thus the spreader) to keep the legs apart, not more weight up high that will pull the legs together. The metal points on the cement blocks is the way to go. 👍 Good luck and have fun. 😀
I should think, use the rubber feet on a hard surfaces like concrete or tarmac; use the steel feet on surfaces like soil that you would like the tripod to dig in.
Rubber feet? Bwaa ha ha ha. You did the right thing there Cuiv! My first and ONLY carbon tripod was the TC40. Lousy! Although that monster you have there looks to be an animal of a different stripe, I'll never try another one! Here's why... After simple flimsyness, where the mount just isn't up to carrying load, the issue that impacts astronomical mounts the most is harmonic vibration or natural frequency 'ringing'. That phenomenon can emerge anywhere in the rig, wherever there is a localized point of flexure accompanied by a large moment of force. For example the AM5 counterweight bar anchor point is a localized point of flexure (fulcrum), and the counterweight itself at the end of the bar provides a large moment of force. The same goes for larger long focus refractors with a long thin aspect ratio OTA, and a heavy triplet objective far from the point where the tube attaches to the saddle. In such cases the mechanical system has a tendency to vibrate at some "natural frquency" following the rules of moments and simple harmonic motion, depending on tensional and torsional characteristics of the construction materials. This has long been know to materials scientists and technicians alike. A practical 19th century solution is to have a massive cast iron construction, and to spread the flexure point localization by "over designing" components to spread localized points of flexure and avoid small unsupported fulcrum points that can be acted upon by large moments (weight at a distance). The active issue here is not at all limited to the tendency for displacement from equilibrium when a force (whether it be a tap while focussing, wind gust, or foot tread) acts on the instrument. This is just a trigger event that initiates complex harmonic motion in the system, which then behaves like a set of interconnected compound pendulums. Therefore there needs to be an element of dynamic design expertise applied to the system to stop it from engaging in a kind of St Vitus' dance in response to every trigger. A well designed system will be critically damped. Critical damping means restoring any displacement of the system to rest within a single sinusoidal cycle. Telescopes as mechanical systems have elements with natural frequencies of vibrations arising from two primary pedulums (tube and counterweight assemblies). These typically 'ring' at between about 0.5 and 10 hertz. We never see critical damping in commercially produced amateur equipment, but with good mounts we can and DO see slow (much less intrusive) oscillations persisting for very short periods of around one second. This wont interfere too much with platesolving during PA, or image capture during manual focus. By way of a familiar illustrative example, we can contrast an EQ6 mount & tripod with an AM5/TC40. The EQ6 has many times more inertial mass than the AM5 giving it far greater inherent stability. The tendency to be displaced from equilibrium by (eg wind) forces acting upon it is correspondingly considerably less. Also the AM5 counterweight design with its single anchor point is an inherently more localized point of flexure than the EQ6's doubly anchored CW bar. The residual undamped forces at the base of the mount have to go somewhere, and will by passed via a localized point of flexure - tripod to mount interface where you removed the central bolt (yikes!) - into the tripod or pillar below, which has the unsung job of damping them out. Perhaps counter intuitively, in order to optimally damp out the vibrations of these moving parts 'up-top', the mount at the opposite side of the localized flexure points needs two characteristics. Firstly it must be able to move in the opposite direction (flexure) and secondly it needs to have very much greater moment of resistance to motion (for simplicity call it 'inertial mass') than the part that is ringing. A counterweight in the hammock has this latter purpose, but there's no design guarantee that it will swing in that hammock in a beneficial way. It MIGHT do, but it could equally amplify an adverse effect. This all depends on the amount of mass and the point it hangs from and the characteristics of the payload none of which have been rigorously treated in the design (other than to give you an opportunity to experiment - in my case fruitlessly - with mitigation of the problems you might encounter). The point is that carbon fiber tripods, being both extremely rigid and very lightweight contribute NOTHING to damping. When we choose them over a traditional steel or wooden tripod or a massive pillar, we also remove something else that we didn't appreciate was quietly and unassumingly doing stalward duty for us, without fair praise. I rediscovered the enduring nature of this home truth after allowing myself to be seduced into trying to migrate my 5" APO from a hernia inducing EQ6 over to an AM5/PE200/TC40. My TC40 is now enjoying a second life as part of a grab and go rig carrying a much lighter payload where I dont have any expectations beyond that it will be portable and perform "adequately" in typical conditions. In this undemanding role it no longer disgraces itself. The 5" APO (still on AM5/PE200 is now on top of the old EQ6 tripod, with the counterweight removed) It's OK in that configuration.
Very, VERY interesting - I've seen such a discussion on Cloudy nights in the past, so I'm not so surprised either. It definitely will be interesting to see how my mount performs. My guess is that the vibration you mention would effectively be indistinguishable from seeing effects on the image, and thus add to seeing. My seeing in Tokyo is terrible, so I'm hoping the vibration amplitude will be negligible compared to seeing impact :-)
@@CuivTheLazyGeekGood luck! I'll be watching with interest! I think its a bit of lottery depending on unpredictable factors (others haven't had the issues I had, or haven't cared so much as me) . Just so as you know what to look out for, and hoping you don't have any issues at all!! .... My APO changed its character from a slow WAAH-wah-w... on the EQ6 over about a second if vigorously tapped with a finger, to a hyperactive ZUB-ZUB-Zub-zub-zub-zub-zub-z over two and a half seconds that caused stars to trace out saturn like ellipses on the first exposure during every PA or focus adjustment. That effect doubled the settle time impacting the time to complete these jobs. The first exposure was always a throw away. Very annoying. I swapped the feet on the TC40, used ballast, swapped the vixen for a losmandy dovetail. I could have just suffered it and still gotten good results (the AM5 showed much better RMS after settling) so long as it wasn't windy. But I just couldn't enjoy using the scope like this, having invested in the hope and expectation of an impovement in every aspect. Eventually, fitting the AM5/PE200 onto the old EQ6 tripod (legs extended about 1 ft) and removing the counterweight restored 90% of the enjoyable user experience, while keeping the benefits of protecting my lower back, quicker setup, and an improved RMS mostly under 1" in a similar (Bortle 7 for me) central city rooftop here in Amsterdam. With the weather limiting live testing opportunities this was a three month journey for me.
Using the AM5 the TC40 was basically unusable. Even with low payload like a PHQ80 guiding was never good enough, the tripod was just too flimsy. I have a super mount 48 RDL i use for my CEM60EC, which with the AM5 improved guiding tremendously! So i am very jealous of your new beefcake of a tripod! Gotta wait till a friend goes to Japan and ask them for a favor 😅 They're website makes me drool....
I'd be excited to have a tripod like that Cuiv, looks really well engineered. Wouldn't it be better to use some form of vibration damping pad between the feet and the balcony? But then again I suppose if vibration was an issue it would show up in the guiding graph. I really do like the look of that tripod, in fact I'm jealous! Clear skies.
All in good humor! You made me laugh! Winning such a find is definitely worth celebrating. I certainly would be, were I in your shoes! On the flipside, anyone not happy for your good fortune would be a great poster child for sore losers. To such a person, I must say, "Nah nah nah nah boo boo!" : )
1:52 not that I'd want a carbon tripod, if you are like me and don't hike with your equipment you don't want light you want something as heavy as you can get or build. I don't understand why companies waste money on aluminum and carbon parts for the lowest part of the setup, the center of mass needs to be low. I think I might just build a new tripod, I will probably use galvanized steel fence posts or DOM tubing.
For the balcony, I'd go with the metal feet as long as there isn't a ton of heavy traffic outside your house which causes vibration. Rubber introduces a flexible spot in your rig which could be sensitive to wind. Why use a rigid setup if you place it on top of something soft?
Thanks for the input! A lot of people were telling me to return to the rubber feet so I guess I'll need to compare! I do get some traffic that causes vibration, but it's not that often...
3:58 ゴッツリ and 丈夫😂 I feel you.. sometimes the English words don't convey the same meaning, do they? 面倒くさい is also in the same category.. Great review! I just bought AM5 with TC40 though 😢
I couldn't help but to laugh out loud when you admit (@2:00) that the product you are reviewing is absolutely unavailable to ANYONE in the entire world... and the geek that I am, I watched the entire rest of the video for fun. 😂
You do need fairly level ground, but then equatorial mounts don't care about having a level tripod, a couple degrees off is perfectly fine (good leveling makes PA slightly easier, but otherwise not so needed)
if you keep shooting in the same spot, why not build a nice pier? (today I found some metal profile ,I think its 80x80cm and quite thick, and tomorrow going to weld a plate on it with 5 holes, put 4 jumbo screws so I can connect another plate on top of it using 4 holes so I could level it and the middle hole is for the mount head ,and weld some spikes on its button so when. I put it with cement in a bucket so it will hold it, if hope its a better mount since I don't like the legs spreading on my balcony)
Hi cuiv, my daughter is japanese / danish she’s going to Japan this summer. Is it this one SP415-MORE BLUE G50-PRO and it’s only available in Japan ? I’ll get her to bring it back to dad if possible. Great channel you run 😊
There doesn't seem too be a whole lot of leveling adjustment, and that you need a somewhat flat and level location to use. Can you level that tripod if you're out in the field on uneven ground?
Yeah you'll need to find a relatively flat surface - a couple of degrees off level shouldn't be a problem for equatorial mounts, but don't go setting it up on a slope for sure!
The tips can be screwed/unscrewed for small adjustments, but you'd need fairly level ground. Anyway EQ mounts don't care about tripod leveling so I never bother with it much (although it does make initial PA easier)
Legitimate question; what are the benefits of a carbon fiber tripod for a set up that primarily stays in one spot? Are there structural benefits to carbon fiber over steel? Or is the primary reason someone would buy carbon fiber over steel is portability?
I won't! You do need some fairly level ground, but equatorial mounts really don't care about precise leveling, a few degrees off isn't an issue (although good leveling will make initial PA easier)
You have a wobbly roof. You shoot at wide fields of view. I’d suggest rubber feet to dampen vibration. If you were bolted onto a solid surface, such as concrete, then I would say metal would be better. But at this point, I don’t think it offers you any benefits.
Did the company give you any idea about why they stopped making this particular tripod, Cuiv? Looks very beefy and very solid. I'm curious why they would stop manufacturing it.
Nope, but in their marketing materials then mention the special edition with the thick carbon walls requires a lot of carbon and is thus expensive to make, so my guess is their margins are tight... They're still making the normal versions, but I couldn't find one with the spreader...
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After the loss of Alyn I am not taking my favorite RUclips astrophotographers for granted. Cuiv, I love your videos and truly appreciate what you do for the community.
I'm trying not to think of it, it's really so sad...
Oh wow, I did not know Alyn died. Gosh, he was only 34. I loved watching his videos and looking at his photographs of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. He will truly be missed. I urge everyone to visit Wales and in particular Brecon Beacons to see what Alyn saw through his eyes. Blessings to Alyn.
Please send your love to The Narrowband Channel too. He really needs it. Very good guy with very bad diagnose.😢
Yeah I feel like we got to know him through his videos - he was just a guy who loved the beauty of nature and wanted to share how to capture it.
Cuiv, I love your videos. You are like an excited kid on Christmas morning opening a new toy. Keep the quirkiness going, it's addictive.
Hahaha you're right! It's just too much fun, playing with new stuff :)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Un peu comme toi (il me semble) : j'adore collectionner les joujous technos...Le probleme c'est qu'il en sort tjs un plus fun que le precedent...Alors ils s'emplient ds mes etageres, mon portefeuille se vide et je ne fais pas de vrais progrés en astrophoto ! C'est ta faute 🤣...but I like it !
I find older/vintage heavy duty metal tripods, then I fabricate simple “pier extension/adapters. Recycling older heavy duty telescope tripods and land survey tripods I also recommend.
I use a land survey tripod as well, strong, functional and $100 at Home Depot
My Meade LX80 tripod is so very good, the screw rings at the top of it give micrometer like precision.
That's really the right way to go about things, but the "fabricate simple adapters" part is what's difficult to me!!
The LX80 or LX800 tripod? If the LX80 tripod, be aware that I recall some users reported effectively a leg suddenly ripping off, and everything falling to the ground!
@@CuivTheLazyGeekI didn't say it wasn't junk, I just like the design.
I watched the entire video despite the fact that the last thing I should buy is ANOTHER tripod, and I couldn’t buy this one if I tried. Still fun to watch.
Excited for this coming Monday!! I am here Burleson Texas watching the weather prediction go from cloudy all day with thunderstorms to only partly cloudy. Hoping that something I have been waiting a decade for won’t be ruined by clouds!!! Good luck on your travel plans here to Texas and hope you find the clearest sky’s available.
Yeah I'm looking at the forecast with some dread for sure! I might have to go towards Carbondale... Fingers crossed and good luck!
What an awesome tripod! Rubber feet for your concrete deck, metal points for grass/earth.
Got it, thanks!
Definately a well made and well thought out tripod. I am soooooo jealous!
Indeed - now I wish HPS or Agena would make their own!
Depending on the thread size for foot replacement, you might look into claw feet. Just an additional option at your disposal. Claw feet work well for gravelly, rocky surfaces, or rough concrete, especially if on a slightly uneven or sloped grade, like a driveway or patio that's sloped for water runoff. Another advantage to claw feet is that they aren't as damaging to floor surfaces if you have to bring your equipment in quickly - strong winds or rain storm.
I don't have a serious mount like you, just a Star Adventurer. I use heavy duty aluminum video tripods - each about 9-10 lbs. One of them has the bowl head. The other I fashioned my own stationary mounting surface with a 3/8" x 16 screw stud. They both have the center support arms like yours. The leg span isn't as wide as yours, but they have enough heft to keep them still, at least for my use.
Ooh very interesting! Now I'm looking at various feet types, and I also see these: item.rakuten.co.jp/dtc/4560376575619/?ultra_crid=4560376575619&scid=af_sp_etc&sc2id=af_113_0_10001868&ifd=57&icm_agid=&gclid=CjwKCAjw_LOwBhBFEiwAmSEQAbPcp8MA6W7B2pEofzDYXcx3G5iuDSDG2jIbIqPkQ1C_Rzk5eg_xLxoCYKcQAvD_BwE&icm_cid=18507582849&icm_acid=255-776-8501&iasid=wem_icbs_ I wonder how well they would work!
Love it, even when Cuiv does a review of equipment we can't buy it is still compelling watching. You are right though, some manufacturer needs to think about picking up this product line for USA/Europe market.
That would be amazing for sure
Congratulations on this exciting acquisition! If you’re ever in the market for another beefy tripod, I second the losmandy hd folding tripod. It has served my c11 scope and MYT mount for 7 years with rock solid support. Hopefully your skies clear up soon!
Now I'm really curious about that tripod! And there's also Takahashi tripods that have excellent reputation - I'm just worried about adapter plates for those!
That attitude towards your special, last of its kind tripod that none of us can buy is proper... Something would be wrong if you didn't feel that way. Cool tripod! 👍👍
Hehehe thank you!
Metal feet for stability but rubber feet for vibrations from the floor like me from the fire escape I put my rig on. Looks great.
hard feet for soft surfaces (dirt, loose material) and soft rubber for harder surfaces (or ones you do not want messed up like wooden decking)
I use a Leica wooden survey tripod with a tribrach and adaptor for my dwarf2. A bit overkill but it keeps it steady even in strong wind.
For your Dwarf 2?! You are under mounted for sure lol Just imagining it makes me smile, i LOVE this!
More blue should do another run. There is definitely a market for this
For sure - and they should expand to international sales!
honestly, watching you getting excited about astro gear is the best thing on youtube xD in my experience you can't really trick physics, more weight just requires more energy to move it, skywatcher steel tripods are great imho. Having said that, this product looks very interesting, especially those extensions. I just wish, they would be available in europe or something similar to that design. Clear skies !
Yeah I agree! I just didn't want to deal with how to adapt a SW tripod to the mount, and the PE200 is fairly expensive here :-) I knew for sure this carbon tripod would work, and it's very portable too!
And yeah, there should be other makers thinking of those extensions...
I always use the metal spike feet on my tripod regardless of the surface. I've found in the past that the rubber will always yield somewhat under stress (like from wind) and be ever so slightly less stable than metal spikes. Only on an indoor hardwood floor would I use the rubber substitutes. IMVHO
Yes it has been my feeling - although many say I should be using the rubber feet. Time will tell!
What is funny: You're buying these expensive super light carbon fiber tripods, then just using them 100% of the time on your balcony and not taking them anywhere. I just love how excited you get about new gear. You are literally giddy. Now show us some images from this new setup! :)
You're absolutely right hahaha! But then PE200 + Literock tripod for instance isn't actually that much cheaper!
Awww Cuiv you tease us with your unobtainable tripod 🤣
Looks a great piece of kit though.
Sorry about that!
Cuiv, my wife says that next time I go to Tokyo I should not come back, to upside down South Africa, and just move into your home. That way you and your wife can pay for all my astro goodies and even buy food for me. She is tired of me spending all our cash on astro stuff "recommended by Cuiv" 😀
On a more serious note, the tripod that I use on my AM5 and my WD20 were both shipped with my SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro mounts. These work really well and can be found on some of the older SkyWatcher telescopes that had the EQ3 mount, these can be bought for dirt cheap secondhand. However, if I could find the tripods shipped with the Celestron AVX then I would grab it as the legs are thicker and heavier. I never understood why they shipped such a great tripod with such a junk mount but that is a whole different debate.
Thanks again for an entertaining and informative review.
Hahaha my apologies to your CFO!
What adapter do you use for the SW tripods, the PE200 works? And I agree on the AVX tripod, I had adapted mine for the Vixen SXD2 mount and it was beautiful!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I have the PE200 with the SkyWatcher adapter that is shipped with the PE200. On the second tripod I have the PE160 and I had a local engineer make an adapter which is identical to the one shipped with the PE200. I use the PE160 with the AM5 and SkyWatcher Esprit 100 and the PE200 with the WD20 and the 8”EdgeHD.
I also bought a 14” Meade LX200 to obtain the Field Tripod which I plan to mount my Mesu e200 onto for my 14” EdgeHD.
That tripod is a beast. You're lucky to get it happy days looking forward to your next video
It really is a beast! Of course all nights have been cloudy since lol
Love your enthusiasm!
Thanks!
Hey Cuiv, you are teasing us with a discontinued product! 😭 Just a short story from me regarding tripods. Just after I started doing astrophotography about 4yrs ago, my tripod was terrible. I said to myself, that's ok, how hard is to buy another tripod? Easy-peasy lemon squeezy! Right? Wrong!!! Even after searching around forever, the choices are very narrow! I'ts almost sort of amazing, how companies do not sell their tripods or have alternatives, unless I also buy the mount! I went as far as looking at surveyor tripods used in road constructions, because I saw sturdier tripods for better prices, than from astrophotography vendors!
Right?! It's such a complicated task to just buy a tripod, and then make sure that you have the right adapter plate or half pier or whatever to fit your mount!
Great looking tripod , wish others would copy this design
I agree! I hope some Chinese or US makers are taking notes!
Enthusiasm direct or vicarious is one of life’s true pleasures❤
It was my New Year present to myself :D I went for the short version with an order-made extension. This is indeed an amazing tripod.
Thank you for explaining the tripod leg direction. I live down under and have always set up my tripods with 1 leg North... I have been wrong for years
Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro 2" steel tripod and Skywatcher HEQ5 1.75" steel tripod, both with ZWO pier works great for me. Both are very solid.
Sounds great! The EQ6R tripod is really good for sure!
The CGX-L tripod (Celestron) is stout, portable, and (used/mint) around $250. An EQ-6 rides tall in the saddle - no need to raise the tripod, just lower the chair. Pack weight (cased) is around 60 pounds - it's got thick sticks.
They don't seem to sell those separately here.. :-(
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Bummer. I remember Tammi (CN) showcased his tripod collection. " I just don't measure up" haha
Woah that is nice! And it has a spreader which is a great feature by itself! Ok now I can't unsee this video and I want one 😂
Yesss! The spreader is the perfect touch! It's great, I love it!
Awesome. And let’s be honest I look at things all the time that I cannot buy! 😅
Hahaha it is indeed a lot of fun :)
It looks nice, we expect of course a real comparison with the original carbon tripod for more detailed data. In general, heavier tripods and piers are more stable (like the iOptron Tri-pier) than the lightweight carbon tripods.
That's a nice tripod for sure. Sell it to me. 😆
But I suggest that you not use the hanging "sling bag thingy" to put heavy things in. You should put the heavy weight on the center of the spreaders, or even just hang it from there somehow. What will make that tripod stronger is a low center of gravity and a force (thus the spreader) to keep the legs apart, not more weight up high that will pull the legs together.
The metal points on the cement blocks is the way to go. 👍
Good luck and have fun. 😀
Ooh good points! Thank you!!
I should think, use the rubber feet on a hard surfaces like concrete or tarmac; use the steel feet on surfaces like soil that you would like the tripod to dig in.
Your videos are always fun and informative. Thanks...
Glad you like them! Thanks!
Metal in grass or soft ground, rubber on your balcony or hard ground
Understood, thank you!
That's a beautiful tripod ... It looks super sturdy.... It's too bad we can get it 😢
Rubber feet? Bwaa ha ha ha. You did the right thing there Cuiv!
My first and ONLY carbon tripod was the TC40. Lousy! Although that monster you have there looks to be an animal of a different stripe, I'll never try another one! Here's why...
After simple flimsyness, where the mount just isn't up to carrying load, the issue that impacts astronomical mounts the most is harmonic vibration or natural frequency 'ringing'. That phenomenon can emerge anywhere in the rig, wherever there is a localized point of flexure accompanied by a large moment of force. For example the AM5 counterweight bar anchor point is a localized point of flexure (fulcrum), and the counterweight itself at the end of the bar provides a large moment of force. The same goes for larger long focus refractors with a long thin aspect ratio OTA, and a heavy triplet objective far from the point where the tube attaches to the saddle. In such cases the mechanical system has a tendency to vibrate at some "natural frquency" following the rules of moments and simple harmonic motion, depending on tensional and torsional characteristics of the construction materials. This has long been know to materials scientists and technicians alike. A practical 19th century solution is to have a massive cast iron construction, and to spread the flexure point localization by "over designing" components to spread localized points of flexure and avoid small unsupported fulcrum points that can be acted upon by large moments (weight at a distance).
The active issue here is not at all limited to the tendency for displacement from equilibrium when a force (whether it be a tap while focussing, wind gust, or foot tread) acts on the instrument. This is just a trigger event that initiates complex harmonic motion in the system, which then behaves like a set of interconnected compound pendulums. Therefore there needs to be an element of dynamic design expertise applied to the system to stop it from engaging in a kind of St Vitus' dance in response to every trigger. A well designed system will be critically damped. Critical damping means restoring any displacement of the system to rest within a single sinusoidal cycle. Telescopes as mechanical systems have elements with natural frequencies of vibrations arising from two primary pedulums (tube and counterweight assemblies). These typically 'ring' at between about 0.5 and 10 hertz. We never see critical damping in commercially produced amateur equipment, but with good mounts we can and DO see slow (much less intrusive) oscillations persisting for very short periods of around one second. This wont interfere too much with platesolving during PA, or image capture during manual focus.
By way of a familiar illustrative example, we can contrast an EQ6 mount & tripod with an AM5/TC40. The EQ6 has many times more inertial mass than the AM5 giving it far greater inherent stability. The tendency to be displaced from equilibrium by (eg wind) forces acting upon it is correspondingly considerably less. Also the AM5 counterweight design with its single anchor point is an inherently more localized point of flexure than the EQ6's doubly anchored CW bar. The residual undamped forces at the base of the mount have to go somewhere, and will by passed via a localized point of flexure - tripod to mount interface where you removed the central bolt (yikes!) - into the tripod or pillar below, which has the unsung job of damping them out.
Perhaps counter intuitively, in order to optimally damp out the vibrations of these moving parts 'up-top', the mount at the opposite side of the localized flexure points needs two characteristics. Firstly it must be able to move in the opposite direction (flexure) and secondly it needs to have very much greater moment of resistance to motion (for simplicity call it 'inertial mass') than the part that is ringing. A counterweight in the hammock has this latter purpose, but there's no design guarantee that it will swing in that hammock in a beneficial way. It MIGHT do, but it could equally amplify an adverse effect. This all depends on the amount of mass and the point it hangs from and the characteristics of the payload none of which have been rigorously treated in the design (other than to give you an opportunity to experiment - in my case fruitlessly - with mitigation of the problems you might encounter).
The point is that carbon fiber tripods, being both extremely rigid and very lightweight contribute NOTHING to damping. When we choose them over a traditional steel or wooden tripod or a massive pillar, we also remove something else that we didn't appreciate was quietly and unassumingly doing stalward duty for us, without fair praise.
I rediscovered the enduring nature of this home truth after allowing myself to be seduced into trying to migrate my 5" APO from a hernia inducing EQ6 over to an AM5/PE200/TC40. My TC40 is now enjoying a second life as part of a grab and go rig carrying a much lighter payload where I dont have any expectations beyond that it will be portable and perform "adequately" in typical conditions. In this undemanding role it no longer disgraces itself. The 5" APO (still on AM5/PE200 is now on top of the old EQ6 tripod, with the counterweight removed) It's OK in that configuration.
Very, VERY interesting - I've seen such a discussion on Cloudy nights in the past, so I'm not so surprised either. It definitely will be interesting to see how my mount performs. My guess is that the vibration you mention would effectively be indistinguishable from seeing effects on the image, and thus add to seeing. My seeing in Tokyo is terrible, so I'm hoping the vibration amplitude will be negligible compared to seeing impact :-)
@@CuivTheLazyGeekGood luck! I'll be watching with interest! I think its a bit of lottery depending on unpredictable factors (others haven't had the issues I had, or haven't cared so much as me) . Just so as you know what to look out for, and hoping you don't have any issues at all!! .... My APO changed its character from a slow WAAH-wah-w... on the EQ6 over about a second if vigorously tapped with a finger, to a hyperactive ZUB-ZUB-Zub-zub-zub-zub-zub-z over two and a half seconds that caused stars to trace out saturn like ellipses on the first exposure during every PA or focus adjustment. That effect doubled the settle time impacting the time to complete these jobs. The first exposure was always a throw away. Very annoying. I swapped the feet on the TC40, used ballast, swapped the vixen for a losmandy dovetail. I could have just suffered it and still gotten good results (the AM5 showed much better RMS after settling) so long as it wasn't windy. But I just couldn't enjoy using the scope like this, having invested in the hope and expectation of an impovement in every aspect. Eventually, fitting the AM5/PE200 onto the old EQ6 tripod (legs extended about 1 ft) and removing the counterweight restored 90% of the enjoyable user experience, while keeping the benefits of protecting my lower back, quicker setup, and an improved RMS mostly under 1" in a similar (Bortle 7 for me) central city rooftop here in Amsterdam. With the weather limiting live testing opportunities this was a three month journey for me.
Love your videos. It would be good to do a bake off between Japanese made harmonic mounts. ;)
Using the AM5 the TC40 was basically unusable.
Even with low payload like a PHQ80 guiding was never good enough, the tripod was just too flimsy.
I have a super mount 48 RDL i use for my CEM60EC, which with the AM5 improved guiding tremendously!
So i am very jealous of your new beefcake of a tripod!
Gotta wait till a friend goes to Japan and ask them for a favor 😅
They're website makes me drool....
Glad to see you find your own ways to enhance the AM5 effectively :) The moreblue website is indeed such a hoard of tempting stuff!!!
I'd be excited to have a tripod like that Cuiv, looks really well engineered. Wouldn't it be better to use some form of vibration damping pad between the feet and the balcony? But then again I suppose if vibration was an issue it would show up in the guiding graph. I really do like the look of that tripod, in fact I'm jealous! Clear skies.
Thanks man! I guess I'll need to see what will be best in terms of vibration dampening and the like!
Very nice. Is it Ok with only one leg extension ? Maybe the others are sold out.
All in good humor! You made me laugh! Winning such a find is definitely worth celebrating. I certainly would be, were I in your shoes! On the flipside, anyone not happy for your good fortune would be a great poster child for sore losers. To such a person, I must say, "Nah nah nah nah boo boo!" : )
1:52 not that I'd want a carbon tripod, if you are like me and don't hike with your equipment you don't want light you want something as heavy as you can get or build.
I don't understand why companies waste money on aluminum and carbon parts for the lowest part of the setup, the center of mass needs to be low.
I think I might just build a new tripod, I will probably use galvanized steel fence posts or DOM tubing.
OK, I want to buy one, when I'll be in Japan next September :D
The exact same model wouldn't be available, but they have very similar models, so I don't think it would be an issue!
Great "sorry not sorry" video 🤣🤣🤣
wow, looks solid! lucky you!
I think for soft surfaces use metal and for hard surfaces use the rubber.. i might be wrong but it seems logical. What do you think Mr Cuiv
Others are recommending this as well, so I'll likely go back to rubber feet!
For the balcony, I'd go with the metal feet as long as there isn't a ton of heavy traffic outside your house which causes vibration. Rubber introduces a flexible spot in your rig which could be sensitive to wind. Why use a rigid setup if you place it on top of something soft?
Thanks for the input! A lot of people were telling me to return to the rubber feet so I guess I'll need to compare! I do get some traffic that causes vibration, but it's not that often...
Im excited for you!
Thank you!
3:58 ゴッツリ and 丈夫😂 I feel you.. sometimes the English words don't convey the same meaning, do they? 面倒くさい is also in the same category..
Great review! I just bought AM5 with TC40 though 😢
Hahaha thanks man :-) Now that I read the comment, I realize the word I was looking for was "beefy" as a close equivalent! :-)
and its ok to put out a video of you simply enjoying something, my opinion is that you give enough
I couldn't help but to laugh out loud when you admit (@2:00) that the product you are reviewing is absolutely unavailable to ANYONE in the entire world... and the geek that I am, I watched the entire rest of the video for fun. 😂
Glad you kept watching, it's fun after all!
Probably very stable indeed.But with no legs adjustment, how to level if before to put the mount? By adding shims??
You do need fairly level ground, but then equatorial mounts don't care about having a level tripod, a couple degrees off is perfectly fine (good leveling makes PA slightly easier, but otherwise not so needed)
Made me laugh! "you cannot buy this tripod outside of Japan, and actually since I bought the last sample of this tripod you can't buy it at all"!
I'm a bit of a sadist sometimes lol
Have you seen the losmandy HD folding tripod? Anyway, the spikes are for soft ground
I hadn't, although it does look beefy! Got it on the metal pikes!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek the losmandy tripod can probably hold a sky scrapper and was voted most likely to throw your disk while loading into your car
Will the metal feet slide on the concrete more easily in high winds than the rubber feet would?
Others are recommending the rubber feet, so I'll have to switch to them!
if you keep shooting in the same spot, why not build a nice pier?
(today I found some metal profile ,I think its 80x80cm and quite thick, and tomorrow going to weld a plate on it with 5 holes, put 4 jumbo screws so I can connect another plate on top of it using 4 holes so I could level it and the middle hole is for the mount head ,and weld some spikes on its button so when. I put it with cement in a bucket so it will hold it, if hope its a better mount since I don't like the legs spreading on my balcony)
Note to myself: Check Tokyo people register to find out Cuiv's address. Do not book flights less than 4 weeks in advance.😂
Brutal, I like it. 🤣
On a serious note, I imagine people outside of Japan can probably still buy it via one of those proxy purchase/shipping services?
They can buy similar ones, but this particular one does seem to be out of stock....
Hi cuiv, my daughter is japanese / danish she’s going to Japan this summer. Is it this one SP415-MORE BLUE G50-PRO and it’s only available in Japan ? I’ll get her to bring it back to dad if possible. Great channel you run 😊
Not quite the same model (no spreader for instance) but should work
Thanks Cuiv!
Cheers!
Unnaceptable!! I mean the Saddism !! :D
Hahaha sorry!
I have a LiteRock. Is it compatible with the WarpAstron WD-20? Do I put a PE200 on it?
I'm told it should work, but I haven't personally tried so ymmv
Berlebach or nothing ;)
Hahaha yeah the Berlebach tripods, especially the wooden ones look so amazing!
There doesn't seem too be a whole lot of leveling adjustment, and that you need a somewhat flat and level location to use. Can you level that tripod if you're out in the field on uneven ground?
Yeah you'll need to find a relatively flat surface - a couple of degrees off level shouldn't be a problem for equatorial mounts, but don't go setting it up on a slope for sure!
Vibration reduction & mass are not the best?
Corbin is light and rigid… so ground vibration passes better?
Have you considered a steel pier on your roof? 😃
I have, but I haven't figured out how I'd install it :)
How do you level your rig when the legs don’t have extenders and instead have to use fixed small screw on legs
The tips can be screwed/unscrewed for small adjustments, but you'd need fairly level ground. Anyway EQ mounts don't care about tripod leveling so I never bother with it much (although it does make initial PA easier)
They have some nice leveling feet available!
Yep, but one of them was out of stock, so I ended up not getting them!
It seems that you will keep the WD-20 mount now! 😂
Yeah it seems to have adopted me lol
Are we really going to just ignore the fact that it's perfectly color matched to the WarpAstron?
Dang, it's so well matched I hadn't even noticed! It's perfect!
Are they planning to release this for sale, or is this just a one-off?
I have no idea unfortunately....
Hi! I have some question, if it doesn't have extendable legs, how can you adjust level of tripod to be horizontal?
Legitimate question; what are the benefits of a carbon fiber tripod for a set up that primarily stays in one spot? Are there structural benefits to carbon fiber over steel? Or is the primary reason someone would buy carbon fiber over steel is portability?
There is one advantage :very low thermal retraction with decreasing temperature over night.
Honestly not much besides thermal stability (which isn't a big deal) and looking super good :)
I'm going to be in Japan soon.. does Moreblue have a physical store at all?
edit: looks like it's in Fukuyama? Drat. Not where I'll be going.
Did you ever compare the metal and rubber feet for the TC40?
I should
I’m wondering how you’ll level it.
I won't! You do need some fairly level ground, but equatorial mounts really don't care about precise leveling, a few degrees off isn't an issue (although good leveling will make initial PA easier)
No, you haven't lost your followers. We're just to lazy to unsubscribe.
Hahahah I love this :)
Nice tripod.
Thanks!
Dang, now I want a new tripod 😢😂
Hahaha sorry!
as always too easily excited
Sorry!
Lol, ok, wind now is not a problem. But, how many nights you lose because of earthquakes?
Earthquakes just cause lost subframes so not that bad (as long as the house stays up 😅)
Rubber. I say this becaue vibration damper pucks are hard rubber.
Can you please be more enthusiastic? My gosh I want one! 😂
Hahaha sorry about that!
has anyone figured out how to import these to the US?
You have a wobbly roof. You shoot at wide fields of view. I’d suggest rubber feet to dampen vibration. If you were bolted onto a solid surface, such as concrete, then I would say metal would be better. But at this point, I don’t think it offers you any benefits.
Got it, I'll go back to the rubber feet!
I’m sure it stems from tank maintenance 😮
cuiv a pris son pied
Et ceux du trépied aussi, c'est très érotique lol
Now you just need a country under your tripod that doesn’t wiggle wiggle from time to time 😅
Ha! Indeed!
4:05 I hardly even know her!
Damn, That boy is thiccccc! Imma go check this company out
Did the company give you any idea about why they stopped making this particular tripod, Cuiv? Looks very beefy and very solid. I'm curious why they would stop manufacturing it.
Nope, but in their marketing materials then mention the special edition with the thick carbon walls requires a lot of carbon and is thus expensive to make, so my guess is their margins are tight... They're still making the normal versions, but I couldn't find one with the spreader...
Can i has your old tripod ? ;)
Hahaha nope :)
Metal feet.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Please dont be more than £200. Thats probably about 10 yen by now
Second (I think)!
You were third but close enough :D
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Ehh, okay.
Sell it to me or else. 😁
I'm free to set the resell price? :D
First!
Second!
Zeroth! :p Welcome guys :-)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek could you please make review on the new ToupTek
Astrostation Smart Device?🙏
Who ARE you??? First you take the last tripod, at a lower price and now this ? :-D
@@CuivTheLazyGeek