Thad,

The Burgess OTA with a 2" WO diagonal and Chromacor weighs in at about
16-17 pounds. The SVP that I have handles it quite well, and with the legs
retracted is pretty stable, but extending the stock tripod legs doesn't do
much in the way of adding height because they are so stubby, and extending
them does make a noteable difference in stability. My main concern is
weather or not the pier with extension would be at least as stable as the
fully retracted tripod, while giving me the height I need for comfortable
zenith viewing while seated. I am 5'6", so I think the combo would be about
right, size wise, but I live in Tennessee, so there are no Orion showrooms
to check out! It has occured to be that the pier would need a firm surface,
but I think the use of vibe-pads might suffice on softer ground(not sure,
but seems logical). What I really, REALLY would like is a half-pier to sit
between the existing tripod and EQ head... Vixen sells one for use with the
GP and GP-DX..... does anyone know if this unit is compatible with the
SVP?????

CS

Jason