"Tom Hole earthlink.net" tomhole@NOSPAM wrote in message
...
I have my first GEM being made by John Davis and I need a tripod for it.
The mount weighs 30 lbs and has a 40 lbs capacity, counterweights 20 lbs
and
the current scope for it will be a 1278. So, we have 67 lbs of stuff.

I found this:

http://www.mytoolstore.com/berger/tripods2.html

The wooden surveyors tripod.

Also checked out Al's astro and Astronomics offerings.

Also looked at Burlebach's from Germany.

I'd like to keep it under $200. The mount is a tank so I'd like a
threesome
to go under it that can keep up with the mount. I may end up putting my
dob
on it some day as well (10" XT10, 35 lbs).

So, here's what I'm thinking. Get a shorter tripod (please recommend one)
and put a mini pier on it (recommendations welcome). That will give me a
short tripod for the dob and a taller one (with the mini pier) for the
refractor. Any recommendations for min and max height?

Thanks,

Tom



With that kind of weight load, you need something very solid...I would go
for overkill. My suggestion is this...

Find a CI700 tripod. There are many available even though Celestron
discontinued them several months ago. Many people purchased the mount,
which came with the tripod as a package, for use with the C-14 but never
used the tripod as the scope was mounted on a pier in an observatory. You
may be able to find one at a price within your budget. Try posting a
"wanted" ad on Astromart. If you want to see what one of these tripods
looks like, go to my web page and select "CI700". www.alsastro.com

Al

Al