| This Questar tripod and pan head combination provides solid support for the 3.5" Questar Duplex or Standard Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes when they are used for astronomical observing. It can also be used terrestrially with the Duplex optical tube when it used as a spotting scope, with the Questar Field Model and Birder, or with any other brand of spotting scope, although its relatively heavy weight makes it less convenient for field use for birding than the lighter tripods we carry. The tripod is made by Manfrotto in Italy and imported by Bogen for Questar. The tripod consists of Manfrotto #3046 three-section tripod with satin finish anodized aluminum legs and a Manfrotto #501HDV heavy duty quick release pan head (available separately as catalog #501HDV). The center-braced double strut tripod is tall enough so that it can be used with only the first of the two tripod leg sections extended (the first leg sections are shown partially extended in the picture to the left). In this configuration, the top of the tripod leg assembly is a full 50" above ground level, even with the rising center post in its fully-lowered position. Extending only the first (thickest) leg sections reduces vibration compared to extending both collapsible leg sections. The first leg sections have a locking knob to hold them in place. The second leg sections are locked in place by a rotary collar. The tripod has a bubble level built into its head. With the legs collapsed, the top of the tripod leg assembly is 30.4" above ground level. The pan head adds another 4.2" to the tripod height, for a total of 34.6". Extending the first leg section fully brings the height to 54.2" Extending both leg sections brings the tripod/head height to 74.9". The rising center post can add an additional 19" to these heights. The center post uses a geared crank with a separate friction lock to adjust the height. For image stability at high powers, however, it is recommended that the center post be kept as low as possible. The rising center post has a non roll-back feature. The supplied two-way tripod feet have rubber pads for use on concrete or wood. The pads retract to expose metal spikes for use on dirt or grass. The tripod's fluid damped pan head has oversize solid mechanical locks to keep the Duplex from tilting during astronomical use. There are separate vertical and horizontal lock levers. The light but positive fluid-damped panning movement provides exceptionally smooth control. It has a Teflon friction adjustment to increase drag. The pan head rotates 360° in azimuth and +90°/-60° in altitude, making it useful for astronomical observing from any latitude. There is a long quick-release sliding plate to provide good support to the Duplex base. The plate has a VHS locking pin that’s spring-loaded so it won’t interfere with mounting either telescope or spotting scope. It has both 3/8" and 1/4"-20 thread scope mounting bolts. The angle of the pan head’s single control handle adjusts to avoid poking the observer’s chest while in use and the handle can be installed for either right hand or left hand operation. There is a bubble level on the pan head, as well as on the tripod legs. The tripod and head combination is 36.7" long when closed for carrying and weighs 12.6 lbs. It can hold scopes up to 13.3 lbs. in weight.
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