Welcome
fellow Amateur Astronomers to the construction pages of the VSC
"North Star II" Field As you may recall, the first North
Star field tripod was constructed after my colleagues tripod for his
Konus 8" EQ mounted reflector was destroyed after it was struck by a
car. After seeing how well the tripod turned out and performed, I was
inspired to make another with some advancements. I must say, that
this field tripod is a definite improvement over the original North
Star field tripod prototype in many respects and aspects. For one,
better materials were used, as well as more refined engineering of
its design. All with the same mindset; to build a cost effective
telescope support structure that has the same reputation as many of
the outrageously priced offerings on the market today. I believe I
have achieve that goal, and much more. Some of the improvements over
the prototype include: 1) Aluminum faceplates on the front and back
of each leg, 2) Stainless steel hinges and hardware throughout, 3)
Metal Feet/ Toes, and 4) Accessory Trail with rails that keep
valuable accessories from rolling onto the ground. Speaking of the accessory tray, the North Star II tray is
larger in size than the previous version and can hold a multitude of
items you plan to use during your observing session. I know... I
know... It's beginning to sound like a sales pitch, but I am
considering making a couple more units to see it they would sell.
But will revisit that later. For the moment, I present to you the
construction overview of this fine tripod in hopes that it will
inspire many of you to take on the task yourselves.
Sincerely, Mel Dawson
..."Clear Skies, Forever!"
