Im on the lookout for a lightweight tripod to take for my vhf beam , the mfj or simular tripods are a tad heavy at around 4kg . The camera ones looks better but when there extended there is no pole low down to spin while sat on the ground .
What have people found best in there experience ?
Matt 2E0FGX
I have a regular camera tripod for a spotting scope I was going to use but you are correct - most of them are bulky and heavy. You can purchase much lighterweight carbon fibre camera tripods but they are ridiculously expensive.
Instead I use my very lightweight 5m extendable pole with 3 strong guy lines made from 170 lb. fishing line non-fixed above 3 elastic bands. I lash my 4 element 2m yagi using the same line at about 2m height on the pole using a square lash knot. This keeps the whole contraption very lightweight. The only difficulty part is finding ground to put the 3 light stakes into or something to lash the support pole to…
Richard from sotabeams sent me a message about the rotating guy collar sk im going to give that a go .
Yes a camera or lazer line tripod lighter but once at full height while your sat down you cant reach the top to rotate . A mfj typre tripod idea for field dsys or next to the car etc .
Matt 2E0FGX
Take a look at camera tripods:
There are some: like the manfrotto compact light… i think they have all you need.
73 Armin
Matt: you really don’t need the rotating collar. Three strong elastic bands around the pole at the guy line height. Guy lines with a bowline loop fit just over the 3 elastic bands. You can then rotate the pole at the bottom with your hand. PS: not my idea - I believe KX0R ??
Proximity to the antenna and power output need to be given some thought. You don’t want to cook your grey matter!!
That aside I have sometimes just picked up the tripod and antenna and plonked it back on the ground pointing towards my new direction.
Camera tripods and heads can get very expensive very fast. Light weight can equate to carbon fiber which is pricey but some heads are of a ball construction allowing rotation up, down and around. The upside to this is you potentially can transition from horizontal (ssb) to vertical (FM) polarization easily.
Tim Nair (K7MAS??) has an ingenerous system to mount his 2m Yagi atop a hiking pole and as it’s all quite compact and close to the ground easy to rotate hand.
Hope this helps!!
Paul
M0SNA/W6PNG
Another reason why i want it above head hdight whilst im sitting down .
Matt 2E0FGX
If you use trekking poles, it would be possible to use a mono-pod lashed in between them to create a tripod. Or even just a third trekking pole. Might save a bit of weight.
73 de OE6FEG
call sign is KG7EJT and not K7MAS
Matt
I often carry two aluminium Zomei 1.4 metre tripods on the top of my backpack, each weighs 1.2 kg. Collapsed length is 50cm.
You will find Zomei Tripods on eBay look for model number Q111.
Andrew VK1AD
I went to clean up my old camera tripod, and found the pan&tilt head had disintegrated. While I was fondling the carcass and lamenting it’s demise, SWMBO asked if I was making a new antenna.
Well not one to look a gift horse in the mouth…
I have wanted some kind of pop it up tripod for my sota pole to make the local summit a bit faster, get a bit more height for a longer HF vertical, and hold a VHF moxon too.
And now I have an extra 2.3m height, giving me 8.5m to the tip for verticals (and it’s all still 58cm to go inside the pack)
The 3D printed sleeves are parametric in openscad if anyone needs to do similar. The top sleeve has an O-ring groove so an O ring can be fitted for the larger ID tube. The bottom sleeve is stepped for the two tube ID’s, and split (as the aluminium tripod tube is captive) with an O ring holding it on
The PVC tube has two holes drilled at the bottom so I can also screw it to fences and posts instead of using the tripod
