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Looking for recommendations: best tripod adapter to run spotter/LRF/etc...
- Thread starter SBGreen0369
- Start date
It depends on the gear. I am trying to come up with something for a pair of LRF binoculars, a scope with a binoviewer (a poor man's BTX 95), a Trijicon MRO as a finder scope and a Kestrel in a weather vane mount.
What I want is very different than most setups. I want to use it all without moving and I want slow motion control so it's easy to aim and good stability so I don't get a shaky view.
As a result, there is nothing off the shelf that will do all that in a compact and light weight package so I have to improvise.
What I want is very different than most setups. I want to use it all without moving and I want slow motion control so it's easy to aim and good stability so I don't get a shaky view.
As a result, there is nothing off the shelf that will do all that in a compact and light weight package so I have to improvise.
I've been eyeing that Able Table setup, looks like lots of options there.
I ended up going with the GrayOps AMP plate. Pretty sweet piece of kit.
Absolutely nothing! It was just part of the arca rail set I got. I was just playing around with what I could do with various bits.
Well actually it is kind of a handle...
Well actually it is kind of a handle...
If you're still able to find it from your history, I'd love a link to the set you bought. So far I haven't seen any extended Arca Rails where the ends are threaded to accept a side plate like yours. I think I could find something to thread onto that 'handle' piece to then accept a Kestrel in its vane mount.
SunwayFoto DPL-06 Universal L-Type Quick-Release Plate for Cameras https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KHDDF34/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HLElDbAERE7MD
This is not the one I ordered and received. The one I have says it is unavailable at this time. The above is similar to what I used. There are a few other options out there. Look for L plate or vertical arca rail.
I also have been thinking of Mounting my Weatherflow also on the mount, great minds...
This is not the one I ordered and received. The one I have says it is unavailable at this time. The above is similar to what I used. There are a few other options out there. Look for L plate or vertical arca rail.
I also have been thinking of Mounting my Weatherflow also on the mount, great minds...
Right now, I'm thinking of going with this one.
Amazon.com : Haoge HQR-300 300mm Multi-Purpose Dual Dovetail Long Quick Release Extender Rail Sliding Plate for Camera Tripod Ballhead Clamp fit Benro Arca Swiss Sunwayfoto : Camera & Photo
Amazon.com : Haoge HQR-300 300mm Multi-Purpose Dual Dovetail Long Quick Release Extender Rail Sliding Plate for Camera Tripod Ballhead Clamp fit Benro Arca Swiss Sunwayfoto : Camera & Photo
www.amazon.com
If I have my LRF and Spotter on the rail, there wouldn't be enough room to let the Kestrel Vane rotate freely. I plan to get my Kestrel up higher than the Spotter/LFR through use of a threaded rod from Lowe's. 6in or 12in depending on how I can space everything together.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-0-25-in-x-6-in-Standard-SAE-Threaded-Rod/50015976
If I've done my HW correctly, this matches the threaded holes in the rail and on the Kestrel. Thread it through a hole in the rail, secure the excess that I've threaded through the rail with a washer/wingnut or something, thread the Kestrel on the other end sticking up in the air, and done!
I have one of those double dovetail ones also. That one is long! I don’t think you need that much space but if that is what you want go for it?
I was thinking of putting the meter just up on a rotating ridiculous not a vane. Something that would have to be manually turned to match wind flags or my best quess.
I was thinking of putting the meter just up on a rotating ridiculous not a vane. Something that would have to be manually turned to match wind flags or my best quess.
I like the plentiful threaded holes vs. slots on this one. I thought It'd allow me to play with the spacing for the vane mount then possibly go smaller with Amazon return policy if need be. If I shortened the arm on the vane by a couple inches I may be able to just fit everything.
I use a Manfrotto carbon fiber CX PRO4 tripod with Manfrotto 3 way head with my Meopta S2 HD spotter. The Meopta is a heavy scope and the Manfrotto gear handles it with ease.
Another option is to use a 200mm rail with clamp on one end for the spotter and then mount a mini-ball on the other for your LRF. By doing this, you can get the spotter on target using the tripod's ball head and then use the mini-ball to get the LRF co-witnessed to the target. After that, just use the tripod's ball head to move your spotter and LRF to the target and everything will still be aligned.
Here's the final product.
Arca rail. 200mm with built in clamp. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J7LT4ZK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.FJoDbGT1NVMW
Mini Ball head to be able to cowitness the LRF mount. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071GQLJKZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rHJoDbRHT8CQ6
2-6in lengths of 1/4-20 threaded rod with a coupler and wingnut from Lowe's for a couple bucks. Kestrel vane mount threads right on. By going with the smaller pieces they fit in the Kestrel pouch.
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The MUB DOS. Great setup with built in MLOK and 1/4-20 screws. Fits my binos and LRF perfect with room to spare.
www.themub.com
MOD DOS
The MOD DOS is a multi-functional platform designed to serve a myriad of applications. The MOD DOS is commonly used as a mounting plate for your long range shooting accessories or as a gun rest. Equipped with a machined in Arca Swiss plate, and can convert to Manfrotto, Picatinny, or the...
www.themub.com
I used a long piece of arca rail before to mount spotter and LRF side by side but I didn't like the form factor. It was too big and I wanted to have a system that was a bit more modular. With most spotters with a reticle either having pic rails or the ability to add them via a "cage" of sorts (Badger Slick, Cadedx, KDG) it seemed to make sense to mount the LRF directly to the spotter. I also wanted to be able to "co-zero" the reticles of the spotter and LRF at whatever distance (I use 1000 yards) and have yet be able to remove the LRF (in my case Sig K3000 binos with the RRS Cinch) and re-install it quickly and with no loss of zero.
This is my setup:
I had a buddy of mine with a machine shop help me make an adapter plate to to be able to mount a generic female arca clamp on top of a chicom "windage and elevation adjustable flashlight mount" I got from Alibaba. I honestly wasn't able to find a domestically manufactured one which is weird cause I figure for sure the chicoms had to be knocking off someone else's product but I digress. As it sits, the mount attaches directly to any pic rail and the "arca" clamp lets me attach anything with a dovetail on it. You can adjust the windage and elevation of the mount via thumbscrews and then lock them down with little Allen bolts. As long as I line up the back of the dovetail on the Cinch with the back of the clamp on the mount, the system maintains zero every time it's re-assembled.
There are a few small improvements I'd like to make: slimming down the thumbscrew so it's more low profile and doesn't protrude as much from the side of the spotter, drilling and threading a hole inside the clamp so that I can screw a bolt in that will act as a hard stop for the cinch so as to nt even have to think of aligning the rear of the plate and clamp and Cerakote or rattle can the adapter to make it "not shiny", haha.
If I had the skills, I'd love to design an adapter like this instead of a modification to an existing mount. I figure designed as an integrated unit, it would be much more low profile. Sadly, that's not really in my wheelhouse, haha.
This is my setup:
I had a buddy of mine with a machine shop help me make an adapter plate to to be able to mount a generic female arca clamp on top of a chicom "windage and elevation adjustable flashlight mount" I got from Alibaba. I honestly wasn't able to find a domestically manufactured one which is weird cause I figure for sure the chicoms had to be knocking off someone else's product but I digress. As it sits, the mount attaches directly to any pic rail and the "arca" clamp lets me attach anything with a dovetail on it. You can adjust the windage and elevation of the mount via thumbscrews and then lock them down with little Allen bolts. As long as I line up the back of the dovetail on the Cinch with the back of the clamp on the mount, the system maintains zero every time it's re-assembled.
There are a few small improvements I'd like to make: slimming down the thumbscrew so it's more low profile and doesn't protrude as much from the side of the spotter, drilling and threading a hole inside the clamp so that I can screw a bolt in that will act as a hard stop for the cinch so as to nt even have to think of aligning the rear of the plate and clamp and Cerakote or rattle can the adapter to make it "not shiny", haha.
If I had the skills, I'd love to design an adapter like this instead of a modification to an existing mount. I figure designed as an integrated unit, it would be much more low profile. Sadly, that's not really in my wheelhouse, haha.
I actually built that mount before I got the Athlon spotter (had a Bushy Legend T) but I like it better than the factory one. The factory one is only adjustable for elevation and you can't lock your adjustment in. Sure you can adjust windage when/if you install an arca clamp but then you either have to loctite/witness mark/jb weld it in place. Also, the factory mount is about twice as big.
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Abel table has lots of options, setting mine up for spotting/observing with ability to
RRS dovetail/pic clamp for my spotter, threaded rod for Kestrel Vane, phone mount for running Kestrel app or wifi app to digital camera, going to do a micro ball for range finder, and a double ball/twist mount for my TDS Nomad.
Being able to mount the camera on the spotter is cool for reticle photos and video downrange.
I'll get photos up in a day or two, still waiting on the ram mount stuff for the Trimble.
RRS dovetail/pic clamp for my spotter, threaded rod for Kestrel Vane, phone mount for running Kestrel app or wifi app to digital camera, going to do a micro ball for range finder, and a double ball/twist mount for my TDS Nomad.
Being able to mount the camera on the spotter is cool for reticle photos and video downrange.
I'll get photos up in a day or two, still waiting on the ram mount stuff for the Trimble.
Here's my spotter/LRF and LRF/shooting setup. Atholon Cronus is setup with Trijicon red dot and the shooting table has Sirui micro ball for LFR. I've cut out the table from scrap aluminum plate and have few heavy and light fill bags to use for rifle rest.
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I used this modified Elcan mount from Ashbury many years ago. It's adjustable for windage and elevation, but my main problem with it was that there was no return to zero once I removed it from the Spotter. It had to be manually adjusted and slaved together each time I planned to use it, which was less than ideal.
I got rid of it about five years when Spuhr showed off this device that looked like an ideal solution, yet here we are many years later and it seems like it's never gone into production. I kind of miss this setup now.
FYI, I was running into the same issue, a hide member pointed me to FlatlineOps. They have a very well made unit called the Voyeur. It is a bit pricey but made in the USA and designed for precision optics. You might want to check it out.
THE VOYEUR™ | Flatline Ops™
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