T&T Binocular Mounts and Beyond

ArtiMount/Crutch Tripod

Crutch Tripod/ArtiMount with 25X100 Binos

Note: I have no connection with or interest in T&T Binocular Mounts.

I have been using my T&T crutch tripod and Arti Mount combination for about 6 months. I have not used it as many times as I would have liked in that period, but I have used it enough to be able to offer some observations about it.

I purchased my Arti Mount used on Astromart partly because I wanted to try a parallelogram mount, and partly because I had just ordered a pair of 25X100 Celestrons and needed something to mount them on. I spoke to Mr. Lloyd at T&T and he advised me that the Arti should handle the 10lb weight of the SkyMasters. I would have to say that the 25X100's are about the upper limit of weight that the Arti Mount can support. The issues with this much weight on the mount are the rather long time to dampen vibrations and the altitude mechanism. With my 25X100's it takes about 6-8 seconds for vibrations to damp. Also the altitude mechanism has to be quite tight (not in danger of stripping threads or causing other damage) to allow the binoculars to reach very high elevation without allowing them to rotate further up if you release them. Within 10 degrees or so of the zenith it is nearly impossible to tighten the mechanism enough to hold the binos without slipping and then it is too tight for smooth and easy movement at lower altitudes. With lighter loads like 15X70 SkyMasters it performs wonderfully. Probably a good practical limit for this mount would be around 7 or 8 pounds although I still use it for the 25X100's simply because I get tired of frequently raising and lowering the center column on my Bogen 3036 every time I change viewing altitude.

With this mount on the crutch tripod I can easily reach the zenith while standing under the binocs (I am 5'10" – that’s feet/inches not arc min/sec!) as can some of my taller friends. I recently took this setup to our local club's monthly observing session and a couple of the club members brought their children (ages 5-8) and they were all able to observe comfortably with it also. It was nice being able to find an object then lower the binos so the kids could look rather than someone having to hold them up to the eyepieces, or have them climbing on stools, etc.

The construction of the mount is primarily 1" aluminum square tubing with a wood end piece sandwiched between aluminum plates, and a wood altitude quadrant. The azimuth pivot where the mount attaches to the tripod is also wood with an aluminum plate on the bottom. There is a large tension knob on the altitude mechanism. The altitude mechanism also pivots in azimuth around the end of the arms giving the mount 4 degrees of motion. There is a tension knob on one of the arm pivots as well. Two wood handles are provided - a fixed handle hanging vertically at the end of the arms, and a handle on the altitude quadrant. All of the joints in the mount have thin teflon washers so all of the motions are very smooth. The portion of the mount that allows it to swing around has three large teflon pieces riding on top of ebony star and since the upper and lower portions of this pivot joint rotate around a bolt with a nylock nut on top you can adjust the pressure of the teflon against the ebony star and thereby adjust the effort required to rotate it. Several people have commented on the smoothness of the motions. With the altitude knob tightened enough for the 100's you cannot easily sweep in altitude with just one hand moving the altitude handle. You do need to hold the fixed handle at the end of the arms (right next to the alt. handle) with the other hand. This is not the case with lighter binos. The fact that the binoculars can move in azimuth means that you can use the mount seated or you can scan a large area of sky without moving around the tripod and it allows you to stand to one side of the arms or at the end whichever you prefer. The counter weights that come with the mount are concrete inside of corrugated plastic tubing. I had to add a 2.5lb barbell weight sandwiched between the two to balance the 25X100s.

Whereas the weight of the big SkyMasters was a little bit of an issue with the Arti Mount that is definitely not the case with the crutch tripod! Think about it. Three crutches should be able to support LOTS of weight. T&T claims the tripod will support 250lbs without collapsing and they sit on every tripod to test it. The tripod is made with used crutches and is available in either a wood or aluminum version. I chose the aluminum version. The hub is made from wood and covered on top with ebony star and has a circular bubble level recessed into the top near one edge. A hook is provided underneath to hang a provided weight from to lower the center of gravity. The legs fold together and have a strap with velcro that wraps around to fasten them in the folded position. Since the legs are crutches they do not retract like the legs of a photo or video tripod, except for the standard adjustments that the crutches have (8" on mine). My tripod came with a 1/4 - 20 stud, but I believe that you can order them with a 3/8 - 16 stud also. The tripods are available in (I believe) 3 different heights corresponding to the three standard sizes of crutches. This tripod is extremely stable and extremely quick to set up. There is no spreader. The tripod is very light (lighter than a Bogen 3036) which makes it very easy to carry, but since the legs do not retract it is not quite as convenient to store and transport.

Not having used other parallelogram type mounts I can't really offer comparisons, but I can say that I have been very impressed with this system and I have had many positive comments from members of our local astronomy club who have seen it at our monthly observing sessions. It is comfortable to use either seated or standing and the length of the arms and height of the tripod are well enough matched that average or slightly taller adults can comfortably use it all the way to the zenith and without adjustment the binoculars can be lowered enough for young children. Set up is pretty quick and the all aluminum construction (with a little wood) makes it light enough that it is very easy to carry. The only drawback I have experienced is that the mount is not as convenient to transport as some might be. I am sure that (in general) the parallelogram portion is no larger or bulkier than any other, but the fact that the tripod legs don't telescope like those on a standard photo/video tripod means that you have a longer bulkier item to deal with. Of course, the Arti Mount can be used on other tripods. I believe that they come standard with a 1/4-20 mounting hole, but I drilled and tapped mine for 3/8-16 also. Using another tripod (like my Bogen 3036) improves the transport issue, but is heavier than the crutch tripod and not quite as quick to set up. At the time I purchased my tripod the wood version was priced at $55.00 and the aluminum version at $70.00. The Arti is shown on the T&T website for $205.00 (all prices plus S&H) which makes the entire package relatively economical. It is usable for 10lb instruments, and superb for anything lighter. The only thing that detracts slightly from the overall impression is the somewhat cheesy concrete/corrugated tubing counterweights. In general I would not hesitate to recommend this mount and tripod combination to anyone looking for a reasonably priced binocular mount with plenty of nice features. There are pictures of my Arti Mount with 25X100 SkyMasters in the binocular gallery and in my user gallery.

Specifications (as measured by the author):

Tripod:

Wt. approx. 8 lb.

Max. Ht. approx. 47.5 inches (other heights available)

Adjustment range 8 inches

Mount:

Wt. approx. 5.5 lb.

Max. Ht. approx. 32 inches

Length of arms 19" (between pivot points)

CW shaft len. approx. 21"

Tripod and Weight Tripod and Mount Disassembled

John Moody

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