11.09.2025 Celestron AVX Advanced Tripod.

 ~*~

 UPS [Oops?] delivered as promised but brought only one item of three! Despite notification of intended delivery, of all three parcels, this morning. They were lying. Two parcels haven't yet left Germany! Despite having arrived at the UPS export depot at Langehagen. Yesterday at 11.37 in the morning. 10.9.2025.

 So you'll just have to feast your eyes on the sturdy Celestron AVX Advanced tripod. 53mm stainless steel, main, tubular legs. The stiffness of tubes rises to the fourth power of the diameter. There is no real substitute for leg diameter in tubular tripod legs. Regardless of the thickness of the tube walls. Or their material. The AVX tripod stands 72cm tall in it's sock feet. No spikes are possible unless the owner drills and taps the solid, plastic feet. 

 These AVX tripods are difficult to come by without the matching equatorial mounting. At least according to forum members complaints online. This was the last one in stock at Telescope Express in Germany. [Orders accepted for restocking.] Telescope Express suggest these tripods are a fine base for swapping to different mountings and for DIY builds. 

 I can't tighten the leg spreader yet. Because the top thread needs to be screwed into a mounting or pier extension. Neither of which were delivered! 

 The AVX Advanced tripod fully extends to 126cm high. From the ground to the top surface of the head. The complete tripod weighs 7.7kg or 16.8lbs according to my digital scales. More weight means potentially greater stability against tipping for a mounting. Or should. Stiffness of the assembly is dependent entirely on the design. Where ground clearance is not a problem then the telescopic legs can be usefully adjusted downwards in length. 

 Any weakness in the raised/extended condition will be the result of flexure at the clamping joints [castings] between the two leg sections. I could detect no flex. Stainless steel bolts and stainless steel Nyloc nuts show care in design and attention to detail. Longevity without rusting is thus assured. This is not just a cosmetic issue. Rusted fasteners can make disassembly impossible.

 The other potential weak spot is at the tripod head. The legs must be firmly attached securely to solid metal. Preferably with the widest possible hinge. To avoid torsion and flexure around the hinge. The AVX tripod shows substantial, aluminium, cross sections are used. 

 The top plate has very reasonable depth and thickness in all its various sections. It looks fine to my eyes. The photo was taken with the tripod inverted in a flower pot to protect the finish. Though the tripod already shows signs of "clumsiness" at the factory. Fortunately only of a cosmetic nature. Mostly scuffs to the finish on the top castings of the legs. The marks may well wipe off. I haven't tried.

 The thickness of the cast metal is easily seen in the inner screw holes of the leg tops. I am not sure as to the exact purpose of these threaded holes. Some sort of fixing for the stainless steel leg sections? Further, more careful examination suggests there are rivets inserted here and the holes are not threaded.

The top surface of the head. A substantial casting with good depth where required. Reinforced by carefully chosen material thickness provided in all planes. The use of geometry to achieve strength and stiffness. Without resorting to a solid [agricultural?] block of metal. Which would be pointlessly heavy.

 The post projecting from the top plate is to locate a mounting. So that the same tripod leg is always pointed north. To save the user possible confusion when polar aligning. This post will be unscrewed once I receive the pier extension.    

 The large hole in the top plate is for the base of an AVX mounting. Or, to accept the adapter plate for another mounting. Or, a pier extension. The central tension rod pulls the fitted item securely downwards. To avoid flexure, tipping or vibration at this vital interface. At the very high magnifications used in astronomy the slightest flexure can lead to vibration. Whether the assembly is touched [for focusing] or due to gusts of wind.

 The tripod's leg spreader is simultaneously lifted between the tubular legs. Increasing the stiffness of the tripod assembly by pushing the legs outwards against fixed, stop surfaces. A useful geometric ploy much used where quality tripods are concerned. This also prevents the legs from splaying beyond control. 

 The leg stops, in this case, are arranged between the tops of the leg castings and the underside of the head's top plate. A useful provision to increase the stiffness of the entire head to leg interface. The head effectively becomes much thicker. Thanks to the leg, top casting pressing upwards. Both surfaces simultaneously resist compression. Backed up by the adjacent assembly.

Meanwhile the weight of the mounting, telescope, counterweights and all the accessories are pressing downwards on the top plate. The tripod's head/leg joint effectively becomes solid metal. Clever!

 I had hoped to show the PE200 pier extension fitted. This will have to wait until UPS gets its act together. As the name suggests: The pier extension lifts any fitted mounting by 20cm. Helping to reduce the risk of collisions of the telescope or its accessories with the tripod legs. Or to avoid the snagging of dangling cables. 

 Click on any image for an enlargement. None is larger than 1000 pixels per side.

  ~*~