Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 09:23:56 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Adam Smith Subject: Re: Bogen Tracker Tripods MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Bill, Here are the stats on my tripod. Bogen by Manfrotto MDL: 3221GN - Green Wilderness Tripod Closed Length: 24 3/4" / 63 cm Fully Expanded Height: 71 1/4" / 181 cm Height from ground with legs fully prone: 3 1/4" / 8 cm Weight: 6.17 lbs / 2.8 kg Max capacity: 13.2 lbs / 6 kg Stats on my Ball Mount: Bogen by Manfrotto MDL: 3055 - Heavy Duty Ball Joint Head Height: 5 1/2" / 14 cm Weight: 1.6 lbs / 0.72 kg Max capacity: 15.4 lbs / 7 kg Has an independent lever for left to right movement(for scanning left to = right without up and down movement, great for scanning.) Has a second lever that is total freedom of movment. The tripod came with the retractable steel spikes, foam padding on the = legs and a nice wide anti-slip carrying strap. You have to buy a = separate head(ball mount) to put your camera/scope on. I have a pretty = big scope, the 80mm Pentax EDA. I purposely got this tripod because of = its what it could hold and its stability. I did not what a composite = tripod as, having experience with them, they shake to much in the wind. = Now I will admit the whole caboodle, scope and all, can get a bit heavy = on a long hike. The only problem I had was with one of the leg levers. = It was to tight when I got it and it was difficult to close. I loosened = it slightly and I have not had any other problems with the tripod at = all. I have not had any problems with the set-screws coming loose that = attaches the ball mount. =20 I took it to Arizona with me. When I packed it, I had the spikes = retracted. When I got my bags back in Baltimore, one of the spikes had = extended. Now a few words on this. My bags were inspected without my = knowledge. I got one of those leaflets in my bags saying so. they were = inspected only on the return trip. I do not know if during the = inspection a spike was extended or what happened. I can say that no = spikes were found to be extended on the flight out. So I am leaning = towards an inspector forgot to put the spike back after he/she looked at = it. After all, it is a big hunk of metal piping, that has hidden = spikes. You will have to make your own opinion on this. Now a friend of mine had the same model as mine, but it is black and I = swear its it slightly lighter, though I do not have the box here with me = so I cannot give you the MDL# or the exact specs. It also seemed to me = that the padding on it was a little longer. Now she does not have the = same ball mount as mine and she has an 80mm Swarovski EDA. Holding one = set-up in one hand and the other set-up in the other hand, hers did seem = lighter, though not by a whole lot. =20 Hope this helps, Adam Smith Arbutus MD cyanbluecobalt@msn.com ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Bill Ellis=20 To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM=20 Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 6:52 AM Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Bogen Tracker Tripods I am interested in the same model. Bill Ellis Eldersburg Carroll County Bird Club -----Original Message----- From: Leavy, Lorie - Washington, DC Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 1:28 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Bogen Tracker Tripods Has anyone on this list had any experience with Bogen's Tracker = tripods? As far as I can tell, they differ from older 3221's in that their retractable spiked feet are stainless steel and they may possibly have more padding on the legs. ... = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to = listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================