Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
Customer Support (800) 676-1343
E-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
IN 143 Rev. B 02/09
Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion product! Your
new Tritech field tripod can support small binoculars, telescopes,
still cameras, and video cameras. Designed for use either indoors
or outdoors, the Tritechs feature a smooth, two-way pan head
with a quick-release shoe for convenient operation.
To get the most from your new tripod, please take a few min-
utes to read these instructions and operating tips. Refer to the
labeled figure for the names of specific parts of the tripod.
Adjusting the Legs
The tripod comes fully assembled. Note that each aluminum
leg has two telescoping sections. To lengthen a leg, release
one of the leg lock clamps, then extend a section. When it
has been extended to the desired length, close the clamp.
Extend one section at a time until all legs are at the desired
length. Before mounting an instrument on the tripod it is a
good idea to press down on the pan head to make sure the
legs are locked securely and will not give way under the
instrument’s weight.
The tripods have a wide stance for enhanced stability. The
widest stance is achieved when the tri-brace is as far down
as it will go on the elevator shaft housing. The tri-brace lock
knob should be tightened to secure the stance.
Approximate leveling of the tripod should suffice for use with
binoculars or spotting scopes. For photographic use, the
built-in bubble level aids in achieving more precise leveling.
Attaching an Instrument
The removable mounting shoe allows quick attachment and
removal of your instrument. The shoe has a 1/4"-20 threaded
shaft, a spring pin, and a ribbed mat, and is retained by a
quick-release lock lever. When mounting an optical instru-
ment, you must first remove the shoe from the head. To do
this, disengage the quick-release lock lever and slide the
mounting shoe in the direction of the handle. Thread the
shoe’s shaft into the 1/4"-20 mounting hole on the instrument
using the knob on the underside of the shoe. If the instrument
has an additional mounting hole for the spring pin, register
the pin with the hole before threading in the shaft. Otherwise,
disregard the pin. Then replace the shoe on the head. Make
certain the shoe is locked securely in place before releas-
ing the instrument from your grip. It is recommended that the
instrument be removed from the tripod for transport.
Be very careful when mounting an instrument with an
unwieldy center of gravity on the tripod, especially if it is
somewhat heavy. If the load is greatly unbalanced, the tripod
may tip over.
Using the Fluid Pan Head
Tritech tripods feature fluid
heads which can be panned
horizontally or vertically. Both
axes of motion are equipped
with a lock knob. Partially tight-
ening a lock knob will increase
the panning friction for that axis.
Pan the tripod head by using
the pan head handle.
It is possible to point an instru-
ment at the zenith (straight
up). This is especially useful
when using the tripod for astro-
nomical observation. Instead of
pushing the handle down to tilt
the pan head up, tilt the pan head so that the handle points
upward. This way the handle will not contact the tripod itself
and hinder the tilt. You will have to rotate the instrument 180
∞
on the pan head from its normal position to point it upward in
this reversed way (see Figure 2).
Orion
®
Tritech
™
Field Tripods
#5372 Medium Tritech
#5373 Large Tritech
Figure 2
Quick release shoe
Vertical pan lock
Elevator shaft
Elevator hand crank
Elevator lock knob
Elevator shaft housing
Tri-brace
Quick release
lock lever
Pan head
handle
Horizontal
pan lock
Tri-brace
lock knob
Leg lock
clamp
