The Old and The New

@jim-frame Fine tune adjustment knobs for a bipod!!?! I've designed something similar (in my head only) many times over, and the version in my head never actually worked. Great to see a real concept!

Paired with a 8' plumb bubble would be great. On a side note: have you come across any more precise bubbles for rods? Even if I don't note it, it always becomes apparent in starnet which sets i was running 3 tripods vs. rod on the foresight... a fine tune bipod like this along with good regular rod calibrations seems like the answer.

While I have your attention: I have the chrisnik true plumb for rod calibration, but I am very disappointed with the slop in the machining of the pivot point on the top. Do you have a method or setup you like?

Posted by: @out-of-level

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Paired with a 8' plumb bubble would be great.

I use a 10' bubble on my pole, which is the reason I built the fine adjuster -- centering a 10' bubble with the bipod thumb buttons is just too frustrating.  With a 40' bubble it's pretty easy, but then you're potentially giving up 0.03' of so of accuracy.

Posted by: @out-of-level

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While I have your attention: I have the chrisnik true plumb for rod calibration, but I am very disappointed with the slop in the machining of the pivot point on the top. Do you have a method or setup you like?

I've never used the Chrisnik adjuster, but I'd be concerned that the mass of the bubble bracket and DC holder that I keep on my pole would cause the pole to hang off-center. 

I use a very simple V-notch bracket that attaches to a tripod, in conjunction with a base plate that has a hole drilled in it.  I put the pole into the v-notch, secure it with an attached spring, put the pole point into the base plate hole, slide the base around until the pole is plumb, then adjust the bubble.

Did you make the old one also?

I have never heard of such a thing but think it is a great idea.

Posted by: @party-chef

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Did you make the old one also?

Yes, the old one was a proof-of-concept / prototype that I made in my home shop.  It worked well enough that I used it for several years, but I always planned to make a more refined version.  I was able to do that recently when I got access to CNC machines at a local makerspace.