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Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion product.
These sturdy aluminum tripods provide solid support for bin-
oculars, small telescopes, still cameras, or video cameras.
Designed for use either indoors or outdoors, the Paragons fea-
ture a smooth, two-way pan head and 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
Your Paragon tripod comes fully assembled. Note that each
leg has two telescoping sections. To extend a leg, loosen
the lever lock knob, then extend the leg. When it has been
extended to the desired length, tighten the lever knob back
down. There is a handy scale printed on the middle segment
of each leg, which can be used to judge the relative height of
the legs. Before mounting an instrument on the tripod it is a
good idea to press down gently on the pan head to make sure
the legs are locked securely and will not give way under the
instrument's weight.
Dual Rubber/Spike Feet
The Paragons are equipped with dual-purpose feet that con-
sist of a retractable rubber foot and a metal spike. The rubber
feet are intended for use of the tripod indoors or on a smooth
paved surface. The metal spikes are desirable for achieving a
firm grip on soft surfaces.
To use the rubber feet, thread the foot counterclockwise until
it stops. In this position, the metal spike will be well recessed
within the rubber. Be sure all three rubber feet are flat on the
floor, not tipped sideways.
To expose the spike feet, thread the rubber foot clockwise until
the spike protrudes from the rubber. In some instances you
may wish to remove the rubber feet altogether so more of the
metal spike is exposed. This can be done by just pulling the
rubber feet off their anchors. They can be pressed on again at
any time.
Adjusting the Tripod's Stance
The Paragons have a very wide stance for enhanced stabil-
ity. The widest stance is achieved when the tri-brace is as far
down as it will go on the elevator shaft housing. The brace lock
knob should be tightened to secure the stance.
If you are using the tripod in a confined space, the stance can
be narrowed by loosening the tri-brace lock knob, and push-
ing the legs closer together. The tri-brace will move up on the
elevator shaft housing. Retighten the lock knob to secure the
legs in the new position. Be aware that the tripod will become
more "tippy" as its stance is narrowed. Be very careful when
mounting an instrument with an unwieldy center of gravity on
the tripod, especially if it is somewhat heavy.
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.
Handle lock knob (hidden)
Two-way pan head
Elevator shaft
Elevator
hand crank
Elevator shaft
housing
Lever
lock knobs
Rubber feet
Using the Fluid Pan Head
The Paragons feature a precision fluid-type pan head, which
has a range of motion of 180° on the vertical axis and 360°
on the horizontal axis. Both axes are equipped with a large
tension-adjustment knob and a lock knob. The tension-adjust-
ment knobs allow you to set the desired ease of motion for
each axis.
Panning is easy using the pan head handle. Its angle relative
to the mount head is adjustable. Loosen the handle lock knob,
then remove the handle from its sleeve completely. Reinsert
the handle into the sleeve at the desired position and thread
the lock knob back in until tight.
The removable mounting shoe allows quick attachment and
removal of your instrument. The shoe has a 1/4" -20 threaded
post and a ribbed mat, and is retained by a spring-loaded,
quick-release lock lever. When mounting an optical instrument,
you must first remove the shoe from the head by releasing the
lock lever. Attach the shoe to the instrument, then replace the
shoe on the head. Make certain the shoe is locked securely
in place before releasing the instrument from your grip. It is
recommended that the instrument be removed from the tripod
for transportation.
It is possible to point an instrument at the zenith (straight up).
This is especially useful when using the tripod for astronomical
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 hin-
der 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.
Quick release shoe
Pan head
handle
Elevator lock knob
Brace lock knob
Tri-brace
IN 396 Rev. A 08/10
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