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IQ160 levels

jlm

Workshop Member
found out these are giving me questionable behavior as i am getting significantly different readings for level today compared to saturday.

i spent a lot of time tweaking my cube so that the pan axis was truly level for 360 degrees rotation using a precision machinist level. then mounted the cambers base and IQ160 to find the electronic levels on the back were out. ended up machining the RRS base and did get the IQ levels to come in perfectly for all 360 degrees pan.

put the camera back on today, double checked the pan was level with the precision level, found the IQ electronic levels were off by maybe a degree or more.

can those be trusted to accurately read level? the little bar readout is quite sensitive, but does it truly represent level

may have to actually take a shot with true verticals and see what happens. wonder if the display accurately reflects verticals, with the grid for example
???
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Hi John,

If a leveling table is available at RRS, you may be able to check/recalibrate your MFDB levels this weekend at CI in Carmel!

ken
 

mbn

New member
Can't remember the exact tolerances (yes, there are some of course), but i guess they were around +- 1°. 2° total.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
If you upgrade to the IQ260 there's an additional tolerance to consider. That being the velocity of level change per second.

Mine used to be +/- 0.5° / second. After the recent firmware upgrades it's more like +/- 0.1° :banghead: At least with the IQ160 it doesn't move.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Have to say that unless I'm about to launch a nucular launch vehicle about to hit a target somewhere within 1000 miles I really don't see where having absolute zero balance is needed.

Nice to have alough when it comes down to it life and landscape is never level so I figure if I can get close enough I'm satisfied and worry about bigger things like remembering to take the lens cap off.

Just my 2 cents

Don
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
John: now that you've calibrated the optical levels on your Cube, you can always reset the wandering IQ level to the Cube now!

Ken: having seen John's workshop and precision gear, I think that he could probably assist RRS with calibrating THEIR granite tables :ROTFL:
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
I was sorta hoping that John would be sending out his milling machinery and gear ahead of time for CI in Carmel!

ken
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Perhaps we can convince john to follow the Fred Picker Zone VI approach of offering value-added upgrades to gear like the Cube? The Milich Cube leveling upgrade? (I would hate to consider the man hour cost per Cube though)
 

jlm

Workshop Member
i'm thinking a self leveling laser transit beam reflected off the sensor glass exactly back on itself would show a vertical sensor. can't see how else to do it


MBN: egad, 1-2 degree is huge amount! about 6" over 30' is one degree

and how did you type in that degree sign?
 

stephengilbert

Active member
Graham,

Another feature of the Cube is that it's so expensive that a four or five hundred dollar upgrade seems reasonable. (My apologies to John if that number is insultingly low for the work done.)

Steve
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Another great feature of the Cube is that it's so exclusive, 90% of its owners are active forum members here at GetDPI; the remaining 10% are at the LL forums, so John probably "knows" most all the Cube owners most likely susceptible to the AS Milich Cube upgrade.

So the "friend's discount" of four or five hundred dollars for the upgrade seems just about right. :D
 

jlm

Workshop Member
i'll bring my little precision level; it's pretty easy to detect a whacky pan axis

see you friday, pigs!
 

jlm

Workshop Member
tried the laser and it works. put my GG plate in the camera, reflected the dot back on itself and it is an extremely accurate tell for a truly vertical plane. will use this as my reference and re-machine the RRS plate
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Perhaps we can convince john to follow the Fred Picker Zone VI approach of offering value-added upgrades to gear like the Cube? The Milich Cube leveling upgrade? (I would hate to consider the man hour cost per Cube though)
While we're putting out upgrade ideas, how about the pair of vertical lasers on the front and back standards. Get the dots to align on the ground, and instant Scheimpflug! The lasers could be reoriented for swings.

--Matt
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Well, are we talking "local", level which is effected by eccentricity in the mass distribution in this oblate spheroid we inhabit, or are we talking true tangency to the mathematical model of the planet.
That might be level in New York but will be off at the equator if an astronomic reference is used.
-bob
 

jlm

Workshop Member
recall i work in an old shipyard, with hidden uranium vaults which mass clearly affects big G locally
 
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