Blue Fireball Tri-Pier Review: Stable Pier Height for Larger Imaging Rigs

Introduction

One of the biggest problems with traditional tripods is clearance. If you are running a longer refractor or a large imaging train, your camera, filter wheel, or focuser can get dangerously close to the tripod legs during a slew. Weight capacity is the other common limitation: many common tripods are designed for standard-size telescope rigs of roughly 50 lb or less, which is not enough for a larger, heavier setup.

The Blue Fireball Tri-Pier is designed to give go-to mounts a solid foundation and address both of those problems at once.

Key Specifications

The Tri-Pier uses a 4-inch aluminum pier that gives you 39 inches of total height and a 220 lb weight capacity, while the pier itself weighs only 17 and a half pounds. That combination delivers the stability and clearance of a permanent pier in a form you can still collapse down, pack into the included carrying case, and take into the field.

Setup and Mount Installation

Setup is straightforward. Set the Tri-Pier down, pull the collar upward until the locking pin clicks, and the legs are extended. Then tighten the lever to lock everything in place. From there, use the adjustable feet to level and stabilize the pier.

Installing your mount takes a few more steps. Loosen the three knobs and remove the top adapter plate, then attach the plate to the bottom of your strain wave mount using either the included 3/8-16 center bolt or the three M6 screws, depending on your mount. For ZWO AM series mounts, you can use both for added stability. Finally, drop the plate back into the pier, line up the knobs with the grooves, rotate it until it stops, and tighten everything down.

Who It Fits and How It Performs

The Tri-Pier was designed specifically for larger payload capacity mounts like the ZWO AM7. It also works with popular mounts such as the ZWO AM3N, the AM5N, the Sky-Watcher Wave 150i, and the Warp Astron WD series mounts.

Once installed, the extra pier height gives longer imaging trains much more room when tracking near the meridian or the zenith. That clearance matters most for imagers whose camera, filter wheel, or focuser would otherwise swing close to tripod legs. The heavier capacity, meanwhile, opens the door to bigger telescope setups that a standard lightweight tripod could not safely carry.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Tri-Pier is built for imagers who want more stability and clearance than a lightweight tripod without giving up portability. If your current rig stays under the limits of a standard tripod and you never run long imaging trains, the extra height and capacity may be more than you need. If you do run a heavier mount or a longer optical path, this is exactly the gap it is designed to fill.

Buying Advice

Choose the Tri-Pier if you own or plan to grow into a higher payload strain wave mount and want permanent-pier clearance in a portable package. It collapses down, travels in its included carrying case, and still provides the 39 inches of height and 220 lb capacity that make longer refractors and larger imaging trains comfortable to run.

Conclusion

The Blue Fireball Tri-Pier solves two of the most common frustrations with standard tripods: limited clearance for long imaging trains and limited weight capacity. With a 4-inch aluminum pier, 39 inches of height, a 220 lb rating, and a portable folding design, it is a practical upgrade for serious imagers who want stability without a permanent observatory installation.