Tripod spreader and Heavy Duty Battery Tray Our new Aluminum tripod spreader/tensioners are specifically designed to strengthen and add stability to the tripod. These heavy duty units are constructed from CNC machined 6061 T6 aluminum with Stainless steel fasteners. The spreader clamps on and requires no dissassembly of the tripod to install (CGE model requires some dissassembly to remove the existing spreader) Our heavy duty battery tray clamps on with a single knob and supports the heaviest Deep cycle battery. Spreaders are available for the following tripods: Celestron CGEM, CGE, CGE pro, CG5, Nexstar 11, 9.25 Skywatcher/Orion-EQ6/ Atlas, HEQ5, EQ5, Sirius Meade LX200, LX90, LXD 75 Virtually any 2" or 1.75" tripod- E-mail us with your requirements Battery tray is manufactured from 1/8" aluminum with a raised edge to prevent your accessories rolling off the shelf. A clamp on the underside attaches to one of the spreader arms For tripods that do not come with an effective spreader, like the EQ6/Atlas, CGEM, HEQ5, CG5 and LXD75, the spreaders adds several more benefits. The spreader controls the legs making folding and transporting the tripod far easier.          The main benefit is the locking effect the spreader has on the tripod upper mount disc. With a click the tripod center snaps into place and tensions the entire tripod dramatically strengthening the tripod- a MUST for astrophotography. With this spreader the tripod will not creep or loosen as your imaging night progresses.           Our heavy duty Battery tray is designed to also add stability by weighing down the bottom of the tripod. This gives a way to get your center of gravity lower for enhanced stability and resistance to tipping. The tray will support the largest commercally available deep cycle batteries. These picture show a dramatic before and after view indicating the control our spreader creates on otherwise wobbly tripod legs.   The above pictures show some of the details of our spreader. Left shows the battery tray clamp- A single hand knob is all that is required to secure the battery tray. Center is the center pivot block of the spreader that allows the spreader to easily fold yet provides an amazingly strong joint. Right is one of the 2 piece leg clamps that provide 360 degree clamping pressure on the tripod leg guaranteeing that this is one spreader that will never shift or slip. Above shows just some of the mounts we can supply our tripod spreaders: Left: The New Celestron CGEM (same tripod as the EQ6, Atlas and CG5)                                                     Center: Celestron Nexstar 11                                                                                                             Right: Celestrons CGE (will also fit CGE pro For astrophotography this is the ultimate tripod upgrade- Pier like performance from your tripod. Please see our reviews page for testimonials and some revealing reviews