Jiggle, or 128rc issue (1 Viewer)

[kinglet32]

Hello,

I am having a curious issue with my Manfrotto 128rc head. There is some wiggle, or some play, somewhere in the bottom friction plate. It is just enough to make every bump, breeze, or movement of my scope severely jiggly even at 20x viewing. The friction head pans, but the silvery colored friction plate wobbles or teeters within the main black metal housing, the main body of the head, where the friction plate kind of attaches inside the upside-down cup.

Mine is the type of 128rc head with the single tiny screw that secures the head to the top of the tripod column, rather than some models with three screws. However this screw or attachment to the column is not the culprit, as I can feel the wiggle with the head removed from the column and away from the tripod/column. The wiggle is between the bottom friction plate and the black metal housing around it.

I can remove the panning wingnut just fine, and it reveals the top of the center screw with an odd notch, and can fit a standard screwdriver in there sideways.

However, the bottom end of this center screw is convex on mine. On other Manfrotto repair videos I see, the bottom friction plate, and the outward appearance of this center screw look identical to mine, except that theirs have a recessed hex key spot to crank out the center screw from the bottom (holding the upper, threaded end of the bolt in place). Mine has a round, convex end of the screw where the ones I see in video take a hex key.

It is almost as if this one is not meant to come apart, but I must be doing something wrong. There has to be a way to disassemble the bottom plate, yes?

Even if I were to find a spare friction plate, I'd have no clue how to switch it with the current plate.

For such a popular model of tripod head, I am surprised to find nary a one how-to on this problem or a fix, or even basic disassembly. What if I just wanted to clean or degrease the friction plate? What am I missing?

Not sure what caused this jiggle. I assume I've bumped it in my car or perhaps in the field, although I don't recall anything memorable or beyond normal use.

Thanks in advance,
Derek

 

[Alexis Powell]

I think I understand the problem you are describing. If so, you are saying that the mechanism allows for some jiggle that is especially noticeable as vertical movement. Does it go away if you tighten the horizontal panning knob all the way? If so, that is a problem that I've noticed in many of Manfrotto's heads. Actually, I find a version of it in many heads from other manufacturers as well, some models and individual units worse than others. I don't know what to do about it. If I need full stability (e.g. for digiscoping), I tighten the pan control which generally takes care of it.

--AP

 

[kinglet32]

I think I understand the problem you are describing. If so, you are saying that the mechanism allows for some jiggle that is especially noticeable as vertical movement. Does it go away if you tighten the horizontal panning knob all the way? If so, that is a problem that I've noticed in many of Manfrotto's heads. Actually, I find a version of it in many heads from other manufacturers as well, some models and individual units worse than others. I don't know what to do about it. If I need full stability (e.g. for digiscoping), I tighten the pan control which generally takes care of it.

--AP

Hi thanks AP. Yes the jiggle goes away when the panning knob is fully tightened. As soon as I loosen it the slightest bit, the jiggle is there. Cannot smoothly pan through say a body of water or mudflats very well, without maybe missing a distant speck of a bird for all the jiggle.

I frequently tighten the little bottom, off-centered screw that goes through the tripod column and strikes the head's friction plate. If I am carrying a mini screwdriver and tighten this every time I set up the scope, it seems to help minimize the play, as well as mindfully keeping the pan knob as tight as possible for movement.

Probably just poor tolerances in Manfrotto's factory, or something has become loose or out of whack with some standard field use. Just wish I could figure out how to disassemble the parts and see if there are any internal cracks or the like. Not the end of the world considering it's a relatively less expensive head, but cannot figure out why Manfrotto would switch to a screw that doesn't allow maintenance.

Just by sheer luck, I managed to find at general county fairgrounds auction three days ago, a like-new Manfrotto 3021BN tripod, which happened to have a model 3130 head attached. And to go with it, a like-new Kowa 661 scope. All in original boxes as if they'd never been used. What a great find among all the random items at a rural auction! I believe the 3130 head is just a different designation of the 128rc, except this auction 3130 is of the pre-2006 type with the 4-pointed pan/tilt knobs (as opposed to wingnuts on my newer 128rc). This apparently older 3130 head does not have the jiggle that my 128rc has.

It is also interesting now to test this Kowa 661 side by side with my Vortex Razor 85mm. Will have to do more testing, but clear color differences are immediately apparent. The 661 tending towards green/blue versus the warmer orange of the Razor. Haven't determined yet which is closer to naked eye color, or which has sharper resolution, but have only taken brief looks yet.

-DH

 

[Alexis Powell]

...Probably just poor tolerances in Manfrotto's factory, or something has become loose or out of whack with some standard field use. Just wish I could figure out how to disassemble the parts and see if there are any internal cracks or the like. Not the end of the world considering it's a relatively less expensive head, but cannot figure out why Manfrotto would switch to a screw that doesn't allow maintenance...

Yes, I'm frustrated the same way. For Manfrotto, I've seen a fair bit of variation among individual units. I sent one back and it was replaced under warranty, the new unit having tighter tolerances. Glad your 3130 is better. If you find an easy way to disassemble and repack the other head, I'd be interested to see some photos and instructions.

--AP