A long refractor has a habit of running out of room. Swing it toward the zenith and the dew shield starts eyeing the tripod legs. Bring it back toward the horizon and the eyepiece ends up lower than you'd like. The fix usually isn't a bigger tripod. It's seven inches of clearance added exactly where it helps most—between the mount and the legs you already own.
That's the first job of the iOptron MiniPier: it raises the entire mount-and-scope by 178mm (7"), and that's often the difference between a tube that clears the legs at any altitude and one that doesn't. The eyepiece comes up to a height you can actually use sitting down, and a German or strain-wave mount gains the swing room it needs near the zenith.
The second job is quieter but just as useful. iOptron has used several different bolt patterns across its mount and tripod lines over the years — 3/8"-16 locking knobs on the compact gear, twin M6 screws at 83mm on the CEM26 generation, M6 at 103mm on the CEM40 generation, M8 at 120mm on the bigger iEQ and CEM heads. The MiniPier's two plates carry the common patterns, so a mount head from one line can ride on a tripod from another that was never meant to take it. If you've upgraded the head but kept the legs (or the other way around), this is how you bridge them.
Two honest limits before you order. The MiniPier does not fit the Tri-Pier 360/360A or the Permanent Pier — those use their own interfaces. And the 3-point fine leveling feature only works with iOptron's 8061A carbon fiber tripod, which has the matching recessed holes; on any other support the pier mounts solid and flat, but you level at the tripod head as usual.
What's Included
- 1x iOptron 8044 MiniPier (CNC-machined aluminum, 7" / 178mm)
- Mounting hardware for standard iOptron mount and tripod bolt patterns
Features
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7-inch height gain where you need it. A flat 178mm lift raises the whole works so a long refractor clears the tripod legs near the zenith and the eyepiece sits at a comfortable seated height. No new tripod required.
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CNC-machined aluminum. The plates are flat and the column is stiff, so the extra height doesn't introduce flex or a wobble between mount and tripod.
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Multi-pattern top plate (mount side). Accepts a 3/8"-16 locking knob, twin M6 screws at 83mm separation with a center post, or twin M6 at 103mm with a center post — covering the compact and mid-size iOptron heads.
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Multi-pattern bottom plate (tripod side). Bolts to M6 (83mm and 103mm) and M8 (120mm) iOptron tripod heads, or to a 3/8"-16 thread via adapter on the older CEM25/ZEQ25 and SmartEQ-style legs.
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Mount-to-tripod adapter, not just a riser. Pairs an iOptron mount head with an iOptron tripod from a different generation that wasn't originally compatible — the practical reason most owners reach for it.
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3-point fine leveling with the 8061A tripod. The bottom plate's three recessed holes work with iOptron's 8061A carbon fiber tripod for precise leveling adjustment. (Leveling feature is specific to the 8061A.)
Clearance and Comfort
The MiniPier earns its keep in two situations. The first is a long tube on a German equatorial or alt-azimuth head — a 100–120mm refractor, especially. Without the extra height, the objective end swings down into the tripod spread as you approach the zenith, and you're forced to either stop short of the target or splay the legs wider and lose rigidity. Seven inches of lift is often all that's required to restore that clearance.
The second is plain comfort. A short tripod kept low for stability often leaves the eyepiece too low to use from an observing chair. Rather than extend the legs (and give up steadiness), the MiniPier raises the working height at the stiffest point — right at the mount — so you keep the wide, planted leg stance and still bring the eyepiece up to where you can sit and observe for an hour without your back filing a complaint.
Observing Tip
Leave the MiniPier bolted to the tripod permanently rather than treating it as a part you add and remove. Owners who've run this setup for years do it for a reason: with the pier always in place, you can collapse the lower leg sections further up into the uppers to reach your preferred working height. Shorter extended legs make for a noticeably more rigid tripod — so you gain height and steadiness at the same time, instead of trading one for the other.
FAQ
- Will the iOptron MiniPier fit my CEM26, GEM28, CEM40, or GEM45?
- Yes. The MiniPier's top plate accepts the CEM26/HEM27/GEM28/HAE29 pattern (twin M6 screws at 83mm with a center post) and the CEM40/HAE43/HEM44/GEM45 pattern (twin M6 at 103mm with a center post), along with 3/8"-16 locking-knob mounts like the HAZ31/HAZ46, HEM15/HAE16/HAE18, SkyGuider Pro, SkyTracker Pro, and SkyHunter.
- Does the MiniPier work with the iOptron Tri-Pier?
- Yes, it mounts to the standard Tri-Pier using its M6 and M8 screw holes. It does not fit the Tri-Pier 360 or 360A, and it does not fit the iOptron Permanent Pier — those use different interfaces.
- Do I actually need a MiniPier for my refractor?
- If your tube clears the tripod legs at every altitude and your eyepiece sits where you can comfortably reach it, you don't. The MiniPier is for the cases where it doesn't — long refractors that hit the legs near the zenith, or a setup that leaves the eyepiece uncomfortably low. Seven inches of lift solves both without adding a taller, heavier tripod.
- Can I use the MiniPier on a non-iOptron tripod?
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In many cases, yes. Tripods and piers that use a 3/8"-16 mounting screw or compatible bolt pattern can often be adapted with the appropriate hardware..
- Does the 3-point leveling work on any tripod, or only the carbon fiber one?
- Only the iOptron 8061A carbon fiber tripod has the recessed holes that engage the MiniPier's three leveling points. On every other tripod the pier mounts solid and flat and you level at the tripod head as normal.
- MiniPier or a taller tripod — which is the better way to gain height?
- The MiniPier adds height at the stiffest point in the system, right under the mount, while letting you keep the tripod legs short and planted. A taller tripod or fully extended legs raise the platform but cost you rigidity. For a heavy or long tube, adding the pier and keeping the legs low is usually the steadier choice.
Accessories
iOptron 8061A Carbon Fiber Tripod (sold separately) — The one pairing that unlocks the MiniPier's 3-point fine leveling. Light, stiff, and the natural match if you want the leveling feature.
iOptron LiteRoc Tripod (sold separately) — Heavier-duty legs for the CEM26/GEM28/HEM27/HAE29 or CEM40/HAE43/HEM44/GEM45 heads, depending on your mount. A solid base under the pier for larger payloads.
iOptron Tri-Pier (sold separately) — If you're running the standard Tri-Pier and want the extra clearance, the MiniPier bolts straight on. (Standard Tri-Pier only — not the 360/360A.)
Final Thoughts
This is a small part that solves two specific, annoying problems. If you own an iOptron mount and a refractor long enough to foul the tripod legs near the zenith, the MiniPier gives you the clearance without forcing you into a bigger tripod. And if you've changed heads or legs over the years and ended up with an iOptron mount that doesn't bolt to the iOptron tripod you have, this is the seven-inch piece of machined aluminum that bridges them. It isn't glamorous, and it won't show you a single new photon—but it's often the difference between a setup that fights you and one that simply works.
