William Optics Binoviewer - Opinions?

[paninaro]

I am considering ordering off andrews the WO binoviewer package, I have a WO 66 SD and the quality of the build is very impressive, I have noticed that alot of the binoviewers coming out now all look the same (probably coming from the same factory) and they are all priced the same (around $200 AUS).

Has anyone used the WO binoviewer? And what is your opinion of them?
Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks,

Alex

[matt]

All I can offer is ... if it's WO gear, it's most likely very good.

I don't think you can go wrong. Their product is 1st class.

[paninaro]

Thanks matt, thats my opinion too from the 66 ED I have, the strange thing is if you look at the WO binoviewer it is the identical design/case as the generic ones on the market (saxon et al). This is the only reason I was concerned.

[matt]

Maybe it's the other way round? Maybe the generic ones have based their design on the WO?

I don't know how long the WO binoviewer has been available or which product was released first?

Maybe the design itself is generic?

Anyway, the best idea would be to visit a shop and have a look to determine quality for yourself.

[skies2clear]

Hi, I can offer a few comments having purchased the WO package from Andrews a few weeks back. I use a newtonian and had trouble getting enough in focus even with the supplied 1.6X OCS. I notice you have an SCT, so you'll probably be OK. I ordered a multimag OCS from Seibert Optics (USA) and now it works a treat in all my scopes. The build is good, no problems merging both eyes even at high powers. The supplied 20mm WA eyepieces are quite good, but obviously not Pentax or Televue quality. I would say they are better than GSO Superview equivalent. Overall, I'm happy with the views, and finding that 2 eyes add a new dimension to viewing (no pun intended). Certainly can recommend to anyone interested in getting into binoviewing. Haven't compare with more expensive units like TV, Baader or Denkmeier.Cheers,Nick

[skies2clear]

Sorry, forgot to mention, Andrews were prompt and efficient to deal with as usual. No problems what-so-ever.

[casstony]

These units are rebadged and modified by various companies and they're all ok. The main potential problem is misalignment of the prisms, but since you're buying from a local shop any faults would be easily taken care of. I like Stellarvue as they are reputed to offer an extra level of quality control, but if I had a local shop selling similar gear I'd buy local. I think you'll be very happy with the performance/cost ratio of these binoviewers.

[skies2clear]

Hi again Alex, one more thing. While I'm happy with the WO binoviewer, I may have considered one other option if I was buying again, and that is the Burgess Mk24 from Frontier Optics. It is more than $100 more expensive, also comes with a pair of EP's, but has larger prisms than the WO unit, I think 24 mm V 20mm for the WO. This isn't a limitation unless you decide to use EP's with a focal length longer than 20mm and wider apparant field, like Ultra Wide designs. I believe it's had good reviews/comments on other sites like Cloudy Nights too. The Burgess seems to be a good package worth considering,

Not trying to confuse you, hopefully, but only really worth considering if you use the UW eyepieces or need wider true fields, otherwise I'm very happy with the quality of the WO unit.

Regards

[paninaro]

Thanks to all who contributed, I think I will start out with the WO one, the Burgess is interesting as it seems to be the only one sitting in the middle of the market (between the A$200 units and the Televe/Denk second mortgage on my house ones). The scopes WO turn out are a work of art.

PS I have exchanged my WO66 for an Meade AR6 - I have heard of upsizing a grab-and go but this is ridiculous.

[janoskiss]

I'd say if available go for the 24mm clear aperture Burgess unit from Frontier Optics (the new BV24 not the BV125 which is very similar to the WO unit). It will be better for deep sky with a wider TFOV.