Bino adaptor and tripod advice

[Iddon]

Hi,
thanks to Astrofest I am now the proud owner of a set of Celestron UpClose 10x50 binos.

Am after any recommendations people would offer for tripod/adaptor solutions - ideally a sort of tripod that will allow viewing whilst sitting and looking near zenith.

thanks in advance :)

[Miaplacidus]

Are you familiar with the parallelogram mounts? Bintel have them, but they're not cheap (they go on an AZ-3 tripod, I think).

https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Images/Stock/6624.jpg

If you're rich and lazy, then you can buy one from Bintel (I think they have them in stock). If you're poor, handy, not lazy, and quite clever, then you can perhaps figure out how to make one yourself. If you're poor, handy, not lazy, but perhaps not quite clever enough, I think that there are a couple of places on the net that'll sell you the plans.

There is also another alternative. It's called the sky window or sky mirror, I think, which means you are looking down into a mounted mirror (much easier on the neck). Meant to be quite comfortable, but I've never used one. Also a bit ex-y, I suspect, for what they are, but perhaps capable of being copied in a workshop. (You'll find it mentioned somewhere in Cloudy Nights.)

Good luck,

Brian.

[Iddon]

thanks very much Brian. I am poor, lazy, not very handy. Other than that I have few vices except booze, women and fast cars. Nice to be perfect really.

Yes I saw that exact item at Bintel but coughed up my beer at the price. Can't be worth more than 1/2 listed price, thus my hope that more reasonable options out there. Perhaps not. Back to the workshop perhaps.

[[1ponders]]

Shame you didn't see the ones like the bintel picture at the astrofest Grant. They didn't look that hard to make. Or maybe our budding Entrepreneur resident engineer Mick Pinner could build you one along with all the other items requested by IceInSpacers

[Iddon]

yes Paul, I did think of Mick as well.
Lashed out on the Orion Dew Zapper!

[seeker372011]

well i built myself a version of the skywindow and I am not very handy at all so it is not all that hard
I posted a picture in the show us your equipment thread

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=25

sourcing the first surface miror was the issue..I had to import it from the US. I am
reproducing what I said in that earlier thread:


Re the Bino mirror mounts

I made the mirror mounts myself , not really following any plans
but I found two sites very helpful in designing my own version

http://www.fvas.net/bino.html

http://home.interlynx.net/~mullers/skybox.html


I first built the mirror mount for the 7 x50s. For this I used a First Surface Mirror that I bought really cheaply -a few dollars-from surplus shed

http://www.surplusshed.com/

Somone in another forum asked for dimensions and details so I made up a little poster and I am happy to post that here if anyone is interested.

This worked so well I decided to build a mount for my 20 x80s Oberwerks

For this I couldnt use the surplus shed mirrors-too small so I had to buy a mirror from FS mirrors in the US

http://www.fsmirrors.com/

Before buying from the US I did a lot of research around Sydney and found it would cost almost double -even if I were to buy optical glass and get it mirrored .

So I took a deep breath and forked out whatever it was-the site above has prices - to buy from the US. Freight is expensive though!! I bought an 8mm thick 6 inch by 8 inch mirror

This mount which is made of pine sits on a computer turntable so it moves smoothly in azimuth. I have a handle that I can use to control the mirror angle-the altitude. A clutch mechanism allows the tension with which the mirror axle is gripped to be adjusted so the mirror stays in place when the handle is released yet moves (rotates) reasonably smoothly

Now how does it work?

Firstly notwithstanding whatever they say in the marketing literature, there is some loss of brightness. So it's not as good as looking straight at an object. Is it acceptable? I think so but someone else may not.

Secondly if your binos are even the slightest bit out of collimation this system is very unforgiving. Its a good test for the quality of your binos!

Thirdly it is harder to find things because your maps need to be mirror imaged

But once you are past these issues, the benefit of not having to crick your neck to look up all the time is enormous. You can scan star fields literally for hours without discomfort. You are looking down, its a very comfortable position, you can sweep across the sky slowly, and take your time enjoying the sky

[Iddon]

thanks VERY much Seeker. Yes I did see and read that thread some time ago. Full marks for creativity!!!