My First Binocs - Mount Question

Noble (Charles) · #1 09-06-2009, 05:23 AM

Hello, first time poster here. I was referred to this place after talking to Reki over at RelicNews about astronomy. He highly recommended this forum and said a friend of his ran the place. I just want to say that this seems like a really cool community with a lot of friendly people and good information.

On to my question though; after a childhood (and adulthood come to think of it) of Star-Trek and Carl Sagan, I'm finally at a point in my life where I'm willing to put forth the time and money to get into amateur astronomy. It's something I've wanted to do for quite a long time and I'm really excited to begin probing the void.

So I picked up my first pair of binoculars after reading some of the guides and posts here that recommended binocs as a good starting point for this stuff. They seem to be light enough to hand hold, but my hands aren't that steady and I'd really like to mount them so I can get a clear view without too much shaking and fatigue.

I was going to try mounting them on a standard camera tripod (nothing fancy) but after reading around a bit it seems that the choice of mount is a bit more complex than I originally anticipated. I figured I just needed to stick them on something sturdy, and that would be that. Now I'm reading about mounts and it looks like a decent one is going to cost more than the binocs themselves!

So my question is, will a standard photography tripod suffice for now? I just want to test the waters a bit, look at some planets and the moon and get a feel for the hobby before dropping a lot of money into it. I'd rather not spend another $200 (US) or more on a mount before even getting to try my new binocs out.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

iceman (Mike) · #2 09-06-2009, 06:03 AM

HI Noble,

to IceInSpace!

ahh Reki, I remember him! What a great guy he was (still is, I'm sure). He helped me with the design of my first website

Congrats on your first bino purchase.

A standard photo tripod with a bino adapter will certainly get you by. It's only when you're trying to view things up high that it may struggle, or start getting uncomfortable for you.

If you have any DIY skills, you can try making your own bino mount. 2 options are here:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-376-0-0-1-0.html
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-383-0-0-1-0.html

It's certainly a way to test the waters to see what they're like before deciding to spend more money.

Good luck and say Hi to Reki for me!

Noble (Charles) · #3 09-06-2009, 06:14 AM

Thanks for the reply, I'll pass your greetings along to Reki.

It sounds like I don't need to worry right now, I was afraid I'd have to wait until I could afford a good mount before heading out and giving my binos a try.

I'll head out with them and the tripod this weekend (weather permitting) and give it my first shot.

Thanks again!

PCH (Paul) · #4 09-06-2009, 10:10 AM

Don't forget to buy a star chart

erick (Eric) · #5 09-06-2009, 10:38 AM

Hi Noble

Those 9x60 or 12x60 will go nicely on a medium range camera tripod. I use a Velbon for my 12x60s. Forgotten the model number, but around AUD120. Get the L-adapter, but I suggest a metal one rather than a plastic one. On that webpage you sent, the one on the right-hand side looks like what you need.

Yes, anything at say 50 deg elevation and above gets to be difficult. Get you legs under the tripod and lean right back - good lower back exercises - ouch!

Or tip the binoculars towards you on two tripod legs. A little less stable, but still better than hand-held.

Let us know how it goes.

Eric

dannat (Daniel) · #6 09-06-2009, 11:51 AM

Can you tell us the size of your binos - that is really crucial as to what you can mount them on

I have 2 medium binos (up to 3.5kg)-15x70 * 20x80, both can go on a standard (read good quality, eg manfrotto {bogen in US}velbon, sli) tripod with a fluid/video style head.

Once you go bigger than 4kg you need a serious head like manfrotto/bogen 501, or a specialist bino mount

I see you're from the States - i suggest you goto the cloudy Nights forum, they have a specific binocular forum

Noble (Charles) · #7 09-06-2009, 11:06 PM

They are 9x60 binocs that weigh ~2lbs. They are advertised as light-weights specifically for hand-held use, so I don't imagine weight will be a huge concern for the tripod.

ngcles · #8 09-06-2009, 11:26 PM

Hi Noble,

Welcome to amateur astronomy. For an ultra-simple minimalist approach, go get yourself a long-handled soft-head broom (the type hairdressers use to sweep the hair up at the salon) and a stool. An adjustable height stool or gas-lift is even better

For a more stable view, turn the broom into a defacto mono-pod.Turn it upside-down so the head is up and (while still holding them) rest the binocular on the broom-head while the handle is on the ground. Sit on stool behind the binocular.

Far from perfect but I'll bet you end up with a somewhat steadier view for little or no outlay. I have a well-made special binocular mount that is sensational in use but for a 1 minute look at something, the long broom and stool works pretty well and I stil use it quite a bit.

Best,

Les D

bloodhound31 · #9 10-06-2009, 12:30 AM

I built a paralellogram for Ron's big binoculars.

If you are handy you can build this yourself. I use aluminium tubing because that's what I had. You could just as easily build it out of wood. (might look nicer too)

Plans and procedure here. http://www.asignobservatory.com/diy_...llelogram.aspx

Baz.

Noble (Charles) · #10 10-06-2009, 01:21 AM

Unfortunately, I'm not great at DIY and I don't have access to tools or materials to build something like that. I may get my little brother to help me out (who is great at DIY projects like this) at some point and craft one of these out of wood.

bloodhound31 · #11 10-06-2009, 02:23 AM

I wish you well of it then mate. Feel free to ask questions if you do and need any help along the way.

Baz.

Noble (Charles) · #12 25-06-2009, 10:23 PM

Finished my first viewing session last night with my little brother. It was the first night of clear skies in a while (nothing but summer thunderstorms here right now). Conditions were not optimal; we didn't have time to drive away from the city lights, and there were street lamps in the vicinity of our spot. We still had a blast.

We got the tripod set up and plopped the binocular down and immediately pointed at the moon. I was truly amazed at how much detail was resolved by the binocular. I was able to see all kinds of texture around the terminator that I had never seen before. A beautiful orange glow fanned out from the crescent into the night sky. We tried to identify some of the craters but this turned out to be very difficult as the moon was waxing at about %5, and we had a hard time locating points of reference.

After the moon set we decided to try our hand at finding some of the brighter stars on our map. There was a lot of light pollution, especially in the southern sky, so it was difficult to make out some of the constellations. Nevertheless, I was able to fairly easily pick out Vega using the handle of the big dipper as a guide. My little brother was able to find Altair, and another star I'm having trouble remembering the name of, Pica I think it was. Simply scanning the star field was great fun as well.

The mount presented some difficulty. Moving the binocular around was not smooth at all, I had to unscrew the various joints so they were loose, get it sighted, and then tighten them all back up while hoping that I didn't throw myself off in the process. We also found that even when we weren't touching the tripod or the binocular at all we could notice some small shaking.

All in all, I was very impressed with what I could see with just a small binocular. I've always marveled at the void, and read books by Sagan and Hawking, but none of it compares to actually looking at a map and figuring out where things are and what they are, and then actually seeing all the things I've read about. In summation, I feel like a kid again.

bloodhound31 · #13 25-06-2009, 11:47 PM

Good to hear the bug has got you mate. Keep at it!

Have you got a first name you would like us to know you by, or will it stay at Noble?

Baz.

Noble (Charles) · #14 25-06-2009, 11:54 PM

Yup, my name is Charles and I've updated my profile to reflect that since things seem more personal around here than most forums.

Now lets hope these stupid thunderstorms stay clear for some weekend viewing!

Noble (Charles) · #15 30-06-2009, 01:42 AM

Sorry for the bump, but I have yet another mount question. After a couple more viewing sessions and frustration with the tripod, I'm seriously considering taking the plunge with a nicer mount set up. Right now, this one looks pretty good, as it seems to be a good price for both the tripod and the head. It also sustains weight up to ~13 lbs which is clearly excessive for my little 9X60s, but would sustain the weight of a larger binocular that I will inevitably buy in the near future. So I want a mount set up that will work well with my current 9X60s, providing smooth and steady movement, and I also want to get something that will sustain a larger binocular later on.

1) Can I mount my current 9X60's on this using my metal "L adapter"?

2) I've read that a 13 lb limit will not necessarily support 13 lbs of binocular due mostly to the awkward weight distribution that comes from binocular mounting, will this setup work for, say, a 10lb binocular?

3) Am I going to notice much of a difference with my current 9x60s, or am I getting a bit overzealous? I have a habit of getting really excited about this sort of thing and spending way too much!

ian (Ian) · #16 30-06-2009, 04:00 AM

hi Charles,
you might want to take a look at the URL below and see if it suits your needs. they offer kits with almost everything you need to build your own mount. the links are given near the top of the webpage.

all you need to add is some standard piping which you can buy from your local hardware store. i believe the instructions are clear on the size and length of pipes to buy.

http://www.petersonengineering.com/sky/

hope that helps.