Andrews 20X90 Bino’s

[Davekyn (David)]

I was so impressed with how the AOE 15X70 Binos handled, that I just had to up the app and see how they too would handle. Seing as Andrews Com would drop the postage charge and let me have a set of 20X90 Binos for $249.00 total, I bit the bullet and they arrived within two days without collimation issues...so far so good.

WOW!!! I thought the 15X70 were BIG, but check out the comparison now:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/8.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/4-1.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/6.jpg

Inside Case Package:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/7.jpg

I was able to mess around with my light camera mount, but do not recommend this at all for a useable mount...I was just messing around, and can tell you now, that you need a proper mount to use these Binos Trouble free! I just like to learn the hard way all the time...lets just say I am using the tripod for display sake only:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/1.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/2-1.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x30/davekyn/3-1.jpg

Perfomance:
As usual, cloudy nights on arrival. I could notice straight away durng day tests that these Binos were worth every cent, & I was not disappointed that I had bought them at all! Magnification was definitely there, but not as much as I thought...however I slowly began to appreciate that I could indeed see much more finer detail, at a further distance, than when compared to the 15X70. The more I looked the more I could see, just how much more was being displayed & what a great benefit this was gong to be when using for my night sessions.
Unfortunately cloudy nights...argghhhhhhh. I can say though, that now I am going up in the app, that I can notice & identify with when people talk about the distortion or out of focus on the edge of FOV type of thing. Not a big deal though when you think of just how much more you get to see. I can’t wait to get a decent tripod and clear nights.
As for Hand Held...YES I did give them a go and was quite surprised that for terrestrial, they were indeed able to be held for short periods were upon both my friend and I would slowly pick out & cite to each other, the junk lying around people’s back yards, miles down in the valley. When eyeing off such fine detail, it was evident just how much more you could see compared to the 15X70 wich I still love to death.
I can EASILY hand hold the 15X70 now... J
Can’t wait till first light with these Baby’s
Later
Dave

[Lester]

Looks good Dave, the comparison in size is huge. Hope you get clear skies soon.

[Dog Star (Phil)]

Nice nokkies Dave.
I've had a pair of the AOE 20x80's for a while now (mounted on an Optex tripod) and I'm a big fan of those. I'd be interested to see how much difference the 10 mm of aperture makes.
I note you have the 12" dob as well. You may be surprised (I was) at how often you'll set up the nokkies alongside the 12".
When I first got my 12" I thought that I'd be retiring the nokkies pretty much for good. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I like to set them both up on the same target and swap between the 2, comparing views.
I personally think that a decent pair of nokkies complements a decent telescope and no decent astronomer would be without either.

[erick (Eric)]

Glad to know I'm "decent"!

With care, your lightweight tripod will do - for a while. I finally broke a plastic bit on my tripod under the weight of the 20x80s. Added some metal, bits of tin, screwed in place, bigger knob and it's working again!

Enjoy your bigger binoculars. No, doesn't replace a good scope, but a great second option.

[Davekyn (David)]

Absolutely,
Binoculars rule & have their place. At the moment I am just collecting what I consider affordable equipment to enhance my learning experience of the night sky before I embark into astrophotography. I picked up some more books on sale today:

-NIGHT SKY “a comprehensive guide to the wonders of the universe” –Oceana
-STARS AND PLANETS (pocket guide) -By Giles Sparrow
-ATLAS OF THE CONSTELLATIONS –By Giles Sparrow
-the UNIVERSE and how we see it –By Giles Sparrow
The Natures Companion- PRACTICAL SKYWATCHING Co-Editors H.Levy & DR. John O’Byrne

I agree that I will most likely spend as much time looking through my Bino’s as I do my Dob. Because I live right in town amougst all the light pollution, it is important to me, to use rather large equipment. Despite the 20X90’s weighing in at 3.7 Killos, I seem to scan the night sky pretty good with them. As I learn more about the major targets, I find I am also picking up an interest in the surrounding stars; and being able to pick up a little more magnitude has been helpful, if still only scanning. As for my Dob, I am still using it to make out the tiny star configurations within various nebula as viewing from a light polluted sky hides the dust and leaves me scratching my head. The Dob has been excellent for helping me do this. I wonder if I can spot the eagle nebula like I did in my dob in such conditions? It’s one thing to spot an object at a certain Mag, but then it’s another to look deeper within...I find I seem to be improving on doing this without increasing the appJ

There seems to be a few breaks in the clouds and the weather seems to be improving. I will try the camera mount steadily tonight and do some moon observing with these new Bino’s before trying out the DSO’s. The best thing about Bino’s is that I can take them to work with me & use them when appropriate.