That’s great news - nothing like having a go and learning from the process. Make a template using stiff paper or thin card first, as a practice run. Don’t forget that the 1.5x dimension is the length clear of the objective, i.e. protruding proud of the lens and not the total length, which would include the section that slides over the bino body.
Stiff cardboard will do, but it does tend to get soggy after a few uses.
Thanks again Dennis, I'm on it and will report back after I have created my first one and field tested it. Judging by looking out the window won't be for a week or so
Now this is approximately, almost exactly just about more-or-less what I had in mind!
This is the bit I like:
“… the Couch Potato Telescope. It's not really a telescope at all, but rather a full motion, fully adjustable binocular viewing chair. ... For the total couch potato experience, you could mount a drink holder to the arm of the chair, which I plan on doing very soon."
As usual, nothing is perfect:
" ... there is still some VERY slight vibration from my heartbeat, but it is not at all objectionable in 10 power binos. The heartbeat vibration might be more of an issue in 20 power binoculars. In addition, the image in the binos shakes quite a bit in windy conditions ... "
Also the folks who would have walked into the parallelogram extension will now sneak up and give you a big push, so you end up rapidly orbiting around your own eyeballs.
Yes it looks a little flimsy for my 100kg plus frame, plus the actual bino mount looks weak. I know that some PVC advocates will say it's strong, but I need the look and feel of metal to reassure me that my 2kg+ binos will be firmly fixed.
Thanks Dennis, I am definitely going to make some, this is just within my handyman capabilities which are legendary in the negative. I do believe I can find some suitable material somewhere around the house and cut them, shape them and clamp them on. The tip regarding the 1.5 times the tube diameter is a winner, I needed to know that, plus if I do encroach on the FOV, I could simply trim the length of the shield back slightly. I am 'really' going to do this!!!
I made something like these - they are relatively heavy, but work fine - though I haven't been through a heavy dew night yet.
I have dew guards for all my binoculars. I just went shopping in the supermarket with a set of vernier calipers and bought bottles etc. that were the right diameter. Must have looked funny on the security video!
Thank you very much for this link erick, it is exactly what I need, the article is brilliantly written and accompanied by images, the author Alan Sheehan has done a Stirling job indeed. I can't wait till next weekend, when I'll go purchase the PVC pipe and paint and go at it.
Bino Chair
