BinocularSky

On 07/12/2019 at 21:27, Stub Mandrel said:

I thought that was a stereoscopic image and now I have a permanent squint...

<splutter> 🤣

The latest - 8th Anniversary! - edition of the Binocular Sky Newsletter is ready. As well as the usual overview of DSOs, variable and double stars, this month we have:

* Our winter "friends" have returned
* X Oph near maximum
* Vesta, Uranus and Neptune

We're heading to wards winter solstice now, so we have lovely long evenings. I hope this helps you to fill them enjoyably with your binoculars or small telescopes.

To pick up your free copy, just head over to http://binocularsky.com and click on the Newsletter tab, where you can subscribe (also free, of course) to have it emailed each month, and get archived copies.

Lovely, isn't it! Similar at 03:00 today here.

The latest edition of the Binocular Sky Newsletter is ready. As well as the usual overview of DSOs, variable and double stars, this month we have:

• Grazing occultation of a bright star
• Mira near maximum
• Vesta, Uranus and Neptune

We're back on "real" time now, so we have good long evenings. I hope this helps you to fill them enjoyably.

To pick up your free copy, just head over to http://binocularsky.com and click on the Newsletter tab, where you can subscribe (also free, of course) to have it emailed each month, and get archived copies. 

On 16/10/2019 at 21:19, Fraunhoffer said:

Its the eyepieces I have problems with and have to tuck the binos inside my coat or under a warm hat from time to time.
Sometimes I wondering if Im breathing out through my eyes. Maybe I should try a swimmers snorkel ?

Try folding/twisting the eyecups down, so as to get more air circulation between your eyes and the eyepieces. If you hold the binocs like this, you can keep them the appropriated distance from your eyes (and it's a heck of a lot steadier than just holding them around the prism housings, especially for high elevations).

On 13/10/2019 at 10:01, Stbk said:

Being new to Binocular Astronomy I would have thought this would reduce field of view & light ?, So with a 10x50 what is the recomended length 

Nothing like trying it out 🙂- I wouldn't usually use dew shields on a 10x50, because I hand-hold them, but I do have 26cm long (overall - they extend about 21cm beyond the objectives) for my 16x70. I've just rolled them a bit tighter and tried them on the 10x50.  Just outside the FoV at 23cm extension (a tad over 4.5x aperture). Obviously, it will depend on the design of the binocular: mine has very substantial objective tubes; lightweight ones may have smaller OD objective tubes. Also, very wide angle ones may need them shorter (mine are 6.5* TFOV, some are 8.5* TFOV)

As long as they don't impinge on the field of view, the only light loss will be light you don't want anyway. 🙂

7 hours ago, Ben the Ignorant said:

Ever since I tried several basic Skymasters I felt a 70 should be waterproof and have stable prism housings. Spending less than 100€ on a twin 70mm telescope doesn't seem very realistic if one hopes to use it for a long time without problems. On one humid night some guy's cheapo 80mm binoc fogged up inside and it felt like being stranded with no rescue in sight. My Fuji 16x70 was there and save the day.

Sincerely, the view through a basic Skymaster and my Fuji FMT-SX is shockingly similar (because the Fuji is not an apo) but the Fuji is like new after sixteen years while a sixteen-years-old Skymaster would surely be out of alignment after such a long time. A friend bought two of the earlier versions and both got cracks in the adhesive that holds the prisms so they became skewed. Attempts at repairs failed because the thing is not designed to be repaired but replaced because of its expendable nature.

So, spending a little more for stable prism clamps and fogproofing seems vey reasonable. In truth I want an APM 16x70 apo since I got my APM 10x50 apo six weeks ago but I am getting another car this month so spending 600€ on a binoc is not for now. For those who want a non-apo 70 the extra expense will be justified and very moderate with the Pro. I own a seven-years-old waterproof 10x50 and a six-years-old waterproof 8x40 an they never leaked of fogged up.

Ben, I used to have 3 BA1 15x70s - I use them for demo stuff, and cheap stuff I can loan to newcomers to the hobby. I now have two: two of the original three became unusable, but I managed to get one working binocular out of the serviceable bits.
I agree entirely with what you say about waterproofing and expendability.
Where prisms are concerned, BA1s can sometimes be remedied: there are collimating screws under the rubber.

I have the Lunt Magnesium 16x70 - lovely binocular - I'd like the  APO version, but I can't justify both 🙂

6 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

These sound really interesting. Especially the fact that they are not stopped down makes them a great alternative for the old BA-1 crowd

Yes, the "unstoppedness", and the WP with N2 filling do make these an attractive option to people who want the convenience of centre-focus.

For a while, I've wondered how much a step-up from the standard Skymaster the Pro version is. I was very pleasantly surprised. Full review here.; mini-review in October's Binocular Sky Newsletter.

TL;DR: Significant step-up from the ubiquitous budget 15x70s. Well-implemented centre-focus Porro binocular, definitely worth a look if you're after something that won't break the bank.

Thanks to @FLO and Celestron UK for arranging for me to borrow the review instrument.

18 hours ago, Ben the Ignorant said:

but I'm starting to think a sky atlas should come first.

With my binos, I tend to use Collins Gem Stars - Text by Ian Ridpath, charts by Wil Tirion, and it fits in a shirt pocket - what's not to like? 🙂

Heads up:  "Kepler" (Benedict Cumberbatch & Alun Armstrong - as Kepler and Tycho Brahe) on BBC Radio 4Extra,Thur 3rd Oct 11:15, repeated 21:25

The latest edition of the Binocular Sky Newsletter is ready. As well as the usual overview of DSOs, variable and double stars, this month we have:

• Vesta getting brighter and higher
• Moon skirts Praesepe
• Mira itself is near maximum
• Review of the Celestron Skymaster Pro 15x70

I hope this helps you make the most of your autumn evenings. To pick up your free copy, just head over to http://binocularsky.com and click on the Newsletter tab, where you can subscribe (also free, of course) to have it emailed each month, and get archived copies. 

You could make it work by tightening the fulcrums, but it wouldn't feel good. At all. The Paragon Plus starts to struggle even at its advertised capacity. I find it just about OK with a 2.042kg old-style centre-focus Opticron Oregon 20x80. The Helios LQ is a lovely binocular: don't ruin it by putting it on a sub-optimal mount.

1 hour ago, denodan said:

I would not want or recommend dew shields on 15x100 binoculars, they are allteady top heavy and adding weight makes matters worse.

Not sure what you mean by "top heavy" - if you mean "front heavy",  most decent 100mm binos have some facility for longitudinal adjustment  (e.g. a mounting rail between the objective tubes) so you can adjust that out - see image (not my binos; one I was testing):

Quote

Better off using dew straps which I am getting for my 25x100 binoculars as this minimizes weight.

Are you sure about that? My "double-barrel" foam-mat shield for my 100mm binos weighs in at 37g. My single dew strap for my 102mm scope weighs 40g (not inc cable), so the dew shield weighs less than half what a couple of dew straps would weigh.

There are essentially two types of hinge mount: Opticron and "Kaiser" - one, both, or neither may fit your bino, depending on the space on and around your hinge. There are pix of the Opticron all over the interwebs; there's a Kaiser type one in use on the top image of this page: http://binocularsky.com/binoc_mount.php or just search the web for "kaiser binocular clamp".

Don't disassemble/drill/tap the hinge end: most likely outcome is that your binoculars will fall apart!

On 14/09/2019 at 21:36, Ben the Ignorant said:

Oberwerk and Tecnosky make interesting giant binoculars and binoscopes, maybe you can find one that suits your budget.

I don't know about Tecnosky, but Oberwerk don't, as far as I know, make binoculars; they merely have their brand put on ones made (mostly) by United Optics.

On 12/09/2019 at 13:13, DeepSkyMan said:

Here you go Steve

https://www.tectake.co.uk/universal-box-rifle-hard-shell-case-long-40287

 

A single 5lb weight does the job for me🙂

Thanks!

15 hours ago, DeepSkyMan said:

Finally... A solution for transporting my UA T-Mount, a repurposed double rifle storage case from TecTake.com.  Decided on a diagonal layout for the mount, on the basis that this would spread the load better rather than focussing all weight vertically along the parallelogram shaft.  One thing about this case is the depth of the pick.n.pluck, it’s deep enough that I will be able slot another counter weight in on top of the existing one.   Total all up weight 14.7kg, but if I’m feeling lazy it also has wheels😃

Looks good. What weights do you have (I have 3x 5lbs)? Mine has just been transported "assembled and naked" for the last 16 or so years.

Edit: Can you provide a link to it, please. A search on TecTake for "rifle storage case" merely threw up nearly 350 things that aren't rifle storage cases. 🤔

22 hours ago, Paul M said:

You can never have too many pairs of bins. I've only got 5 or 6 pairs.

I'm holding out now until I find something like this at a boot sale:

https://www.altairastro.com/Altair-100mm-90-Giant-Astronomy-Binocular-18mm-UF-1.25-eyepieces.html

 

If they don't come with a reasonable tripod I'll not be offering more than £25

I reviewed that for the Nov 2016 Sky at Night mag. Very nice binocular!

This looks good: a series of short astronomy talks at the BNSS on Saturday afternoon:
* Planet 9
* Rømer and the Speed of Light
* Elements from the Big Bang
* Galaxies and Black Holes
... and maybe more

Details: http://bnss.org.uk/event/astronomy-lecture-short-talks/

Some of those reviewed on my website. Link in sig.

The latest edition of the Binocular Sky Newsletter is ready. As well as the usual overview of DSOs, variable and double stars, this month we have:

* Asteroid occultation of a bright star
* Neptune appulse with bright star
* Vesta getting easier
* Three Mira stars near maximum

This should be enough to keep you gainfully occupied with your binoculars or small telescope. To pick up your free copy, just head over to http://binocularsky.com and click on the Newsletter tab, where you can subscribe (also free, of course) to have it emailed each month, and get archived copies. 

The August edition of the Binocular Sky Newsletter is ready. As well as the usual overview of DSOs, variable and double stars, this month we have:

* A grazing occultation of a bright star
* Moon occulting stars in the Hyades
* See both ice giants as well as Vesta
* Review of the Celestron EclipSmart 10x25 solar binocular

I hope it helps you to get the best out of these late summer nights with your binoculars or small telescopes.

To pick up your free copy, just head over to http://binocularsky.com and click on the Newsletter tab. You can also subscribe (also free) and have it emailed each month.

Warning: Do not attempt to observe the Sun with any optical system that is not specifically designed for the purpose.

You might also find my monthly freebie newsletter useful - just about to post the August edition. 🙂

Difficult to give a definitive answer, because there are so many variables ranging from the state of your skies through the quality of the binocular to your observing experience and the acuity of your vision.

In my mid-60s, under 20.7 mag/arcsec skies, I have seen NGC7000 with the unaided eye and NGC6992 with 10x50s and averted vision; in both cases, very high in the sky. The trick with NGC7000 is to look for the dark patch that forms the "Gulf of Mexico", and not to use too much magnification: it is so big that, if it fills the field of view, it can be difficult to discern. My most satisfying views have come with a 10x50. In a very dark sky, with young eyes, it might be easier with a 7x50.  NGC6992 is different; it can take more magnification because it is smaller. I've seen it best with a 37x100 binocular (20x 0r 25x might be easier, but I was satisfied with 37x, so I didn't bother changing the eyepieces).

On 27/07/2019 at 20:49, MaHa said:

and also ordered Steve Tonkin's 'discover the night sky through binoculars' book online as well..

I hope you find it useful. NB, you can download higher resolution colour versions of the charts - URL in book.