DaveL59

yep I know, having had conversations with the law after being broken into. Seems they can sue if they trip on a loose stair carpet even tho they had no right to be in your house, amongst other things. More rights than those they're stealing from/vandalising, not that it'll ever tilt back in favour of the law-abiding sadly. There are minimum height limits for barbed wire and a higher one for razor wire, but needs lots of signage etc. Hence a lot of walled places just put broken glass in the mortar atop the walls.

neighbours must have wondered, me jumping about flapping arms and slapping myself silly

could lay some old craft knife blades into the epoxy under the lip edge for the fingers that shouldn't be probing there so must be trespassing... Just remember they are there should you ever need to lift the dome for maintenance!

knowing my luck here it'd be the sudden erruption of flying ants all stuck to it. Had that a couple years back with the bedding hanging outside. Got covered in them trying to shake them off, never used the line since.

till the better half hangs the washing out and wonders what the black lines are that won't come out 😮

move the rug

I'd guess sand it down to key the surface and then find a way to suspend it so you can paint the entire thing (remove screws and protect the threads first. Smooth out any dings and chips while keying/flatting the surface. Depending on the finish you want (gloss/matt etc) then most good spray enamel types should give a reasonable finish. Light coats every 20 mins ish so you don't get paint sags/runs, 3 to 6 coats maybe should do it and then let it cure, at least a few days or more. Being an awkward shape will add to the challenge of getting it painted evenly and not run, been there with the TAL-M bits Hence light (very) coats and more of them will be best.

bear in mind if you want to use the inverter output you'll likely not get great run-times. Sure LiPo or better LiFePo batteries are way better than old lead tech, much lighter and less volt-drop under load, not to mention maintenance of. But to get one of those systems recharged by solar alone you'll likely need a decent sized panel and that's another chunk of funds. Unless you get a good clear sunny day the charge rate may leave you short on capacity for your night session, simpler to plug into the mains and charge that way, will cost pennies and a lot of electricity here is now generated from so-called renewable sources.

you know that reminded me that my old Fuji bridge can do 2x digital zoom but I never thought to try it, just stuck with the 400mm optical limit. Will have to revisit the controls I think

that'll be http://binocularsky.com I think Kat

so true, I picked up my Minolta's used for the princely sum of £22, waterproof, fully multi-coated and they're excellent. A lot depends on the confidence in buying used and getting a good pair though or being able to fix up if they need it. Luckily these didn't need anything doing to them at all

Hi and welcome to the forum. I've seen the Olympus recommended but I don't know it or the others personally, but all are well known brands. Ideally you'd want a pair that are waterproof given it may pick up condensation on cool/cold nights. A tripod socket would be ideal too since any bino will benefit from being stable to get the best views with them. You may find for hand-held use an 8x is easier to keep steady and also have a wider field of view. Generally at the low price end a porro type will be brighter than a roof prism design but you may get lucky and find a bargain. If you check the specs on the ones you're interested, what Field of View do they list? The wider the better, older 10x tended to be 5 degrees, some newer ones are 6.5 or more which will let you see more, personally I've a pair of Minolta and they're 6.6 degree and are nice to use. Tripod/monopods you would usually need a mounting bracket to use, something like this one if the bino has a tripod socket https://www.amazon.co.uk/Opticron-Binocular-Tripod-Mount-Binoculars/dp/B005F51HE8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=binocular+tripod+bracket&qid=1589954531&sr=8-1 If you need to buy then you'll want one that can raise the bino to above eye level if you want to see objects but you could add a trigger-grip ball head to make panning around easier which will also add height. Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-177-cm-Pistol-Grip-Tripod/dp/B01LQX0P8Q/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=ball+head+trigger&qid=1589954711&sr=8-12 Can't vouch for the tripod but the ball head is a clone of the old Manfrotto 222 which I do have so should do the job.

I so know what you mean Ed, took me ages to locate those washers and I'm sure I've a thicker one somewhere but didn't find it. Was hoping one of the junk bino's would have an arm that fitted over the centre pin as I could've sacrificed the part to do a splice onto this, but Swift seem to use a larger pin and wider arms, hence deciding another route would be best. Definitely worth saving these if I can, they're pin sharp and bright, lightweight and for my hands much easier to use than the older wide bodied 804's. Handy to have another project to work on too while I wait for the paint to cure and some flocking to arrive before I pick up the TAL-M refurb again

Well Venus is now peeking out of the blue sky between clouds and guess what? The HR/5 with that 1.5mm washer under the arms actually hits focus on her right at the stop! Lovely sharp image to boot so I think these HR/5's are definitely worth trying to get repaired. In fact they're a better fit to my hand that the older MK2's which are the bulkier body format. Both give really nice views though so likely will stay in the collection. Will need to sort a case for these once I get done but if I needed inspiring to get it done that view of venus sure did it for me. Earlier I was seeking the birdies in the oak tree out back and I could make out small insects and spiderwebs at the very top of the tree so resolution on these is excellent.

thanks Peter, that bodge with the washer under, I added some double-sided tape now too to hold the broken arm steady and was just out testing, working quite well just like this and can focus on distant clouds. Was hoping to get a peek of Venus but lots of cloud that way so no luck there. Am hoping that a reshaped washer will do it, similar to what the CN thread did with a plate he made. Am now also thinking some M3 or M4 countersunk screws as I could chamfer the steel and thread the ally under so there's no sideways motion. Not sure brass grubscrews would have the strength in use, tho if I epoxy the 2 parts together then they'd just be a bit of reinforcing rather than taking the full load. Nice that you still have the monarch's esp since they are sentimental to you. Hopefully you'll also be able to fix them up and get them back to fully functional

sounds like an upgrade to a CNC milling machine should be on the wish list Gina You're going to risk some deformation even with tilt screws aren't you, especially if things get hot in the day? For sure better than springs and threaded plastic but just wondering - I guess if the parts are thick enough you might be ok though.

thought I'd test the idea a little by placing a penny washer I do have and see: yep it's under the bottom arm and the break is in the top one, the hole in this washer is large enough to allow the hinge locator pin to pass through and engage too with the washer offset for this. Tightened down the centre screw and now the focus action is smooth and the arms both stay aligned level with each other, allowing the occulars to move easily in their tubes. Of course this does limit the focal range toward infinity since the occulars can now not travel in by 1.5mm ish. But it does support the idea that a solution with a thick washer is possible. Now I'd guess that working a metal plate isn't going to be that much less work if I actually had one laying around that is. But I'm thinking stainless steel at 2.5mm would have more durability than aluminium in this use case. Am now so tempted to glue a washer to the top of that arm and fit it as a temp fix just to see how it does. Will do my best to resist, since the new washers should be here in a week-ish. Meantime it can live as it is with the washer under the arms and at least be usable for quick looks around the garden Collimation is a tiny bit I think off but not so much as it feels like eyes being ripped out, not really going to get much real use till I've done a "proper" bodge repair on them tho

so thinking a bit on the arm repair, and not having aluminium plate laying around at the moment (might find a bit at my dads tho), what other options... Well I've some thick penny washers, looks to be M11 hole needed. Found a couple but they're 12.6mm, too loose on the shaft, but might it work I wonder? hmmm it might actually be an option. Just needs to be re-worked to the right shape In fact like this it'd reinforce the broken part and could be fixed above the arm with epoxy, perhaps. Downside is that'd reduce the amount of thread holding the centre screw in place so perhaps not. So cut it into the arm sounds like maybe a better plan, so I'll need a thicker washer (2.7-3.0mm ish) Just ordered M10 2.5mm thick penny washers in stainless, when they arrive I'll see if this is viable. Plan will be to grind back the broken hinge overlap down to half the arm thickness or just under. Then once a washer has been shaped to suit the job, secure together with epoxy and once set, drill and tap and use a couple 2.5-3mm grub screws to give some torsional relief to the joint. Will update as I go...

Not sure if this should be in DIY or here under binos, mods feel free to move if you feel the need So I recently bought a pair of Swift Audubon HR/5 which from the description had the dioptre eyepiece cup detached. Figuring it may just be loose grub screws I figure take a punt. They arrived yesterday and initial look were a bit grubby but intact. Eyecup was definately off and sorting the grub screws it refitted ok, tho I note the plastic body has a split so this will need attention. Dioptre was smooth and sticking, closer inspection shows why that was The carrier arm has broken at the hinge loop. Oh dear. Further inspection then revealed: oh no! A lemon then 😢 Cleaned the lenses in and out then put it back together while I decide what to do and gave them a test. Out of alignment before I opened them up, but having teased the chipped prism up a touch that seems to have sorted the alignment - well when you get the eyepiece in the correct plane. Image is nice and sharp but of course awkward to get the RH eyepiece to sit right as you focus. Luckily the chip doesn't seem to interfere with the view, possibly just outside the FoV but I'll try masking that with some matt black later on just in case it affects the contrast. Almost tempted to try windscreen chip-repair to flatten it out but it'll be the wrong optical index so maybe a bad idea, other that it might stop the chip worsening. Having had a look around for ideas on the arm, came across this thread and in particular this post https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/700039-celestron-30x80-giant-brokenrepair/?p=10066320 Interesting, a bit of metal plate shaped to suit and spliced in, sounds like something I could do, tho no milling machine so it'll be files and drills to achieve it. Definitely worth a go, since none of the junk spare pairs I have suit then as a cut-n-n-shut donor to splice in for that part of the arm. I'd seem a previous effort using fibreglass board but I think metal will be easier to work.

I'd agree, just be sure you locate the cameras well so they can be used to give ID should it be needed, worth getting the type that are smart-IR as they meter the exposure and adjust the output so you can get some detail of the faces. Downside is they are on-camera so you then get the joys of spiders setting up camp on them to dine at the table you've laid out by attracting the wee flying bugs at night. You'll also need to consider the IR pollution to your imaging gear. Even with IR filters, if the beam is hitting the lens then it'll show a flare.

he's raised a reasonable concern as many don't realise till too late, esp with stuff like superglue. If you can leave them empty and open to air out for a while, like a week or so, in the warm they'd likely be fine. I've used leather glue and contact adhesive to re-stick lining in binocular cases etc and they've been ok but I tend to leave them for at least a week before using for storage.

a duck? 😛

ok so am thinking this could be the solution to the broke focuser arm... https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/700039-celestron-30x80-giant-brokenrepair/?p=10066320 Will spin up a seperate thread when I get to the stage of giving it a go

I've only 2 but know what you mean, my tabby loves the hammock on the tower too lol

ahh ok, the old Pentax I had was K-mount IIRC. Pity as that'd have been a neat solution, tho frustrating to do given dismantle, shim, try, rinse and repeat...