PeterW

There are semi-apo models of these and Apo models that cost more. There are also SD versions that have even more expensive glass too. The main benefit for this type binoculars is the use of normal tripods and the avoidance of neck ache. Changing the eyepieces enables you to have better views (choice of astro eyepieces) and change the field of view depending on what you want to look at. APM/ES/Oberwerk all are likely very similar, though there are fewer posts about non-APM models. Peter

NV gives you more than Mk1, though most noticeably due to the wider sensitivity and deep red sensitivity compared to Mk1. Gav has shown that you can get “eyeball” equivalent images using a phone. If you wanted to stack images then you might as well just get a CMOS camera as their sensitivity is pretty amazing and just image. NV gives an “instant” view and removes the faff/need for a tracking mount. Some people like taking pictures; others just experiencing the view, depends what you’re looking to achieve. There are certainly plenty of options nowadays. Peter

Star sense, let the mount find itself. Muck boots and a down jacket would come a close second. NV is invaluable, but more than your indicates budget. Peter

Exit pupil is what controls the brightness, aperture just makes stuff bigger. It’s not uncommon for binocular observers to detect nebulae that large scope users can’t. Peter

Well mounted angled bins are a must. I’ve had to add dew heaters to the objectives. I also made a laser holder, but now mainly just rest the laser in the groove on the handle (so I can keep it warm in my pocket). I’ve made winged eyecups for all my bins/eyepieces out of bike inner tube... straylight reduction is important. I have the blackrapid tripod jacket on my old horizon8115 tripod (designed for tripods without a spreader, works with others just fine), it’s got huge pockets for storing eyepieces and all sorts in. I don’t currently use it for binoculars, as I normally use a lighter manfrotto tripod for them. Peter

Grab the chances as Orion makes way for “boring Galaxy season”... Cygnus and friends will be back in the summer and Cepheus is a treat! Good to hear you’ve had a good session. Peter

Very nice shot, there are lots of other IFN up there, Mel Bartels has a long list, though few seem to be imaged. Wonder how many more you could pick up? Peter

The neewer trigger ball head on a monopod would do OK if the binoculars are not too heavy, beat used when reclining or lying on the ground so the zenith is easier to view. With mounts it’s always best to get one that is chunkier than it needs to be. The trigger head needs regular ball cleaning and tension adjusting to prevent slippage. P-mounts are not common and historically not cheap. peter

https://binocularsky.com/reviews/AstroDevices_Parallelogram_Standard_III_Pro.pdf parallelograms aren’t as cheap as tripods as they need to be robust to stop and hem giving you wobbly views. peter

The steadier you can mount binoculars the more stuff you will see with them. If you can find a well reviewed parallelogram mount then get whichever sized bins fit it stably. Faint nebulae want larger exit pupils and larger apertures will show fainter stars, though the number visible in one field of view won’t change much... https://www.cloudynights.com/articles/cat/articles/binoculars1405754339/which-binoculars-will-give-you-maximum-star-counts-r88 I enjoy observing with a range of instruments, depends on what I want to see or how I want to observe it. I certainly use binoculars more than I did before, maybe as I’m mount them more stably or maybe because it’s easier to pop out with them for a short observing session. peter

The issue with straight trough binoculars is that the big ones need crazy big parallelogram mounts to use properly. I had some 25x100 on a heavy tripod, but it wasn’t easy to use and I sold them. The big angled binoculars are much more practical. If you want big binoculars then 10x50 or 16x70 or so and a monopod and reclining chair are a good bet, the APM ED series will give you very nice views. Any binoculars will show a whole more stars and help you understand how things fit together. To see the smaller/fainter stuff get an 8” dobsonian to complement the binoculars, should fit the budget. Different sized optics with different fields of view will show different objects. In different ways. I have some 2x “constellation binoculars”, show me another magnitude or more of stars in my light polluted area. I quite often start observing with low powers (2-8x) so I can work out how to star hop to objects, moving to higher powers and smaller fields.... if you jump in with high powers it can be really tricky to know where you’re pointing. A zero power fund we or laser and very helpful to help you start star hopping from a known location. Whatever you get, take it out a lot and take it to darker skies to see more. peter

I use Option 3, which is Cassiopaea into the top of Perseus, down andromeda and then up. Easy to start (cassiopaea is always up) and easier to follow, even when there are fewer stars visible. Well done! Peter

If you can find a pair at a sensible price... old glass has less good anti reflection coatings, though the views are impressive. Peter

For Astro having angled binoculars is useful to avoid neck ache and the meed to buy ungainly parallelogram mounts. The bushnell rangemasters give nice wide 7x35 views. There is the tasco 124 7x50, though the edges ain’t too good. Large apparent field and large exit pupil, for astronomy is a hard combination to find. The Ascot were not very good optically, unlike the WX which is just unreal in width and sharpness to the edge - heavy, expensive and bad eyecups, but optically the best. Peter

F4 using the “67mm” afocal system will get you plenty fast enough. “Aperture doubling” depends on objects, can be more can be less. Peter

NV is about speed, not so much aperture, depends the size of objects you are looking for. Have two NV uses to feed both eyes is a good deal better than one eye..:. Just saying 😉 Peter

The main differences are achromatic vs ED/SD, the latter giving sharper colour free views, those for general astronomy the differences are less than for high contrast daytime viewing. All of these have around f5.5 focal ratio and all are limited to 1.25” eyepieces, so 68degree field of view unless you use more magnification when you can move into Nagler width eyepieces. Is AFOV your driver or do you want to keep the exit pupil large for nebulae? Ideally I want large exit pupil and large AFOV, but there are many reasons this is not easy or common. I’d check the rear prism clear diameter, I remember some being smaller and thus less able to fully illuminate the 24mm wide angle eyepieces. (Maybe weigh less too) The models you list are likely to be roughly equivalent, though a quick check of reviews will show which have greater following, though this might be biased by the time they’ve been available or their availability. There are also similar ones from Oberwerk, who have an EU outlet, though I think they are ED only and so more expensive for a given aperture than the ones you list. For astro only I’d go 90degree so you can observe closer to the zenith, for daytime/nighttime id go for 45degree. The larger ones will need more robust tripods and tripod/yoke heads. Peter

refer to the CN group, there might be some Canadians in there. There are always secondhand options, through you’ll not get a spec sheet, any fairly modern recent omni spec unit should work just fine. Find what you can, but waiting for unicorns can be a time consuming and expensive business. I wonder if you can make use of the EU sources that now exist, I would have hoped export to Canada would be possible? Peter

I though you were on the other side of the state.... no wonder your skies are so good.... can’t see any city of any concern for miles/km! Peter

I was “enjoying” seeing the streams go over, but they seem to be harder to see now... as time went on seeing predicted bright ones from Heavens Above got harder. So it seems their plans to make them less visible by design and flight orientation are working, how well will have to be for others to say. Peter

I’m knocking up some angles 50mm bins from some old finders, added a synta rail to one side... fits the AZ-Gti well. Eyepiece height stats constant, rock steady. OK they’re a bit smaller than the post above, but bet the exit pupil size is at least as good, just a different field of view. Peter PS these are more practical...

SW London, local Playground yesterday; SQM around 18.9, walked about to get eyes adapted and got 18-19, spent a while with averted vision trying to ferret out more stars till I was confident I hadn’t imagined them. The 2x54 binoculars gave about 40 but fogged up almost instantly. Peter

Could do, but the threads are not a 3D print strong point, stereolithography might be best. Personally I’d leave the cap off... saves losing it agai and it’s easier to find the adapter hole. If you really hate looking at it then a bit of duct tape could help. Of course if you’d lost a lens/eyepiece cap then printing a spare is easy and I’ve done plenty. Peter

To help keep the weight over the ball at high elevations (and gain a bit of extra height) I got one of these Z jigs. https://www.moveshootmove.com/products/z-v-platform-designed-with-alyn-wallace-preorder Seems to work well with the 1.2kg 10x50 I tried it with indoors (clouds:...). The joints allow for freedom to adjust and lock down pretty hard. Adjust it for for a decent elevation and use the ball head to adjust around it. I need to write a post on it sometime. Peter