Binocular Mounts

[andrew63]

I came across this article recently when looking at tripod mounting a small telescope, just as applicable to binoculars in some respects.  It's quite exhaustive and worth a read - Bogen is the brand name for Manfrotto in America.   Anyway lots of options to consider.

Binocular Mounts, Tripods & Mounting - Mount Reports - Articles - Articles - Cloudy Nights

andrew

[Dave In Vermont]

Nice find.

Thank you!

Dave

[moriniboy]

This type of bino mount works fine viewing the zenith but its not so good on the horizon.....

In case you are wondering these are Newtonians and you look behind you over your shoulder.

[Peter Drew]

I've made many binoculars and mounts (including the one in the above photo). IMO for straight through binoculars, mounts specially the parallelogram variety are deployed the wrong way up. They are much easier to use with the counterweight at the top and the binocular at the bottom. This allows you to be seated and overhead viewing is comfortable from a recliner. For binoculars 100mm and smaller I've just made one of the mirror operated mounts, despite some of the caveats expressed by the author of the binocular mount feature I have found it to give me the most pleasing small binocular experience to date. Google mirror mount binoculars for examples.    

[Merlin]

Binocular mirror-mounts are very comfy to use - no more neck ache - if we don't mind an inverted view, as in a Newtonian.

I made my mirror-mount using a high precision ex-MoD mirror, so there's no astigmatism present at acute angles of the mirror. The mirror yields sharp images at far above the powers of binoculars, so I'm lucky to have snapped up this one-off bargain for just £3.

The homemade mirror-mount takes my 10X50's and 20X60's. Suitable first-surface mirrors for low-powered bins can be obtained from www.scientificmirrors.co.uk .

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Using a P-mount with a recliner is indeed a great solution. I should adapt my p-mount with an extra degree of freedom at the binocular end to make it a bit more flexible.

[BinocularSky]

Using a P-mount with a recliner is indeed a great solution.

It is, although I prefer an observing stool and angled eyepieces.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It is, although I prefer an observing stool and angled eyepieces.

It is difficult to angle the EPs on my Helios Apollos

If ever I do get really big bins, they will have angled EPs, and my observing chair,  and a solid fork mount will ensure bliss behind the bins

[BinocularSky]

It is difficult to angle the EPs on my Helios Apollos

I know a very ham-fisted someone who could...

If ever I do get really big bins, they will have angled EPs, and my observing chair,  and a solid fork mount will ensure bliss behind the bins

A friend has acquired the APM 100mm apo, some TV eyepieces and a UA T-mount. Very nice indeed. I prefer the P-mount to a fork, mostly because I can put the eyepieces to the height I want, rather than bend/adjust to varying eyepiece heights.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I know a very ham-fisted someone who could...

A friend has acquired the APM 100mm apo, some TV eyepieces and a UA T-mount. Very nice indeed. I prefer the P-mount to a fork, mostly because I can put the eyepieces to the height I want, rather than bend/adjust to varying eyepiece heights.

Which is where the observing chair comes in: I set the tripod to the desired average EP height, and a adjust the chair accordingly

[BinocularSky]

Which is where the observing chair comes in: I set the tripod to the desired average EP height, and a adjust the chair accordingly

Too much faff .

[Alma]

Too much faff .

I agree.  P mounts and a recliner chair are one of the most comfortable ways of stargazing and are fine if you just want to look at one patch of sky, but moving around entails getting up from the recliner, shifting the whole tripod/P mount/binocular set-up complete with counterweights and then moving the recliner to just the right position in order to resume viewing,  i.e.a "faff".      Sold mine and went back to a tripod and video head.      

[Damo636]

I agree.  P mounts and a recliner chair are one of the most comfortable ways of stargazing and are fine if you just want to look at one patch of sky, but moving around entails getting up from the recliner, shifting the whole tripod/P mount/binocular set-up complete with counterweights and then moving the recliner to just the right position in order to resume viewing,  i.e.a "faff".      Sold mine and went back to a tripod and video head.

Faff??

I have often observed for two hours + without ever leaving the comfort of my el cheapo reclined lawn chair. The chair has been heavily pimped out with a set of rubber wheeled castors which allow me 360° of movement without having to get up to reposition. Each to their own, but in my experience, a Parallelogram mount and recliner has proven to be by far the most enjoyable mounting solution for large aperture (straight through) binoculars. Just sayin!