Helios 22x85 binos

[Astronut]

My job as a trucker takes me away from home during the week and I'm sometimes lucky enough to be parked up for the night in a really dark spot with less light pollution than at home. A clear night in this situation has me cursing the cloud gods (for the cloudy weekends when I'm at home) and my situation for not having my dob with me but it's just not practicable to take it with me.

I have a pair of Meade (Bresser) 10x50's but I wanted something 'grab & go' with more aperture and magnification. I briefly thought about a small refractor but this would need a set of eyepieces too so I eventually decided to get a pair of big binos which would give me the equivalent aperture of a larger aperture refractor and the convenience and comfort of using both eyes.

I originally wanted the Garrett Optical 'Signature' series 22x85 (USA) as their website says they do a 14 point inspection for optical and mechanical performance using a US Navy Mark V collimator before shipping and they get glowing reviews from the owners. I couldn't find any info on what exactly they check and maybe adjust in this 14 point inspection so it could just be attractive 'marketing' pitch. It works though and I read many reviews but the custom charges and the current drop in value of the pound against the US dollar put me off. Add to that the extra waiting time and courier changes during the delivery (only takes one gorilla in the chain to mess things up) and difficulties in exchanging them if there was something wrong.

After looking around and a chat with Steve(FLO) I decided to get the Helios Quantum 4 'Apollo' 22x85's. They're identical to the GO's and they'd be much easier to exchange if necessary (As it turned out this did happen).

First light report is here

Specs:

objectives - 85mm f/4.7, 2 elements, 2 groups.

magnification - X22.

eyepieces - 66 deg AFOV, 5 elements, 3 or 4 groups.

eye relief - 18mm total, 12mm useable.

exit pupil - 3.9mm.

true FOV - 3 deg, 156ft/1000yds.

inter-pupil distance - 56-74mm.

length - 15.8 inches.

weight - 10lbs.

light transmission - 92%

They were well packed on arrival with lots of polystyrene in the outer box. The objectives were very heavily dewed up despite the lens caps being in place which worried me somewhat but they were dry after exposure to the air leaving some easily removed (with a microfibre cloth) dew marks behind. They're nitrogen filled and waterproof but I was worried about possible damage to the lens coatings. No idea how long they'd been dewed up. A silica gel pack was in the case but the binos were in a plastic bag inside the case. I would have been happier to see silica gel packs in the plastic bag with the binos.

I hasten to add Steve is not at fault here as they came direct from his supplier's warehouse.

After first light last weekend, I decided to give Steve a ring to exchange them. The RH objective had purple reflections and the LH objective had the usual green reflections with purple at certain angles.

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I may have been being too picky (as usual ) but Steve was his usual patient and accomodating self and very kindly sent me a replacement pair after checking them at no extra cost. Steve - if you're reading this I sent you a PM re. collecting the original pair.

The case is adequate - the padding inside is a tad hard so some extra lining might be a good idea. It would have to be thin though because the binos are a snug fit in the cutout with no shifting evident. I'll be storing the case at the foot of my bunk in the cab when I take them with me so they'll be well protected from vibrations.

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Weighing 10lbs and built like a tank, these need a sturdy mount so I'd ordered a Manfrotto 503HDV head and a Manfrotto 028 tripod the same day but these didn't arrive until Friday 31 Oct.

They'd be fine on a 501 head with it's 13.2lb load capacity but I wanted some overhead (in the unlikely case I upgrade to heavier binos later on) and the 503 has dual counterweight springs in the adjustable tensioner which I thought would be better for an off axis load when the binos are pointed upwards. It also has a higher load capacity of 17.6lb.

Following piccies are the replacement binos:

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I tried and failed to get a piccie of the objective lens coatings for comparison. I just couldn't get the angle similar to the piccie of the original binos' objectives above. When I took that picture, there was some daylight from the window behind but no daylight for this photo session. The coatings on these objectives are very similar with predominately green reflections though and I'm much happier about them ie. they appear evenly green on both sides with some purple at certain angles. Pity it was raining today as I could have got a much better shot outside in daylight.

The pan handle on the mount is fully adjustable for position/length/angle. I've not decided on the best position yet.

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View showing tripod legs at their full extent - this is a tall steady tripod and way too high for me at full leg extension There's even more height available from the wind-up centre post which is more practical to use when panning in altitude.

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eyepieces and individual focusing - note the neck strap attachments (comfy padded neck strap is supplied).

At 10lbs, these aren't going to be dangling from anyone's neck for long... besides at 22x magnification these are way over the top for hand-held use.

The eyepiece recesses appear to be threaded for 1.25" filters but I don't have any 1.25" filters to check.

Optical Vision's site says they're threaded for filters.

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3.9mm exit pupils. Perfectly circular with no surrounding internal reflections - as they should be

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single piece eyepiece cover. This is made from a soft rubber-like material (it doesn't smell like rubber) and is a nice fit over the eyepieces - not too tight and not too loose. Same goes for the objective covers.

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I've not had first light with these replacements yet but daytime viewing doesn't indicate any problems. Looking forward to using them

[Doc]

These look ideal for a trucker.

Wouldn't take up much room and really are grab and go.

I hope you have loads of occasions to use them.

I bet the views are good as well.

[Neon]

Yup, what Doc said.

You can't beat a good pair of bins for ease of use. I took my scope with me for a trip to the coast a few weeks back (as well as my 15x70's), although if I'd had a pair of those 22x85's I could have left the other two at home and still got some decent viewing in.

On a slightly different note, if you can screw filters into the eyepieces on these bins, it'd make for some interesting comparisons of the views if you wanted to do a review of filter performance. One eye could use the filter, the other could be left blank as the 'control'. Just a thought.

Anyway, a very comprehensive review Astronut, look forward to hearing about their 'first light' performance.

[tico]

Hello,

Is a good binoculars for nebulae and star clusters?

Thanks

[appalachik]

I wonder if anybody makes bins like these, but with interchangeable 45 degree angled eyepieces, to make them more comfortable for viewing towards the zenith?

[vlebo]

I wonder if anybody makes bins like these, but with interchangeable 45 degree angled eyepieces, to make them more comfortable for viewing towards the zenith?

I think the smallest you can get with 45 degree interchangeable eyepieces are these

First Light Optics - Helios Quantum 6 binoculars

and then there are always these

http://www.garrettoptical.com/Garrett-150mm-Binocular-Telescope-p/gt150-90.htm