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Quantum 5 binoculars - fitting 1.25" EPs?


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My 'new to me' Helios Quantum 5 20/40x100mm Observation binoculars arrived today, well-used but in good overall nick and collimation is spot on much to my relief. I think these are the first generation Series 5, not the 5.2s but don't know how to tell the difference??

Will be welding up a stainless fork mount/dobson style mount this summer (haven't quite drawn it up yet, but will elaborate more on that soon), but in the meantime, will scrounge around for a second-hand AZ4 or similar. These are some seriously hefty binoculars!

My main question please: has anyone been able to use their own 1.25" EPs in these? I have four pairs of plossls for my binoviewers (20mm, 25mm, 32mm and 40mm), but none will slot in far enough to reach focus. I seem to recall reading about some solution online. The current EPs are ok but don't accept filters from what I can tell. 

Any ideas how to fit standard 1.25" eyepieces?

Many thanks. 

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IMG_20200304_171244009_2_filtered.jpg

Edited by Ships and Stars
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A possible inexpensive solution could be to unscrew the lens holders from a couple of standard SW 2x Barlows and fit them to the eyepiece barrels .  This would give a slightly increased magnification but might create enough extra back focus.    🙂

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14 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

A possible inexpensive solution could be to unscrew the lens holders from a couple of standard SW 2x Barlows and fit them to the eyepiece barrels .  This would give a slightly increased magnification but might create enough extra back focus.    🙂

Very good, I was thinking along those lines, having dealt with binoviewer focus issues before.

 It appears from my brief investigations that the newer Quantum 5.2s are set up to accept 1.25" EPs without any fuss. Didn't realise the older Q5s were like this, but the two sets of EPs that come with the Q5 seem okay actually.

I think I have two 2x barlows rolling around in one of my desk drawers, shall dig those out and give it a bash 👍

Thanks Peter!

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47 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

My 'new to me' Helios Quantum 5 20/40x100mm Observation binoculars arrived today, well-used but in good overall nick and collimation is spot on much to my relief. I think these are the first generation Series 5, not the 5.2s but don't know how to tell the difference?

Those babies look the business, I'm really looking forward to reading your reviews of observing with them. The current model were on my list of possibilities before I opted for the smaller, lighter and less expensive 22x85s. Clear skies

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7 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Those babies look the business, I'm really looking forward to reading your reviews of observing with them. The current model were on my list of possibilities before I opted for the smaller, lighter and less expensive 22x85s. Clear skies

Thaks Geoff! I thought I'd missed these online, but the seller contacted me to say the original buyer had apparently changed their mind, so in the end I picked them up for a good price, took a couple of weeks to sort this so wasn't sure they actually existed🤣.

I've mounted them on a tripod for some quick terrestrial views today, excellent sharpness through both sets of EPs, but no way the tripod is going to hold an angle for astro. The 20x EPs have tons of eye relief, while the 40x EPs are almost like using planetary EPs. I have a few mods to make regarding filters, as they don't take standard 1.25" EPs and there are no threads on the bino EPs either 🤔 but still very happy with them so far! As long as I can figure out how to attach filters, I'll be pretty happy (and a way to mount them solidly, the real crux!) 👍

7kg by the way! I'll be keeping the 15x70s for a bit of freedom, haha.

Edited by Ships and Stars
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Do the EPs you want to use have smooth barrels?  This could be the problem, some of those bigger bins don't like the type with that indent half way down the barrel (can't think of the technical term right now) 

Great set of bins though!

Edit: friction fit

 

Edited by mark81
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34 minutes ago, mark81 said:

Do the EPs you want to use have smooth barrels?  This could be the problem, some of those bigger bins don't like the type with that indent half way down the barrel (can't think of the technical term right now) 

Great set of bins though!

Edit: friction fit

 

Hi Mark, thanks! I have three sets of Revelation plossls and one pair of WO 20mm that came with my binoviewer, they will all go in up to the shoulder of the EP, so think it's a focus issue, similar to binoviewers. I may try to add a 2x barlow to each EP as Peter Drew suggests and see if that works, but by them the mag will be quite high, but definitely worth a try. The 20x and 40x EP sets that came with the binoculars are actually fine by me, they just lack threads for filters which is a must-have for this nebula junkie. I'm sure there is a solution out there, but may involve buying another set of specialised EPs. I shall see if Steve@Binocularsky knows the story with these. Surely a binocular of this type can accept filters, hopefully I've missed something obvious! I've had a close look at the objective end (is that the right term?) of the EPs and there is definitely no thread for filters, in fact they are a strange design to me, but quite simple overall. Still, from the terrestrial views I saw today they are pretty impressive. A little CA, but to be expected in this price range and especially for what I paid for them, pretty happy!

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@Ships and Stars  

I have wanted a set of these for a while now and as you said, if you can arrange them to accept filters the wide field of view and immersive bino experience would be great! 

I recently spent an evening with a set of 100mm APMs - amazing! They were only mounted on a Fotomate tripod but with the 45degree EPs I felt that set up worked fine...

Of course, with the option of any EPs things get expensive when you start buying 2 of eveything...

I'll look forward to an observing report sometime soon...

Mark

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6 minutes ago, mark81 said:

@Ships and Stars  

I have wanted a set of these for a while now and as you said, if you can arrange them to accept filters the wide field of view and immersive bino experience would be great! 

I recently spent an evening with a set of 100mm APMs - amazing! They were only mounted on a Fotomate tripod but with the 45degree EPs I felt that set up worked fine...

Of course, with the option of any EPs things get expensive when you start buying 2 of eveything...

I'll look forward to an observing report sometime soon...

Mark

The APMs sound like a great experience! I'm looking around for smoothside plossls but will see what I can attach to the existing EPs, they are ok actually. My real problem at the moment as you mention is mounting them! They are serious binoculars. When I find a solution I will let you know, bound to be something out there that works. Hoping to have them out soon at any rate! 👍

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I have an AZ3 with an added counterweight. 45degree binoculars on a camera tripod can go quite high buy you’re at the mercy of the clutch... 70mm are OK.i al quite impressed by the yoke mounts that mean that the balance poo t is along the centre of the binoculars, avoiding the need for counterweights. Is quite like more bigger, but I’ve pretty much run out of hiding places!

looking forward to  some observing reports with those things. You could possibly mount filters by disassembling some 1.25” filters if you needed a small diameter thing to pop on the end of the supplied eyepiece.

 

peter

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