A new tool in the kit

[The Warthog]

I bought a pair of cheap but decent 10x50s a couple of years ago, and have taken them out for stargazing a few times (I bought them mainly for terrestrial observing) but found the shaking difficult to deal with. I have a light camera tripod, and bought an adapter and tried to use the binocs with it, but found it limited in several ways. It's a bit too low, and shaky, and actually difficult to point, as it doesn't move smoothly, and you have to look above your subject before locking the azimuth swivel, so the binocs will drop a bit when you let go of them. This meant that I couldn't look at a lot of things in a session as I was always fiddling with the tripod. (I didn't buy the tripod for astro work, either.)

So, today I went and bought a monopod. It is 70" tall, same as me, so I can look upwards with it, strong enough to use as a light walking stick, and came with a natty carrying case and a totally unexplained allen key.

As soon as it was dark, I put the binocular adapter and binocs on it, and went outside. I concentrated on the environs of Orion first, and found I was able to look at M42 without any undue vibration, although when I went to see if I could split Mintaka, the star was shaking just enough that I couldn't tell if it would be possible. After a bit of dark adaptation, I was able to spot M76. I tried to see the Running Man, but he wouldn't come out of the LP for me. I also tried for some of the Ms near Sirius, but the LP and haze are pretty thick here. I got a nice look at Hyades and the Pleiades even though I couldn't see them naked eye. After a while I sat in a chair and found that the minor shaking settled a little more. I had the tension on the binocular adapter just enough so I could move the binoculars up and down without slop.

Later, when the full moon was up, I was able to get the best binocular view of it that I can remember. I could clearly pick out Tycho and Aristarchus, and I suspect that I could spot largercraters along the terminator as it crosses the face of the moon.

Saturn - not so much. It's really too small for 10x50s, and looks pretty much like a bright star.

I put my little 65mm Mak on the monopod. It was marginal at 30x, and impossible at 90x. Even the Moon was no better in the Mak at 30x than it had been in the binocs at 10x. That Mak is definitely going to need a good tripod, or I will just have to restrict it to its proper use as a very good bird and scenery watching instrument.

The great advantage of the Monopod over a tripod is the ease of moving it from one part of the garden to another, and pointing at objects with the monopod is much more natural with the monopod than with a tripod. I was considering the purchase of a larger set of binocs, and now I think I may go with a set of 15x70s, rather than a set of 25-100x70s. If I want 25 - 100x, I can get it with either of my scopes on a tripod and a very solid mount, rather than have the inconvenience of a wobbly tripod with a pair of binoculars.

I think you an tell I am quite chuffed with my new purchase. For $30, it's hard to beat.

[Phil73805]

A monopod sounds like a great way to solve the binocular shake problem! I might have to look into one of those myself. I have a pair of Revelation 15x70's and their weight plus the need to hold them overhead means that support is a must. Thanks for that.

[yeti monster]

A tripod, with its legs closed, can be used as a monopod, thus offering the versatility to be both. The benefit of a tripod is that you can look away from them without losing your target, whilst sketching or consulting a star chart, for example.

[Phil73805]

The sketching thing is a real problem but I can't find a tripod that will hold the binos in a good position for overhead targets...

[yeti monster]

Yes, getting much more than 75-80 degrees altutude can be a problem. However, if you are aiming so high, it could be worth weighting/belaying the forward leg so as to allow the 2 remaining legs to be shortened enough to set the bins to azimuth. Suitable seating would be in order too.