Sky at Night Magazine

[brian mac]

HI EVERYBODY, WENT OUT AND PUT MY NEW TOY TO THE TEST AND GOT GREAT RESULTS, I WAS ZOOMING IN ON CAPELLA ON MY STARRY NIGHT PROGRAMM AND NOTICED THAT IT HAD A CLOSE COMPANION OF 10.48 MAG. SO I THOUGHT I COULD TEST MY NEW BINOS ON THIS AND SEE IF I COULD SEPERATE THE SMALLER ONE OUT OF THE GLARE OF CAPELLA, AND YES AT 20X I COULD SEE IT, ONLY JUST, BUT PRETTY GOOD ON 40X, AND THIS WAS WITH AN ALMOST FULL MOON. THEY ARE HELIOS QUANTOM 5 45 DEGREE ANGLE 20/40X100 BINOCULARS, GOT THEM AT HALF PRICE IN MINT CONDITION, MAKES A CHANGE FOR ME TO GET LUCKY, I THINK YOU COULD GET GOOD VIEWS OF THE MOON WITH THE BOTTEM OF A MILKBOTTLE IT IS SUCH A BRIGHT AND FASINATING OBJECT

[mp3ferret]

Glad you're liking your bino's.

But I'm curious as to how easy it is to find what you're looking for with the 45 degree angle. When using standard bins I tend to look at the object and then bring the bins up to my eyes - and there's the object I was looking at.

I'm not planning on buying any - I just have a curious nature.

[sftonkin]

You use a finder of some description (finderscope, reflex finder, vee-and-blade, peep-sight) to aim the binocular, then put eyes to eyepieces.

[mp3ferret]

I had never even considered a finder on a pair of bins. I guess this means that they'd have to be mounted onto something ( like a tripod ).

[sftonkin]

Oh yes indeed -- you'll never hand-hold 20×anything, far less 40×....

[brian mac]

Helo mp3ferret, the binos are on alt az mount and as i don't have a finder
i look for a certain object with my naked eye or small binos, place the 45s under it and then tilt up untill object comes in to view. i also am making an azimuth dial so i don't need to look for it first, just look at the degrees on my starry night and tilt up to it.....[size=3]BRIAN[/size]

[sftonkin]

You really should get some sort of finder, Brian -- it makes a heck of a difference. Mine came wiht a 3×finder, which is fine for daylight use, and I added a Rigel QuikFinder.

[brian mac]

will certainly look at getting a finder but at the moment i just can't stop enjoying them, so comfy, so quick and easy,can't wait till the moon has gone to see them on a dark night.....[size=2]brian[/size]