Phil Wheeler wrote:
I'm intrigued by binoviewers, though not to the point of spending more
on them than I did on the scope I'll use them with. In the economy class
choices seem to be:

o Williams Optics
o Burgess
o Stellarvue
o Siebert


Any recommendations? And why? The comparative reviews I've found seem to
be at the higher end of the price spectrum.



Hi:

I've tested the el cheapos against the Denkmeier Standards, and,
believe you me, there is a difference in build quality _and_
performance.

May I suggest an alternate strategy. I agree that it's probably a good
idea to try binoviewing before investing in a good pair. Isn't there
someone in your local club with a set who will give you a look-see? Or
at a star party you attend?

Yes, you can go out and buy a set of the Chinese Cheapies. They aren't
that bad (whether badged as Burgess, Celestron, etc., they all seem to
come from the same Chinese factory (this does not include the Sieberts,
which are different, and which I have not tried)). I suppose that if
your only interest were casual use on the Moon and planets you might be
happy with 'em. I wrote a review of the Burgesses some time back, which
you can find on the Astromart review section, I believe. They were
pretty good for the price, but not without problems.

If you really want to enjoy binoviewing, to see what it can offer,
however, the cheapies ain't gonna get it. Especially not for deep sky
work. But that does not mean that you have to spend a fortune to get a
good pair. Are you aware you can get a pair of Denkmeier Basic
Standards for $399.00? I guar-ron-tee that these will be head and
shoulders above the Cheapies.

What do you get for (a little) more money? You get, above all,
Denkmeier quality. The binoviewers you receive will be collimated, and
will included self-centering eyepiece holders (this is very important)
and prisms that offer good light throughput and enough clear aperture
to make them usable for wider-field deep sky viewing. If you have
problems down the line, there will also be somebody who can fix 'em.

To me, the small extra fare is well worth it.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of: _Choosing and Using an SCT_, and _The Urban Astronomers's
Guide_.
_http://members.aol.com/rmollise/index.html_
(http://members.aol.com/rmollise/index.html)