Orion Paragon-PlusT Binocular Mount & Tripod

"Brian A" wrote in message news:H4Sxb.145114$Dw6.603836@attbi_s02...
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the above binocular mount.
I'm thinking of getting one to use with my Celestron 20x80 Deluxe binos.

That bino mount is really quite nice, but it's undermounted on the Paragon
Plus tripod. The Paragon Plus tripod is nice (I use mine for cameras and
some small scopes) but it attaches to the bino mount with a 1/4-20 thread
and the support collar ring (on the Paragon Plus) is too small.

What I did was get a surveyor's tripod at Home Depot for about US$60 which
has a massive (and flat, since it's designed for a laser level) head along
with greater leg extension and flexibility of use. I also had to drill-out
the 1/4-20 hole (in the bino mount) and re-tap it for 5/8-11. This is a
rock-solid mounting for the bino arm and I've enjoyed many pleasurable hours
with several binoculars using this setup.

You can see what I did he

http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/1_parallelogram.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/2_pivot_disk_parts.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/3_disk_pre-mod.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/4_disk_post-mod.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/5_tripod_head_detail.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/6_mount_closeup.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/7_binos_7x50.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/8_binos_30x80.jpg

All of my binoculars have a (vertical) post mounting with 1/4-20 threads; the
stock bino arm assumes a 1/4-20 "front" mounting but there's a "Megaview"
adapter (as shown on mine) which costs US$20 for about 25 cents' parts -- make
your own, it's just a flat piece of metal with 3 holes in it.

Wow! Looks remarkably like the SKY/mount made by Virgo Astronomics. Uhhhh,
maybe because it is!!
Well, a Chinese knock-off version of it, anyway. See the original at
www.virgoastro.com.


"Thad Floryan" wrote in message
om...
"Brian A" wrote in message
news:H4Sxb.145114$Dw6.603836@attbi_s02...
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the above binocular
mount.
I'm thinking of getting one to use with my Celestron 20x80 Deluxe binos.

That bino mount is really quite nice, but it's undermounted on the Paragon
Plus tripod. The Paragon Plus tripod is nice (I use mine for cameras and
some small scopes) but it attaches to the bino mount with a 1/4-20 thread
and the support collar ring (on the Paragon Plus) is too small.

What I did was get a surveyor's tripod at Home Depot for about US$60 which
has a massive (and flat, since it's designed for a laser level) head along
with greater leg extension and flexibility of use. I also had to
drill-out
the 1/4-20 hole (in the bino mount) and re-tap it for 5/8-11. This is a
rock-solid mounting for the bino arm and I've enjoyed many pleasurable
hours
with several binoculars using this setup.

You can see what I did he


http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/1_parallelogram.jpg

http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projec..._disk_parts.jp
g
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/3_disk_pre-mod.jpg

http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/4_disk_post-mod.jpg

http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projec...od_head_detail.
jpg

http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/6_mount_closeup.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/7_binos_7x50.jpg
http://www.thadlabs.com/ASTRO/Projects/Orion_bino_arm/8_binos_30x80.jpg

All of my binoculars have a (vertical) post mounting with 1/4-20 threads;
the
stock bino arm assumes a 1/4-20 "front" mounting but there's a "Megaview"
adapter (as shown on mine) which costs US$20 for about 25 cents' parts --
make
your own, it's just a flat piece of metal with 3 holes in it.

"Lucy & Howard Albert" wrote in message ...
Wow! Looks remarkably like the SKY/mount made by Virgo Astronomics. Uhhhh,
maybe because it is!!
Well, a Chinese knock-off version of it, anyway. See the original at
www.virgoastro.com.

Over the years several people have posted their product designs were dropped
by Orion after clones became available. The Rigel LED light, the Starbound
chair, and the bino-arm are 3 that come to mind.

The rub is that they seem to commission the copying of these products.
Nobody else is selling them.

"Thad Floryan" wrote in message
m...
"Lucy & Howard Albert" wrote in message
...
Wow! Looks remarkably like the SKY/mount made by Virgo Astronomics.
Uhhhh,
maybe because it is!!
Well, a Chinese knock-off version of it, anyway. See the original at
www.virgoastro.com.

Over the years several people have posted their product designs were
dropped
by Orion after clones became available. The Rigel LED light, the
Starbound
chair, and the bino-arm are 3 that come to mind.