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Need help -- Wheelchair bound friend interested in astronomy
Hey all-
I have a friend who has expressed interest in getting started in astronomy. He is wheelchair bound. This unfortunately limits what types of scopes and mount designs he could use. I was thinking that a parallelogram type mount with some big binocs or a 4" refractor would work as it would keep the scope/bino away from the tripod, giving the necessary clearance, plus he could easily share his views with others that are standing. I was wondering if anyone out there is or knows of somebody in the same situation that could give me some tips or suggestions. Thanks. Matt |
#3
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wrote in message ups.com... Hey all- I have a friend who has expressed interest in getting started in astronomy. He is wheelchair bound. This unfortunately limits what types of scopes and mount designs he could use. I was thinking that a parallelogram type mount with some big binocs or a 4" refractor would work as it would keep the scope/bino away from the tripod, giving the necessary clearance, plus he could easily share his views with others that are standing. I was wondering if anyone out there is or knows of somebody in the same situation that could give me some tips or suggestions. Thanks. Matt It'll depend massively on the site, the nature of your friend's actual mobility, and how hard he/she, wants to see. I have a friend who is paraplegic, yet manages to set up a Newtonian, on a slightly shortened pier, himself, and use it pretty well (but on a restricted part of the sky). The 'key' for him, is that the pier allows him to come in close to the centre without problems. Though the pier is slightly shortened, it is still tall enough for other to use as well. Tripods generally are an obvious problem, as you have obviously realised. If the friend is happy to observe from a fixed location, see if you can get/arrange a pier. Stabilised binoculars also may work well. Best Wishes |
#4
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If he was to start with Bino's, at the 2001 RTMC I saw a mount that used a
lawn chair, something along those lines could be made to work with a wheelchair and might also work with something like a short refactor too. I saw an article in S&T I think it was where a reflector was set up on a EQ mount and a computer controled it and the view was shown on a monitor via a ccd on the scope itself, this was for a wheelchair user too. -- SIAR www.starlords.org Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord wrote in message ups.com... Hey all- I have a friend who has expressed interest in getting started in astronomy. He is wheelchair bound. This unfortunately limits what types of scopes and mount designs he could use. I was thinking that a parallelogram type mount with some big binocs or a 4" refractor would work as it would keep the scope/bino away from the tripod, giving the necessary clearance, plus he could easily share his views with others that are standing. I was wondering if anyone out there is or knows of somebody in the same situation that could give me some tips or suggestions. Thanks. Matt |
#5
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wrote: Hey all- I have a friend who has expressed interest in getting started in astronomy. He is wheelchair bound. This unfortunately limits what types of scopes and mount designs he could use. I was thinking that a parallelogram type mount with some big binocs or a 4" refractor would work as it would keep the scope/bino away from the tripod, giving the necessary clearance, plus he could easily share his views with others that are standing. I was wondering if anyone out there is or knows of somebody in the same situation that could give me some tips or suggestions. Thanks. Matt I have not personally had a chance to try it but DFM's articulated relay eyepiece may work. It was one of S&T's hot products for 2005. If you want to get a little more involved you could modify a fork mount Cassegrain to work as a Nasmyth (http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclo...yth_focus.html) system. Assuming you have access to a set, I would recommend looking through the Sky and telescope ATM archives. There are dozens of solutions for as much or less then a new telescope if you are willing to do a little work yourself. Ian Anderson www.customopticalsystems.com |
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#8
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I think a good pair of binoculars on a parallelogram mount would be the
best ideal. You might have to extend the arms out and add a bit more of a counter weight to clear the wheel chair. Heck even those Jim's Mobile reverse binoculars would be a good powerful choice. |
#9
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DH wrote:
I think a good pair of binoculars on a parallelogram mount would be the best ideal. I agree. It seems the best choice for beginning astronomy and from a required seated position would be a binocular on a parallelogram mount. You could not use a straight-on view Pgram like the Virgo mounts. That would prevent moving the view side-to-side without moving the chair. It would be necessary to use a side view Pgram like the Universal Astronomics Unimount Light. http://www.universalastronomics.com/ The Unimount Light Basic would be an excellent choice and could be used with many different sizes of binoculars. As the passion grows and the desire for a larger binocular takes over, the mount would be sufficient for anything up to probably 20x80s. No need to consider any modifications to the counterweights. They are adjustable to accomodate a wide range. It can be mounted on a variety of tripods ranging from Bogen 3211 legs to Orion Paragon HDX to a Surveyor's tripod. I have used all three as platforms. None get in the way of a chair for seated viewing. This mount can be used with small scopes. One thing you need for seated binocular viewing is the articulated deluxe binocular L adapter. It allows the binoculars to swivel, like an airplane tilting it's wings. This may seem superfluous, but it is a real necessity when looking off to the sides. And this is the critical motion that will allow seated viewing of a wide area without moving the chair. edz |
#10
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Just to clarify, my friend is quite mobile. Im not sure where his
paralysis begins, but he drives his own car and jockeys himself in and out like a pro. His wheelchair knocks down into a few pieces and he hauls it into the car. So, he is fairly mobile, especially in the upper body, and he is strong, probably more than most of us that can walk. Ultimately it is up to him. I suggested the pat "get a good pair of 7x50 binos and a couple of books and learn the sky." I think the idea of a UniLight mount from UA as it can accomidate binos, refractors and even an 8" SCT. I just wonder about stablizing it during setup (ie putting on the counterwieght, then the tube, etc) Matt wrote: DH wrote: I think a good pair of binoculars on a parallelogram mount would be the best ideal. I agree. It seems the best choice for beginning astronomy and from a required seated position would be a binocular on a parallelogram mount. You could not use a straight-on view Pgram like the Virgo mounts. That would prevent moving the view side-to-side without moving the chair. It would be necessary to use a side view Pgram like the Universal Astronomics Unimount Light. http://www.universalastronomics.com/ The Unimount Light Basic would be an excellent choice and could be used with many different sizes of binoculars. As the passion grows and the desire for a larger binocular takes over, the mount would be sufficient for anything up to probably 20x80s. No need to consider any modifications to the counterweights. They are adjustable to accomodate a wide range. It can be mounted on a variety of tripods ranging from Bogen 3211 legs to Orion Paragon HDX to a Surveyor's tripod. I have used all three as platforms. None get in the way of a chair for seated viewing. This mount can be used with small scopes. One thing you need for seated binocular viewing is the articulated deluxe binocular L adapter. It allows the binoculars to swivel, like an airplane tilting it's wings. This may seem superfluous, but it is a real necessity when looking off to the sides. And this is the critical motion that will allow seated viewing of a wide area without moving the chair. edz |
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