Binoviewers

I am looking for reviews, comments, etc. on binoviewers. Anything that
will help in this respect is greatly appreciated. All that l have
heard or read so far indicates they are well worth having. Any
comments?
Thx, Ernie

"Ernie" wrote in message
...
I am looking for reviews, comments, etc. on binoviewers. Anything that
will help in this respect is greatly appreciated. All that l have
heard or read so far indicates they are well worth having. Any
comments?
Thx, Ernie

Ernie,

My impressions of a binoviewer in a 10" dob:

1. The view of the moon is worth the price. You will look forward to
Luna's visits rather than plan your observing around them. I've heard H
alpha solar viewing with binoviewers is even more remarkable, but I have not
seen this personally.

2. The view of the planets is better than anything I have ever seen in mono
mode. You could spend $700 on a Zeiss Abbe Ortho and not see the added
details that are apparent in a binoviewer with plossls. Best view I've
ever seen of Mars was through a Celestron CGE1400 and binoviewers. Others
at my club agreed. Holy macaroni, batman.

3. The binoview is softer and dimmer than cyclops viewing. That being
said, I do all my viewing in bino mode even though I know I am losing some
light and the image is a tad softer. The added detail that viewing with
both eyes provides offsets these minor penalties.

4. Floaters all but disappear in binoviewers. I generally do not view
anything above 300x in cyclops mode because of "floaters" in my eye. They
disappear in binoviewers. The brain is a remarkable filter.

5. They are heavy. May require some balancing.

6. Interpupilary distance is a factor when considering binoviewers and
space between the ep's to fit your nose is as well. I cannot use my Pentax
XL ep's because the are too big around. I can't fit my nose between them.

7. Not everyone can merge binoviewer images. Try before you buy is
important, although some manufacturers offer a 30 day guarantee.

8. For some people, the bino image looks significantly larger than the mono
image at the same magnification. I'm one of them. My estimate is a 30%
apparent increase in the size of Mars when viewed with 2 eyes vs one.
Remarkable effect, really, but not everyone experiences this.

9. It may take a night or two to fully realize the views through the binos.
My first night with them was disappointing as I learned how to use the
various pieces parts and adjusted to having both eyes open. Now, you only
see a single ep in when I am doing some comparisons. 3 nights is a minimum
to determine your compatibility with binoviewing.

Binoviewing has made astronomy much more enjoyable for me. There are
tradeoffs with respect to the content of the image, but they are far offset
by the comfort of viewing with 2 eyes. We were designed for viewing with 2
eyes. Nothing beats viewing through a telescope that has tracking,
binoviewers and a comfortable chair. I can look at a single target for
hours at a time and not get fatigued. Mars suspended in front of you with
both eyes open at 400x will convert you in a second.

I haven't mentioned a brand name yet. Lots of opinions about which ones are
best. IMHO, nothing is ever the best. But there are a lot of very good
ones out there. I own a pair of Televue binovues with the 2x corrector. I
also have a pair of Denkmeir standards with a 1.25" and 2" OCS. Both are
very good. I have GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and bought both
binoviewers for a reasonable price. The difficulty now becomes which one to
keep. I haven't decided yet.

My advise is to get a pair asap. You will love them.

Clear skies,

Tom