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Binoviewing With A Small Refractor

Discussion in 'All Other Observing Equipment' started by LewC, Sep 2, 2015.

Binoviewing With A Small Refractor

Started by LewC on Sep 2, 2015 at 12:30 PM

7 Replies 3480 Views 3 Likes

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  1. LewC

    LewC Well-Known Member

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    LewC, Sep 2, 2015
    #1
    I tried out my Williams binoviewer on my vintage 60mm refractor at the last star party at Mt. Pinos on August 14th, 2015. Here are a couple of pictures of the setup.

    839+binos-1small.jpg 839+binos-2small.jpg
     
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  2. coopman

    coopman Member

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    coopman, Sep 2, 2015
    #2
    Well...how were the bino views?
     
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  3. LewC

    LewC Well-Known Member

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    LewC, Sep 2, 2015
    #3
    Coopman, I was just waiting for you to ask. :) In a word...dim.

    After I set it up before sundown, I focused on the topmost branch of a distant pine tree. The view was so dim I didn't wait for dark. Instead, I replaced the 60mm Swift with the 120mm Tak but did no further binoviewing that evening. It was just visual mono-observing for the next few hours of darkness before I had to pack it up for the drive home. I did use my new Baader-Planetarium Mark III clickstop zoom eyepiece. The more I use it the more I like it - less changing of eyepieces in the dark while holding a red flashlight in my teeth.

    When I go up to Mt. Pinos around the next new moon, I'll try the binoviewer on the Tak 120 and report the results here.
     
  4. Derek Wong

    Derek Wong Member

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    Derek Wong, Sep 6, 2015
    #4
    Hi Lew:

    I don't usually like to binoview with a small scope because of balance issues and because small scopes need to be pushed to higher magnifications per inch to see anything on the planets. I think the reason you saw dim branches in your scope is the exit pupil resulting from the f/15 classic scope and whatever magnifier you needed to reach focus. What kind of eyepieces were you using? Did you try it on the Sun or Moon? Those are the targets I would try first with the 60mm.

    Derek
     
  5. gustavo_sanchez

    gustavo_sanchez Active Member

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    gustavo_sanchez, Sep 7, 2015
    #5
    I tried to make my WO BVs work with my ZenithStar 71ED, but they could not come to focus, even with Barlows :(
     
  6. LewC

    LewC Well-Known Member

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    LewC, Sep 7, 2015
    #6
    Hi Derek and Gustavo,
    There were no balance issues with the mount I used, or any focus problems. The eyepieces are the stock eyepieces that come with the William binoviewer. Without looking, I think they're 21mm or 23mm f.l. (Gustavo, can you confirm?) I was using the barlow that comes with the BV. I should have removed it to see if it could still reach focus. When I get the chance, I'll try it again from home on the moon, then tell you how it went.

    I didn't want to wait for dark to try the bino out on something in the sky. Saturn would have been the only planet visible, but because I only had a couple of hours of observing time before I'd have to pack it up and go home, I changed over to my 120mm refractor before it got dark. I could have transferred the binoviewer but I decided instead to just do some mono viewing, like I've done for the past 60 years. (Old habits die hard.)
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2015
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  7. gustavo_sanchez

    gustavo_sanchez Active Member

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    gustavo_sanchez, Sep 7, 2015
    #7
    They are 20mm 66 degrees AFOV. At least on my Z71 ED they wont focus at all. With my AR152, they focus on the completely racked in position. I am using the M26-T2 adapter and Baader T2 prism diagonal for the shortest possible light path, but still it's tough to make it work without barlows. WP_20150823_14_17_46_Pro.jpg
     
  8. Rob Wiederrich

    Rob Wiederrich Member

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    Rob Wiederrich, Sep 8, 2015
    #8
    From what I gather from my homemade binoviewer is that the light is split...meaning you only get half the light through each EP...so if you only have 50mm of aperture to draw from..you will have little light to split for each eye.

    Rob
     

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