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Tim61
sage
Reged: 04/05/06
Posts: 281
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well I have decided to buy a pair of large binos, but I am still going back and forth over which pair? I know I want at least 20x80's. I have been looking at GO from the 20x80 triplets to the 100's or possibly the oberwerk 80BT with the 45 degree views and 1.25 foucser. I dont want to spend over 1200 for both the binos and mounting system.
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8x40 Nikon Action Ex
10.5x 70 Ultras
Vixen R150S (looking to find a new home)
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rushintuit
sage
Reged: 04/01/06
Posts: 267
Loc: Farpoint Observatory
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The current "hot setup" seems to be a 15 year old faux Miyauchi 20x80 with ruby coatings. 
Seriously, the Oberwerk BT-80-45 would be a good choice at $895 (limited time sale). With mount and tripod you would squeak by at $1195.
http://www.bigbinoculars.com/80bt45.htm
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/// Stellarvue SV102ED /// Nikon 12x50 /// Fujinon 16x70 /// SkyTools 2 /// The Desktop Universe All Sky CCD Mosaic In Monochrome Mode ///
Edited by rushintuit (08/20/06 08:55 AM)
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Art Fritzson
sage
Reged: 01/29/05
Posts: 315
Loc: Northern Virginia, USA
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Tim,
$1200 is quite a substantial budget for a good pair of giant binos and mount. Suggest you browse through the mini reviews and "best of" threads here on this site. If you've already done that, then you probably have a fair idea of what you want.
The 20x80s are often cited as the ideal one-size giant binos and the triplets from GO have been very favorably reviewed. The 25x100s see more - but at the cost of increased size and weight and a smaller field of view. The BTs have the advantage of variable power - but at the cost of increased weight and complexity. Everything's a trade.
There are some really super 85s due out from United Optics that will likely be carried by GO and/or Obie - they might be worth waiting for.
And then there's the mounts. Transportable tripod - or more comfortable (but more expensive and heavier) parallelogram.
At this point, your viewing environment and desires are more key than the expertise here on any particular hardware. Tell us what you want to do with them and lots of folks can help.
Thanks -
- Art
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2006 "Bagging on a Budget" Award for Excellence in Binocular Astronomy
Garrett 25x100 IF, Oberwerk 15x70, Celestron Noble 10x50, Meade 10x50 and 8x42 Travelviews
William Optics Zenithstar II 80mm APO
Teleport 10" - an incredible all-in-one Planetary/DSO/"Grab and Go"
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Tim61
sage
Reged: 04/05/06
Posts: 281
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well I intend to use them mostly for fast sky sweeping. 80% of my sessions outside last under 20 min and possibly up to 45 at the longest.
My wife works nights as a nurse at our local hospital which leaves me at home with the kids so I cant go outside past my backyard.
At this point in life easy works best for me. I found that I enjoy low powers on vixen ed80 more than high power ones. Most nights I use a 32 plossel or 15mm orion expanse.
I find I get the most pleasing view and joy from the scope at this power.
Edited by Tim61 (08/20/06 02:03 PM)
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Art Fritzson
sage
Reged: 01/29/05
Posts: 315
Loc: Northern Virginia, USA
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Tim,
For short sessions in the backyard and maybe with kids along for quick peeks (especially as they get older) I'd look at a pair of 20x80s on a parallelogram mount. They're relatively lightweight and can be very comfortable on a P-mount. The p-mount has the additional advantage of being shareable - you find somthing interesting to look at and share it with someone else by adjusting the height to accomodate them. It's great for kids.
Things to be careful about - If you want to share views with kids, check for the minimum IPD. EdZ almost always includes those in his reviews - otherwise check the manufacturer's specs.
A setup like this can cost as little as $400 with an Orion Paragon P-mount and a pair of 20x80 lightweights. I'd probably go for the GO 20x80 triplets with individual focus and a UA Unimount Deluxe (what the heck, it's your money). The whole setup with a surveyor tripod would be about $850. And you'd have a great pair of binocs that could also be used with a Bogen tripod as a more portable setup.
The BT80-45 is a pretty good setup as well - and if it's just you and not the kids it might be perfect. I'd actually prefer the P-mount though - I just think straight through viewing (vs 45 degree) feels more natural and I feel more connected to the night sky. The p-mount can also be used with other binocs - might be true of the BT45-80s as well, I'm just not familiar with the mount. But for scanning the night sky, nothing beats lying in a comfortable lounge chair with a great p-mount holding your favorite binocs at the perfect angle for your viewing pleasure. Of course there may be limitations I'm not aware of - I've tried them before but never actually owned one.
But now I'm thinking real hard about maybe buying one myself!
Good Luck!
- Art
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2006 "Bagging on a Budget" Award for Excellence in Binocular Astronomy
Garrett 25x100 IF, Oberwerk 15x70, Celestron Noble 10x50, Meade 10x50 and 8x42 Travelviews
William Optics Zenithstar II 80mm APO
Teleport 10" - an incredible all-in-one Planetary/DSO/"Grab and Go"
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Tim61
sage
Reged: 04/05/06
Posts: 281
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I have been leaning towards the triplets as they seem the best bang for the buck, and now the whole lawn chair concept seems to be growing on me as well.
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8x40 Nikon Action Ex
10.5x 70 Ultras
Vixen R150S (looking to find a new home)
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rushintuit
sage
Reged: 04/01/06
Posts: 267
Loc: Farpoint Observatory
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"At this point in life easy works best for me."
"the whole lawn chair concept seems to be growing on me"
As long as you are considering alternatives:
Imagine getting comfortable in your lawn chair, getting your P-mount w/couterweight situated just right, and what a hassle it's going to be to re-position yourself when you're ready for a new slice of the sky.
Now imagine a Canon 18x50 IS on a monopod w/joystick.
That's more like it!!!
http://www.bigbinoculars.com/monopod.htm
http://www.17photo.com/product.asp?id=4624A002
If you wait for the $100 rebate, you can just make your budget.
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/// Stellarvue SV102ED /// Nikon 12x50 /// Fujinon 16x70 /// SkyTools 2 /// The Desktop Universe All Sky CCD Mosaic In Monochrome Mode ///
Edited by rushintuit (08/21/06 02:50 PM)
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Rich V.
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/02/05
Posts: 1034
Loc: Carson Valley, Nevada USA
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Quote:
Imagine getting comfortable in your lawn chair, getting your P-mount w/couterweight situated just right, and what a hassle it's going to be to re-position yourself when you're ready for a new slice of the sky.
Once my p-mount is set up it's not really much of a "hassle" to get up for a moment, move the chair and sit down again. It's not like I'm in a hurry or anything.  Depending on how articulated the p-mount is, you can cover a pretty good swath of sky!
I really like the total comfort of the lounge chair/ p-mount setup. No weight at all to deal with. I find I can see deeper when I'm comfortable and relaxed. Sometimes I get a bit too relaxed.......
On the other hand, I have one of those tall 9180 Giottos monopods with a ball head and it works very well for quick grabs with bins up to 16x. I like it when slouching in a chair with my ankle on top of the monopod foot for steadiness. 16x on the monopod is a bit steadier than 8x handheld for me.
I find I use the monopod a lot for terrestrial use. It's a natural for wildlife watching. I'm not sure how useful a "grip" head would be; a ball head with the right tension allows movement but you can still hold the binoculars in the normal way without reaching down for the "trigger".
Anyhow, there are many viewing alternatives, the more options you have, the happier you will be!
Rich V
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Binoculars:
33-150x100 Saturn III, 16x70FMT-SX, 10x50 PCF-V, 10x43 DCF-SP, 10x35 E2, 7x35 E, 8x30 E2, 7x26 Custom, 8x23AS Diplomat, 8x23 Travelite
Scopes:
C9.25, 6" f8 reflector, SV80S
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grbrown
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/09/05
Posts: 643
Loc: Ampthill, UK, 52:02N 0:30W
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A pair of BT100-45s weigh 28 pounds! The tripod is also heavy, around 17 pounds. They can be set up quite quickly, but best when there are no small persons or pets around, to get under feet. I don't know what the BT80s weigh, but if they are made in a similar way with the same materials, not a great deal less, I would guess.
It is not safe to try and move this lot while the bins are mounted on the tripod (so top heavy), so a lighter alternative may be more suitable.
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Graham
"one eye good, two eyes better...the more I look, the more I see"
BT100-45 degrees, plus 35,24,17,13,9mm Sieberts
15x80, 7x50 Steiners
12x50, 10x42, 8x20 Leica Trinovids
7x35 Minolta
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