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CharlieInDayton
member
Reged: 12/28/05
Posts: 75
Loc: Directly above Earth's center....
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...for binocular collimation...
It's not an 'if', it's a 'when'...my 12x60 Apogee AstroVues took a hit awhile back, and after tripod'ing them, they're shown to be out of whack...
The two images are level, just diverged. When I look, at first my eyes struggle to hold things as one image. But as I let my eyes relax, I can feel them crossing, and I wind up with two full Moons.
This makes three pairs lying around the house that need rejiggering, so I figure it's time to bite the bullet. I have the spanner wrenches, and a copy of "Choosing, Using & Repairing Binoculars". I figure to dig into the cheapest/easiest to live with destroying pair first.
1) -- someone please point me to a couple good threads here about fixing/collimating your own.
2) -- nothing rattles, so...anyone care to hazard a guess if I'll be able to realign my 12x60's by just moving the objective(s) as in the book? I do so dread the spectre of having to move prisms...
3) -- stories of those who have successfully realigned binos at home (especially if you have thumbs > 2) would be great for raising the spirits.
And of course, any other commentary that will help me with this project is/are always welcomed.
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It doesn't matter what you're looking at.
It doesn't matter what you're looking through.
It never looks like the pictures...
Charlie in Dayton
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12581
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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Quote:
I have the spanner wrenches, and a copy of "Choosing, Using & Repairing Binoculars".
You probably won't need either of those. Also, for the guy at home, it's probably a lot easier to move the prisms than to move the objectives.
BEST OF Need Binocular Collimation or Repair?
and this article
“Collimating” Binoculars
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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CharlieInDayton
member
Reged: 12/28/05
Posts: 75
Loc: Directly above Earth's center....
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Various points of conversation...
Quote:
...for the guy at home, it's probably a lot easier to move the prisms than to move the objectives...
Probably so...but I have the strap wrenches to loosen the covers at the ends of the objectives, and the spanner wrenches to loosen/move/tighten the objectives in their cells.
From “Collimating” Binoculars < http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=416 >
Quote:
...TURNING THE PRISM TILT SCREWS IS THE LAST RESORT IN COLLIMATING BINOCULARS. But to get down to real life, many of us are not going to remove the objective lenses from our binoculars to re-center the object lens with the optical axis.
Even if I have the above mentioned strap/spanner wrenches, am I still better off trying the prism tilt first?
I'm gonna tripod mount the 12x60's, and cover each objective alternately to see which image is to which side. Any suggestions as to which side I start adjusting first, depending on what's where? IIRC, it's the left tube that took the knock when it hit the ground. Check for 'cat eyes' first, right? The most elliptical exit pupil would be the one knocked out of whack...correct?
Hamvention is in a couple weeks, so I'm using other binos for the moment while I save up a couple bucks to buy some jeweler's screwdrivers. I know I need something a tad more rugged than those made of reprocessed dog food cans, but I shouldn't have to spend a fortune on Starrets...I have sorta guessed that one of those $5 or so sets with a dozen or so straight/Phillips should be adequate. I won't be doing chinups on them (these screws aren't that tight, are they?), and besides, I'll leave 'em at work for minor computer maintenance...
And best of all, I have a couple pair of junkers lying around that need realigning anyway, so if i pfutz them up terminally, it's no big loss. Reassure me here...general realignment to the point of usability and keeping the eyeballs happy is well within the realm of the first timer who reads the cited CN articles a few times...right?
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It doesn't matter what you're looking at.
It doesn't matter what you're looking through.
It never looks like the pictures...
Charlie in Dayton
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Charlie,
Before you disassemble the objective cells, find out if this will even help at all. Only cells designed to be adjustable will help collimation. They should have either "eccentric rings" or set screws that position the objective lens side-to-side. Many cells have no adjustments at all and all collimation adjustments are done at the prisms. Some binoculars have neither.
Finding out which collimation system your bino uses is the first task. I would hazard a guess that most binos employ only one system to adjust the alignment.
After that, try to determine which side (or both) need adjustment. Not always easy, but sometimes it's obvious.
Once you figure which system and which tube, then more people will be able to help.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
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CharlieInDayton
member
Reged: 12/28/05
Posts: 75
Loc: Directly above Earth's center....
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It's been awhile...but I finally got bored enough to overcome the anxiety and took a jeweler's screwdriver to the prism tilt screws of my 12x60's...
I got my 12's back!
Took 'em to a small radio club get together...afterwards, we took turns taking a brace against a car and oohing and aahing over the Galilean moons (a couple guys didn't believe you could see them with binos...they were amazed).
So...
My good ones are fixed. Now it's time to attack the junkers in the box'o'binos, and then I'll have a couple more pair of 7x35's for show'n'tells.
Took long enough, but it worked!! And I still got the strap wrenches and spanners for the day when a pair is terminally broken...then I will dissect it for educational purposes.
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It doesn't matter what you're looking at.
It doesn't matter what you're looking through.
It never looks like the pictures...
Charlie in Dayton
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Charlie, glad to hear they're usable again. Good luck with the junkers. They're great to learn on and when they work better, that's icing on the cake.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
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werewolf6977
Lord High Smasher
Reged: 12/15/03
Posts: 7444
Loc: Hanover, Ohio
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YEah, I've got a 7X42 Tasco's I've got to do the same thing to.....
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Pete
6" Apogee/LXD55 - "The Beast"
Starhopper 6" Dob - "Shiva"
Spaceprobe 130 EQ - "Spacey"
Bushnell Fatboy
The Abomination
Sun Pak Pro 7500 Platinum Edition
10X25 Bushnell Camo Roofies
7X35 Tasco Classic Plastic (good views though)
7X42 Tasco Rare Bird
10X50 Nikon Actions (Type 7)
15X70 Skymasters - "DroolMeisters"
One ratty old IBM 600E LapTop
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CharlieInDayton
member
Reged: 12/28/05
Posts: 75
Loc: Directly above Earth's center....
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Well, lessee here, I said, sezzi...got a pair of WA 7x35 LQ's ("loaner quality"...as in, anyone can handle 'em, and if they fail the HTG test, que pasa...or was that que sera sera?) that don't quite look at the same thing at the same time...
I think I'll go for a disassembly and work the internal adjustment screws (ain't sure where the outside adjustment screws are -- I'd rip that faux leatherette covering to shreds finding them).
There's a second pair that are just barely out of whack...maybe that one will get the spanner wrench/move the lenses treatment. I mean, we're not talking Hubble-grade optics here, and if I absolutely have to, I can scrape up a few bucks for a couple decent pair of 7x35 Binoluxes off eBay...
This has the beginnings of a story here...continue here, or write and then start a new thread?
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It doesn't matter what you're looking at.
It doesn't matter what you're looking through.
It never looks like the pictures...
Charlie in Dayton
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