rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello folks,
I've been preparing a new binocular sketching project. Binoculars offer amazing wide fields. But sketching behind bino's is a stressfull occupation. Until I found the mirror mount. The first light test of my mirror mount can be found here.
More to follow soon.
Clear skies,
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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Just returned from your very good website and I'm impressed with the outstanding quality of your pencil drawings. As someone starting out in astronomical sketching, your drawings are inspirational for my own modest efforts. Keep up the great work.
Clear Skies
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello Orion9,
Thank you for the compliment.
You arrived at the best forum to get started with sketching. I learned the most of sketching from the kind and helpfull people over here. So take a seat and join in. There are a lot of friendly, patient and experienced sketchers active in this forum.
We all look forward to your first sketches. So get them posted soon over here.
Clear skies,
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rolandlinda3
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 2223
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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Rony, have a link or picture to your set up and the new tools? Roland
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Roland
Sketches in members galleries: rolandlinda3
Inspirational stories/sketches at:
www.christworksministries.org
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Roland,
I just made a quick snapshot. The top left picture shows the mirror mount in parts. The blueish plate is an aluminum cover over the mirror. The mount can be used on a tripod or on any table. The observer looks down into the binoculars just like when using a microscope. This position does not change with changing object altitudes. Only the mirror angle needs to be adjusted, not the binoculars. The mount is capable of showing the sky from horizon to zenith while the observer does not have to change his head.
Handy people can build such a mount themselves. Mine came from Trico Machine Corporation. Its completely made from aluminum, very compact and transportable. Trico offers 3 mirror qualities, with powers up to x20.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4034
Loc: Illinois
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Rony,
Very impressive. A number of years ago I read about a scope builder who did this with a front surface mirror he had picked up for almost nothing. Just like you have described and demonstrated he was most impressed with how well it performed in use. Very nice post and thanks for including the pictures too.
Frank 
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my gallery
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Thank you, Frank.
This kind of mount offers the most ergonomic way of observing that I know of. I can sit for hours behind the binoculars and concentrate on the objects that I want to sketch. The other night, I was looking at the moon with the mirror mount. I was surprised by the amount of surface details that a small pair of 8x56 binos can show. The fact that the two eyes are used does also add to the experience.
Clear skies,
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22301
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Rony, thank you for taking the time to share this everyone.
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi. 
10" LX200 Classic, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, 12" Truss Dob, Orion ED80
My CN Gallery * 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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rolandlinda3
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 2223
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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Rony, if you want to pursue this off-line, let me know. I am interested in your set-up to make binocular viewing much easier and sketching with it. I am also intersted because I can attach a wide angle lens to an astrovideo cam (which has a 1/4 x 20 mounting hole) and possible put wide angle sky shots on a screen for groups. Have you thought of trying that with your other equipment (I think I remember you have a mintron). Do you have the mirror upgrade or not?
Thanks for taking the time with this. I can imagine a sketch board in my lap with only a slight change in position to look through binoculars with this set up and it would be great.
Roland
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Roland
Sketches in members galleries: rolandlinda3
Inspirational stories/sketches at:
www.christworksministries.org
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Erika,
It's a pleasure to share these things with fellow sketchers.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Quote:
Rony, if you want to pursue this off-line, let me know. I am interested in your set-up to make binocular viewing much easier and sketching with it. I am also intersted because I can attach a wide angle lens to an astrovideo cam (which has a 1/4 x 20 mounting hole) and possible put wide angle sky shots on a screen for groups. Have you thought of trying that with your other equipment (I think I remember you have a mintron). Do you have the mirror upgrade or not?
Roland, that's ok for me. If you have any questions, just let me know.
It's unclear to me how you want to involve the video camera with the bino mount?
Clear skies,
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
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JerryK
super member
Reged: 09/25/05
Posts: 149
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Rony,
What about dew on all that glass? Do you use a fan, heat the back?
Regards,
Jerry
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Hello Jerry,
I've allways used dew caps on my scopes. And I was thinking of how to adapt this on the binoculars and the mount. Until now I have not taken any actions to prevent dew.
According to the manufacturer, the mirror is the last optical surface to dew up. This sounds very strange. But I did a test. After a night of observing, I brought the unit back indoors without covering the optics. The binoculars and the mount started dewing up immediately, but not the mirror. Trico Machine had many questions from their customers, as why the mirror does not dew up. Actually Trico does not know why, but the mirror seems pretty dew resistant. Of course, when circumstances are very humid, all surfaces will dew up. So if you need to take measures against dew, it will be on the binoculars first.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Thanks for sharing that with others here Rony.
I had read about this set-up a few years back (in Astronomy magazine I believe), and it sounded quite interesting then. You are, however, the first person who I have come across who has written a review of this set-up from personal use and not an advertiser or manufacturers' claim.
...your review just may prompt me to investigate this nifty contraption further.
Thanks!
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Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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JerryK
super member
Reged: 09/25/05
Posts: 149
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I had heard that it is last to dew up: it may be a mass issue-the more mass, the longer it takes to reach ambient temperture. Perhaps that's it.
Jerry
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CarlosEH
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/19/05
Posts: 4092
Loc: Pembroke Pines, Broward County...
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Rony,
This sounds like a very comfortable and easy setup for binocular viewing. Your first light tour of the heavens proves this. I look forward to your future observations using this combination.
Carlos
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rolandlinda3
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 2223
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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Rony, I have not checked CN articles but if they have not had an article on this mount setup, your comments might be a valuable contribution. If there is no time for that, you might stick a link on the binocular and equipment forums to this thread. Just a thought. Neat device. Roland
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Roland
Sketches in members galleries: rolandlinda3
Inspirational stories/sketches at:
www.christworksministries.org
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JerryK
super member
Reged: 09/25/05
Posts: 149
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This is the closest thing to Sky Windows review on Cloudy Nights I could find:
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=615
Jerry
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rodelaet
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 3063
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
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Thanks, guys!
I was not aware of the review, Jerry. 
Here is another link.
One of Don's conclusions is that the Sky Window shows the optical truth of the binoculars used. Be warned that you might end up with buying a better pair of binoculars once you've worked with such a mount. 
For your interest, take a look at the binocular forum. The Best Of Binoculars post has some links to binocular mounts. You'll have to scroll down a bit to arrive at the mounting section.
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Rony
My Astronomical Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
Callibrate your Monitor with this little strip.
Edited by rodelaet (04/15/08 05:06 AM)
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