Mr C
member
Reged: 09/23/08
Posts: 35
Loc: richmond va
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I found a pair of these in my moms attic. Took them out for a view and they did really well. Does anyone know the specs on these, when they were made, etc. I can barely read the model # on it so I am not sure but I think the model # I wrote was right. They are in really excellent shape besides the wording. Anyhow, when I look through them backwards, I notice quite a bit of spotting in both sides(seems to be inside, old waterspots maybe?) I have cleaned both eyepieces and both objective lenses but it doesn't do the trick. Looking through the eyepieces normally, I don't notice it much. Is this somethig I can take apart, clean, and put back together or should I take these to someone to do it. I like to take stuff apart but with these being vintage(at least I think they are),I don't want to mess em up. Thanks for the help
mark
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StarStuff1
sage
Reged: 04/01/07
Posts: 438
Loc: East Tennessee
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Are there any other markings or writing such as a name like "Tower", or "Wide Angle", etc?
Also, what is the magnification and objective size? 7X35? 7X50? Or?
Probably not a good idea for you to take apart and clean if this is your first time for such an endeavor.
Welcome to the CN Forums.
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Two dozen eyepieces, a dozen binoculars, a half dozen refractors, two reflectors and a homemade Image Intensifier Eyepiece (IIE). All products subject to change by the owner at any time.
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Mr C
member
Reged: 09/23/08
Posts: 35
Loc: richmond va
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it looks like a wi so I am assuming wide angle and it says 35 but thats all that I can read. Where does one go to have these "refurbed". thanx starstuff. I acutally have been on the forums for a couple of weeks and am awaiting the arrival with the "forums" help of an orion 8xti for this Friday delivery. I hope I don't have the curse.
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StarStuff1
sage
Reged: 04/01/07
Posts: 438
Loc: East Tennessee
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Hi Mark,
What a coincidence! I have this same model in my collection. Not too odd as I worked for Sears from January, 1971 unitl I retired a while back. Anyway, Sears sold many of those over the years, mostly in the 1970s. This binocular is a 7X35 wide angle model with a view of 500 ft @ 1000 yds. It does have some pincushion distortion and the image is soft at the edges. BK 7 prisms. All typical of the day of smaller wide angle binoculars in the "consumer grade" category and sold by retailers like Sears, Wards, JC Penny, etc.
Still, if the collimation is good they can be so much better than your bare eyes when stargazing it is amazing. They are lightweight and easily carried around.
The objective barrels can easily be unthreaded if you are determined to clean the inside of the objective. If you clean the prism faces be very gentle as they are glued in place. You don't want them knocked loose and rattling around. The eyepiece end is a different matter as there is a large machine screw that has to be removed with a BIG flat blade screwdriver and quite a bit of force. Very easy to do some damage there. If you are determined to go further I can send you more details via a PM.
As I recall, I purchased my pair new in late 1970 or early 1972.
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Two dozen eyepieces, a dozen binoculars, a half dozen refractors, two reflectors and a homemade Image Intensifier Eyepiece (IIE). All products subject to change by the owner at any time.
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Terry,
A very interesting reply here. I'd like to comment a bit.
In 1969 and again in 1971 I bought a pair of Sears Discoverer 10x50 SWA binos. The 1971 pair was a replacement for the original '69 pair that had been stolen in 1970. IIRC both were identical.
I still have the 1971 pair. Unfortunately something got knocked out of alignment several years ago - perhaps a prism? - so they no longer perform properly (this is what led me to eventually purchase a pair of Celestron Nova 10x50 EWAs from Roger Tuthill in 1984. Same basic specs as the Sears models, tho with superior coatings. I still have these as well).
Specs displayed on the backs of the Discoverer prism housings show:
Left side: Sears Model No. 6277-A; Super Wide Angle; BAK-4 Prisms; Fully Amber coated optics
Right side: Discoverer 10x50mm; 420 ft @ 1000 yds; Magnesium Body; CD-01455
I'm wondering if they are essentially the same line as the 7x35 pair in question. Or were there various models available from Sears at that time? I seem to recall that the Discoverers were the top-of-the-line models offered back then; I'm pretty sure they were the most expensive.
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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hallelujah
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/06
Posts: 1668
Loc: Colorado Rocky Mt. High
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Mike,
Look anything like this?
http://www.astromart.com/common/image_popup.asp?image=/images/classifieds/587000-587999/587687-2.jpg
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Pentax 12x50mm PCF WP II FMC/WP/FP
Pentax 16x60mm PCF WP FMC/WP/FP
Pentax 20x60mm PCF WP II FMC/WP/FP
Orion 12x63mm Mini Giant FMC/JAPAN
Orion 15x70mm Little Giant II FMC/JAPAN
Orion 16x80mm Giant FMC/JAPAN
Orion 20x70mm Little Giant II FMC/JAPAN
Orion 30x80mm MEGAView FMC/JAPAN
Barska 30x80mm X-Trail LW FC
Burgess Optical Series II 20x90mm FMC/WP/FP
Handel's Messiah**Hallelujah! For the LORD God Omnipotent Reigneth
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StarStuff1
sage
Reged: 04/01/07
Posts: 438
Loc: East Tennessee
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Hi Mike,
I believe you are right. I seem to remember the lightweight 7X35s and possibly a lightweight 7X50 in a slightly larger body. The Discoverers did cost more, enough more that at that time I could not justify the extra expense. They were a little heavier even though the top of the line might have had a magnesium body. Bigger lenses and prisms do that. It is possible that I am remembering a JC Penney model.
Somewhere in a box in the basement I have a training booklet for new sales people that would be working in the department that sold telescopes and binoculars. If that book turns up I will check it for more info that may be pertinent here.
Terry
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Two dozen eyepieces, a dozen binoculars, a half dozen refractors, two reflectors and a homemade Image Intensifier Eyepiece (IIE). All products subject to change by the owner at any time.
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Bob K
member
Reged: 05/13/06
Posts: 17
Loc: NE Pennsylvania
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I have a Sears 7 x 35 WA with a 500' FOV. I got it in the early 70's and used it to watch Phila. Eagle football games mostly. As I recall it cost about 35 bucks then. My brother has it now along with my Leupold Yosemite 6 x 30. I used them both recently on his deck while watching hawks and other birds. Take my word for it, the Yosemite is a HECK of alot better. The Sears has very light blue coatings. It's reasonably sharp in the center 50% of it's view but it rapidly deteriorates toward the edges.
Bob K.
Bob
Edited by Bob K (10/01/08 10:28 PM)
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Stan,
That looks like a later model. Mine has the long black/silver aluminum center-focus wheel and EP surrounds, also screw-up aluminum eyeguards. The body covering is like a fake alligator hide[?]. I've attached a couple of photos.
Unfortunately I loaned these to a buddy a few years ago who proceded to wrap the entire bino in camo duct tape. I've yet to clean off the sticky whitish residue (quite obvious in the photos).
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Here is the other photo.
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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For comparison, here are my 1984-vintage Celestron Nova 10x50 EWAs. Essentially the same specs as the earlier Sears Discoverer. The Discoverer cost around $85 in 1971, the Celstrons, $230 in 1984.
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Terry,
That sounds interesting! I'd be very interested in what that booklet has to say. 
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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hallelujah
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/06
Posts: 1668
Loc: Colorado Rocky Mt. High
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Quote:
Unfortunately I loaned these to a buddy a few years ago who proceded to wrap the entire bino in camo duct tape..
Mike Rapchak Jr.
Are you still friends? 
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Pentax 12x50mm PCF WP II FMC/WP/FP
Pentax 16x60mm PCF WP FMC/WP/FP
Pentax 20x60mm PCF WP II FMC/WP/FP
Orion 12x63mm Mini Giant FMC/JAPAN
Orion 15x70mm Little Giant II FMC/JAPAN
Orion 16x80mm Giant FMC/JAPAN
Orion 20x70mm Little Giant II FMC/JAPAN
Orion 30x80mm MEGAView FMC/JAPAN
Barska 30x80mm X-Trail LW FC
Burgess Optical Series II 20x90mm FMC/WP/FP
Handel's Messiah**Hallelujah! For the LORD God Omnipotent Reigneth
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Stan,
Well, after I threatened to wrap him in his crummy camo tape he apologized. 
Mike
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GlennLeDrew
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 630
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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The eyepieces on those Novas look *exactly* like those on the 7x35 Novas whose body I used in one of my Franken-bino projects some years back. I'm pretty sure their focal length is very close to 19mm, perhaps 20mm, and the field stop diameters are 24.5mm. For a delivered true field of 8 degrees, the objective f.l. is probably 180mm (and likely not the calculated 175mm), or f/3.6, a commonly found spec for surplus bino objectives.
Just to compare: 10x50 with 8 deg. field, vs. 11x50 with 8.1 deg. field. 
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Home-made 11X50 right angle bino, 8.1 deg. FOV
Modified 26X100 bino, 3.5 deg. FOV
Mediocre minds discuss people. Good minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Glenn,
The Novas are the ones I mentioned a few days ago in my post about making a Franken-bino out of them and my Vixen 16x80s. The more I think about it, the happier I am that I never went beyond the "What if?" stage. I like both pair just the way they are: in one piece and functional (I'd probably have destroyed them for sure, and the Celestrons are essentially irreplaceable)!
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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desertrefugee
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 530
Loc: Arizona
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Quote:
Well, after I threatened to wrap him in his crummy camo tape he apologized.
Sheesh. After what he did to your binoculars, that seems somehow strangely unsatisfying.
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"Look now upon the River of Heaven, Sky-Road of the Immortals, White with the star-frost of a billion years".
+++
-Darrell
Reflectors (114, 150, 254mm), Refractors (60, 76.2, 80, 120), MCT (125), way too many Binoculars
Cave Creek/Carefree, AZ
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Mike Rapchak
sage
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 450
Loc: Indiana, USA
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At least he didn't tape up the optics...though knowing him it wouldn't have surprised me. 
Though these binos are old - some might consider them "vintage" - they're not in the greatest condition. What external coatings they once had have long since vanished, and as I mentioned before, they're somewhat out of alignment. I guess that's why I didn't get too upset about the tape. If they'd had been in good condition I never would have loaned them to him in the first place. I was a bit surprised when he returned them still in one piece, though it was hard to tell at first; they could've been in 5 pieces and it wouldn't have been noticeable with all that tape holding them together! 
Mike R.
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Simon S
super member
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 110
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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Funny how the oculars on the Celestrons look very Swift like to me. Some interesting binoculars, I have bid on some of these Sears models before, the attract a fair amount of attention!
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