Binojunky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/25/10
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Sarkikos]
#5683222 - 02/16/13 11:00 AM
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I just got a e-mail that mine have shipped with a tracking number, 5 days after they arrived at my house in Canada, oh well!,DA 
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Sarkikos
Postmaster
Reged: 12/18/07
Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Binojunky]
#5683366 - 02/16/13 12:07 PM
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The sky was clear a couple nights ago so I was able to take out my Montana's for a first light. The transparency and seeing were at least average. The NELM here is 4.5, maybe 5. (I can almost always see Sigma Orionis.)
I brought out a three-leg fold-up camping stool but not a tripod, since these binos don't have a socket for connection. So I viewed through the binos hand-held, of course, most of the time while sitting. The focus was easy with the center adjustment knob and diopter switch. The focus did not slip but held steady.
There was some field curvature, I believe, because if the binos were focused to be sharp on-axis they were a bit fuzzy toward edge-of-field, and vice versa. I tried the old trick of focusing somewhere between on-axis and EOF, but that usually doesn't work well for me. My eyes have lost much of their accommodation. So instead I focused sharply on-axis. But the FC was not so bad. I did not notice any appreciable astigmatism or distortion.
The field of view was very wide. The Pleiades took up only the central third or less of the FOV. The Double Cluster and Stock 2 looked rather puny, much smaller than their size in telescopes. The Hyades were well contained within the FOV. I could even view M37, M36 and M38 in the same field! In fact, I could position Saiph and Rigel in Orion at opposite ends of the FOV, and still see both of them at the very EOF. Betelgeuse and Bellatrix were easily visible at either side of the field. From this I estimate the TFOV to be about 8* 20'.
Other objects I looked at were the open clusters M41 in Sirius, M50 in Monoceros, M46 and M47 in Puppis, M44 and M67 in Cancer, M52 in Cassiopeia, M34 in Perseus, and M35 in Gemini. I viewed M42 and M43, but the scale was too small for a good look. I also saw Kemble's Cascade, another object which appeared smaller than I'm used to in the 8-1/3 degree FOV.
I looked for but could not see M1, M78, M79 and M51, but those objects can be difficult here in the red zone, especially for small apertures.
Mike
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Sarkikos
Postmaster
Reged: 12/18/07
Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Sarkikos]
#5683381 - 02/16/13 12:15 PM
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I went through my "Bino Stuff" box and found a couple caps for the Montana's objectives. These are the kind of caps that attach to the barrels through flexible rings and remain attached by rubber thongs when the objectives are uncovered.
I had ordered them for other binos but they did not fit those. But they do fit the Montana's just right! I did not like the objective caps that came with the Montana's. These flip-down caps are great replacements.
Mike
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gaz-in
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/07
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Sarkikos]
#5684871 - 02/17/13 10:05 AM
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Got mine today.....very very nice for $80. Sharp, clear, bright, and snap to focus....build quality seems very good.
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: gaz-in]
#5684992 - 02/17/13 11:19 AM
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Quote:
Got mine today.....very very nice for $80. Sharp, clear, bright, and snap to focus....build quality seems very good.
You did good.
Can everyone stop gloating about their $80 7x42 Meade Montana's? Please, Please..
My rear-end is getting sore from kicking myself in the butt for not buying another pair. 
Jon
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panhard
It's All Good
Reged: 01/20/08
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5685024 - 02/17/13 11:38 AM
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Quote:
Quote:
Got mine today.....very very nice for $80. Sharp, clear, bright, and snap to focus....build quality seems very good.
You did good.
Can everyone stop gloating about their $80 7x42 Meade Montana's? Please, Please..
My rear-end is getting sore from kicking myself in the butt for not buying another pair.
Jon
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gaz-in
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/07
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: panhard]
#5685183 - 02/17/13 01:04 PM
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My endcap says "Bresser" on it? Are Bresser and Meade the same company?
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
Reged: 04/30/03
Loc: NE Ohio
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: gaz-in]
#5685228 - 02/17/13 01:28 PM
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Bresser used to be a German subsidiary but I think Meade recently sold that operation.
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: gaz-in]
#5685551 - 02/17/13 05:11 PM
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Quote:
My endcap says "Bresser" on it? Are Bresser and Meade the same company?
My 10 year old Montana's also have a Breeder eyepiece endcap...
Jon
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KennyJ
The British Flash
Reged: 04/27/03
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5685695 - 02/17/13 06:26 PM
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My endcap says "Bresser" on it? Are Bresser and Meade the same company?
< My 10 year old Montana's also have a Breeder eyepiece endcap...>
I seem to recall Breeder was an exceedingly short-lived company,formed by an amalgamation of Bresser and Meade.
I heard they were going to call the company Breed, but the folks at Bresser thought that too similar sounding to Meade, suggesting Messer as an alternative,until after agreeing to discount further suggestions of Bressmeade, Meadsser and Bressmeadowski,the committee finally agreed upon Breeder.
The Montana,I understand,was originally designated Fontana,until objections from lawyers representing 1960s British pop group,Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders.
Frontana was then put forward,until it was pointed out that Frontana was the old South American term for the noise birders made after accidentally swallowing a chaffinch whilst yawning.
Hence the name Breeder Montana came about, soon changed to Meade Montana,after it was revealed Bresser were only to be responsible for supplying the lanyard and carry case.
Interestingly,the original specification for this model was also the subject of much debate. To compete with the market for an older Pentax model, the people at Meade wanted to produce a 7.1x43, while researchers at Bresser pushed hard for what they considered a glaring potential niche in the market for a 6.9x41 model,until a compromise was finally reached with the 7x42.
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gaz-in
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/07
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: KennyJ]
#5685974 - 02/17/13 09:15 PM
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Very interesting....helps explain the "Bresser" lens cover on my new Meade Montana...thanks
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Robert A.
sage
Reged: 01/21/05
Loc: Milwaukee, WI Northern USA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: gaz-in]
#5686221 - 02/17/13 11:52 PM
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The first time I remember this binoculars was excitedly written about in October 2007.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbarchive/-- Great deal on some Meade binos ...
And again in November 2011.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/...Meade Montana 7x42 Binocular
I hope you guys like them!
Rob.
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Jay_Bird
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/04/06
Loc: USA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Robert A.]
#5687476 - 02/18/13 06:08 PM
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Thanks for calling out the special.
These give nice daytime views so far (no night use yet).
Compact but heavy, with comfortable shape and finish. Eyecups stay put, diopter firm, focus is about 1 turn of knob near to far limits. Seems like a lot of quality for $80. 55-56° may not be wide-angle apparent FOV, but it's comfortable, and 8° true field is nice. With a deal like this I can afford the upgrade to a pair of waterproof roofs for our 'kitchen windowsill/back door' binos...
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John Kuraoka
sage
Reged: 12/12/12
Loc: Sunny San Diego, CA
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Jay_Bird]
#5706002 - 02/28/13 07:05 PM
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Just a quick heads-up that this weekly deal is on again.
http://store.meade.com/7x42-montana-binoculars-with-strap-and-carry-case.html
I bought one the last time, and have been very happy with it. (If you scroll back a ways in this thread you can read my quickie report on it.)
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gaz-in
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/07
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: John Kuraoka]
#5706032 - 02/28/13 07:24 PM
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I am just thrilled with mine....brought several. Once for the camper, one for around the house and one for a Christmas gift.....
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Stacy
Star Partyer
Reged: 09/15/02
Loc: 48.0153° N, 122.0625° W
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: gaz-in]
#5706102 - 02/28/13 08:00 PM
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I just ordered a pair.
Interesting that it went through a service called "Shopatron". I use Shopatron at work. It's a service that awards orders placed on corporate websites to dealers (who request to fill the orders) based on their physical locations and stock availability.
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Binojunky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/25/10
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Stacy]
#5707057 - 03/01/13 12:04 PM
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Due to the awefull weather here in Ontario mine have been used for watching the bird feeder,however it will be clear tonight though very cold, I can,t believe how good these are for the modest outlay ,DA 
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Stacy
Star Partyer
Reged: 09/15/02
Loc: 48.0153° N, 122.0625° W
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Binojunky]
#5707140 - 03/01/13 01:02 PM
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Yes, it will be interesting to compare them head-to-head with my Vanguard Endeavor ED 8X42 that got a perfect score and top place for binos under $600 from birdwatchersdigest.com. 
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Binojunky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/25/10
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Stacy]
#5707457 - 03/01/13 04:36 PM
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Well I have the Vanguard Spirit ED 8x42 which cost me a lot more than the Montanas, other than the fact its a 7x42 and is from Japan instead off China I can,t see any difference between the two,DA.
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mooreorless
Just worried
Reged: 07/05/05
Loc: Cornpropst Mills,Huntingdon,Pa
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Re: 7x42 Montana Binoculars with Strap and Carry Case
[Re: Binojunky]
#5709572 - 03/02/13 09:09 PM
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I had to order one of these Breeder Meade Fontana Montana 7x42 binocular.
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