Oberwerk/Bear 15x70mm
It appears that list messages are beginning to trickle through again. Weekend observing conditions were poor. Although crystal-clear skies looked promising around sundown, a persistant high haze and cirrus prevented a serious attempt to discern a difference in throughput between the Oberwerk and Bear binoculars. Just looking around, however, through the few "sucker holes", I could detect no difference at all in brightness between them. (Yes, I'm sure someone will tell me that it was crystal-clear at 3:30 am!) This tends to support my experience that one multi-coated surface among perhaps twelve (in these binoculars) doesn't increase throughput substantially enough to be noticed visually. Further testing is called for before I can really say with certainty "that's the way it is", due to the lousy seeing. Again I looked hard for a difference in field of view. This I can say with absolute certainty: There is no difference. The fields are exactly identical. I did feel a bit silly looking for this difference after I discovered that both have the same specification, by their respective distributors. I've been looking for differences between identical twins. These are the same binocular, made by the same manufacturer, but imported by different distributors. About the only difference so far, on my personal units, is that the Bear has ever-so-slightly less mechanical slop in the focusing mechanism. In practice, I could not see any negative effects of this with the Oberwerk. It felt fairly tight, just not as tight as the Bear. I'll keep comparing them as weather permits, and report any visual differences at all if I find any. In my opinion, and this what I want to stress, Bear owners have no reason to feel that they hold an inferior product to the Oberwerk. I'm still curious, Ron, as to whether you had a chance to repeat your comparison, and if you still stand by your pronouncement. If so, I would like to examine the same two units you used for your tests. I would be willing to drive to an OAS star-party for this, given enough notice. -Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com
.Chuck;
It will be a little hard to repeat the comparison as the Obies went to Australia last January with the owner.( Steve if you are still following events here why don't you weigh in on this, my visual acuity is in serious question?). But the Bears are still around( I think?). Dave Dunn,do you want to present exhibit "A" at the future bino event? As a side note, are any of you locals going to RTMC this coming week? We are loaded up and will be leaving Tuesday for the event. Will check e-mail Monday night to find out who to look for. Ron
I'm still curious, Ron, as to whether you had a chance to repeat your comparison, and if you still stand by your pronouncement. If so, I would like to examine the same two units you used for your tests. I would be willing to drive to an OAS star-party for this, given enough notice.
-Chuck
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Ron Vanderhule wrote:
Chuck;
It will be a little hard to repeat the comparison as the Obies went to Australia last January with the owner.
Of course. Then the best we can do is repeat the test with the units we've got. I'll have both units, each in perfect condition, (no comparing a collimated unit to a mis-aligned unit...that would explain a perceived brightness difference) at Binopalooza next month. If I can make any other star-parties between now and then, I'll bring them to those events also. I would like you to look through mine, Ron, if we can manage to be at the same place at the same time. Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com
Chuck, Sure I'll see you at RTMC this weekend(insert smiley face here)
Will probably miss Binopalooza. Will be in St.George then. Ron
, Ron, if we can manage to be at the same place at the same time.
Chuck
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Sorry, Ron, but I don't do Riverside, or any big national gatherings. Dave works just down the road from me, he's going to drop off his Bears for me to look over and collimate. C. --- karen vanderhule <nitesite@lgcy.com> wrote:
Chuck, Sure I'll see you at RTMC this weekend(insert smiley face here)
Will probably miss Binopalooza. Will be in St.George then. Ron
, Ron, if we can manage to be at the same place at the same time.
Chuck
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Chuck, Just wondering how the shorter/more compact parallogram bino mount was coming? Any drawings/ sketches/ dimensions / pic yet? Are you using square aluminum stock for the arms? What attaching them to? Wood block or aluminum something??? Maybe I am too far ahead of where you are in the construction. Would you have any part of it to bring along to next meeting next week? I would like to build one and like the idea of the adjustable Aluminum crutches, but wnated one more compact than the crutches make. Just my 4 cents worth (keep the change). Thanks Chuck, Jim Stitley --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote: __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com
Hi Jim: You wrote:
Just wondering how the shorter/more compact parallogram bino mount was coming? Any drawings/ sketches/ dimensions / pic yet? Are you using square aluminum stock for the arms? What attaching them to? Wood block or aluminum something???
The compact parallelogram is Bruce Grim's design, and already done. He used hardware-store aluminum and springs. He is not a list member, but I think he's bringing it to the Bino star-party. I am not making one of his designs. He was in Colorado over the weekend, Patrick may know when he will be back.
Maybe I am too far ahead of where you are in the construction. Would you have any part of it to bring along to next meeting next week?
I'm building a mostly aluminum, full-size parallelogram right now for myself, coming along nicely. I want it full-size for my 70mm binos. Probably will not be at the next SLAS meeting. Two meetings in a row? Me? Are you kidding? ;) I also plan to make one using either wood or hardware-store extruded aluminum, that uses minimal tools, per Rich's request. That one is priority #2. I want to get the bigger, more heavy-duty one for the star-party first.
I would like to build one and like the idea of the adjustable Aluminum crutches, but wnated one more compact than the crutches make. Just
Yeah, I agree with you; I felt Glen's crutch mount was a bit on the bulky side, but aluminum is definitely the way to go, large or small. Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com
Are there any pics of Bruces compact system? What kind of tripod is required for that design? Thanks so much for your insights ! Jim --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Jim:
You wrote:
Just wondering how the shorter/more compact parallogram bino mount was coming? Any drawings/ sketches/ dimensions / pic yet? Are you using square aluminum stock for the arms? What attaching them to? Wood block or aluminum something???
The compact parallelogram is Bruce Grim's design, and already done. He used hardware-store aluminum and springs. He is not a list member, but I think he's bringing it to the Bino star-party. I am not making one of his designs. He was in Colorado over the weekend, Patrick may know when he will be back.
Maybe I am too far ahead of where you are in the construction. Would you have any part of it to bring along to next meeting next week?
I'm building a mostly aluminum, full-size parallelogram right now for myself, coming along nicely. I want it full-size for my 70mm binos. Probably will not be at the next SLAS meeting. Two meetings in a row? Me? Are you kidding? ;)
I also plan to make one using either wood or hardware-store extruded aluminum, that uses minimal tools, per Rich's request. That one is priority #2. I want to get the bigger, more heavy-duty one for the star-party first.
I would like to build one and like the idea of the adjustable Aluminum crutches, but wnated one more compact than the crutches make. Just
Yeah, I agree with you; I felt Glen's crutch mount was a bit on the bulky side, but aluminum is definitely the way to go, large or small.
Chuck
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--- Jim Stitley <sitf2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
Are there any pics of Bruces compact system?
I don't know. You'll have to ask Bruce.
What kind of tripod is required for that design?
Bruce's design works with any commercial tripod with a standard pan/tilt head. C. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com
Jim Stitley wrote:
Are there any pics of Bruces compact system?
There have been a number of requests recently for pictures of this and that pieces of equipment. If anyone would care to email or snail mail me pictures of their equipment and / or observatories, I'd be happy to post them on the web. I'll start it off by posting pictures of my old observatories at http://planet.state.ut.us/slas/patrickw/patrickw02.html . Patrick :-)
I would LOVE to see inside-outside photos of homemade observatories of all types - simple to sophisticated. Would make two great websites . One on backyard observatories, and another on observing tools/mounts/chairs etc. --- Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote:
Jim Stitley wrote:
Are there any pics of Bruces compact system?
There have been a number of requests recently for pictures of this and that pieces of equipment. If anyone would care to email or snail mail me pictures of their equipment and / or observatories, I'd be happy to post them on the web. I'll start it off by posting pictures of my old observatories at http://planet.state.ut.us/slas/patrickw/patrickw02.html .
Patrick :-)
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participants (4)
-
Chuck Hards -
Jim Stitley -
karen vanderhule -
Patrick Wiggins