Ive been viewing the night skies for a few years with my Celestron CPC800 Go To Scope and while the views are magnificent through the Scope im finding the setup time consuming and the Telescope is quite heavy for me with a dodgy Back, and dont have access to an Observatory. I am looking at selling my Telescope and Accessories and im considering changing to viewing the Night Sky with Large Binoculars. I currently have a Nikon Aculon 8x42 Binoculars and their the first thing i use when viewing the Night sky most nights. The Binocular view is amazing compared to Single EyePiece viewing, and im starting to enjoy again Star Hopping and Looking at Charts compared to the GoTO which just takes you there. .

Ive been looking at a Couple of Binoculars on Telescope Express in Germany.

I have 5 double Sets of Eye Pieces from 9, 12, 15, 22, 30mm that I had with from a Bino Viewer, and I want to use these in a new Large Binoculars.

Are there any experienced people here with Large Binoculars that would have any advice when choosing one. Ive also been looking at a mount for the Binoculars and the one that came up was an Orion Parallelogram as being the most Stable for large Binoculars. Also would you go for a 45 or 90 Deg view Ive read that 45deg is more suitable for Landscape views and the 90deg for Zenith Astronomy Views. Here are two ive been looking at. Any advice appreciated. Most of my viewing is in my Back Garden

TS Optics 70mm App Binoculars with No Mount.

www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_inf...es-and-90--View.html

Vixen Binoculars BT81S with Fork Mount and Tripod Package

www.astroshop.eu/instruments/vixen-binoc...979#tab_bar_2_select

Hello, I hope you don't mind me piggybacking
Into your thread. I've the exact same question looking for some advice on large binos. The 45 vs 90 degree question is one that vexes me.
Cheers
Emlyn.

How about the likes of this?

apm-telescopes-englisch.shopgate.com/item/333632373431

What ive read on Cloudy Nights was that  90Deg  is ideal if  your looking straight up to the Zenith mainly, and its less strain on your Neck, but other posters mentioned that  45Deg Eyepieces angle was a good compromise allowing you also do some Terrestrial viewing.  Here is a discussion i found with varying opinions.    www.cloudynights.com/topic/590544-45-or-...ee-100mm-binoculars/  

Thanks for that. It seems 90 is the way to go. What model are you looking at yourself?

Sorry I see the ones you are looking at in your post.

I know APM   Binoculars are top of the range. Id really like to be able to look through a large pair of  Binoculars with my EyePieces  so im not rushing into any purchase as i dont want to purchase equipment that i wont use on a regular basis.  Sofar  just using my   Nikon  8X42  Binoculars and the view with them is magnificent but can be  a strain looking up   at 90deg with these Straight through binoculars.  

Hi guys, I've gone down this route and have never looked back ! I got my APM120's just 4 years ago and the views are spectacular. These are the 90 degree version. I changed from an 8 inch SCT and a triplet APO William optics 110 FLT scope, the SCT is sold, and I barely use the 110FLT anymore.

I also bought a berlebach wooden tripod and the APM fork mount to complete my set up. 

Set up of this is a sinch, it takes me roughly 6-7 minutes, I bring out the tripod, attach the wooden plate sitting under the fork mount to hold the eyepieces and place the APM120's on top with two heavy duty screws. I then attach my LED finder on top and away I go.

The pros:
1. Easy set up time
2. Will take any eyepiece's to suit your views.1.25 inch barrels, spring loaded and locked
3. Superb optics, stars are pinsharp
4. Two eyes are better than one  - period !
5. 90 degree or 45 degree - the choice is yours, I prefer 90, i find it gives greater access to the over all sky
6. Full alt-az control manually, smooth operation in both axes
7. These operate at f5.5, so are quite widefield, but also available in 70 to 100mm

The cons:
1. Are expensive, and need quality eyepieces to get the most from them
2. You need two eyepieces of same focal length
3. Binoculars are 10kg - if you want to call that heavy

I just wish I could bring them to a starparty to show you - once you look through these, you are Sold

www.apm-telescopes.de/en/binoculars/gian...m-aperture-more.html

I hope that this helps !

Keith..

I also forgot to mention -  If you are going for these or similar, Black friday weekend in November is the time to buy, Markus at APM usually will take 10-15% off the prices on the website

Keith..

Im currently consider  purchasing a Used   Celestron Echelon  16x70 Binoculars and Orion   Paragon Plus Parallelogram and  Tripod which is going for about  Half Price of  the New Kit.  The  cheapest Price I could find  new was  £500 + Shipping from Bristol Optics.

Astroshop.eu are quoting  €973 for these  Binoculars so theyre a lot more expensive  than the
Celestron SkyMaster Pro Series.    Add  in the  Pargon + Parallelogam for  €300 from  Orion.
The Monster Orion Parallelogram is  about  €500+

I think this would be an excellent setup and If i really take to Binocular Observing I could
consider adding a Larger Binocular with  facility to use my Double EyePiece sets in future.

Is there anyone in IFAS using these binoculars.  Reviews on Cloudy Nghts have been pretty good.
www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/binoc...on-16x70-binoculars/

Hi Keith
Thanks for the excellent review of your  APM / 120  Binoculars.     Id love to have a view through these special binoculars, hopefully  not too distant future.     I can only imaging the views through them as I think the views through my  Nikon  8x42s handheld binoculars   are pretty  impressive  for scanning the night sky.  What are you primary  observational Targets with these Binoculars,  and whats your favorite Eye Piece size to use with these.   If  your ever thinking about selling them   let us know, though i doubt youd part with these unless your looking  for a larger setup  where  the sky seems to be the limit.

They look particularly well on the berlebach Tripod and  APM  Fork Mount.  The  90Deg Viewing Eye Piece seem to be the most popular  from reviews on Cloudy Nights as  doesnt put so much strain on your neck looking down.  

regards
Stephen 

Could  i ask what the Field of View or rather what  objects fits into the field of view of these particular binoculars, or is there a way of me finding out what i would see say in  APM 100mm  Binoculars for example without trying them first.
Thank You. 

Hi Stephen, sorry for my late reply. I love using these for scanning milkyway fields plus looking at the planets, although the planets can seem small, as these are primarily designed to give a wide field of view. Starclusters and globulars are superb, mindblowing on a clear night. You could check out an app called 'Gasgiants' which will project a view of Jupiter and Saturn through you eyepiece in real time too showing where the moons are placed. To be honest the moon is too bright but beautifully pinsharp

I use the following eyepieces:
24mm - x28, 2.3 degree field of view
18mm (these are included with the purchase of these binos, I believe you will get these also with the 100mm and maybe the 82mm/70mm) x37 1.7 degree field of view
12.5mm - x53 1.2 degree field of view
9mm - x73 0.9 degree field of view
3-6mm zooms also

I would also certainly advocate getting the parrallogram mount, I have the Orion one since 2006 and reguarly use this with my 15x70mm's. These give me a 4 degree field of view. Their simplicity is their strength, set up time is about 5 minutes and very portable. If you are with someone else you don't even have to change the orientation of the mount as it can be brough up and down to suit anyone's height and still have the target in the field of view. Perfect for the likes of this week where the weather hasn't been great, and you have an hour or two of clear sky. Also they are much cheaper than the APM set up obviously, but hey check these out.

Keith..

Thanks for the advice.  I've just received a used Paragon Parallelogram Tripod and Celestron Echelon  16x70 Binoculars that I bought on Astrobuysell.com to go with my pair of Nikon 8x42 Binoculars.

I. also purchased a copy of Phillips  Stargazing with Binoculars and I also have an old copy of binocular Astronomy by Patrick Moore.

I know you could use Moon filters with your eyepieces but I read on Cloudy Nights that you can use a pair of Polaroid Sun glasses to do the same job reducing the moon's glare.

I'm going to do up an observation list from the books and keep a log of my observations.

I'd love.to have a view sometime through your APM binoculars, but that wont be for a while.  Just need a clear night now to get out and do some observing and thanks agsin for your help
regards
Stephen

I couldn't find an App called Gas Giants. Would you have a link for that.  Here is my equipment and I have the Nikon 8x42 on top for comparison.  I must get a  Strap to hold the two binoculars together, or see if there's a heavy duty bracket that would hold them together.  The setup only takes 5 minutes and just did some focusing of each eyepiece as both are IF Binoculars. I'm going to get the Celestron  Smartphone holder so I can try taking some images.  Ive joined a Face Book group for Smartphone Astrophotography and it's remarkable some of the images taken with a good Smartphone camera. Just need a clear night now to start some observing.
Stephen.

Lovely job Stephen, I have a similar set up, enjoy those nights with them ! I would recomend startign aroung the constellatio Scutum with these, not too hihg up in the south at the moment, packed with starclusters and rich milkyway fields. 

I have a link here for the gas giants on iphone if it helps:

apps.apple.com/us/app/gas-giants/id397831483

Keith.

Ill give Scutum  a Try out next time weve a clear night.  I was just checking it in Stelarium and theres  a lot to see there.  I was out for a couple of hours this evening as it was the first time I got  to use the Binoculars with the Parallelogram.    I was working my way around   Ursa Major,   Auriga and Taurus attempting to do some Star hopping using  Sky Safari, but to be honest i found it awkward to use and doesnt  really point in the correct  part of the sky but i was able  to figure out.  Id probably be better off with printed Star Charts   or have one of the Binocular  Viewing  Books to hand.  Im sure once I familiarize myself with one Constellation  I can then jump across to another one.    I think this will be the best part of using the Binoculars, discovering the Night Sky  and building up a knowledge of the  Constellations, Asterisms and Galaxy locations without needing my  GoTo Mount that ive used in the past on my  CPC800.
regards
Stephen 

Yes keep at it, what you can do is simply start with something bright, say Jupiter, the Moon, the Pleiades. Just align the centre of the binoculars to any bright object and it should be in the field of view.

One thing is to make sure the height of the binos are equivalent to your eyes. You won't go far wrong. Even after a while, you won't need star charts that much

Keith.

Ive managed to have a  couple of nights of observing  and taking your advice about familiarizing myself with  a few Bright Stars.   I can easily identify the  Plough  and its Stars,  Capella,  Vega, Arturus , Castor, Pollox,  Aldebaran  easily in the night sky so il can work around these for the time being.    I was also looking at Cassiopeia last night through the  haze of Fireworks for an hour before it clouded over.  With it being so high in the Sky  i woke up with a very sore Neck  as I have had   Disc problems in my Neck and back.      That makes me realize Ill have to get a  Binocular  Telescope at some stage with the 90Deg EyePiece angle  for viewing at the Zenith.  I also read about getting  a Zero Gravity Chair or a  Camp Chair/ Recliner to lie on when looking at the zenith, reading through the   Cloudy Night Binocular Forum.
Thank You
Stephen 

Hi Stephen. You dont even need preexisting back problems to feel the pain in that situation. But an old deck chair is perfect for looking straight up. Binoculars are a great piece of kit for an amateur enthusiast, especially when adding even a cheap tripod to keep them dead still.

Enjoy!!

Sean