CELESTRON TRAILSEEKER 8x42 vs. NIKON MONARCH 7 8x42 (1 Viewer)

[Turaco]

Hello Bob,

I actually did find the slot behind the cap, but there's no way of adjusting the hinge here: The screw is so tight already, I feel I could only do damage by tightening it even more, as I'd have to use extreme force.

But well, where I live temperatures will come down sure and soon enough, so it isn't going to be a permanent problem at least.

Still, thanks a lot for the hint.

Raffaele

 

[ceasar]

Hi Raffaele,

Too bad about that but maybe one of the binocular collector/repair mavens who work on restoring Vintage Binoculars will see this and come up with a solution for you? You might inquire about it in the "Others" Sub Forum.

Bob

 

[Turaco]

Thanks again, Bob, I'll have a look there.

Meanwhile, there's still the hope of winning a pair of decent binos, shared by so many ... see you on Zen Ray's popular Everyone Is A Winner-Forum!

Raffaele

 

[perterra]

Hello Bob,

I actually did find the slot behind the cap, but there's no way of adjusting the hinge here: The screw is so tight already, I feel I could only do damage by tightening it even more, as I'd have to use extreme force.

But well, where I live temperatures will come down sure and soon enough, so it isn't going to be a permanent problem at least.

Still, thanks a lot for the hint.

Raffaele

Seems a shame to have to use it, but if it fits it might make them a little friendlier to use
http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-binoc-loc-binocular-hinge-lock

 

[ceasar]

Seems a shame to have to use it, but if it fits it might make them a little friendlier to use
http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-binoc-loc-binocular-hinge-lock

I've used that (on a Vortex binocular just to see how it worked) and it might do the trick. It worked OK but I had to take it off to put the binocular back in the case. I have a 69mm IPD.

Make sure to keep it locked just inside the narrowest point of your IPD so you can fine tune it to your IPD if you need to do so.

Bob

 

[Turaco]

Seems a shame to have to use it, but if it fits it might make them a little friendlier to use
http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-binoc-loc-binocular-hinge-lock

I've used that (on a Vortex binocular just to see how it worked) and it might do the trick. It worked OK but I had to take it off to put the binocular back in the case. I have a 69mm IPD.

Make sure to keep it locked just inside the narrowest point of your IPD so you can fine tune it to your IPD if you need to do so.

Bob

Thanks everyone for your efforts. It really looks like an interesting and easy solution, though, as Bob writes, you still have to fine tune the IPD anyway, especially when the object is very close.

So, till temperatures will go down again, I just keep putting my middle finger between the barrels. That's not a bad solution either, once you've got used to it. However, I'm rather often watching birds from a crouching position, resting my elbows on my knees, or with one knee on the ground, and then it's easier to put a thumb between the barrels from below ... one has to remain flexible.

Raffaele

 

[Troubador]

Lovely review Rafaele, thank you for posting.
Lee

 

[Turaco]

Cat food

No, the title doesn't refer to careless birds. It's the newest chapter on the TrailSeekers performance (or non-performance, if that is an English word).

Summer has come, and on the first hot day the hinge had become loose. Temperatures went down again soon - but, surprisingly, the central hinge didn't resume its normal functioning. What did that remind me of?

Exactly: of cat food! You may or may not know that type of cat food that comes in sealed bags and has a jelly-like "sauce". Now, if temperatures rise to about 30°C (or 86 degrees Fahrenheit), the jelly becomes liquid. The funny thing is, even when it gets cooler again, the sauce will stay liquid. If you want to jellify it again, you'll have to put it in the fridge for a few hours.

So, armed with this invaluable experience, I simply put my binos in the fridge for a night, hoping for the chemical-physical miracle.

But then, on the next morning - great disappointment! The hinge did show more resistance after having cooled down, but still the bino would immediately collaps under its own weight if you held one barrel in your hand.

Now, what's the good news about that? It's obvious: At Celestron's they don't use cat food jelly to grease their hinges!

The bad news: From a practical point of view, they use something even worse.

The next step will be that I'll write a detailled email to Celestron and ask for an advice ("What can I do now? Throw my TrailSeekers away and buy a decent bino from a decent company ...?")

I'll let you know the answer, if ever I get one.

Raffaele