Sirius Birder
Member
I recently purchased a TSN-883. My old Kowa was a straight-thru TSN-2. What a difference!
One problem with the TSN-883 (and other angled eyepiece scopes) is that the angled eyepiece makes it harder to aim vertically. I suppose that you can get accustomed to this over time and do a better job aiming, but I wanted to use some kind of aiming device.
I recently read the previous thread about using a plastic cable tie to make such an aiming device. I tried it, but it wasn't really what I wanted. For one thing, the Kowa eyepiece is so big and long, and the scope is so short, that the free end of the cable tie needs to stick up several inches. The other problem for me is that I don't want to compromise my scope cover by putting a slit in it for the aiming device to stick up through.
I wanted to make an aiming device that could be folded down when I wanted to zip up the scope cover, and could be pushed back up when the scope cover is zipped open for use. What I came up with works perfectly, is sturdy, and is fairly easy to make if you have a few tools. I will describe the device below.
The aiming device is made from a 6.5 inch diameter metal hose clamp, the type which is tightened by the use of a built-in screw. The particular hose clamp I used is solid metal over about two thirds of its length, and has the threaded portion (a series of diagonal slits) of the clamp covering about the last third of its length. You will need to use this type.
First, unscrew the hose clamp and use a hack saw or similar device to cut off the built-in screw part of the clamp, which can be discarded. Then take the remaining portion of the clamp, and wrap it around the rubberized sun-shade portion of the scope, just to get some idea of how much of the clamp it will take to make the circumference of the sun-shade. Then, starting at the solid (unthreaded end) of the clamp, use heavy duty pliers to bend back by 90 degrees about a half-inch portion of the clamp end. Wrap the clamp tightly back around the sun-shade again and mark carefully where to make the same bend toward the other end of the clamp so that the two bent up ends of the clamp will fit flush when mechanically tightened. The two half-inch bent-up portions will need to fit nearly flush on the top of the scope, where they will later securely hold the fold-up and fold-down portion of aiming device.
Once you have made the two bends and the two cuts, you will need to find a short (1/2 or 3/4 inch) hex-head bolt and nut which will hold the two ends of the clamp together. The threaded portion of the bolt should have a diameter of about 1/8th inch. You will need to carefully drill a hole in the exact center of each bent-up portion of the clamp, such that the bolt will fit snugly through these holes.
The fold-up and fold-down portion of the device will be made from the left over length of the hose clamp. You will need to straighten this piece out. One end of this piece will be entirely threaded (with slits in the metal), while the other end should have some solid portion left. Take the solid end of this left over piece, and drill the same diameter hole in it about 3/16 inches from the end. This piece will need to be fitted between the other two bent-up clamp ends, and the whole thing bolted together over the extreme back end of the rubberized sun-shade.
It you have measured everything just right, when it is all tightened up, the clamp will be tight around the back end of the sun shade, and the straight piece will be held firmly, but can be moved into an upright position or folded down against the top of the scope. The fabric scope cover can now be replaced on the scope. You will find that with the sun shade in its retracted position, the aiming device can be pushed upright with about an inch of the top zipper still upzipped.
Now to determine the needed height of the aiming device, look through your scope at some distant object. Then take your eye away from the eyepiece and sight across the top of the eyepiece and the aiming device to the distant object. Place a piece of tape at the exact position on the aiming device where eyepiece top, distant object, and aiming device line up. You can now use heavy duty pliers, hack saw or other method to cut off the excess length of the aiming device above your tape mark. With my 883, the airming device sticks up about 3.25 inches above the scope body, but only about 2.5 inches above the scope cover when in use. You can use a file or grinding wheel of some sort to round off the rough edges of the metal pieces, so that they do not tear the scope cover or cut your hand.
I think you will find that this aiming device works as well or better than the plastic cable tie and has the good quality of being collapsible, in that it can be folded up or down as needed.
In case you don't get the basic idea behind this device, please read the previous thread, which ended with a picture of how it was done. That should allow you to understand basically how any of these devices work.
One problem with the TSN-883 (and other angled eyepiece scopes) is that the angled eyepiece makes it harder to aim vertically. I suppose that you can get accustomed to this over time and do a better job aiming, but I wanted to use some kind of aiming device.
I recently read the previous thread about using a plastic cable tie to make such an aiming device. I tried it, but it wasn't really what I wanted. For one thing, the Kowa eyepiece is so big and long, and the scope is so short, that the free end of the cable tie needs to stick up several inches. The other problem for me is that I don't want to compromise my scope cover by putting a slit in it for the aiming device to stick up through.
I wanted to make an aiming device that could be folded down when I wanted to zip up the scope cover, and could be pushed back up when the scope cover is zipped open for use. What I came up with works perfectly, is sturdy, and is fairly easy to make if you have a few tools. I will describe the device below.
The aiming device is made from a 6.5 inch diameter metal hose clamp, the type which is tightened by the use of a built-in screw. The particular hose clamp I used is solid metal over about two thirds of its length, and has the threaded portion (a series of diagonal slits) of the clamp covering about the last third of its length. You will need to use this type.
First, unscrew the hose clamp and use a hack saw or similar device to cut off the built-in screw part of the clamp, which can be discarded. Then take the remaining portion of the clamp, and wrap it around the rubberized sun-shade portion of the scope, just to get some idea of how much of the clamp it will take to make the circumference of the sun-shade. Then, starting at the solid (unthreaded end) of the clamp, use heavy duty pliers to bend back by 90 degrees about a half-inch portion of the clamp end. Wrap the clamp tightly back around the sun-shade again and mark carefully where to make the same bend toward the other end of the clamp so that the two bent up ends of the clamp will fit flush when mechanically tightened. The two half-inch bent-up portions will need to fit nearly flush on the top of the scope, where they will later securely hold the fold-up and fold-down portion of aiming device.
Once you have made the two bends and the two cuts, you will need to find a short (1/2 or 3/4 inch) hex-head bolt and nut which will hold the two ends of the clamp together. The threaded portion of the bolt should have a diameter of about 1/8th inch. You will need to carefully drill a hole in the exact center of each bent-up portion of the clamp, such that the bolt will fit snugly through these holes.
The fold-up and fold-down portion of the device will be made from the left over length of the hose clamp. You will need to straighten this piece out. One end of this piece will be entirely threaded (with slits in the metal), while the other end should have some solid portion left. Take the solid end of this left over piece, and drill the same diameter hole in it about 3/16 inches from the end. This piece will need to be fitted between the other two bent-up clamp ends, and the whole thing bolted together over the extreme back end of the rubberized sun-shade.
It you have measured everything just right, when it is all tightened up, the clamp will be tight around the back end of the sun shade, and the straight piece will be held firmly, but can be moved into an upright position or folded down against the top of the scope. The fabric scope cover can now be replaced on the scope. You will find that with the sun shade in its retracted position, the aiming device can be pushed upright with about an inch of the top zipper still upzipped.
Now to determine the needed height of the aiming device, look through your scope at some distant object. Then take your eye away from the eyepiece and sight across the top of the eyepiece and the aiming device to the distant object. Place a piece of tape at the exact position on the aiming device where eyepiece top, distant object, and aiming device line up. You can now use heavy duty pliers, hack saw or other method to cut off the excess length of the aiming device above your tape mark. With my 883, the airming device sticks up about 3.25 inches above the scope body, but only about 2.5 inches above the scope cover when in use. You can use a file or grinding wheel of some sort to round off the rough edges of the metal pieces, so that they do not tear the scope cover or cut your hand.
I think you will find that this aiming device works as well or better than the plastic cable tie and has the good quality of being collapsible, in that it can be folded up or down as needed.
In case you don't get the basic idea behind this device, please read the previous thread, which ended with a picture of how it was done. That should allow you to understand basically how any of these devices work.
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