Carwindow head (1 Viewer)

Hi to all,

I am interested in a carwindowhead were I can mount my Opticron MM3 on.
Wich are the 'better' choises? I have seen one from Opticron itself and also a small wooden Berlebach, but that is one without a head.

Any suggestions would be welcome since I have no possibility to test any..

Grtz

For a small and lightweight scope such as the MM3, I recommend going with a simple one that secures to the window glass and that locks pan and tilt with a single handle (Larger scopes may require bigger brackets that attach to the door and that are cumbersome to use). The one that I like and have been using since ~1990 is Cabela's branded but has been available from other brands including Bushnell, Nikon, and Opticron. In fact, apart from being painted black and having a different brand label, mine is _identical_ (clearly, made by the same factory in Japan) to this Opticron.

https://www.amazon.com/Opticron-405...or+scope&qid=1576083757&s=electronics&sr=1-25

The price of this type of head (around ~$50, even back in 1990s!) has always seemed excessive to me for what it is, but provided you are satisfied with its performance, it is a lifetime purchase because it is indestructible. Mine has been used heavily for many years and with heavier scopes (Nikon 78ED) than it is really designed for. If you want to make it a bit fancier, consider adding an extension plate to your scope foot so you can achieve good balance (the head has no real fluid action or counter balance--you just lock it by twisting the handle once it is properly pointed). You could even find an appropriate Arca-type clamp to thread on (or even bolt on semi-permanently) to the window mount to receive a sliding QR plate.

--AP

That is exactly the one I was looking at!
I also found one similar model produced by Triton for half the price. I might give it a try for 26€, maybe the price will drop when new-year has past, although it is not that much.
Do the rotations work smoothly on your Opticron?

Grtz

Nivado said:

That is exactly the one I was looking at!
I also found one similar model produced by Triton for half the price. I might give it a try for 26€, maybe the price will drop when new-year has past, although it is not that much.
Do the rotations work smoothly on your Opticron?

Grtz

Click to expand...

I looked up Triton car window mount on Google images, and based on everything I saw, I would caution against it. It doesn't look like a robust design. One of the virtues of the Opticron model is that it is super robust. You can crank down the handle to lock the movement _very hard_ without fear of stripping threads, cracking pinch collars, breaking blocks, etc. As I noted before, I've been using mine very hard for decades and it is still working as good as new. It is mostly metal in construction, with some rubber and foam (which has not deteriorated) to contact the window. The only thing that failed (after 30 years of hard use) was the plastic material that forms the handle grip. It crumbled where it contacted the metal handle and broke off. I chipped away the remaining plastic, scored the metal rod a bit with a file, then formed a new handle grip (actually better in design, with triangular cross section shape, than the original) out of JB Weld epoxy putty. I've since used it for about 10 years with no problems.

As for the rotations of the head, when the handle is twisted to unlock, it moves freely (no resistance, no damping, no counter-balance), so you have to hold on after loosening it, then twist to lock when aimed as desired. It is very easy. Once locked, the head does not budge along the vertical axis, but with force it can be moved to horizontally pan. Mine hasn't become loose or developed any play in the movements even with such abuse.

--AP

OK,

Thx for your reply and advise!
Than it is probably the one to go with

Grtz