Binoculars bearing compass

[Roberto]

I read a few threads about binoculars, with an interesting array of opinions

What are your impressions with the binoculars bearing compasses ?


At night, when there is traffic I use my stand alone bearing compass quite a bit and I am quite happy with that. It is one of the blue Plastimo (?) things.


Is the compass integrated with the binos "better", does it provide better readings, better stability ?
Does the compass have a light? does it have a battery which needs replacing ?


I once had a steiner commander binoculars with compass and they could not not last till the end of the second season, the compass being simply un-readable, day or night. There were a lot of people sharing my former boat at that time so it may have been due to unproper handling, I do not know.


I read that I should try by myself and make my own mind, not sure that taking bearings with binos at the boat show can be too meaningful..

thanks for any opinions

r

 

[geoid96]

I tend to use to use the hand bearing compass for quick fixes on converging ships etc., and the compass on the binoculars for when I'm trying to get the bearings of lights or other features to fix my position on the chart. Both have their uses, but the hand bearing is far easier when the boat is bouncing around a bit.

At night I have also used the hand bearing to get an approximate bearing on a faint light and then used the compass in the binos. to find the target and improve the measurement accuracy.

 

[prv]

I use both hand compass and the compass in the binos. The main use for the latter is to find a buoy or other target which I know is on a particular bearing. If I had to choose between a compass in the binoculars and a separate hand compass, I'd choose the separate compass, it does get more use.

The binocular compass is illuminated by daylight in the daytime (there's a translucent plastic panel that lets the light in) or by a red LED at night. There is a small battery for that under a lid that unscrews.

Pete

 

[pcatterall]

I used both quite a lot in my hydrographic work. The one in the binos ( mine was actually a monocular and a bit easier to handle afloat) came into its own for distant bouys and shore objects which needed magnification to identify.
Not seen the monucular version recently I would buy one for boat use.
Slightly off thread but I am amazed at how many people have so much trouble using binos. Non of my last motley crew could use them so I was often trying to steer, hold my cup of tea and use the binos at the same time!! ( poor delegation I know!!)

 

[geoid96]

......
Not seen the monucular version recently I would buy one for boat use.
......

Amazon and others sell the Celestron Oceana 8 x 42 Monocular with Compass. I have no idea if it is any good.

 

[ctva]

I have the Compass version of the binos which I use all the time due to accuracy and the ability to pick out distant objects very accurately. The red night light which is operated by a press button is good too with a replaceable battery. I too have a hand bearing compass which I tend to use for close quarter work. The Compass binos have worked well for 10years so far.

 

[pcatterall]

mine had a detachable pistol grip which seemed to lend itself to use if there was any motion.

 

[Roberto]

thank you all for your comments

 

[actionoptics]

binocular and pistol grip

mine had a detachable pistol grip which seemed to lend itself to use if there was any motion.

Most modern bino's have a tripod socket built in and you can get an L shaped bracket
to fit the bino to a tripod. But, instead of a tripod, the bracket can be fitted to a pistol grip.
The sort that came with old cine cameras. I occasioanlly fit a bino like this for customers who have difficulty holding a bino up to there eyes due to medical problems.