16" Binocular Telescope: Clive Milne

Dave's 16 Inch Binocular Telescope Page

19 May 2002 From: Clive Milne <[email protected]> Subject: ATM 20" F5 Binoculars (first impressions)

I don't have the energy (or the time) to give a full account of the first light with my binocular telescope, but here are a few impressions:
Firstly, they worked with only a few minor repairs and tweaks, and that was a pleasant surprise considering that I took delivery of the optics 2 hours before sunset. It would be fair to say that setting the things up proved to be a little 'quirky', but that was to be expected I suppose. As they stand, the design is entirely valid for a permanent set up, and the minor modifications I have planned should ease the pain of using them on a whimsical basis. Currently, set up is a 'non-trivial' undertaking, but the issues have relatively simple solutions and all will be addressed in due course.

Some of the positives include the off-set wire spiders, which amazed everyone who tested their stability. And of course the OTA alignment joystick, which streamlined the operation by two orders of magnitude. People who had never used a telescope before found no difficulty in observing with this instrument, and no one reported any eyestrain over the two nights. What can I say other than 'it works'. The views through the instrument are hard to describe. However, to give you an idea of the compelling nature of observing with giant binoculars, consider that the first night with them, they were effectively as good as an un-baffled instrument. Every moment was so precious that we elected not to trade eyepiece time for that required to baffle the instrument properly. I don't think I have ever heard so many 'Ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddds' uttered in a single night. Except of course for the second night when the baffling was greatly improved. I also had the opportunity to compare a few objects using a nearby 25" Obsession. While there is no denying that the views through it were quite stunning, and one could argue the merits of one instrument over the other based on limiting magnitude or faint detail perception, but that just misses the point completely. The incredible sense of total immersion in the reality of the experience is what binoculars are all about. The one positive impression that the 25" Obsession left me with was that I simply must build an even bigger pair of bino's :)

There is a negative side to observing with a giant binocular telescope though, and that is that the comfort level afforded by using both eyes means that people tend to 'hog' the eyepiece. I regularly had to suggest 'sorry, your time is up, let someone else have a look'.

As daylight now floods my eyes, I still vividly recall the visual spectacle of those first two nights. It was like seeing all my old favorite object again for the first time. The LMC truly defies description, field, after field, after field, of ghostly fluorescent gas studded with innumerable glittering diamonds. The stars of Omega Centauri so impossibly bright that the subtle contrasting hues of the stars themselves are clearly visible. Nameless planetary nebulae transformed into powder blue cotton balls in the sky. I also found myself appreciating double stars, star clusters and dark nebulae, classes of objects that previously never really managed to capture my interest. I found it hard not to be seduced by the shear beauty of them, they are truly transformed with the aid of binocular vision And of course Eta Carina... I lack the words and the skill with them to even hint at the staggering beauty of this nebula. You will have to come down and see it for your self. Finally I must give thanks to a few people in direct proportion to the assistance they gave me. Jos, thanks SO much for trusting me with your workshop. Onya mate! ;) Horst, pitching in made the difference. Christine, your patience with me made this possible. And lastly Mark Suchting, not just for his help with the mechanical aspects of the telescope, but also for the first class optical work on the primary mirrors. For the record... these primaries show no visible defects in the diffraction pattern when viewed on the test bench!!!!! I think that counts as a 1 on the Bratislav quality scale? My views on astronomy will never be the same.
Regards, Clive.