[AZ-Observing] Re: 5 Mile Meadow report -- redux on binos
- From: gene lucas <geneluca@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:58:00 -0700
THX to Richard for the interesting notes on surplus military optics.
The "Big Ones" have been available (to collectors) in limited nos. ever
since WWI -- all the way up to 7 inch diameter. (The bigger the boat,
the larger the glasses!) A subsidiary of Northrop-Grumman (formerly
Litton) still makes 20 x 120mm (5 inch) "Big Eyes" (tm) for the U.S.
Navy today for shipboard use. However....to clarify the provenance of
the so-called "battleship binos" in question....
Dennis Young drove down to FH last Friday, for a "binocular
shoot-out"... His 9 pairs vs. my 11 pairs of wide angle binos. (He is
very interested in the pair of WWII SARD Mark 43 6 x 42 binoculars I
have - with a 12 degree field. NO, they are NOT for sale.) Plus my
Celestron 25 x 100mm Skymasters, vs. his pre-WWII Japanese "Fuji" large
15 x 110mm binoculars. (According to Dennis, apparently made by the
predecessor co. to Fuji Optical. These were difficult initially to
identify from the obscure makers' marks.) Not sure if the "Fuji's" were
>intended< for Japanese naval or battleship use -- let's just say,
military observation. They have the "rhombic" ca. 30 degree angle
prisms, not like the straight-through pair of 25 x 120mm Asian ship
binos I have in refurbishment.
Oh, I purchased three more pairs of binos at RTMC this year... one pair
from Dennis... bringing my small collection to about 28 pairs so far...
Dennis's big reflector is currently a 28 inch DOB.
Gene Lucas (17250)
Richard Harshaw wrote:
>The "Battleship binos" were probably actually from a Russian cruiser or
>destroyer, not a battleship. Our club in Kansas City had a similar pair and
>they were Russian navy surplus from World War II. Good optics, but heavy as
>a Russian tank!
>Richard Harshaw
>Cave Creek, AZ
>>Steve Dodder wrote:
>Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: 5 Mile Meadow report
>Steve D., I was there Sunday night when Dennis showed up and setup his
>scope, a bino chair and battleship binos (I believe that's what he said they
>were).
>
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