(meteorobs) Holding Binoculars steady

[Swift, Wesley]

 	About a decade ago I came up with a solution for wobbly
binoculars that falls in the "Why didn't my grandfather show me this"
category.   Although I having been showing folks this for a decade, it
is only recently that I have run across folks that already know this
one:

1)  Put on a baseball cap or other hard billed cap right way about.
2)  Raise binoculars to your eyes and squeeze the bill of the cap
between your fingers and the binoculars.
3)  Push back on the cap locking the binoculars to your forehead and
relax:  View is now steady and you can easily hold the eyepieces off
your eyes or glasses for the best pupil match.

	Once you try this it will become automatic.  Easy, comfortable
and effective.  This is proof to me that there are still simple and
"obvious" things waiting to be discovered.

Enjoy!
Wesley Swift


-----Original Message-----
From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org
[mailto:meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of
prospector at znet.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 1:09 PM
To: Global Meteor Observing Forum
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) OT - Query

  Joseph and others,

    James Muirden in "The Amateur Astronomer's Handbook" suggested to
use a broom handle to steady binouclars. I followed his advice, except
it's a pine branch about 24 inches long and it reduces jiggle about 70%.
It can also be placed on my legs when I'm sitting while looking at
terrestrial objects, very steady and I then can have two hands on the
binoculars.

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