> How do you people time flashes of satellites seen in binoculars? You > have a stopwatch in one hand, binoculars in the other hand.....? I > would > think that almost any useful pair of binoculars would be too heavy to > hold with one hand, steady, for more than a few seconds. > > Could someone illuminate me? > > Jonathan Wojack > Jonathan As other observers have noted, the secret is to sit in a reclining garden chair (deck-chair in the UK) on its lowest setting. That way both your head and elbows are supported. For years I used 11x80s with a limiting mag for satellites around +9, and for the last four years have used Orion 20x80s which give another half mag under good conditions. I find I can hold the 20x80s steady for only about 3 minutes, but I'd never go back to the 11x80s even though they're lighter. If I have to stand up, to see over a house or tree, I support my head against a wall. I click the stopwatch with my left thumb, using the other fingers to hold the watch against the binoculars. Happy viewing, and timing! David. David M Brierley Malvern, Worcestershire, UK Station 2675, 52.1358N 2.3264W 70m davidbrierley@waitrose.com -- The Information contained in this E-Mail and any subsequent correspondence is private and is intended solely for the intended recipient(s). For those other than the recipient any disclosure, copying, distribution, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on such information is prohibited and may be unlawful. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Jun 06 2000 - 02:29:57 PDT