Folks thank you so much for the myriad responses i have received concerning my spotting scope question! It is so heartening to see the outpouring of advice you have provided. I am truly touched by your willingness to help me. Truly. That being said I can see I should have been should more clear. I already have an angled spotting scope (Vortex Razor 85mm Ultra High Definition) and am in the market for a straight barreled one to use mounted on a window as I drive the wildlife drive (for example). I do have a window mount for my angled Vortex but I often find I have to contort my body into a human pretzel to get it on a particular bird. Also given the fact that I already have a scope I didn't want to spend lots on it if I was only going to use it now and then. So there is a clearer description of my question/issue. Something half-way decent/reliable without having to spend a lot of money on it. Again, thanks so much for your willingness to help. It is greatly appreciated. Be well and stay healthy. Even as I write I can hear those warbler wingbeats heading our way. Pete Sar
On Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 3:34 PM Leo Thomas Sack <[email protected]> wrote: > A slightly different perspective: > > > > I have two spotting scopes, one straight and one angled… on two tripods, > one sturdy and tall and one shorter but very light-weight and easy to > carry. I use both scopes and both tripods regularly. > > > > - Which is better definitely depends on your personal needs and how > you prefer to use it! If I’m birding by myself and not walking far, on a > super windy day, I’ll use the straight scope on the tall sturdy tripod. If > I’m sharing with others who are not my height, then I use the angled scope. > If I’m walking far, I use my very light-weight tripod so I can carry it > easily, plus the angled scope because it’s easier to use with a shorter > tripod. I’ve added a shoulder strap to my light-weight tripod and enjoy > carrying it and my angled scope on multiple-mile hikes. > > > > - I don’t have a lot of money to spend. Yet I’ve bought 2 scopes and 2 > tripods within a couple years, and plan to buy more soon just to have > extras to teach with. How? I bought inexpensive models, $60-$75 per scope > and $50-$100 per tripod. Are they as good as the $1,000+ scopes that I know > some of you own? No. Do they work well enough for me successfully ID and > enjoy watching birds that are way too distant for my binoculars? Yes, > absolutely! And, when I started with a straight and then decided I wanted > an angled, I didn’t feel stuck with my first purchase forever. > > > > Before moving to NY, I used to teach astronomy. When asked about choosing > an astronomical telescope, the advice that I and fellow astronomers always > gave was this: > > > > - Start by looking through a variety of other people’s scopes, and > borrow a couple “loaners” to learn what you like before you buy. (Most > astro clubs have loaner scopes – why don’t bird clubs???) > > > > - Your first purchase should be usable quality but not outrageously > expensive, so you’re not stuck with it if you decide it’s not the right > scope for you. Upgrade when you’re ready. (With astro telescopes, there * > *IS** such a thing as too cheap to be “usable quality,” and we had to > give guidance on that. With birding optics, I’ve intentionally looked for > this lower limit, and have **NOT** found it yet!) > > > > - The “right scope for you” is the one you’ll want to use most often. > If it has incredible power and quality but you rarely touch it because it’s > too heavy, too difficult to use, or otherwise doesn’t meet your personal > needs and interests, then it’s the wrong scope for you no matter how “good” > it is! > > > > Cheers, > Leo > > > > *From:* [email protected] < > [email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Jody Enck > *Sent:* Tuesday, April 28, 2020 2:07 PM > *To:* Kevin J. McGowan <[email protected]> > *Cc:* Lynn Bergmeyer <[email protected]>; Peter Saracino < > [email protected]>; CAYUGABIRDS-L <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [cayugabirds-l] Spotting scope question > > > > Great advice from everyone! > > I can't emphasize enough to practice, practice, practice with your scope. > Your enjoyment level will go up by leaps and bounds. > > It's a bit like buying a musical instrument. I've seen people by > expensive instruments, but they don't know how to use them effectively. > > I'll second what Kevin said about turning the angled scope on it's side. > I don't have one, so I can't do that. But, I have seen plenty of folks use > it that way for various reasons (not just to make it easier for a > shorter-than-you person to see through your scope). Because I don't have > an angled scope, I don't know how folks with one have suffered. But I can > tell you as a 10+ year owner of a straight scope that I have suffered > mightily from that configuration, and would trade it away in a heartbeat. > > I suppose they have their purpose, but not for the kind of birding I like > to do. > > > > Have fun! > > > > > > Jody W. Enck, PhD > > Conservation Social Scientist, and > > Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network > > 607-379-5940 > > > > > > On Tue, Apr 28, 2020 at 1:55 PM Kevin J. McGowan <[email protected]> wrote: > > I use an angled scope from my car all the time. You just have to rotate > the barrel so the eyepiece is pointing to the side. When scanning, you’re > going to have to rotate it to the opposite side at one point, and you might > also have to move the mount to another part of the window. You can even > cover a much greater horizon than with a straight scope. You just have to > get used to it. > > > > Kevin McGowan > > > > > > *From:* [email protected] < > [email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Lynn Bergmeyer > *Sent:* Tuesday, April 28, 2020 1:45 PM > *To:* Peter Saracino <[email protected]> > *Cc:* CAYUGABIRDS-L <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [cayugabirds-l] Spotting scope question > > > > This is probably a ridiculous question but does anyone have an idea of > anything out there for using angled scope within a vehicle? Its not > impossible from an engineering perspective but don't think any company has > pursued for obvious reasons > > > > On Mon, Apr 27, 2020, 8:45 PM Peter Saracino <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Hi folks. I'm in the market for a relatively inexpensive (but halfway > decent)spotting scope (straight barrel), and am wondering if anyone out > there can recommend one. > > Thank you. > > Pete Sar > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to **eBird* > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* > > -- > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to **eBird* > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* > > -- > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to **eBird* > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* > > -- > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to **eBird* > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* > > -- > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
