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Focusing Freedom

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  • Focusing Freedom

    I have always used scopes due to having one good eye.

    Whether it was to watch the sudden appearance of a bird in flight or to view a planet at dusk I always did waste time trying to obtain best focus of the object, sometimes might miss an event completely. Even when I had found accurate focus there was always the niggling temptation to try and better it, and messing with focus could reduce the pleasure of just watching something.

    I had always wanted a fixed focus scope but all the ones that I had seen for sale had variable focus. I made a small focus-free scope (only x3) using the nozzle from a very large funnel and two lens from old opera glasses, and this fitted on to the large free focus camera lens shown which produced a x5.5 image with amazing low-light ability. Both are shown in the pics below.

    But it was at a boot fair two summers back that I saw a broken pair of fixed-focus binoculars, and the the left side was intact. This pair came home with me and in no time I had hacksawed the good section free; I don't know why but I discovered that by adding a 1 diopter lens to the eye piece it became focus exact for me. This scope is a 7x by 50mm but the extra lens does magnify the view slightly more than that. It is a brilliant piece of kit and I can obtain a best focus view immediately and every time at any distance over 10 meters. .

    I didn't believe that fixed-focus telescopes were available but while searching around the local charity shops I found a 'Tasco' terrestrial refractor scope with seems to be free-focus on its x15 setting, and only needs focusing if the magnification is raised beyond that. I am delighted with it.

    P1020976.JPG
    P1020977.JPG

  • #2
    Originally posted by eider View Post
    I have always used scopes due to having one good eye.

    Whether it was to watch the sudden appearance of a bird in flight or to view a planet at dusk I always did waste time trying to obtain best focus of the object, sometimes might miss an event completely. Even when I had found accurate focus there was always the niggling temptation to try and better it, and messing with focus could reduce the pleasure of just watching something.

    I had always wanted a fixed focus scope but all the ones that I had seen for sale had variable focus. I made a small focus-free scope (only x3) using the nozzle from a very large funnel and two lens from old opera glasses, and this fitted on to the large free focus camera lens shown which produced a x5.5 image with amazing low-light ability. Both are shown in the pics below.

    But it was at a boot fair two summers back that I saw a broken pair of fixed-focus binoculars, and the the left side was intact. This pair came home with me and in no time I had hacksawed the good section free; I don't know why but I discovered that by adding a 1 diopter lens to the eye piece it became focus exact for me. This scope is a 7x by 50mm but the extra lens does magnify the view slightly more than that. It is a brilliant piece of kit and I can obtain a best focus view immediately and every time at any distance over 10 meters. .

    I didn't believe that fixed-focus telescopes were available but while searching around the local charity shops I found a 'Tasco' terrestrial refractor scope with seems to be free-focus on its x15 setting, and only needs focusing if the magnification is raised beyond that. I am delighted with it.

    P1020976.JPG
    P1020977.JPG
    The bolded portion reminded me of my father and the TV.

    Any time you were watching something and he walked in and just stood there looking at the set caused you to cringe because you knew what was inevitable.

    My father would decide to adjust the picture.

    He'd take the back off of the TV and sit behind it to work his magic. Basically he would reduce the picture to a single colored line that he would look at in a mirror you had to hold. For the next 20 to 30 minutes you had to sit perfectly still holding that %#@$# mirror as he fiddled around.

    In the end absolutely nobody could see any difference in the picture after he adjusted it. All that happened is that you missed what you were watching and got yelled at for half an hour to sit still.

    Good times.

    I'm always still in trouble again

    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
      The bolded portion reminded me of my father and the TV.

      Any time you were watching something and he walked in and just stood there looking at the set caused you to cringe because you knew what was inevitable.

      My father would decide to adjust the picture.

      He'd take the back off of the TV and sit behind it to work his magic. Basically he would reduce the picture to a single colored line that he would look at in a mirror you had to hold. For the next 20 to 30 minutes you had to sit perfectly still holding that %#@$# mirror as he fiddled around.

      In the end absolutely nobody could see any difference in the picture after he adjusted it. All that happened is that you missed what you were watching and got yelled at for half an hour to sit still.

      Good times.
      Ouch! That looks like some kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!
      I'll bet that nobody is allowed to fiddle with your telly now!

      My wife suffered in a different way...... when she was little her family would always watch the epic 'big' film of the day during bank-holidays, Christmas etc, and she was required to sit still and quiet during the whole time. Quite often these films would get repeated over the years, and she would be sitting still and quiet all over again. As a result of this, several films are absolutely banned within the walls of our home..... For instance, I cannot keep, record or play the film Zulu, I haven't seen Zulu for over 30 years now.......banned! There's a load of others, mostly westerns and war films.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by eider View Post
        Ouch! That looks like some kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!
        I'll bet that nobody is allowed to fiddle with your telly now!
        My father's idea of a good time was repairing one of our neighbors TVs. Back when both the TV and getting it repaired could cost you an arm and a leg. He'd do it for the cost of the parts because he loved doing it.

        By training he was a master electrician. He worked for Chrysler Corporation in Sales & Service.

        This was also the era of roof antennas. When every house had one. Well, my father built a rotary device so that you could turn the direction that the antenna was facing so you could get better reception. Basically, before that you had to pick your favorite channel and aim your antenna accordingly and just put up with a less clear picture for the other channels. Now you could turn the antenna for each station.

        Within a year everyone on our street had one as my father built and installed them -- again for just the price of the parts.

        Originally posted by eider View Post
        My wife suffered in a different way...... when she was little her family would always watch the epic 'big' film of the day during bank-holidays, Christmas etc, and she was required to sit still and quiet during the whole time. Quite often these films would get repeated over the years, and she would be sitting still and quiet all over again. As a result of this, several films are absolutely banned within the walls of our home..... For instance, I cannot keep, record or play the film Zulu, I haven't seen Zulu for over 30 years now.......banned! There's a load of others, mostly westerns and war films.
        Which holiday would Zulu be regularly played on?

        I'm always still in trouble again

        "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
        "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
        "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
          My father's idea of a good time was repairing one of our neighbors TVs. Back when both the TV and getting it repaired could cost you an arm and a leg. He'd do it for the cost of the parts because he loved doing it.

          By training he was a master electrician. He worked for Chrysler Corporation in Sales & Service.

          This was also the era of roof antennas. When every house had one. Well, my father built a rotary device so that you could turn the direction that the antenna was facing so you could get better reception. Basically, before that you had to pick your favorite channel and aim your antenna accordingly and just put up with a less clear picture for the other channels. Now you could turn the antenna for each station.

          Within a year everyone on our street had one as my father built and installed them -- again for just the price of the parts.
          Well I never,....!
          I built one but left it on our old property in 1983!
          I have been a dpt/rya yachmaster for many years and way before sat/nav and yacht-radar we used radio reception RDF 'loops' to focus upon maritime transmitting stations such as Stavanger (Scandinavia) etc. for position fixing. I also used an RDF loop aerial to locate nuisance CB users in the late 70's. Before digital tv I had installed a telly aerial which could traverse to pick up either our Dover, Maidstone or Essex transmitters according to weather conditions, but with the introduction of digital telly it was no longer a quick-fix because one had to re-scan the bloody telly after every aerial reposition.

          We still use an aerial to this day...... haven't move on to satellite telly signals yet.


          Which holiday would Zulu be regularly played on?
          My wife cannot remember, it would have been on any of the bank holiday weekends, but that's vary long time ago.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by eider View Post
            Well I never,....!
            I built one but left it on our old property in 1983!
            I have been a dpt/rya yachmaster for many years and way before sat/nav and yacht-radar we used radio reception RDF 'loops' to focus upon maritime transmitting stations such as Stavanger (Scandinavia) etc. for position fixing. I also used an RDF loop aerial to locate nuisance CB users in the late 70's. Before digital tv I had installed a telly aerial which could traverse to pick up either our Dover, Maidstone or Essex transmitters according to weather conditions, but with the introduction of digital telly it was no longer a quick-fix because one had to re-scan the bloody telly after every aerial reposition.

            We still use an aerial to this day...... haven't move on to satellite telly signals yet.



            My wife cannot remember, it would have been on any of the bank holiday weekends, but that's vary long time ago.
            We lived between Washington D.C. and Baltimore meaning we got the stations from both cities -- but if your antenna faced Washington the Baltimore channels were nearly unwatchable (flipping picture, fuzzy and ghosts). But after he installed the rotary motor with a control by the TV, we could get clear pictures from any station.

            It was kinda interesting hearing the antenna move making a clunk sound with every single movement as it turned.

            Of course that tech went away like the horse and carriage as roof antennas became a thing of the past.



            I just can't think of a holiday that Zulu could be associated with, unless its a distinctly British one.

            You need to record it (DVR, VCR, DVD...) and watch it one night when the missus is sleeping.

            I'm always still in trouble again

            "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
            "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
            "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
              We lived between Washington D.C. and Baltimore meaning we got the stations from both cities -- but if your antenna faced Washington the Baltimore channels were nearly unwatchable (flipping picture, fuzzy and ghosts). But after he installed the rotary motor with a control by the TV, we could get clear pictures from any station.

              It was kinda interesting hearing the antenna move making a clunk sound with every single movement as it turned.

              Of course that tech went away like the horse and carriage as roof antennas became a thing of the past.
              Our was mounted inside the roof void so that it couldn't turn in strong winds.
              We still use an aerial for digital signal reception. I guess that they'll close down the transmitter stations one day, but not in my time.

              I just can't think of a holiday that Zulu could be associated with, unless its a distinctly British one.
              Any Bank Holiday could have seen it televised. There are loads of others on her list, I just thought of that one.

              You need to record it (DVR, VCR, DVD...) and watch it one night when the missus is sleeping.
              We have a 'humax' recording system....... I have recorded all the old Spaghetti Westerns before (they are on the list! )

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by eider View Post
                Our was mounted inside the roof void so that it couldn't turn in strong winds.
                We still use an aerial for digital signal reception. I guess that they'll close down the transmitter stations one day, but not in my time.


                Any Bank Holiday could have seen it televised. There are loads of others on her list, I just thought of that one.


                We have a 'humax' recording system....... I have recorded all the old Spaghetti Westerns before (they are on the list! )
                Ohh. I just re-watched For a Few Dollars More yesterday. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly followed but I saw it again a couple years ago and it's long

                I'm always still in trouble again

                "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                  Ohh. I just re-watched For a Few Dollars More yesterday. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly followed but I saw it again a couple years ago and it's long
                  I've got 'A few dollars more' on my humax right now, waiting for a late evening viewing when Mrs E is slumbering! But for a really realistic gunfight films such as Unforgiven and Open Range might be better?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by eider View Post

                    I've got 'A few dollars more' on my humax right now, waiting for a late evening viewing when Mrs E is slumbering! But for a really realistic gunfight films such as Unforgiven and Open Range might be better?
                    Gunfights in the old cowboy movies weren't known for their realism. You either suffered a mild flesh wound that hardly troubled you a day later or were instantly killed. No fatal wounds that took you an hour to die. No injuries that left you permanently damaged (getting shot in the shoulder as was typical in the movies only required hanging your arm in a sling for a day to fix it, typically maimed that arm).

                    And don't get me started with how they typically shot from the hip (a wild and uncontrollable style), often spinning around as they walked down the deserted street, to shoot someone firing from an upstairs window a hundred feet away. They'd be lucky to hit the house.

                    Still, not as bad as some of the old chop suey kung fu flicks from the 70s and 80s.

                    My favorite had a man run through the guts with two wide-bladed spears. He proceeded to kill his attackers, rip the spears out of his body and then took of his "turban" and wrapped the cloth twice around his midsection and immediately hopped on a horse to go join another battle.

                    No worries. Just a flesh wound ma.


                    If you want realistic, I suggest Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.

                    I'm always still in trouble again

                    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                      Gunfights in the old cowboy movies weren't known for their realism. You either suffered a mild flesh wound that hardly troubled you a day later or were instantly killed. No fatal wounds that took you an hour to die. No injuries that left you permanently damaged (getting shot in the shoulder as was typical in the movies only required hanging your arm in a sling for a day to fix it, typically maimed that arm).

                      And don't get me started with how they typically shot from the hip (a wild and uncontrollable style), often spinning around as they walked down the deserted street, to shoot someone firing from an upstairs window a hundred feet away. They'd be lucky to hit the house.

                      Still, not as bad as some of the old chop suey kung fu flicks from the 70s and 80s.

                      My favorite had a man run through the guts with two wide-bladed spears. He proceeded to kill his attackers, rip the spears out of his body and then took of his "turban" and wrapped the cloth twice around his midsection and immediately hopped on a horse to go join another battle.

                      No worries. Just a flesh wound ma.


                      If you want realistic, I suggest Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.
                      Yep, Unforgiven or Open Range.
                      A shotgun firing cartridges loaded with SSG or AAA......... large shot has amazing range. Gunslingers must have lived an hour-by-hour life.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by eider View Post

                        Yep, Unforgiven or Open Range.
                        A shotgun firing cartridges loaded with SSG or AAA......... large shot has amazing range. Gunslingers must have lived an hour-by-hour life.
                        And a duel on main street (whether at dawn, high noon, or any other time) were anything but normal. In fact, FWICT, there is but one such shootout in the historic record -- and it is a famous: Hickok-Tutt shootout. It is the basis for all those you've seen in movies and TV programs.

                        In reality, most gunslingers who were shot to death were typically shot from behind or bushwhacked (shot from someone in hiding). Hickock died being shot in the back of the head at point blank range while playing poker.

                        I'm always still in trouble again

                        "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                        "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                        "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                          And a duel on main street (whether at dawn, high noon, or any other time) were anything but normal. In fact, FWICT, there is but one such shootout in the historic record -- and it is a famous: Hickok-Tutt shootout. It is the basis for all those you've seen in movies and TV programs.

                          In reality, most gunslingers who were shot to death were typically shot from behind or bushwhacked (shot from someone in hiding). Hickock died being shot in the back of the head at point blank range while playing poker.
                          What about Wyatt Earp's shoot out with the Clinton gang? Please please don't tell me that was not fact! We have to believe in something here!

                          Yes, I know about Hickok's death.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by eider View Post

                            What about Wyatt Earp's shoot out with the Clinton gang? Please please don't tell me that was not fact! We have to believe in something here!

                            Yes, I know about Hickok's death.
                            That was anything but a duel. That was a run-in that resulted in a shoot-out in which Wyatt was a participant but not the leader.

                            And it was the Clanton gang although I can see Bill and Hillary as desperados and outlaws.




                            download (3).jpg

                            I'm always still in trouble again

                            "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                            "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                            "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                              That was anything but a duel. That was a run-in that resulted in a shoot-out in which Wyatt was a participant but not the leader.

                              And it was the Clanton gang although I can see Bill and Hillary as desperados and outlaws.


                              download (3).jpg
                              Ha ha! Oh dear.......... Clinton gang.

                              Who started the walk? Doc Holliday? I do love the descriptions of that man (Holliday) as portrayed in two films that feature him. Highly educated, it seems, and so was that Clanton gunslinger.

                              Comment

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