TheSkySearchers

Well due to my Orion 20x80s taking a dump after only a year and change, i did what i should have done the first time and drove down to Oberwerks in Dayton Ohio and picked up a new pair of their 20x80s and a series 4000 tripod. The binos are twice the weight of the Orions and the image quality is much better. I had to get a new tripod as well because there is no way the paragon plus would hold this steady. I opted to buy a finder as well and spent an hour getting it mounted just so. We slapped the solar filters on it and headed out for a look at Sol. It was quite the view. Without question the binos are quality, the tripod will hold up to 16 pounds. The finder has four different reticles in it and they can be red or green with varying degrees of intensity. The mount is a bit tricky but its on there now and level. There is a trick to getting the lens covers on but i am sure they will loosen up in time. The only negative i can mention is the tripod bag. Its just a plain jane nylon bag. Fortunately i have a padded bag that it will fit in nicely. I was a bit surprised that Oberwerks doesnt really have a store front. Its basically a small workshop with lots of storage, but they definitely have some first class optics in their.

Very nice, Oberwerks has a good reputation for quality optics.
Enjoy the views

Funny story about the visit. Kevin, the owner, was telling me that he was heading to the Lake after work. I asked him which way he was going and he said straight up route 4, which is a mile from my house. He could have dropped them off on his way lol

very nice setup , thx .

Congrats on the new binos Mike! Great investment.

Too bad about the Orion. I have three pairs of Orion bions, ~30, ~20 and ~10 years old. All are as good as new. Shame that newer models are not as reliable.

Hi Mike. Those Oberwerks are a big stepup from the Orion binoculars. Very high optical and mechanical quality and they look great on your tripod. Thanks for your new equipment report Mike and also the very photos.

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 6:25 pm Congrats on the new binos Mike! Great investment.

Too bad about the Orion. I have three pairs of Orion bions, ~30, ~20 and ~10 years old. All are as good as new. Shame that newer models are not as reliable.

I have no idea what happened with them either. I know i didnt drop them and i know the wife didnt drop them.