Aaaargh! Can't merge images

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pakarinen United States of America
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Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#1

Post by pakarinen »


Ok, this is something that seems to come and go. After about an hour and a half observing with my scope last night, I decided to wind down with a little bino observing. No matter what I did, I couldn't merge images in my 10x50 Aculons.

I've used the Aculons before with no problems but I've also had some other times when I couldn't merge. I guess I should keep a log of bino obs since I have no clue what the problem was - brain trained to use mono vision after an hour at the EP? Fatigue? Optic nerves shorted out? Holding the binos at a wonky angle? AFAIK, they weren't knocked, banged, or whatever and should be in collimation. And if history repeats, they'll be fine if I take them out tonight with no scope time.

This phenomenon makes me think that getting bigger / better binos would be a waste of money.
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I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
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AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Lady Fraktor Slovakia
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#2

Post by Lady Fraktor »


It could be fatigue or the IPD being to wide/ narrow.
Many people require the center to center pupil distance to be “just right”
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JayTee United States of America
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#3

Post by JayTee »


Sometimes your brain has a difficult time assembling the image from both eyes into a single image when it's a point source of light (not enough visual cues). Next time this happens try viewing something terrestrial far away so your brain can get back into the mode of assembling a binocular image, do this for a couple of minutes. Now go back to your Astro object and see if that doesn't help the image from both eyes merge into a single image when it's a point source of light.

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∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
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helicon United States of America
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#4

Post by helicon »


I seem to have the same problem once in awhile when looking at bright objects, for example - I see two Jupiters. Then I look at star fields and everything is OK. Doesn't happen very often. If I look at a bird in the daytime though I don't see two birds.
-Michael
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#5

Post by pakarinen »


I'll have to try bright point sources vs. dim point sources to see if there's a difference. Never had a problem in daylight or extended sources like the moon. Also have to try my old glasses prescription vs. current.
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I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#6

Post by pakarinen »


I took out the Aculons briefly before sunrise today. Took a look at the Mirfak group, Pleiades, Hyades, Capella (couldn't make out M36,7, or 8) and no problem. Single images all around.

So.... I can rule out bad collimation and IPD, I think. Have to figure out the next variable to isolate...
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I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#7

Post by JimMinCT »


I'd do a wink test...
Look through each side individually a few times to allow adjustment of the irises of your eyes to match.
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pakarinen United States of America
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#8

Post by pakarinen »


JimMinCT wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:56 pm I'd do a wink test...
Look through each side individually a few times to allow adjustment of the irises of your eyes to match.

If the weather cooperates, I'll try that tonight or pre-dawn tomorrow. Thanks!
=============================================================================
I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Re: Aaaargh! Can't merge images

#9

Post by John Baars »


It is most likely due to fatique of the eye-muscles that move your eyeball. Like lady Fraktor already mentioned.

Little test:
Hold you head straight, look as left as you can with your eyes only. Most likely you wil see two images, but not necessarily.
Do the same, but look as right as possible. Probably the same. So far so good and all seems all right.

Do the same, but this time with up and down. Some people will still be able only one image. Far more likely you will see two images either looking up or looking down. In other words: the single image is somewhere in the top of you eye-field or at the bottom.

You will see it more clearly when being tired, after looking several hours at a computerscreen or reading hours on end. When one comes of age it can become a problem while driving a car. This is when an optician will give you glasses with prismatic lenses. ( I have one for driving my car in the dark). So it is a muscular problem, not the eye itself or the binoculars.

Most people have a V-form, with the sharp single image either up ( near their eyebrows) or down ( near their nose). That is the reason I use my binoculars mostly looking down in the image. ( Which is a bit irritating, for the stars are way up!!)

The simple test above will tell you where your single point is. You can use it to see single images again in you binoculars. (Provided that the binoculars are in collimation.)
cross eyed seeing.png
cross eyed seeing.png (5.04 KiB) Viewed 2649 times
Left: single point lies down near nose. Right single point lies up near eyebrows.
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
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