20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#21

Post by Saganwannabe »


Big Eyes on their heavy custom made mount
Big Eyes on their heavy custom made mount

After picking them up for the first time today, they definitely weigh more than the 36lbs I was told.
I would guess they weigh between 50-60lbs (not including the mount).
I’ll weigh them later and post an exact weight.

Also...
For perspective’s sake, I’m 6ft 1 inch and weigh 260lbs.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#22

Post by Saganwannabe »


Well that’s embarrassing...

It’s right there in my own post...

23.3 kg or 51.37 lbs

Duh
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#23

Post by AntennaGuy »


So... have you looked through them?? Inquiring minds want to know.
* Meade 323 refractor on a manual equatorial mount.
* Celestron C6 SCT on a Twilight 1 Alt-Az mount
Prof. Barnhardt to Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still: "There are several thousand questions I'd like to ask you.”
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#24

Post by Saganwannabe »


Yes. I’ve used them for some terrestrial targets. I haven’t had the opportunity to use them stargazing yet. The pic of me standing with them was taken an hour after I picked them up in San Francisco. I drove 12 hours (both ways). Very good optics. Not coated though. I’m curious to see how much false color they might show on night sky targets.

I’ve decided to have Cory Suddarth at Suddarth Optical do a complete restoration on them ( IPD, eccentric rings & focusers cleaned out and re-lubed. All lenses cleaned, seated and re-sealed. Collimation and zero diopters set on their US Navy collimator ). He’s also gonna polish all bare metal to a mirror finish.

They ought to essentially be “like new” inside and out when he’s finished.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#25

Post by Lady Fraktor »


I have heard that Mr. Suddarth does good work.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#26

Post by SonnyE »


Those look HUGE!
Especially with those shoes in the background.
The mount looks scary to me though. Not enough spread for the size of the load. :think:
Have fun with them!
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#27

Post by Saganwannabe »


I agree completely Sonny. The mount is built like a tank and very heavy, but the guy that made it screwed up and didn’t make the base wide enough. The heavy binoculars make it easy to tip if not careful.
One of the first things I’m gonna do is design and fabricate some flip out “stabilizing legs” that will give the mount a much wider footprint.
That should make it much more stable.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#28

Post by Saganwannabe »


....or I might find a heavy antique film camera tripod and fabricate a way to attach the fork mount to it.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#29

Post by OzEclipse »


Can't give you a price. My astronomy mentor was in the army. He retired as a Colonel but during WWII was an NCO acting as an interrogator/interpreter and seconded to American intelligence. His dad was a diplomat and he went to school in Japan.

He was present at the surrender of a Japanese battleship at the end of the war and scored himself a pair of 25x125 Nikon binos from the bridge area.

They were like these but in black finish, not chrome.
https://intrepid-design.co.uk/vintage-n ... inoculars/

They were quite fantastic for taking a spacewalk along the Milky Way on a dark moonless night. I think you'll enjoy yours.

Joe
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Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#30

Post by Saganwannabe »


Thanks for the post Oz. On Cloudynights, there has been a big debate whether they are unrestored or not and whether ANY Japanese Big Eyes were ever black in color originally. I was of the opinion that mine were unrestored, but after speaking with Cory Suddarth, I discovered that at least a partial restoration was done to my pair due to the bare brass of the prism housings.

Your post stating that your mentor owned a black pair of Big Eyes helps confirm that mine are mostly original.

Thanks!
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#31

Post by OzEclipse »


Saganwannabe wrote: Tue Mar 24, 2020 3:34 pm Thanks for the post Oz. On Cloudynights, there has been a big debate whether they are unrestored or not and whether ANY Japanese Big Eyes were ever black in color originally. I was of the opinion that mine were unrestored, but after speaking with Cory Suddarth, I discovered that at least a partial restoration was done to my pair due to the bare brass of the prism housings.

Your post stating that your mentor owned a black pair of Big Eyes helps confirm that mine are mostly original.

Thanks!
His binos were Nikon 25x125 not Toko 20x120 so not a direct comparison.

Also, they need a lot of mounting. He had them on a Unitron 4" refractor ALTAZ mount for many years and they weren't particularly useable. Then he put them on a heavier mount and that changed everything.

He had an old railway bogie (steel wheel and bearing). This rested on the ground and acted as the AZ axis. A 4" steel post rose from this and the ALT axis was set at a height that pointed about 1" below the ear - the centre of rotation of your head. An adjustable L-shaped arm and various counterweights then held the binos out in front of your eyes. The result, you could walk around the post to adjust AZ and as you scanned up, the eyepieces just stayed with your eyes. When mounted on a typical tripod with the ALT axis in front of you, the eyepieces drop down as the objectives point up.

Enjoy

Joe
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Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#32

Post by Saganwannabe »


Sounds like a variation on the parallelogram style binocular mount. I made one for my Celestron Skymaster 20x80’s (see attached picture).

I’m considering making a heavy duty parallelogram mount for the Big Eyes out of oak and an antique tripod.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#33

Post by Saganwannabe »


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Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#34

Post by OzEclipse »


Saganwannabe wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:00 am Sounds like a variation on the parallelogram style binocular mount. I made one for my Celestron Skymaster 20x80’s (see attached picture).

I’m considering making a heavy duty parallelogram mount for the Big Eyes out of oak and an antique tripod.
Nothing like a parallelogram. Much better. Clearly my description leaves "room for improvement." :dance:
Unfortunately, I don't have a photo.

Joe
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Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members)
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#35

Post by Saganwannabe »


It definitely sounds way cooler than any “plain vanilla” parallelogram mount. I was speaking in more general terms of overall function. How it allows bino observers comfortable views of the entire night sky from any height/angle.
His mount must have been enormous to support those big Nikon Binos.

Very cool. I wish you had pictures.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#36

Post by helicon »


Very interesting mount there.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
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Re: 20x120 Toko Big Eye binoculars

#37

Post by Saganwannabe »


Thanks Helicon. I just used what I had around the house to make it, but it works great. The main body and tripod of the mount is a high hat stand from an old drum set. The “heart” of the mount (it’s what I like to call it anyway) is carved from a piece of solid oak, JB Weld, and a heavy duty ABS handle with a steel insert threaded to accept a 5/16 inch bolt. It’s the pivot point of the mount and supports the weight of both the optics and the counterweights.
Edgehd 11, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED APO triplet on a Losmandy G11g.
Toko Big Eye 20x120 Japanese Naval binoculars (1944) on a custom made mount.
AP rig: Celestron OAG w/mono Atik Titan autoguider and Full Spectrum Modified (Hap Griffin) cooled Canon T5i.
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