Congratulations on your purchase of the Orion Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount. This sturdy support apparatus is designed to allow comfortable use of binoculars up to 80mm in aperture for astronomical or terrestrial viewing. The mount greatly reduces arm strain and positions the binocular away from the tripod, allowing the viewer to stand or sit comfortably under the binocular while aiming it overhead — even to the zenith. The mount also enables the binocular to be raised and low- ered while still staying right on a given target, a wonderful feature when two or more people of different heights are observing together.
These instructions cover assembly and use of both the Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount only (#5376, without tripod) and the Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount & Tripod (#5374). Please read them thoroughly.
Attaching the Paragon-Plus
Binocular Mount to a Tripod
The attachment instructions cover the attachment to either the Paragon-Plus tripod (included with #5374), or any sturdy tripod you might already have. You will need a flat-head screwdriver and a 2mm hex wrench to attach the binocular mount to a tripod. Refer to Figure 1 during assembly.
1)Remove the pan head of the tripod you plan to use. If you purchased the Paragon-Plus binocular mount and tripod, you will not need to do this as the tripod does not come with a pan head. Note the size of the screw the tripod uses to attach the pan head.
2)Turn the binocular mount upside down. On the bottom of the pivot disk (Figure 1) there is a 3/8" threaded hole containing a brass 1/4"-20 threaded insert. This may need to be removed, depending on the tripod you are using. Compare the size of the threaded post on the tripod with the size of the brass insert. If the brass insert is too small, then it will need to be removed. It should be removed to use it with the Paragon-Plus tripod in the #5374 package. Use the flat-head screwdriver to do this.
3)Spread the legs of the tripod as far as they will go and lock them in place with the brace lock knob (Figure 1). Keep the legs at their shortest height, for now. The Paragon-Plus tripod has a very wide stance for enhanced stability. The widest stance is achieved when the tri-brace is as far down as it will go on the elevator shaft housing. The brace lock knob should be tightened to secure the stance. When using the binocular mount, the tripod legs should always be fully extended, other wise the weight of the binocular mount could cause the tripod to tip over.
4)For the Paragon-Plus tripod, attach the parallelogram mount to the platform on top of the elevator shaft (Figure 2). For other tripods, thread the mount onto the shaft where the pan head normally goes. Do this by placing the hole on the bottom of the mount onto the shaft while holding the mount with one hand. With your other hand, turn the pivot disk until it is tight.
5)If you are using the Paragon tripod, you secure the pivot disk to the platform on top of the elevator shaft with the setscrews located underneath the platform. With the 2mm hex wrench, thread the setscrews until they are secure. The mount should now be able to pivot without unthreading from the tripod.
Your Paragon-Plus binocular mount is now assembled and should resemble Figure 1.
Figure 2. Line up the threaded pan head attach- ment shaft of the tripod with the threaded hole on the bot- tom of the pivot disk. Then hold the binocular mount still while turning the pivot disk to thread it onto the shaft.
Attaching the Binocular to the Binocular Mount
The Paragon-Plus binocular mount is capable of holding binocu- lars of up to 80mm aperture. The binocular must have a threaded socket for mounting. Adjust the tripod height to the level you will be viewing from before mounting the binoculars. See below for instructions on how to raise the Paragon-Plus tripod.
Remove the cover cap from the threaded tripod adapter on your binocular. Then thread the binocular mounting knob into the tri- pod adapter on the binocular until it is secure (Figure 3). Please note that if you are using a large binocular that employs a central support shaft (such as the Orion MegaView), then you will need an optional mounting plate (#7589).
Threaded tripod adapter
Figure 3. Attaching the binocular to the binocular mount
BinocularL-bracket mounting knob
Balancing the Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount
To assure smooth movement of the binocular mount, the binocu- lar should be properly balanced on the mount by adjusting the counterweight shaft. Note that a perfect balance is not necessary, as the balance can be compensated by using the tension knobs. However, try to achieve as precise a balance as possible.
1)Loosen all four tension knobs and carefully bring the mount to a horizontal position.
2)Loosen the counterweight shaft knobs and slide the coun- terweight shaft out from the mount until it balances the binocular on the other end. Note that a perfect balance may not be achievable with a very light or very heavy binocular.
If the mount will not balance (very likely with a small binocular), you can make adjustments to the tension knobs until the mount remains in place when you stop moving it. If it does not, increase the tension with the tension knobs.
