3
C
ongratulations 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.
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).
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.
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.
Figure 3.
Attaching the
binocular to the binocular
mount
Binocular
mounting knob
L-bracket
Threaded
tripod adapter
