Big Eyes/ Twin Spotters

[CatfishKev]

11 minutes ago, recurveman said:

What is the cost of the double spotters?    Weight?   I think I paid $4200 for my BTX 65's and they are pretty light.   I would think a pair of spotters and bracket (ect) would cost a good chunk of change.  

Well a guy was just selling the 664 duel set up I think for $2400 obo.  The 664s are surprisingly light too.  

[rcdinaz]

Good feedback on the Vortex.  Still considering the Kowa’s.  I think you could build them for around $2K maybe a little more.  Depends on whose bracket some are big $.  I am talking about getting a steal on a couple of used spotters of course. 

[Gringo]

21 hours ago, recurveman said:

What is the cost of the double spotters?    Weight?   I think I paid $4200 for my BTX 65's and they are pretty light.   I would think a pair of spotters and bracket (ect) would cost a good chunk of change.  

Around $2700 All in.  The Kowa spotters are incredible for the money.  

[recurveman]

46 minutes ago, Gringo said:

Around $2700 All in.  The Kowa spotters are incredible for the money.  

So there is some money to be saved.   I wonder what the difference is in quality and weight.   I guess depending on how or where you hunt the weight might not be a big deal.   Assuming quality should be there regardless.   I have heard good things about Kowa spotters but have never compared them directly with anything else.    

[rcdinaz]

There is a big write up on Rokslide.  Swaro still had the edge but Kowa is very close.  Some guys like the Kowa better, you know the drill everyones eyes are different. For me my Swaro ATS is clearer but it is really how much better they are edge to edge not that anything is lost when zooming in on game. I also have pretty much everything in Swaro so I am very used to their glass.

I still want a pair of Kowa big eyes!  No substitute for much less eye strain with 2 tubes. 

[rcdinaz]

Gringo, whose bracket were you looking at?

maybe we should ask for a group buy. 

[CatfishKev]

5 hours ago, rcdinaz said:

Gringo, whose bracket were you looking at?

maybe we should ask for a group buy. 

In my search for someone to potentially build one I got a hold of a place in PA that gets them made for the 80mm.  He said if i got enough people together they could do that for the 65.  I was gonna build one with one side in a fixed position and the other with micro adjustments. That way I could still pull the fixed side off and throw in a pack of I wanted just a spotter.   I got a friend of a friend with a machine shop and was just gonna make my own when the time came, but it would be nice to see a place start making them again since there is no one to my knowledge that still does.  

[CatfishKev]

5 hours ago, recurveman said:

So there is some money to be saved.   I wonder what the difference is in quality and weight.   I guess depending on how or where you hunt the weight might not be a big deal.   Assuming quality should be there regardless.   I have heard good things about Kowa spotters but have never compared them directly with anything else.    

One thing too consider is the btx divides the light between two optical pieces. That should make the duel set up brighter and possibly a hair better in low light. 

[CatfishKev]

On 12/21/2019 at 7:40 PM, Hatchet Jack said:

Do it they are awesome. I made my own bracket and have used them for about a year. I love them. The 30x Kowa eyepiece is amazing. I have glassed side by side with highlanders and while the highlanders have better color, the twin 66s hang with them surprisingly well and I can actually pack them with me.   I’m going to be making a couple more brackets for some buddies if you have trouble finding one let me know. 

How many guys? 

[rcdinaz]

I like your idea to remove one easily.

I was looking at a gunsmith in PA also that was building them. I haven’t looked in the last few years.  I think they were $200, waiting for him to answer back my PM.  May take a couple of days. Will pass on the info if he is still doing them and the price is right. 

[MMACFIVE]

On 12/27/2019 at 3:00 PM, CatfishKev said:

One thing too consider is the btx divides the light between two optical pieces. That should make the duel set up brighter and possibly a hair better in low light. 

If you do the math the Swaro 95 is about the equivalent of around a 60mm for light gathering after the split. Field experience suggest this is about right. 

[Swivelhead]

5 hours ago, MMACFIVE said:

If you do the math the Swaro 95 is about the equivalent of around a 60mm for light gathering after the split. Field experience suggest this is about right. 

I came up with 67mm for the 95mm objective.  There are other factors in play however.  The point is the BTX needs at least the 85mm objective IMO.

[MMACFIVE]

12 hours ago, Swivelhead said:

I came up with 67mm for the 95mm objective.  There are other factors in play however.  The point is the BTX needs at least the 85mm objective IMO.

I’ll have to redo the math. I agree it needs at least the 85.  Remember the 85 is 30x and the 95 is 35x so the exit pupils are similar. I really can’t tell the difference in light performance between the 85 and 95.  I prefer the 85 for balance and weight.
 

I like the BTX system enough I’m not interested in the dual spotting scope set up. A good friend took delivery of two Swaro STS 65 HDs with 25-50 eyepieces today for a big eye set up. I might change my mind IF I look through them.  

[Swivelhead]

10 hours ago, MMACFIVE said:

I’ll have to redo the math. I agree it needs at least the 85.  Remember the 85 is 30x and the 95 is 35x so the exit pupils are similar. I really can’t tell the difference in light performance between the 85 and 95.  I prefer the 85 for balance and weight.
 

I like the BTX system enough I’m not interested in the dual spotting scope set up. A good friend took delivery of two Swaro STS 65 HDs with 25-50 eyepieces today for a big eye set up. I might change my mind IF I look through them.  

All things being equal, the larger field of view the BTX/85mm combo provides would be my choice.

I like the concept of a dual spotter/bigeye set up however IPD and collimation issues temper my enthusiasm.  That being said, I have acquired two Swaro 30X SW eyepeices just in case I decide to proceed with a dual spotter setup.   

 

 

 

[MMACFIVE]

9 hours ago, Swivelhead said:

All things being equal, the larger field of view the BTX/85mm combo provides would be my choice.

I like the concept of a dual spotter/bigeye set up however IPD and collimation issues temper my enthusiasm.  That being said, I have acquired two Swaro 30X SW eyepeices just in case I decide to proceed with a dual spotter setup.   

 

 

 

According to Swarovski the 25-50 eyepiece has a larger FOVat 25x than the BTX/85 combo (although 30x). 
 

the people I know who prefer the twin spotting scopes tell me it’s because of the brightness and the ability to zoom. 
 

Jason in Tucson has apparently solved the collimation issues with his mount. I’ve seen his bracket and it looks top notch. The IPD issue is why I haven’t looked through a set...