High power binocs or telescope for ship watching near Mackinac...

[UpNorthWOLF]

New wife likes watching the freighters in the Straits. My 10x42 binoculars don't cut it for details (ship names, etc). I have a BIG telescope that we have not tried yet, but may. We are driving there (usually near the bridge) and back (I'm about ten miles or so from MC), not living lakeside. I know it will need to be mounted to make it steady, but the dual eye use of binoculars may be better for her rather than a spotting scope or a telescope. I also know they can be crazy expensive, but I am not looking to be THAT crazy. Any experts out there? Thanks.

[crankythunder]

I just completed a decade long better mousetrap routine and finally purchased a pair of kowa highlanders.

I wish I would have started out with the best to begin with.

Trading up, getting 60 cents on the dollar. Just bite the bullet.

Good deals used.

I am finally happy with my binoculars.

Never was satisfied before.

Regards,
Cranky

[CyborgWarrior]

As avid ship watchers, we like this setup.
First one was a Pronto mounted on a garand stock. It was a poor execution of an otherwise brilliant idea.

[Ol` Joe]

A solid tripod and spotting scope is probably what you will find works best.

The problem with binoc's is they show every little quiver if hand held and often do not have a means to fit them to a tripod - either table top or photographers. A spotter on the other hand easily mounts to a rest and will often have a larger objective lens which will allow for a brighter "picture". Spotters also usually are variable powered which means you can control the magnification you need. This is especially handy on days of bad mirage (almost always over water) which will make it a bit easier to observe finer details like the ships name.
Too much attention is given to magnification sometimes. You will find IMHO that 30X/40X is more then enough for most ship watching. Good glass is much more important past this point
My father in law and an uncle of mine lived on Lk Huron and, had this type of set up in their living rooms just for this purpose.

https://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet.html?catalog[name]=Hawke-Endurance-16-48x68-Spotting-Scope---Green-%23HT3803-Binoculars-and-Scopes&catalog[product_guids][0]=1210374

https://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet.html?catalog[name]=Kowa-TSN-82SV-82mm-Standard-Spotting-Scope---Angled-Binoculars-and-Scopes&catalog[product_guids][0]=1237107

http://www.championshooters.com/inde...195&Itemid=111

[Pond Scum]

I bought this set up when we moved to the lake. I sprung for the 100 mm lens and a heavy duty tripod. I figured it would be in use for 20 years or more and it works well for us. The Konus isn't "top of the line" but I saved on the brand name for the bigger lens. Amazon has mixed reviews on quality but If you get a bad one the Amazon return policy is pretty good.

Konus 100mm spotting scope.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Heavy Duty Tripod

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[UpNorthWOLF]

Thanks everyone

[AxlMyk]

A little late to the party, but I suggest a Meade Adventure 80mm. https://www.meade.com/telescopes/ref...cope-80mm.html
It comes in a backpack. The tripod is cheap, so you might want to use a better one you might already have. Any photo T-pod will work. I took it on our last trip out west. Perfect for the overhead baggage.

I have many scopes from this 80mm, to a 13.1" Dobson. I use this little Meade quite often. Gives good views of the planets and moon also.

[crankythunder]

As for the tripod, I have had this model for over 15 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-936...lestron+tripod


Incredibly stable and strong, especially considering the light weight.

It has a small tray for eyepieces that is almost worthless, I replaced mine with a circular wood cutting board to hold my beer and a 10 steel weight that screws in the bottom. Super steady. Almost the equal of my wood surveyors tripod that I use for my theodolite. I especially like the micro adjust windage and elevation knobs on the springies where you can make micro adjustments with precision. A worthwhile companion to a top of the line spotter or binoculars. I topped it with a large heavy duty monfrotto ball turret for astronomical observations.

Regards,
Cranky

[JohnS624]

What kind of 10x42 binos do you have? That should be enough magnification for the Straits; it may just be the glass quality that's lacking. I have a pair of Zeiss Terra ED 10x32 that I use for hiking, ship watching, general use and never have a problem. The Nikon 10x30 Monarch 7's are similar. B&H out of New York usually have them for around $300-350. The thing I like is that they are compact and handy and I always have them with me.

[UpNorthWOLF]

Bushnell. We see the ships, but many times the names are not legible (paint contrast and lettering size contributes). Sitting in the fort's parking lot the distance is 2.5-3 miles to a ship. It is closer at a roadside park between Mackinaw City and Cheboygan where Bois Blanc Island is, but you miss the channel traffic near Mackinac Island.