It’s true, there are many advantages to using a zero gravity binocular chair over virtually any other viewing method. But here are some of the tradeoffs:
It does take a few minutes to set up a zero gravity bino-chair, plus the time needed to move the components out to the viewing area. But it can remain set up under a tarp for successive nights.
You may want to share a view with someone who is a much different height. A minute or two may be needed to adjust the height of the bino-holder on the backrest of the chair. Note: a typical user should be able to operate a zero gravity chair, otherwise assistance would be needed.
A zero gravity bino-chair can support mid-sized binoculars very well. At higher magnification, there may be an issue with something called “heartbeat”. This means that the user’s pulse is sometimes transmitted through the chair and the mount and into the view. At about 15x to 20x, there starts to become noticeable heartbeat on bright individual objects. However star fields, clusters and extended DSOs do not appear affected very much. Some people easily get used to a little heartbeat showing up in the view at high magnification, and realize that this tradeoff is well worth it. This bino-chair design reduces perceived heartbeat to less than half, largely due to the stability rods.
Leave a Reply