Binocular Chair Usage and Functionality

This binocular chair has components designed by Milky Way Lounge. See the usage and functionality details below:

Overview:

comfort	relaxing for head, neck, upper and lower body; a sleep inducer!
user height/size	adjustable for typical user heights and weights, including adults and teenagers.
binocular teeter (using right arm)	for fine adjustment of the viewing elevation; used in combination with the cradle described below
binocular cradle (also using right arm)	used in combination with the teeter described above; great for any fine adjustment of the eye-to-ocular relationship; useful when the viewing elevation is changed with the teeter there are cradle fulcrum options for matching the binocular’s center of mass
chair rotation (using left arm)	for easy smooth azimuth adjustment; can use the left and right arms simultaneously when slewing
binocular weight balance	adjustable with rear counterweights; doesn’t need to be exactly matched because of added friction
chair front counterweight	prevents a loaded reclining chair from tipping back, and it weight-assists when bringing a tilted zero-gravity chair back to an upright position
chair backrest tilt adjustment	for course elevation changes; a lawn chair can be used, but a zero gravity chair is much better suited

Functionality and stability:

view direction stability	no drift, due to added friction for both azimuth and altitude; also true when the hands are released, or when the ground is not completely level
view direction bounce-back, after setting the view direction	almost zero, due to choice of materials
head/eye positioning to binoculars	the eye distance to the oculars and the angle with the oculars are both completely adjustable
head/eye position as elevation changes	the eye position tracks the binocular position very well, and can be adjusted for the body size of each user
view settling time	negligible, due to the stability rods
elevation drift	negligible, due to the stability rods
body pulse vibration, aka. “heartbeat”, in the view	greatly mitigated by the stability rods, and better in general with a sturdy chair more noticeable on bright stars at high magnification, less so on extended objects
elevation extent	a zero gravity chair typically tilts back to about 75° of elevation, then the teeter can tilt up past zenith, as the neck is slightly arched; with a cushion on the nape of the neck, this can also be comfortable
tested with	10×50’s, 16×70’s, 82mm 20-60x fieldscope

Easy assembly:

sections	5 to 6 sections; the heaviest and bulkiest section is the zero gravity chair itself
setup time	~5 minutes total: stack the base sections, place the chair, slide in the chair front counterweight, and clamp on the wheel mount crossbar using the two nylon wing nuts; this excludes the transport time
collapsible	the zero gravity chair is collapsible with the teeter/cradle and stability rods installed, otherwise easily remove them with the six nylon wing nuts
stacking	– the turntable bearing section (see pic below), is flipped over and positioned securely onto the octagonal base – the chair is then placed on the four rubber guides on the turntable bearing section (see pic above) – the large heavy duty turntable bearing prevents any tipping and wobbling
self-adjustable wheel mount	when clamping on the wheel mount crossbar, it conforms to the geometry of the chair frame, and self-adjusts to the required height off of the track on the base

Body strength to operate chair:

arm strength to operate azimuth and the fine elevation controls	little
torso strength to tilt back a zero gravity chair	moderate
leg/arm strength to return a zero gravity chair to upright	moderate
strength needed to transport and assemble the sections	moderate

Cost and commitment:

parts and materials	from recommended external sources; total ~US$250, excluding the zero gravity chair
design plan PDFs	price is TBD, but will be a small fraction of the above amount
tools	table saw, power drill, common hand tools also handy but not required: cross-cut saw, drill press or similar, router, small belt sander safety: dust mask, safety glasses, ear protection, ventilation for the finishing
time commitment	a few days to acquire the parts and to do some organization, then a few more days to build the components, assemble them, and adjust them; designed to accommodate your chair dimensions, but expect some trial and error to fit your components

This work © 2024 by Milky Way Lounge is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0