2x Kowa 55 Spotters Big Eyes

[AkMtnRunner]

So has anyone tried to pair a couple of these scopes up to make a set of big eyes? I have to think there's some real potential given their quality and compactness, nevermind that a pair would weigh less than one large spotter.

I did a search and found some folks making custom brackets years ago but not much talk recently. The few who had a system dialed with some larger spotters loved them. It seems like there wasn't enough interest in the market back then but perhaps things might change. I know that if there was a good bracketing system out there for a few hundred bucks I would pony up.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Well, nevermind. I just received a fast response from Kevin of Montour County Rifles.

I don’t have a bracket for the 554’s. The only ones I make are for the Bushnell Spacemasters and Kowa 660, 774 and 884’s. Variable eyepieces play hell with keeping big eyes collimated. It’s not a matter of keeping them on the same magnification but the movement of the glass when adjusting magnification is enough to knock them out. I don’t have any plans of making brackets for the 554’s unfortunately. I’m just too busy in the shop with other work at this time.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Hatchet Jack]

My biggest complaint with that eyepiece on the Kowa 55 is the narrow field of view. I think it would be a bit like glassing through a straw. Dual spotter setups are best when using a wide angle eyepiece. The Kowa 30x wide is an amazing eyepiece it’s too bad the 55 doesn’t let you change them out.

 

[BIGEYES]

Ak, Swarovski also made a 30X WA eyepiece for the ATS/STS spotters. Unfortunately they are out of production; but occasionally appear on ebay. Coupled with 80mm scopes as a bigeyes they are great. Of course the eyepiece also fits the 65mm.
A little history: I first saw spotters assembled as binoculars over 40 yrs. Meischner Instruments in Mass. commercially built brackets to assemble two Bausch & Lomb Balscopes. A little later the Bushnell Spacemaster II provided a sharper immage. These glasses were very popular in the long range shooting community in Pennsylvania. Not everyone could afford the surplus ship binoculars that were being used by some long rangers.

 

[BIGEYES]

Ak, Swarovski also made a 30X WA eyepiece for the ATS/STS spotters. Unfortunately they are out of production; but occasionally appear on ebay. Coupled with 80mm scopes as a bigeyes they are great. Of course the eyepiece also fits the 65mm.
A little history: I first saw spotters assembled as binoculars over 40 yrs. Meischner Instruments in Mass. commercially built brackets to assemble two Bausch & Lomb Balscopes. A little later the Bushnell Spacemaster II provided a sharper immage. These glasses were very popular in the long range shooting community in Pennsylvania. Not everyone could afford the surplus ship binoculars that were being used by some long rangers.

 

[ScottP]

My biggest complaint with that eyepiece on the Kowa 55 is the narrow field of view. I think it would be a bit like glassing through a straw. Dual spotter setups are best when using a wide angle eyepiece. The Kowa 30x wide is an amazing eyepiece it’s too bad the 55 doesn’t let you change them out.

God that would make my day if the 55 would accept the larger eyepieces.