Orion 51514 User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Orion®Smartphone Holder
for Binoculars
#51514, #24438 with Tripod Adapter
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
IN 444 Rev. A 03/12
OrionTelescopes.com
Customer Support [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Offices [phone]
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
© 2012 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

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Installing Smartphone in the Holder
The Smartphone Holder has padded side rails that adjust laterally to fit any
smartphone having a width of 2" to 4-1/2", which includes most smartphones on
the market today. Chances are you will not even have to remove your smartphone
from its protective case or bumper, if it is in one. The holder has two retaining tabs
at the bottom, which act as a stop for the bottom of your phone, and is open at the
top to accommodate smartphones of any length.
The side rails are padded on the inside surface and curve inward slightly – the
combination of which provides a secure grip on your phone once the rails are
squeezed inward against the sides of your phone.
So to install your phone:
1. First press the release button (refer to Figure 1), which will spring the side
rails apart.
2. Rotate the two end tabs until they are perpendicular to the plane of the
holder. Then place your smartphone in the holder so that the bottom of the
phone contacts the two tabs.
Congratulations on your purchase of the Universal Smartphone Holder for
Binoculars. This holder will allow you to mount an iPhone or almost any other
smartphone on a pair of binoculars to aid in finding and identifying stars, planets,
and other celestial objects in the night sky while stargazing with binoculars. Just
fire up your favorite dynamic star chart app, such as one of Orion’s StarSeek apps
for iOS devices, and start touring the heavens with your binoculars – with your
smartphone riding piggyback for easy visual reference!
Familiarize yourself with the components and features of the Smartphone Holder
in Figure 1.
Attaching the Holder to Binoculars
We recommend attaching the Smartphone Holder to the binoculars before install-
ing your smartphone in the holder.
1. Remove cap from threaded insert on the front of the binoculars’ focusing
bridge, to expose the threaded tripod mounting socket.
2. With the binoculars laying on your lap or on a table, hold the Smartphone
Holder with one hand, as shown in Figure 2, with the phone side facing
toward the binocular eyepieces. With the other hand insert the ¼"-20 stud of
the attachment knob through the slot on the mounting bracket, then thread it
clockwise into the tripod mounting socket until tight.
Figure 1. Components and features of the Smartphone Holder Figure 2. Attaching the Smartphone Holder to binoculars
Attachment knob
Smartphone
holder
Tripod adapter
(included with
#24438 only)
Slotted stem
Attachment
knob
Slotted
stem
Release
button
1/4"-20 stud
1/4"-20
mounting
socket
End tabs
Adjustable
side rails

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binoculars’ field of view. Likewise, it is very possible that when you center a star in
the binocular field of view and then glance up to identify it on the smartphone app’s
star chart, that star will appear off-center. That’s just the nature of the phone’s
digital compass and/or gyroscope – they are not pinpoint accurate! But even given
that caveat, you will still have no problem identifying and finding objects using this
high-tech method of binocular stargazing.
So, then, what’s the best way to use a smartphone in the Smartphone Holder for
binocular stargazing? For locating a star or celestial object, find it on your star
chart app and position the binocular so that the object is centered on the phone’s
display screen. Then, holding the binocular in that position, look into the binocular
and see if the object appears in the field of view. If it does, that’s great! If it does
not, just “sweep” around the area by moving the binoculars slowly in a tight circle
until you see it. (Of course, you should focus the binoculars at infinity beforehand.)
In this way the smartphone held in the Smartphone Holder atop the binoculars
will help you locate objects much faster than if you were using a paper star chart.
For identifying an unknown star, planet, or other celestial object that you see in
your binoculars, center it in the binoculars’ field of view, then glance up at the
smartphone’s screen and see what object lies close to the center on the star chart.
If the object is not precisely in the middle of the display it is likely to be close by
and distinguishable by type of object, brightness, etc., compared to surrounding
objects. You’ll quickly be able to identify countless objects in the night sky using
your astronomy app-equipped smartphone as your mentor.
The Smartphone Holder allows your phone to be oriented in either portrait (verti-
cal) or landscape (horizontal) orientation (Figure 4), and can easily be rotated
from one orientation to the other. On the back of the holder is a sliding tab that
locks the holder’s position (Figure 5), though you probably will not need to use
3. Now squeeze the side rails inward
from the base of the rails (not
the top of the rails, which could
break them) until they contact
the phone and the phone is snug
in the holder (Figure 3). You’ll
hear a clicking sound as the rails
are pushed inward; the clicking
will stop when the rails are snug
against the phone.
To remove your phone from the holder,
grasp the phone with one hand, then
with the other press the release button
to spring the side rails outward.
NOTE: When your smartphone is
in landscape orientation, its display
screen may not be exactly centered
horizontally over the midline of the bin-
ocular when the mounting bracket is in
the vertical position. If that’s the case,
you can center the display by slightly loosening the attachment knob, then rotating
the bracket slightly while keeping the phone holder horizontal. When the display is
centered over the binocular, retighten the knob to set the bracket in that position.
Using the Holder for Binocular Stargazing
Using an iPhone or other smartphone for stargazing with binoculars can be a great
aid in locating, identifying, and learning about stars, planets, and other celestial
objects in the visible heavens. There are many astronomy apps on the market for
both iOS (Apple) and Android-based smartphones that can show you “what’s up”
in any portion of the sky where you’re aiming. No longer do you need a printed
star map by your side to find your way around the night sky. Now you can just
hold up your smartphone to see a star chart matching the part of the sky you’re
facing, with everything labeled on the phone’s display for easy reference. Orion’s
StarSeek apps (Standard, Pro, and Max) for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad are
among the best and most powerful such apps on the market today. They are avail-
able for download exclusively on the iTunes App Store.
While smartphone star chart apps are helpful in locating and identifying celestial
objects, they are limited by the accuracy of the phones’ digital compass. Don’t
expect the same level of accuracy as a computerized telescope’s “GoTo” point-
ing system, which is a different system altogether. With a smartphone, an object
centered on its display may or may not be centered in the field of view of the
binoculars when you look into the eyepieces. Depending on the magnifying power
of your binoculars and the scale of the star map on your smartphone display, i.e.,
how much you’re “zoomed in”, the object may lie off-center or even outside of the
Figure 3. Squeeze the side rails from the
base of the rails, as shown, not at the top
of the rails, until they are snug against the
sides of your smartphone.
Figure 4. You can switch easily between portrait (left) and landscape orientations by just
rotating the holder.
Do not
squeeze the
top of the
side rails!

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slotted stem (while still holding
onto the binoculars). With the
weight of the binoculars on top of
the stem, you can then let go of
the Smartphone Holder (not the
binoculars!) without it falling to the
ground, which in turn will allow
you to use your free hand to reach
under and turn the knob on the
tripod adapter, threading the stud
into the binocular socket (Figure
7). Once the knob is tightened, you
can release the lock on the tripod’s
altitude axis and rotate the head
back to the upright position, in
which the binoculars are parallel to
the ground (Figure 8).
it. If you do, just make sure to unlock
the tab before attempting to rotate the
holder again.
Using the Holder with
Tripod-Mounted Binoculars
Holding binoculars by hand to observe
the night sky can cause arm and shoul-
der fatigue after just a few minutes. So
you may want to consider mounting
your binoculars on a tripod. A tripod
will also hold the binoculars steadier
than holding them by hand, keeping
your viewing target steady in the field
of view.
The #24438 kit includes a tripod adapt-
er for coupling the binoculars (sold sep-
arately) and Smartphone Holder to a tripod. This aluminum adapter has a ¼"-20
stud of sufficient length to pass through the mounting bracket and still engage the
binoculars’ tripod mounting socket by several turns. Other binocular adapters may
not work without modification because the ¼"-20 stud may not be long enough to
ensure adequate thread engagement with the binocular socket.
To install the Smartphone Holder on the binocular tripod adapter, it helps to have a
second person to assist in holding the binocular while you attach the smartphone
holder and tripod adapter. But if you’re doing it solo, here’s a good method:
1. Firmly attach the tripod adapter to the tripod (Figure 6a).
2. Now rotate the tripod head 90 degrees so that the tripod adapter is parallel
to the ground, with the threaded stud pointing up (Figure 6b). Lock the tripod
head’s altitude axis.
3. Now hold the empty smartphone bracket over the tripod adapter, with side
rails facing up, such that the threaded stud is visible in the slot of the metal
stem. With your other hand line up the ¼"-20 socket of the binoculars with
the threaded stud of the tripod adapter, and rest the binocular on top of the
Figure 5. The sliding lock tab on the back
of the holder will lock the holder in position,
if desired.
Figure 7. Install the slotted stem of the
smartphone holder between the tripod
adapter and binoculars.
Lock tab
Figure 6. a) The tripod adapter is shown installed on an Orion Paragon HD-F2 tripod
(sold separately). b) To attach the smartphone holder and binoculars to the tripod adapter,
first rotate the tripod head so the adapter is horizontal, with threaded stud facing up.
a. b.

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Specifications
Smartphone holder (#51514)
Dimensions: 5-3/8" x 2-7/8" x 2-1/4"
Weight: 3.8 oz.
Fits phone sizes: 2" to 4-1/2" wide; any length
Material: Aluminum and plastic
Tripod L-Adapter
(included with #24438)
Dimensions: 4-1/4"H x 1-1/4"W x 2-5/8"D
Mounting stud: ¼"-20
Material: Aluminum, anodized
Note: You will not need the ¼"-20
attachment knob when coupling the
Smartphone Holder to a tripod binocu-
lar adapter. It is used only for hand-held
binocular stargazing without a tripod.
In choosing a tripod for binocular star-
gazing, be sure its head has the ability
to rotate 90 degrees from the horizon-
tal plane to vertical plane. That way,
the binoculars and Smartphone Holder
will be able to point up to the zenith,
the highest point overhead. Also look
for a tripod whose head extends high
enough to limit the amount of crouching
down you have to do to see through the
binoculars when they are aimed high.
Orion’s Paragon HD-F2 tripod fits the
bill nicely on both counts, with the head
extending 72.5" high at full extension.
Perhaps the ultimate binocular plat-
form for binocular stargazing is the
Orion Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount
& Tripod. It’s a parallelogram-style
mount that eliminates arm strain and
shakiness, and allows you to aim your
binocular high overhead, even to the
zenith, while you stand or sit com-
fortably underneath. It positions the
binoculars from 2' 7" to 7' 7" high, and
you can raise and lower the binoculars
while staying fixed on a target, a wonderful feature when two or more people of
varying height are observing together. This mount’s built-in binocular adapter has
a ¼"-20 stud that is long enough to accommodate the Smartphone Holder and still
securely hold your binoculars.
Figure 9. Install your smartphone in the
holder and fire up the Orion StarSeek app
or another dynamic star chart app (sold
separately), and you’ll be ready to locate,
identify, and view countless wonders of the
night sky with your binoculars.
Figure 8. The smartphone holder (front
and back) properly installed on a tripod-
mounted pair of binoculars.

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One-Year Limited Warranty
This Orion Smartphone Holder for Binoculars is warranted against defects in
materials or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase.
This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. During
this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or replace, at
Orion’s option, any warranted product that proves to be defective, provided it is
returned postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville,
CA 95076.
If the product is not registered, proof of purchase (such as a copy of the origi-
nal invoice) is required. This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment,
the product has been abused, mishandled, or modified, nor does it apply to
normal wear and tear. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you
may also have other rights, which vary from state to state. For further warranty
service information, contact: Customer Service Department, Orion Telescopes
& Binoculars, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076; [phone].
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
OrionTelescopes.com
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
Customer Support Help Line [phone]
© 2012 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars