DIY ASTRONOMY

Practical astronomy projects for every level of expertise 

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How to build a sunbed binocular mount

Enjoy comfy, hands-free viewing with this attachment for your garden lounger

With this mount to hold a pair of binoculars to your sunbed, you'll be able to relax your arms while looking at the sky and keep your target steady in the field of view. The design allows you to angle the binoculars up and down and side to side, and because it's mounted on the lounger it doesn't take up space on the ground. You can sit side by side with someone else too.

The parallelogram mechanism means binoculars can be brought close to the eyes of both taller and shorter observers. You can even swap places while retaining your aim towards the target area of sky.

The simple mounting 'beam' on which the mechanism is fixed can be modified to suit a variety of loungers. We added three short wooden pieces to ours. One has a nylon screw which presses against the back of our lounger to steady everything. By adding short lengths of wood in the right place it should be possible for the beam to be steadied against the frame of any design of lounger. For extra security and peace of mind, you may wish to use a clamp or bungees to fix the beam on tight.