telescopes on the hill

[Simjim33]

I have never stalked in Scotland. But I do have a Yukon 30 x 50 draw scope and a friend of mine has the 20 x 50. Also being a bit of a cheap git and not wanting to pay stupid money for an experiment. I paid £35 inc postage and my mate paid £30 for his.

The scope weighs nothing. It folds up small enough to fit in the back pocket of my coat. The problem I find at that kind of mag is keeping the dam thing steady. But a little ingenuity goes a long way and my stony point snap on sticks help a bundle. I also can see it getting a lot of use at Bisley on century.

They are crap in the woods, but are great out in the open looking between copses. As another poster said before, they can save a lot of walking.

 

[Rob Dhu]

A friend brought the Zeiss spotter to the highlands. I use a Grays. The Grays is easier to use on the hill. I occasionally use it in the lowlands.

 

[Mackensen]

I collect old stalking spyglasses and military telescopes and use them all on the hill. The best that I have are all by Ross, Negretti & Zambra, Dollond or Broadhurst Clarkson (but Ross are consistently best of all). I also have a very nice Aitchison called "The Target". All of these date from 1900 to 1950, most being 1905 - 1930. They all have a 50-55mm objective and are 3-draw or with a fourth "pancratic" draw (which, like my variable sights, I never use - they stay on 20x mag). The fixed mag ones are 15x - 25x and the pancratics offer 20 - 40x mag. The WW2 Scout Regiment Telescope Mk IIs, especially those by Broadhurst Clarkson or Kodak Eastman ("KEC"), make excellent hill scopes (50mm objective, 22x mag) and have a proper case and strap. They are lighter and have a wider field of view than the WW1 "Tel Sigs". The problem with many of the others is that they have end caps and a rather complicated strap arrangement which makes them awkward to carry and use. The solution is to have a saddler make a proper case and strap - I did this with a Ross "Telescope Signalling Mk III" of 1916 vintage and it is beautiful. The WW1 "Tel Sigs" had interchangeable eyepieces giving 15x or 30x mag but they are fine on the hill with just the 15x. Many makers produced a "Signalling Telescope" of around 20x mag in the 1920s - a civilian version of the WW1 "Tel Sigs" - and they can be lovely too.

Don't let anyone tell you that the optics on these old scopes are poor. If you buy a good one from Ross etc, strip it down and give it a proper clean, you will be delighted. Just be patient and wait for one in top condition with smooth tubes and lenses that are undamaged and free of any fungus etc. They come up regularly on e-bay and you will find a nice one for around £100 - £120 and a really lovely one for up to about twice that much. Now and again you will see them make a lot more but that's just folk paying silly money, so ignore them. However, if you spot a Ross "Watcher", or one of their lovely, lightweight aluminium models, don't hesitate to go for it but expect to pay a little more. Same goes for the "McLeod", "Laird" or "Ghillie" by Negretti & Zambra - all beautiful, purpose-designed stalking glasses that are a pleasure to own and use.

Hope this is of some help or interest - very happy to answer any queries about old stalking glasses!

 

[Brithunter]

Although I have never been hillstalking I did buy myself a Nickel "Supra" alloy tubed two draw scope which is variable from 15-60x magnification in it's hard leather case. It actually came from a stalker in Scotland as I recall and cost me about £60 with postage in about 2002. Later this year I hope to get it serviced and cleaned.

Perhaps one day I shall acquire a more traditional "good" one but for now this will do. As it has a boss that is threaded I can also use it on the range on a tripod.

 

[MountainStalker2]

For hunting deer, thar and chamois in the big valleys of ANZ a good spotter is essential to cover the country. You just do not have enough time to climbs all thos guts and gullies. A spotter with a 65 mm objective and ANGLED 20 - 60 mm eye piece on a small tripod is commonly used along with a good set of 10 x 40s. Swaro, Leica, Zeiss, Kowa are the prefered units. Great for taking photos of the game also.

 

[Blackdog]

Thanks for the advice Rob, Will look into a grays I reckon
Steve

 

[Deepocean]

Has anybody tried the Zeiss or Swarovski boosters to turn your binoculars into a telescope ? Im thinking about getting a Zeiss one which they claim will turn up my bins to 24 x56

 

[DL]

Has anybody tried the Zeiss or Swarovski boosters to turn your binoculars into a telescope ? Im thinking about getting a Zeiss one which they claim will turn up my bins to 24 x56

There was one for sale on here last year.

For Sale: Swarovski binocular booster

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

I must admit (honestly) i am most impressed with the zeiss field spotter they sent me to trial.
waterproof, rubber armoured, variable zoom, easy to focus and short and compact being carried by its own strap throught the lens covers so you never loose them.
Take a look through one.

 

[Moray Outfitting]

Just a brief note to say thank you to Mackensen.

What an absolute gent - and knows his stuff!

 

[bogtrotter]

And its a big thank you from me.

 

[Mackensen]

It's a pleasure - these old stalking/spotting glasses are lovely things.

 

[Moray Outfitting]

BT - we are NOT resurrecting the Two Ronnies thing.... again. The fact that I qualify as both the short one and the fat one just confuses things!

 

[Foss]

Mackensen, I share your appreciation for the old ones. A few years ago my father gave to me my great uncle's spy glass which he used to use on his own hill. I've seen photos of him with it as a young man. I use it and cherish it as much as anything else I own. There are 2 detachable eyepieces, 1 high power and 1 low power. The high power has survived much better than the low so I predominantly use that one but its almost too powerful and I wish the low power was in better condition. I use it all summer long but leave it in the vehicle during the rut because of fear of the wet / peat damaging it (which is the one drawback). It's obviosuly not as good as a Greys but is perfectly good. I don't know who made it but it has an engraving on it saying it was re-conditioned in London. My father thinks it wasn't necessarily bought / made for stalking but perhaps initially taken to war and then used on the hill afterwards. Anyway, I enjoy using it but take care of it so our wee man can have it too. It fulfils a completely different role to my modern bino's. I'll try and post a photo below.

 

[Mackensen]

Hi Foss,

Lovely old glass - you have a "Telescope Signalling" Mk III or possibly IV from 1915 (when the Mk III was introduced) to about 1924 when tha last Mk IVs were made, after which the prototypes for what would become the "Telescope Scout Regiments" began to appear. Yours was made by Broadhurst Clarkson - a very good maker - and has as you say been refurbished. Sometimes companies acquired them as military surplus and then replaced the first draw and sold them to the civilian market as "Signalling Telescopes", if yours is not inscribed as above with the War Office arrow, this is probably what was done with it. The "High" lens is 30x, which is a bit too much and restricts the passage of light and field of view overmuch for the hill. The "Low" lens is 15x and should give a lovely image - have you tried stripping and cleaning it? - it's meant to be taken down and cleaned whenever necessary. It was after much discussion that they settled on a single, 22x eyepiece for the WW2 "Scout Regiment" as being the ideal compromise for a 50mm objective glass. Anyway - lucky you and the wee fella will treasure it for another generation, I'm sure. BTW if the "Low" lens is damaged, you see them come up on E-bay from time-to-time for just a few pounds ...

 

[Foss]

Hi Foss,

Lovely old glass - you have a "Telescope Signalling" Mk III or possibly IV from 1915 (when the Mk III was introduced) to about 1924 when tha last Mk IVs were made, after which the prototypes for what would become the "Telescope Scout Regiments" began to appear. Yours was made by Broadhurst Clarkson - a very good maker - and has as you say been refurbished. Sometimes companies acquired them as military surplus and then replaced the first draw and sold them to the civilian market as "Signalling Telescopes", if yours is not inscribed as above with the War Office arrow, this is probably what was done with it. The "High" lens is 30x, which is a bit too much and restricts the passage of light and field of view overmuch for the hill. The "Low" lens is 15x and should give a lovely image - have you tried stripping and cleaning it? - it's meant to be taken down and cleaned whenever necessary. It was after much discussion that they settled on a single, 22x eyepiece for the WW2 "Scout Regiment" as being the ideal compromise for a 50mm objective glass. Anyway - lucky you and the wee fella will treasure it for another generation, I'm sure. BTW if the "Low" lens is damaged, you see them come up on E-bay from time-to-time for just a few pounds ...

Mackensen, that's fascinating! Thank you very much, I am extremely grateful to you for the information (I'll tell my father who will be interested too). I have never stripped it, only taken the eye pieces off and brushed and wiped them. I will perhaps buy some new lens cleaning stuff and have a go this weekend if the weather is going to be as bad as predicted. I'll also start to look out for a new low lense on e-bay (although noty sure if its really damaged). If you've any tips on cleaning I'd be very grateful. Thanks so much again. V impressed!

 

[Heym SR20]

Macensen - as I have said in previous post my wife has her grandfathers Negretti and Zambra "Ghillie" scope. Its a three draw one, with an eye piece that zooms from 20 to 30x. Do you know roughly when these were built - I think N&Z went out of business in the mid 1960's.

Many thanks

 

[Mackensen]

OK - remember three things: these were meant to be stripped in the field by soldiers so they are robust and well-made; the lens glass is soft so be gentle when cleaning them - use a soft, clean cloth and a little lens cleaning fluid or else some of the proprietary lens wipes that you can buy in any opticians; finally, remember that the threads are fine and of soft brass so be very careful when re-assembling not to cross them!

Remove the first draw (narrowest tube) by unscrewing the milled flange that joins it with the second draw. At the front end, you will find the "erector" lens (which turns the received image the right way up). Remove it and clean it. Now, at the eyepiece end, unscrew the eyepice, then, holding the lens, unscrew the large, milled flange that holds it. You can now clean that lens properly too. If the lens is badly scratched or hazed. or if it has fungus badly, it may be beyond rescue - you would be surprised how much wear and damage the large objective lens can take without affecting the image too much but damage to the eyepiece lenses will have a marked effect. The large objective lens is an "achromatic doublet" - that is, two lenses next to each other and they can also be removed for cleaning by unscrewing the milled ring at the very front of the telescope (with the sun shield fully-retracted). If it hasn't been stripped for years you may have to get it started in a vice, using a cloth in the jaws and being very careful not to pinch it!

Hope this is of use - I'd better shut up now or the Moderators will accuse me of hogging this thread, which wasn't really about old stalking glasses at all!

 

[Heym SR20]

I also have a Kowa 70mm spotting scope with a 32x eyepiece on a tripod. It is very stable and easy to use over an extended period of time I tend to use it in a sitting position, and really I should get a small lightweight short tripod. It is the tool for sitting and scanning a hillside with right out to long distances. Its probably a bit too heavy / bulky to carry alongwith rifle and all other kit, have had in a vehicle for spotting purposes from a hill track prior to a stalk. It is pretty easy to carry in a small pack and a fit young nephew desperate to come stalking has carried ot for me up the hill. Where it is really good is for when you get it on target it's very easy for somebody else to also look through.

 

[Mackensen]

Hi Heym,

The "Ghillie" is a lovely telescope. N&Z, despite their foreign-sounding name, were amongst the finest London instrument makers - by appointment to Queen Victoria etc. They made the "McLeod", the "Laird" and the "Ghillie" at various times, from the late 1890s into the early 1900s then, after a break for WW1 when they were concentrating on gunsights, rangefinders and naval instruments, they resumed the manufacture of field telescopes into the early 1920s. So it is ceratainly around 90 years old but could be a fair bit older - it's hard to be more precise but, hopefully, that will give you an idea of its provenance. Hold on to it!

Macensen - as I have said in previous post my wife has her grandfathers Negretti and Zambra "Ghillie" scope. Its a three draw one, with an eye piece that zooms from 20 to 30x. Do you know roughly when these were built - I think N&Z went out of business in the mid 1960's.

Many thanks