Orion 5374 User Manual

IN 230 Rev. A 05/07

Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975

Customer Support [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Corporate Offices [phone]
P.O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Paragon-Plus

Binocular Mount

#5374 with tripod

#5376 tripod not included

2

Binocular (optional)

Altitude knob

Tension knobs

Counterweight shaft lock knobs

Counterweight shaft

Counterweight

Elevator shaft crank

Brace lock knob

Center brace

Dual rubber/spike foot

Helical lock rings

Tripod leg

Elevator shaft lock lever

Pivot disk

Parallelogram

Binocular mounting
knob (not shown)

Figure 1. The Paragon-Plus binocular mount

3

Congratulations on your purchase of the Orion Paragon-Plus

Binocular Mount. This sturdy suppor t apparatus is designed

to allow comfortable use of binoculars up to 80mm in aperture
for astronomical or terrestrial viewing. The mount greatly
reduces arm strain and positions the binocular away from the
tripod, allowing the viewer to stand or sit comfortably under
the binocular while aiming it overhead — even to the zenith.
The mount also enables the binocular to be raised and low­ered while still staying right on a given target, a wonderful
feature when two or more people of different heights are
observing together.

These instructions cover assembly and use of both the
Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount only (#5376, without tripod)
and the Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount & Tripod (#5374).
Please read them thoroughly.

Attaching the Paragon-Plus
Binocular Mount to a Tripod

The attachment instructions cover the attachment to either the
Paragon-Plus tripod (included with #5374), or any sturdy tripod
you might already have .Y ou will need a flat-head scre wdriv er and
a 2mm hex wrench to attach the binocular mount to a tripod.
Refer to Figure 1 during assembly.

1) Remove the pan head of the tripod you plan to use.If you
purchased the Paragon-Plus binocular mount and tripod, you
will not need to do this as the tripod does not come with a pan
head. Note the size of the screw the tripod uses to attach the
pan head.

2) Turn the binocular mount upside down.On the bottom of the
pivot disk (Figure 1) there is a 3/8" threaded hole containing a
brass 1/4"-20 threaded insert. This may need to be removed,
depending on the tripod you are using.Compare the size of the
threaded post on the tripod with the size of the brass insert. If
the brass insert is too small, then it will need to be removed. It
should be removed to use it with the P aragon-Plus tripod in the
#5374 package.Use the flat-head screwdriver to do this.

3) Spread the legs of the tripod as far as they will go and lock
them in place with the brace lock knob (Figure 1). Keep the
legs at their shortest height, for now.The Paragon-Plus tripod
has a very wide stance for enhanced stability.The widest
stance is achieved when the tri-brace is as far down as it will
go on the elevator shaft housing.The brace lock knob should
be tightened to secure the stance.When using the binocular
mount, the tripod legs should always be fully extended, other
wise the weight of the binocular mount could cause the tripod
to tip over.

4) For the Par agon-Plus tripod, attach the parallelogram mount
to the platform on top of the elevator shaft (Figure 2).For other
tripods, thread the mount onto the shaft where the pan head
normally goes. Do this by placing the hole on the bottom of the
mount onto the shaft while holding the mount with one hand.
With your other hand, turn the pivot disk until it is tight.

5) If you are using the Paragon tripod, you secure the piv ot disk
to the platform on top of the elevator shaft with the setscrews
located underneath the platform. With the 2mm hex wrench,
thread the setscrews until they are secure.The mount should
now be able to pivot without unthreading from the tripod.

Your Paragon-Plus binocular mount is now assembled and
should resemble Figure 1.

Attaching the Binocular to the Binocular Mount

The Paragon-Plus binocular mount is capable of holding binocu­lars of up to 80mm aperture.The binocular must have a threaded
socket for mounting.Adjust the tripod height to the level you will
be viewing from before mounting the binoculars. See below for
instructions on how to raise the Paragon-Plus tripod.

Remove the cover cap from the threaded tripod adapter on your
binocular. Then thread the binocular mounting knob into the tri­pod adapter on the binocular until it is secure (Figure 3). Please
note that if you are using a large binocular that employs a central
support shaft (such as the Orion MegaView), then you will need
an optional mounting plate (#7589).

Balancing the Paragon-Plus Binocular Mount

To assure smooth movement of the binocular mount, the binocu­lar should be properly balanced on the mount by adjusting the
counterweight shaft.Note that a perfect balance is not necessary ,
as the balance can be compensated by using the tension knobs.
However, try to achieve as precise a balance as possible.

1) Loosen all four tension knobs and carefully bring the mount
to a horizontal position.

2) Loosen the counterweight shaft knobs and slide the coun­terweight shaft out from the mount until it balances the
binocular on the other end. Note that a perfect balance may
not be achievable with a very light or very heavy binocular.

If the mount will not balance (very likely with a small binocular),
you can make adjustments to the tension knobs until the mount
remains in place when you stop moving it.If it does not, increase
the tension with the tension knobs.

Figure 2. Line up the

threaded pan head attach­ment shaft of the tripod with
the threaded hole on the bot­tom of the pivot disk. Then
hold the binocular mount still
while turning the pivot disk to
thread it onto the shaft.

Figure 3. Attaching the

binocular to the binocular
mount

Binocular
mounting knob

L-bracket

Threaded
tripod adapter

Adjusting the “Tilt Angle” of the Binocular

The binocular “tilt angle” is controlled with the altitude knob
(Figure 4).You should set the knob tension such that the binocu­lar will move when pushed, but will not move on its own. Keep in
mind that as the angle of the binocular approaches the zenith,
the knob tension will need to be increased so that the binocular
does not flop over. Increase the knob tension when bringing the
binocular 40˚ or more from horizontal.

Adjusting Azimuth

Moving the binocular in azimuth (left/right) is a simple matter of turn­ing the mount on its pivot disk.There is no azimuth lock feature.

Adjusting the Height of the Binocular

A nice feature of the Paragon-Plus binocular mount is that when
the binocular is pointed at an object, the height can be adjusted
for different vie wers without moving the binocular off its target.To
do this, simply move the binocular so that only the parallelogram
part of the mount is moving. Do not adjust the tilt angle of the
binocular or move the mount on its pivot disk.Figure 5 shows this
feature in action.Using this feature, people of varying heights will
be able to enjoy binocular views without any crouching over or
straining to reach the binocular.

Adjusting the Paragon-Plus Tripod Height
(#5374)

You may find that the binocular position is too low when the tri­pod legs are fully retracted.To raise the height you should e xtend
the legs of the tripod. You should remove the binocular mount
before extending the tripod legs to prevent the mount and tripod
from falling over.

Each leg of the tripod has two telescoping sections.To extend a
leg, loosen the ridged helical lock ring by turning it counterclock­wise, then extend the leg. When it has been extended to the
desired length, turn the lock ring clockwise until tight.

Although the Paragon-Plus tripod also has an elevator shaft, this
should be used with the binocular mount only after raising the tri­pod by use of the legs. Extending the elevator shaft reduces the
stability of the binocular mount. To operate the elevator shaft,
loosen the elevator lock knob and turn the ele vator hand crank to
adjust to the desired height.Then tighten the elevator lock knob.

Dual Rubber/Spike Feet (#5374)

The tripod is equipped with dual-purpose feet that consist of a
retractable rubber foot and a metal spike. The rubber feet are
intended for use of the tripod indoors or on a smooth, paved sur­face.The metal spikes are desirable for achieving a firm grip on
soft surfaces. To use the rubber feet, thread the foot counter­clockwise until it stops.In this position, the metal spike will be well
recessed within the rubber. Be sure all three r ubber feet are flat
on the floor, not tipped sideways.

To expose the spike feet, thread the rubber foot clockwise until
the spike protrudes from the rubber.In some instances you may
wish to remove the rubber feet altogether so more of the metal
spike is exposed.This can be done by pulling the rubber feet off
their anchors.They can be pressed on again at any time.

Parallelogram Safety Stop

The parallelogram has a safety stop to prevent the aluminum
bars from completely collapsing.This ensures that no fingers will
be caught and crushed by an accidental fast closing of the paral­lelogram. This feature will also prevent the counterweight from
hitting the tripod.

4

Figure 5. The binocular will remain on target as you adjust the

height using the parallelogram.The standing person in (a) is looking
at the same thing while seated in (b).Note that only the parallelogram
has moved; the tilt angle of the binocular has not. The pivot disk and
binocular altitude should not be adjusted for this feature to work.

Figure 6. The binocular mount

can be used to view objects at or
near the zenith.Adjust the tripod so
that you can stand under the binoc­ular to view objects located high in
the sky.

a. b.

Figure 4. The “tilt angle” of the binoculars

Altitude knob

tilt angle

5

Astronomical Use

The Paragon-Plus binocular mount allows viewing of subjects
from the horizon all the way up to the zenith.To view objects at
the zenith, adjust the binocular mount and tripod so that they will
be tall enough for you to stand underneath the binocular.Then
adjust the tilt angle of the binocular to point it at the zenith.Stand
underneath the binocular and look up into them. When done
properly, this should resemble Figure 6.

Transporting

When moving the binocular mount any significant distance, you
should remove the binocular to prevent them from being dam­aged. To make moving easier, you may want to separate the
mount from the tripod. An optional carrying case (#15161) is also
available from Orion to make transportation easier.

Care and Maintenance

When using the mount in direct sunlight, be aware that its black
surface can become hot. If the mount is used in wet conditions,
dry it completely with a soft cloth after use. Clean the tripod and
mount with a mild detergent and a soft cloth.

Specifications:

Maximum binocular weight: 5.5 lbs.
Counterweight: 8 lbs.
Binocular mounting knob: Accommodates Binocular with 1/4"-20

tripod adapter
Minimum binocular height (with Paragon-Plus tripod):31"
Maximum binocular height (with Paragon-Plus tripod):91"
Weight (without Paragon-Plus tripod): 12 lbs. 9 oz.
Weight (With Paragon-Plus tripod): 19 lbs. 10 oz.
Carry case: Optional

6

7

8

Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

Post Office Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061

Customer Support Help Line [phone] • Day or Evening

www.telescope.com

One-Year Limited Warranty

This Orion Paragon Binocular Mount 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 instrument 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 original invoice) is required.

This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument 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 Depar tment, Orion Telescopes & Binoculars, P. O.
Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; [phone].