Booster on Valdada 36x
- Thread starter DSM
- Start date
jackie schmidt
New member
Yes. Works pretty good.
I went to the local TSO, bought a +325 lens for $27. I laid a 1 9/16 circle out on it, and on a belt sander, sanded the diameter down to the scribe marks. I then machined a thin aluminum carrier that I mounted the lens in, that is a push fit onto the scope.
The + 325 makes it about 45 to 50x. You can't go any higher because you run out of adjustment and the reticle will not focus.
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19206&stc=1&d=1489507077
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19207&stc=1&d=1489507206
I went to the local TSO, bought a +325 lens for $27. I laid a 1 9/16 circle out on it, and on a belt sander, sanded the diameter down to the scribe marks. I then machined a thin aluminum carrier that I mounted the lens in, that is a push fit onto the scope.
The + 325 makes it about 45 to 50x. You can't go any higher because you run out of adjustment and the reticle will not focus.
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19206&stc=1&d=1489507077
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19207&stc=1&d=1489507206
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What is TSO? And you used +3.25 reading glasses for the lens? Glass?
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jackie schmidt
New member
Texas State Opticle. They will sell a lens that they use to make reading glasses.
Here is the packet it came in. They will cut it to a specific diameter, but they said it would be three days, so I did it myself.
This is a polycarbonate lens, but if you have time, they will make a glass one. I wanted to try it before I invested to much effort into the idea.
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19208&stc=1&d=1489509497
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Boyd Allen
Active member
Along the same lines as Jackie, some time back I was curious about the boosters but not so much that I wanted to shell out for one.
While working on another project, I happened to try putting one lens of a set designed for taking close up pictures with a 35mm camera behind the eyepiece of a scope, and saw that it magnified the image. At that point I measured the OD of the threads of the eyepiece lens cap for my B&L 36X which turned out to be something like 36mm. Then I did some research on what diameters closeup lenses were available in. The closest was listed as 37mm and since I was able to find a Tiffen brand, NOS cased set for around $20 on Ebay, I took the plunge and ordered it. When it arrived I determined that the +1 diopter did not magnify as much as I wanted, and that the 4X required more forward adjustment of the eyepiece than my scope had (This varies from shooter to shooter depending on his vision and corrective lens. I am moderately nearsighted, and wear glasses to see better at a distance.) Luckily, for my scope, the lens would screw into the eyepiece. After refocusing the eyepiece, I found that I had lost about a half inch of eye relief, but I was willing to put up with that for the advantage of the extra magnification. It seemed to me that the loss of eye relief in creased slightly with each increase in diopter.
Later, on a practice day just before a match, I asked some of the other benchrest shooters their opinions of my lashup magnifier. They said that the magnification looked about the same as their 45X Leupolds. As to the quality of the image, I would put the image quality of the 4200 series B&L up against any scope of the same magnification that I have looked through, and while some have said that the images of their scopes were degraded by the addition of a booster, in my case, with the +2 closeup lens the image is actually improved. I suppose that I should add that with a fresh prescription my vision has always tested a solid 20-15.
After I had equipped both of my B&Ls with the same brand and magnification of lens, I found that a couple of a friend's March scopes that had the same thread but not all. I forget which. A friend who has a 36X Leupold (which lacks eyepiece threads) used a modified flip open lens cap to secure the +4 lens to his scope. (his vision allowed him this option) He used the part that slips on the eyepiece and cut off the cap part. It works very well that way. Another friend did the same thing and likes the result, as does one of his shooting buddies that copied what we have done.
I have posted this because not all of us have machine tools to make adapters. The Closeup lens sets give a way to try different diopters cheaply. The diopter that Jackie bought would not work on my scope with my vision.
These lenses increase magnification by shortening the focal length of the eyepiece. The entire field of view is magnified including the thickness of the cross hairs. I did a test of field of view, with and without, and was surprised to see that I did not see any difference. Of course you can do your own test and draw your own conclusions.
This is a link to an Ebay listing of my set. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tiffen-49mm...770045?hash=item2a7c768afd:g:yFcAAOSw2GlXFu3f
If you want to try +3, all that is required is to screw the +1 and +2 together. They work that way.
For scopes of lesser image quality their faults will be visibly magnified, but not so much as to interfere with their use. It is mostly an esthetic issue.
While working on another project, I happened to try putting one lens of a set designed for taking close up pictures with a 35mm camera behind the eyepiece of a scope, and saw that it magnified the image. At that point I measured the OD of the threads of the eyepiece lens cap for my B&L 36X which turned out to be something like 36mm. Then I did some research on what diameters closeup lenses were available in. The closest was listed as 37mm and since I was able to find a Tiffen brand, NOS cased set for around $20 on Ebay, I took the plunge and ordered it. When it arrived I determined that the +1 diopter did not magnify as much as I wanted, and that the 4X required more forward adjustment of the eyepiece than my scope had (This varies from shooter to shooter depending on his vision and corrective lens. I am moderately nearsighted, and wear glasses to see better at a distance.) Luckily, for my scope, the lens would screw into the eyepiece. After refocusing the eyepiece, I found that I had lost about a half inch of eye relief, but I was willing to put up with that for the advantage of the extra magnification. It seemed to me that the loss of eye relief in creased slightly with each increase in diopter.
Later, on a practice day just before a match, I asked some of the other benchrest shooters their opinions of my lashup magnifier. They said that the magnification looked about the same as their 45X Leupolds. As to the quality of the image, I would put the image quality of the 4200 series B&L up against any scope of the same magnification that I have looked through, and while some have said that the images of their scopes were degraded by the addition of a booster, in my case, with the +2 closeup lens the image is actually improved. I suppose that I should add that with a fresh prescription my vision has always tested a solid 20-15.
After I had equipped both of my B&Ls with the same brand and magnification of lens, I found that a couple of a friend's March scopes that had the same thread but not all. I forget which. A friend who has a 36X Leupold (which lacks eyepiece threads) used a modified flip open lens cap to secure the +4 lens to his scope. (his vision allowed him this option) He used the part that slips on the eyepiece and cut off the cap part. It works very well that way. Another friend did the same thing and likes the result, as does one of his shooting buddies that copied what we have done.
I have posted this because not all of us have machine tools to make adapters. The Closeup lens sets give a way to try different diopters cheaply. The diopter that Jackie bought would not work on my scope with my vision.
These lenses increase magnification by shortening the focal length of the eyepiece. The entire field of view is magnified including the thickness of the cross hairs. I did a test of field of view, with and without, and was surprised to see that I did not see any difference. Of course you can do your own test and draw your own conclusions.
This is a link to an Ebay listing of my set. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tiffen-49mm...770045?hash=item2a7c768afd:g:yFcAAOSw2GlXFu3f
If you want to try +3, all that is required is to screw the +1 and +2 together. They work that way.
For scopes of lesser image quality their faults will be visibly magnified, but not so much as to interfere with their use. It is mostly an esthetic issue.
jackie schmidt
New member
Power Booster
This one may work with your Valdada.
www.bulzeyepro.com.
http://www.snipercentral.com/bulzeyepro-3x-optical-booster/
This one may work with your Valdada.
www.bulzeyepro.com.
http://www.snipercentral.com/bulzeyepro-3x-optical-booster/
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R.G. Robinett
"That'll never work."
With these devices, the magnification [of the scope] is not increased, rather, the image, at the focal plane is magnified - just like looking at a piece of paper, through a 2/3/whatever X magnifying glass - thus Boyd's observation regarding same field-of-view and, "thicker" cross-hairs (reticle), and image imperfections being more obvious. 
RG
P.S. With this approach, I suppose focal length could be an issue.
RGP.S. With this approach, I suppose focal length could be an issue.
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jackie schmidt
New member
With these devices, the magnification [of the scope] is not increased, rather, the image, at the focal plane is magnified - just like looking at a piece of paper, through a 2/3/whatever X magnifying glass - thus Boyd's observation regarding same field-of-view and, "thicker" cross-hairs (reticle), and image imperfections being more obvious.
Correct. Any "booster" that is behind the ocular lens will magnify the reticle' size.
I also have built my own booster for a few of the 42x NightForce scopes I own. I used the objective lens out of a cheap 4x scope I bought in a Pawn Dhop for $25. I mounted it in a carrier that screws in the eye piece lens. Works quite well.
I am aware that you can buy these things, I just like piddling around with stuff.
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19214&stc=1&d=1489590501
http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19215&stc=1&d=1489590672
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Like I've always said. A skilled craftsman, with the right tools, has a distinct advantage in this game.
Glenn
R.G. Robinett
"That'll never work."
A simple solution would be to have a set of shooting glasses made, with a 3x (or whatever) magnifier on the aiming eye lens, and a plano, or, Rx lens (whatever is normal) on the other side.
RG
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A simple solution would be to have a set of shooting glasses made, with a 3x (or whatever) magnifier on the aiming eye lens, and a plano lens on the other side.
umm huh...the shooting glasses, with magnifier over aiming eye, is what we do to help see the front sights on a pistol. Haven't tried it with a rifle scope.
Glenn