There are a lot of observing accessories available to the amateur
astronomer – eyepieces, a Barlow, a star chart, red flashlight, etc.
But there is one that is often overlooked by a beginning observer, one
that makes the observing experience much more pleasant and comfortable.
That accessory is a comfortable observing chair like this Starbound
chair.If you get lost in the stars, standing for hours bent over the
telescope eyepiece, sooner or later your feet and legs will start
aching and you′ll feel a distinct twinge in your lower back.
This Starbound observing chair keeps you off your feet, with an unbent
back, eliminating those unpleasant effects.
The Starbound chair′s vinyl covered seat is cushioned with foam
for comfort. The height of the seat is adjustable from 9″ to
32″ to put virtually any observer′s eye at the right
position for observing with an unbent back through refractor or
catadioptric scope eyepiece.
The chair′s machined steel tube frame is welded where needed for
strength and finished in a baked black powder coating that is both
good-looking and resistant to rust or corrosion. The chair weighs only
16 pounds, but will support 350 pounds. All hardware is stainless steel
to assure a lifetime of service. Workmanship is excellent.
The four uprights of the chair that hold the seat offer back support
when the seat is set at low to medium heights. The chair′s rear
legs splay outwards, offering good lateral stability. If an observer
leans left or right the chair will not easily tip over. The chair
folds flat for transport so it takes up little room in your car. When
open, a spreader bar locks the legs in place so they can′t
accidentally close during use.
The thickly padded seat is bolted securely to a metal frame that
slides up and down the four uprights of the chair frame. Lifting the
front of the seat lets you slide the seat along the uprights to the
desired observing height. Lowering the front of the seat lets gravity
lock the two Delrin coated steel bars of the seat height mechanism at
the desired height. The padded steel bars provide the friction needed
to keep the seat from slipping on the frame (as is common on some
competing seats). The more weight on the seat, the more firmly the
seat is locked in place. The feature image below shows a close-up view
of how the bars of the seat height mechanism clamp onto the
seat′s uprights.
Easy to transport. Easy to set up, move, and take down. Easy on the
legs, back, and feet. The Starbound chair is all of these. It′s
an observing accessory that doesn′t help you to see more. But it
does help you to see in more comfort.
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Black Air Chair
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White Air Chair
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