Laid-Back Observing: Bigha StarSeeker

Even a quick glance tells you what the Bigha StarSeeker ($1,950) is all about. What it won’t tell you, however, is how well this motorized chair for binocular observing is engineered. In the December 2006 issue (page 90), our reviewer found it to be the first binocular chair he’d used where the motion adjustments were so fluid and natural that they didn’t infringe on the pleasures that come with sweeping the sky at low magnifications. Designed for binoculars that are compact and relatively lightweight, the StarSeeker works best with instruments having magnifications of 12x and up only if they are image stabilized, such as the Canon line of "IS" binoculars. When stored, the StarSeeker takes up only a little more space than the folded chair alone, and most individuals can easily carry the base and chair out to the lawn in a single trip.

Contact: Bigha, 4386 NW Crescent Valley Dr., Corvallis, OR 97330; toll-free 888-258-8440 (outside the US: 541-929-4583); www.bigha.com

Every year the editors of Sky & Telescope present their selection of the most intriguing new products to enter the marketplace. "Hot New Products for 2007" appeared in the January 2007 issue, page 100. For further information about a specific product, contact the manufacturer or distributor. To alert the editors of Sky & Telescope to the introduction of a new product, please send e-mail to [email protected].