Are binoculars really an advantage? (was Re: ATM 20-25-30 inch)

[deepsky <deepsky@usmo.com>]

I seem to remember reading that an object viewed under binocular conditions will appear 
40%
brighter than the same object viewed under monocular conditions due to the way our visual 
cortex
combines the images from our eyes.
        Since brightness is a function of area would it be more correct to say that a 16" 
binocular would
be similar in performance to an 18.9" telescope?  I calculated this by adding the area of 
a 16"
telescope to 40% of the area of the second 16" telescope and then finding the diameter of 
the
telescope that would have this total area.  
        I have compared the view in 50mm binoculars to the view in a short focus 60mm 
refractor at similar
magnigications and the performance of the 60mm is very similar to the 50mm binoculars.  
This is to
be expected since a 40% increase in brightness predicts that 50mm binoculars would 
perform like a
59.16mm telescope.  
        Figuring the gain in resolution of a binocular telescope is a different story.  I 
would think that
there would be more than a 40% increase in resolution since resolution is a function of 
diameter
and  separation.
        If anyone has any experience with large binocular scopes and how they compare to 
large monocular
scopes as far as brightness and resolution are concerned please share your opinions.

Mark Birkmann
        
>     Hi Alderlie,
>         Another option to consider is to aquire another 16+ACI- f6 to match the
> one
> you already own, and build a large set of binoculars..... You could expect
> performance similar to a 22+ACI- to 24+ACI- monocular.... but a little more
> comfortable
> on the eye..(and brain)....  Aside from that, it will be a whole lot cheaper
> than
> building a monocular of equivalent light grasp (because you already own +AL0- ).
> 
>     Well that is my 2 Guilders worth anyways....
>                 Regards
>                         Clive