Coin-operated binocular at Cape of Good Hope (01)

A tower viewer is a

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...

binoculars Binoculars or field glasses are two refracting telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes (binocular vision) when viewing distant objects. Most binoculars are sized to be held ...

permanently mounted on a stalk. The device magnifies objects seen through its lenses, allowing users to see farther and more clearly than they could with the

naked eye Naked eye, also called bare eye or unaided eye, is the practice of engaging in visual perception unaided by a magnifying, light-collecting optical instrument, such as a telescope or microscope, or eye protection. Vision corrected to normal ...

or with less powerful viewing devices. Tower viewers are typically metallic and most swivel horizontally and vertically (within given axes of

rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

) to permit a range of view. The viewing machines are commonly placed in tourist destinations and scenic lookouts for the purpose of viewing attractions and events of interest; they are also used in residential, business, recreational and government locations for the purposes of

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...

and safety monitoring.

Alternative names

Tower viewers are known by a variety of names, including: * coin(-operated)

, coin(-operated)

scope Scope or scopes may refer to: People with the surname * Jamie Scope (born 1986), English footballer * John T. Scopes (1900–1970), central figure in the Scopes Trial regarding the teaching of evolution Arts, media, and entertainment * Cinem ...

, coin(-operated) viewer * donation viewer * free use viewer * observation binoculars, observation telescope, observation viewer * optical ranger, optical sight * outdoor viewer * non-coin(-operated)

, non-coin(-operated)

, non-coin(-operated) viewer * Pinnacle Scope * revenue binoculars, revenue telescope * scenic magnifier, scenic telescope, scenic viewer *

spyglass Spyglass may refer to: * Another term for a hand-held refracting telescope A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric tel ...

viewer, spyglasses * stationary binoculars, stationary telescope * tower binoculars, tower scope, tower telescope * view master,

viewfinder In photography, a viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and, in many cases, to focus the picture. Most viewfinders are separate, and suffer parallax, while the single-lens reflex camera lets the viewfinder use the main ...

, viewer, viewing scope, viewing machine, viewing stand, viewing telescope

Features

Viewing capabilities

* Directories: Some devices provide directories that guide users to easily target specific attractions within a tower viewer's field of vision. * Focus, magnification, and power: Some devices

focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...

automatically, while others permit users to manually adjust a viewer's focus and magnification to suit their individual needs. The range within such adjustments can be made are limited by a device's magnification power. * Height adjustment: Some machines allow users to adjust the height of the viewing device itself and/or its base. * Range of motion: The latitude of motion varies among manufacturers and viewer models.

Audio capabilities

Some machines (such as Hi-Spy Viewing Machines, Inc.) are equipped with speakers that enable listeners to hear audio guides to the attractions within view. Additionally, listeners may select the language they wish to hear.

Paid versus free use

Tower viewers placed in public locations or used for fundraising purposes may be coin-operated or bill-acceptors; some others are free of charge. When payment is required to operate the machine, the viewing period is specifically timed. In the case of coin-operated Tower Optical viewers, for example, paid viewing times are "roughly 1.5 to 2.5 minutes".

Prevalence

Tower viewers are popularly used worldwide. For example, SeeCoast Manufacturing Company states: "SeeCoast's viewers can be found in every U.S. state and in over 80 overseas locations throughout the world."

Manufacturers

Two well-known manufacturers of tower viewers in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

are

Tower Optical Tower Optical Company, Inc. is a small, Norwalk, Connecticut-based company which has manufactured a binocular tower viewer used at major tourist sites in the United States and Canada since 1932. The company's large, silver-colored devices are use ...

Co., Inc. (founded in 1933) and SeeCoast Manufacturing Company, Inc. (founded in 1960). Both firms offer

wheelchair-accessible Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e ...

viewer bases that provide easy access to the sighting mechanisms in compliant with the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...

. Tower viewer manufacturers located abroad include Hi-Spy Viewing Machines, Inc. (established in 1991) in

Cobourg, Ontario Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It i ...

, Canada. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tower Viewer Optical devices