Doppelfernrohr 7x50 Nedinsco Venlo - Radar BIRI, circa 1960
Doppelfernrohr 7x50 Model ‘Radar-Biri’ produced by Nedinsco in the Venlo factory (Holland) between 1960 and 1970, to be installed adjacent to the radar dish present on Swedish destroyers, which is useful for intercepting military targets to direct the directional artillery fire against ships, coastal positions or other military targets.
On the small plate on the left side, all the technical information is reported such as the manufacturer's brand "Nedinsco Venlo", "Centr. RichtKijker", "Radar-BIRI", the magnifications "7x50-10°" and the degrees of inclination of the eyepieces "30°".
This instrument in fact, was equipped with an integrated electronic device, in common with the Radar system: through the right objective lens, in fact, an optical-mechanical device is visible which, in all probability, was used to transmit information to the Radar. However, the mechanism for communication with the Radar was removed, most likely to make it a binocular suitable for observation, given its optical characteristics, which provide the observer with a very bright and well-defined image.
There are 2 removable tubes which helped protect the objective lenses from direct water and solar rays.
The body of the binoculars is made of aluminum despite being exposed to the elements but a paint resistant to consumption was used in order to preserve it over time despite the exposure.
Nedinsco is a former industrial complex in Venlo in the Bauhaus style. A striking part of this complex is the 36-meter-high tower construction.
The factory was founded in 1920 by the German company Carl Zeiss from Jena in an old, disused chocolate factory. Carl Zeiss used the company to circumvent the provision of the Treaty of Versailles that Germany could not produce war material after the end of World War I. Ned-ins-co means Dutch Instrument Company: a neutral term that was supposed to hide the fact that military materials such as rangefinders, periscopes, aiming devices and signal lamps were produced.
The tower building was built in 1929 by the German company Carl Zeiss from Jena according to the design of the German architect Hans Schlag from Jena. The tower building served for the alignment of optical instruments and for the calibration of larger measuring distances. This building, due to its considerable height, allowed distances to be measured by adapting the instruments to the numerous bell towers in the Venlo area. In the 1930s, Nedinsco developed into a modern and well-equipped company, which gave a strong boost to the regional economy. As the company grew, Nedinsco became involved in military espionage by the Nazis from 1935 onwards. In 1944, an aerial bomb destroyed the factory building: only the tower survived the bombing. After the war, Nedinsco was seized by the Dutch government and, after a period of temporary management, was sold in 1953 to the Arnhem manufacturer G. Beusker, who rebuilt the factory.