I can’t count how many times I have watched a nice buck run away while attempting to adjust my old window mount. When I glass an area from my truck, I want to get on the target animal quickly, and then pan across the entire area, inspecting for any other animals out there. My old window mount just did not get the job done. I did some research, checked a few window mounts out at the local sporting goods stores, and finally purchased the Vanguard PH-304.

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The Vanguard Pan Head 304 (PH-304) window mount has a base with a wide opening clamp (1.25”). Vanguard covers the clamping area in a non-slip rubber material, which provides an excellent grip on a variety of mounting surfaces. The width of the clamp opening allows easy attachment to vehicle windows, tripods, tubular structures and others, enabling steady use of cameras, camcorders, or spotting scopes for effortless panning.

The PH-304 has a longer handle than many competing window mounts, which facilitates fine adjustments while panning or tilting, a big selling point for me. The handle also provides locking/unlocking of the tilt axis by either turning the handle clockwise (lock) or counter-clockwise (unlock). A second thumb screw on the side of the mount operates the pan adjustments. Both the pan and the tilt operated from a single screw on my previous window mount, which can be a real issue when using a heavy spotting scope. I would often lose the target animal in the field of view, when trying to adjust my old window mount with the single adjustment screw. The independent tilt and pan adjustments on the PH-304 is a huge upgrade.

The PH-304 window mount uses a quick release plate with the code (QS-36) inscribed on the mount base plate below the quick release plate. The quick release code (QS-36) provides a compatibility reference for other Vanguard products, for example, tripods. Extra quick release plates are available for those running cameras, video cameras, or spotting scopes during the same session.

Overall, I have been very happy with this purchase after a full summer of glassing.