Arrr, and I do appreciate that the OBS does at least operates and is used as it should be anyway, and that it's animated and located where it should be unlike in SH3.
Yes you cannot look through it till it's fully raised, nor can you lower it while on it. Otherwise you have it drag yer head down the the floor.
So just like we have seen in movies, the captain would when done slap the handles up, and say "down scope" as he stepped away from it. And being hydraulic you would want to be holding onto it.
Well I think this height thing is probably something hard coded into the workings of the model. Well beyond my means.