30mm ES 82

[jetstream]

Tonight provided a brief chance to try the 30mm ES out on some selected targets with 3 scopes in 21.5 mag skies with avg or below trans.This EP was purchased with the North American neb in mind,along with the Veil and M31.

Sitting in the VX10,the 30mm/OIII gave me an excellent view of the NA neb,but the surprising thing was how well it showed the Pelican neb-it looked like a grey ghostly look alike of some images I've seen,with the "head",its dust lane and everything showing.This was the highlight of the evening,and a surprise @ 6.25mm exit pupil.On these objects it bested the 21E,most likely due to the increased FOV and the larger exit pupil.

The Veil was also excellent, but the Crescent is underwhelming possibly due to the smaller size of the object in this EP,and the Double Cluster was also not near as nice as in the 21E,again due to decreased mag I think.M31 was very good for being so low-huge in the 30mm @ 2 deg FOV,2 dust lanes easily showing and the companion galaxies contrasted nicely,esp M110.

The 2 refractors showed the NA neb well,with the SW120ED besting the 90mm Raptor.The Pelican lost its form in theses 2 scopes as did the other objects viewed (no Crescent),but the 120mm did pretty good on the Veil complex.

So yes the 30mm ES is heavy,yes it needs a coma corrector @ f4.8 and YES its a keeper! In my 10" dob this EP will be used a lot on some select objects with the OIII,and I look forward to more great views with it.

ps I noticed no astigmatism in any of the scopes with this EP

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sounds very good. I have spotted the Pelican and its shape with my little 80mm F/6, but it does require very dark skies, and a UHC filter to bring out the detail in smaller scopes.

[Mike73]

Glad it worked out for you Gerry, sounds like it will work very well alongside the 21E.

What TFoV does the 30mm ES give you in your 10"? Is your scope 1200mm FL?

I've never seen the Pelican and just trying to figure out if I could squeeze it into my widest EP which is 0˚.94" in my 16".

[John]

Nice report Gerry - by all accounts the ES 30mm 82 is just as good as the Nagler 31, just as large and heavy too !

I can just fit the curve of the Eastern Veil segment into the field of view with the 12" F/5.3 dob and the Nagler 31. Stunning sight !

I've not seen the Pelican yet - one to go for on the next clear night !

[Pig]

Excellent report Gerry  hopefully I will get some clear skies tonight as I am in an area of the UK that has no light pollution.

[YKSE]

Nice first light Gerry, excellent addition to your excellent assortment.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report Gerry - by all accounts the ES 30mm 82 is just as good as the Nagler 31, just as large and heavy too !

I can just fit the curve of the Eastern Veil segment into the field of view with the 12" F/5.3 dob and the Nagler 31. Stunning sight !

I've not seen the Pelican yet - one to go for on the next clear night !

I think a smaller scope with UHC filter might be better than a big dob. Olly and I managed to spot the nebulosity if not the shape with binoculars from France, and in a wide field scope like my 80mm with UHC filter the Pelican and North America Nebula just jumb out at you.

[swamp thing]

Nice one Gerry. I don't use my 31mm T5 in my 10" very often, but just now and again certain objects it really rocks on

Excellent report Gerry  hopefully I will get some clear skies tonight as I am in an area of the UK that has no light pollution.

Whereabouts are you somewhere nice?

[John]

I think a smaller scope with UHC filter might be better than a big dob. Olly and I managed to spot the nebulosity if not the shape with binoculars from France, and in a wide field scope like my 80mm with UHC filter the Pelican and North America Nebula just jumb out at you.

Yes, my ED102 Vixen is F/6.5 and the big Nagler gives a true field of 3.8 degrees with that. I've seen the NA neb better with that scope than my larger ones so I'll have a go at the Pelican with that and the O-III filter. I may have already seen it but not registered it !

[bomberbaz]

I have been looking at the 31mm T5 and the ES 30mm 82 and to me the only difference in them is the 1mm focal lenegth. They look and weigh the same, see links below:

http://www.365astronomy.com/explore-scientific-82%C3%82%C2%B0-n2-eyepiece-30mm-2-p-3868.html

http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=21&Tab=EP_EN5-31.0#.U_RsVfldV20

Some of you may know I have been thinking of ditching the Axiom in favour of a lighter EP with a different eyecup and the ES30 is a strong contender. Thanks for the review, it has certainly helped me here,

steve/baz

NB: Gerry, have you ever used a Nirvana 28mm? If yes, how does it compare?

[alan potts]

Nice report Gerry, I read things like this and it whets my appitite for a Dobsonian with a F/L of around 1400mm, the veil and the N Am Neb. I guess if I buy one I have some bricks left over so I could start on another observatory, then people in white coats would come knocking.

At the moment though I am looking at APO's, if there was only one it would be easy.

[John]

I'd forgotten that there are even heavier ~30mm eyepieces than the 31 Nagler / 30 ES 82

You don't often hear of people considering them to save weight !

[alan potts]

I was always of the opinion that the 31mm nagler was the heaviest eyepiece on the market but I firmly believe the Meade 30mm is more, not much but it is. I have had the Meade and the Nagler and I prefer the Nagler from what little time thay spent together, it just does edges better but there is more in the way of distortion if you are looking at the full Moon. I don't use it for that, last night it was serving up some lovely views of M22, M23 and many more in that area of the sky with the LX.

Alan

[Pig]

Swampy, My quote option does not work so just the standard reply.

I am near Cardigan in Wales. I got a quick glimpse of the skies in between clouds last night and I cannot believe the difference. The whole sky was so full of diamonds I couldn't see Cassiopeia

[bomberbaz]

Hey Alan, how heavy is the Meade 30mm, the Axiom 31mm weighs in at 1429gms (thats 3.15 lbs ) but cant find the Meade detail specs anywhere. 

And thats a full pound almost heavier than the 31T5 or the ES30 John  

steve/baz

[alan potts]

I sort of thought these all were weighing about the same but clearly not, the Meade is 1.15kg, if I recall and a right handfull. I was always  a bit miffed that nowhere in Meade's adverts did it say that using these eyepieces would require the outlay of an ADM or similar balance system. The scope works without one but it can't do the motors any good, just think if it was on the 8 inch version of the SC, would n't have any trouble pointing to the zenith, in fact that is maybe all it would point at.

Alan

[John]

Hey Alan, how heavy is the Meade 30mm, the Axiom 31mm weighs in at 1429gms (thats 3.15 lbs ) but cant find the Meade detail specs anywhere. 

And thats a full pound almost heavier than the 31T5 or the ES30 John  

steve/baz

  wow !!!

[bomberbaz]

wow so apparently I do have the daddy then, heheh. Your concerns match mine ref weight & motors so I have two rather chunky earth magnets to attach to the bottom of my scope for when I use it, together these weigh 720gm (1.5 lbs) so go some way to compensate.

However I do worry that there is no further guidance from manufacturers ref the use of heavy eyepieces and the effect on the goto motors, I just hope that the blancing weights do enough to prevent damage!

Steve/Baz

[Moonshane]

It is the only eyepiece ever to make my 16" dob sag even at medium elevations !

[scarp15]

Interesting account Gerry, I have overlooked the Pelican because it is tricky and perhaps my scope is not best suited? I sometimes hanker after my 35mm panoptic. The exit pupil was quite large, yet under a very dark sky it functioned well at revealing subtle structure on emission nebula, such as the Crescent and others. However have added this to my target list, now I just need to get back to obsessing about the weather. 

[John]

To get the best out of these fainter, extended objects I think it helps to get the exit pupil right. Whenever I've been tempted to try an oversize exit pupil to get that additional FoV my "reward" has been less contrasty views against a more washed out background sky.

[bomberbaz]

To get the best out of these fainter, extended objects I think it helps to get the exit pupil right. Whenever I've been tempted to try an oversize exit pupil to get that additional FoV my "reward" has been less contrasty views against a more washed out background sky.

I concur here.

Initially I thought to follow the simple rule of 7mm exit pupil but the more you look into it that rule become very general indeed. It is now looking all the more likely that the maximum eyepiece size for me is a 28mm to gain the optimum exit pupil and not a 30mm as i first thought.

My scope is F4.9 and not F5 and a visit to the optician gave me a 6mm pupil dilated and so this makes enough difference to start me thinking over and trying to let head rule over heart.

Steve/baz

[Dude_with_the_tube]

Hey Alan, how heavy is the Meade 30mm, the Axiom 31mm weighs in at 1429gms (thats 3.15 lbs ) but cant find the Meade detail specs anywhere. 

And thats a full pound almost heavier than the 31T5 or the ES30 John  

steve/baz

meade 30mm UWa is a beast! i actually weighted that thing and if i remember correct it was 1549grms or 1.5kg lump,you dont want to drop that thing on your feet lol.However,the views where absolutely stunning through that EP.Now I have the ES 30mm for a change and again its a cracking eye piece,performance wise equal to meade 5000 30mm UWA in every aspect.Only difference it is lighter as doesnt have that massive rubber twist up eye guard and slightly thinner too.Optically:no difference.Very nice,generous eye relief and superb for low power DSO`s.

I actually did a post with pics of Meade 5000 30mm UWA ,here is the link:http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/180231-when-eps-dont-do-diet-and-become-obesemeade-uwa-30mm/

[bomberbaz]

.

I actually did a post with pics of Meade 5000 30mm UWA ,here is the link:http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/180231-when-eps-dont-do-diet-and-become-obesemeade-uwa-30mm/

That EP is the spit of the Axiom Dude, again the only difference I can think of there will be that the Axiom is 31mm where as the Meade is 30mm

[Dude_with_the_tube]

forgot to mention,you will be shocked to see the size of the box Meade 30mm UWA comes in.It is exactly the same size as a normal size 10 shoe box.it is just humongous.Every time i picked that eye piece out of my Ep box,it made me laugh and when buyer came to collect them,he was speechless for quite some time when he picked that thing up.