6mm TV Radian

[Pig]

I have just bought a 6mm TV Radian and I cant wait to compare it to my Vixen SLV

I am particularly intrigued as to how the extra10 Degrees FOV given by the Radian will affect the size of the target seen through the eyepiece, for some strange reason the target always appears to be larger to me when a narrower FOV eyepiece is used. I have been assured it is an optical illusion.

Not being satisfied with being told this I expressed to the Mrs the only true way for me to find out was to buy a second hand eyepiece and experiment, unfortunately the TV radian was the only 6mm I could find in the second hand market

[John]

I'll be interested to hear how to comparison goes Shaun

If both eyepieces are 6mm in focal length then the apparent size of an object should be the same but the effect of the larger amount of surrounding frame of sky can create the illusion of a variation.

I experience this quite a lot when I switch between my Ethos 6mm and the Baader GO 6mm !

Lots of folk use this field of view simulator to compare the views that different eyepieces might give:

http://www.12dstring.me.uk/foveyepiece.php

I've noticed though that when comparing ultra wide eyepieces to ones with much smaller fields of view the simulator actually shrinks the size of the target object rather than expand the size of the edge of the field of view. This is a completely innaccurate simulation of what happens in reality and may fuel some misunderstanding perhaps ?

[Pig]

Hopefully John I will get the opportunity fairly soon and I will write a quick report, the weather is forecast to play ball here on Xmas day and night

It is strange how the brain confuses one into thinking something is what it isn't and on occasions the complete opposite of what you think.

I was first confused with the 17.3mm Delos and the 25mm SLV, the SLV appeared to have a much larger image of Jupiter even though the magnification was a great deal lower. But we live and learn

[ghostdance]

Rad 6 is nice! I look forward to hearing how it stacks against your SLV tho...I should do a comparison with my old Vixen LV, but that's 4mm....

(The adjustable, clicky top of the Rad gave me a heart attack when I first got it out the box, thought the darn thing was broken, moving like that )

[jetstream]

Which version of the 6mm Radian do you have Shaun? Just so there is no confusion after the report is made

[Pig]

The newer type Gerry  It has the knurl on both the upper and lower parts of the body, different coatings I believe

[alan potts]

Shaun,

Congratulations on the new eyepiece, I think you will like it, I wish I had never sold mine but I am hardly short of glass at this focal length. I have said it a good few times as well as a fellow Mod, Radians are about the best secondhand value on the market but it does rather depend what you pay for it. I sold mine for about 90 quid but bought a Delos.

Alan

[Pig]

Alan I paid £100 for it.

[faulksy]

you should get some clear skys tonight shaun, it will be good to hear your comments

[Pig]

Hopefully Mike  All is looking very promising for the upcoming 24 hours.

The daytime forecast is also looking accurate, I can see the sunshine pouring through the gap in the curtains as I contemplate getting out of bed. A nice solar session will go down a treat

[alan potts]

Shaun,

By some accident I have just opened the thread you started and saw again the first post. May I draw your attention to something I overlooked " unfortunately the Televue Radian was the only 6mm I could find. "

Some of us have all the luck, I don't really think unless you found someone that had had a very bad knock on the head that was selling a 6mm Ethos for 150 quid you could have done any better.

Anyway I have a sky and a half outside I really do hope everyone in England has the same.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Alan.

[Pig]

Alan it was very much a tongue in cheek statement  I still haven't seen any other 6mm eyepieces second hand to this day, most surprising

[alan potts]

I saw a 6mm Radian offered at a starting price of 170 which is a pound less than I paid for mine new, when I bought it, it was being dropped in price at a rate of about 10 quid a week, so maybe it was that one. I also saw a closed advert from a site member in Cyprus which I would have gone for but missed it.

There are a couple, or were, 6mm Delos'sssss on Astro B&S and the only other 6mm Televue make, the Ethos, the last I saw was the one I bought almost 2 years ago.

I believe the 6mm is a focal length that appeals to almost all scopes though it is over cooking the Christmas Turkey on my LX giving mind numbing magnification. This, if true means people hang on to them once they buy a top marque, much the same as the Pentax XW 5mm, very rarely seen secondhand.

Alan.   

[nicoscy]

Hi Alan,

It was my Radian actually, bought for a project but I changed direction and needed something with less weight, hence off with the Radians and in with the TS Dual ED eyepieces which have half the weight.

For me it was an instance of priority of weight over the difference in performance...

[John]

Hi Nicos 

It was my Radian actually, bought for a project but I changed direction and needed something with less weight, hence off with the Radians and in with the TS Dual ED eyepieces which have half the weight.

For me it was an instance of priority of weight over the difference in performance...

Out of interest, what were the performance differences, if any, between the Radian and the TS Dual ED eyepieces ?. 

On paper their specification is rather similar in a number of ways.

Thanks 

[nicoscy]

Hi John,

The TS Dual ED are on the way actually. They were purchased based on reviews I read and due to the fact that they have half the weight of the Radians.

I understand I may lose a bit of performance, but like I said, weight considerations come first in terms of affecting telescope balance.

Now, I do love Uncle Al's eyepieces and I have made a solid contribution to his retirement fund and it's the first time in quite a while that I will use eyepieces that are not green, but I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

I will do some critical testing however and post results as I am getting the 8mm, the 5mm and the 3.2mm.