Marian M

Hi friends! End of the story (at least for the moment)- after a disappointing experience with a new APM 100 SD 90 degrees, I decided to go with an used Omegon Brightsky true binocular (achro, 70mm, 45 degrees) and a branded new TS doublet FPL53 Extremely happy with the Omegon true binocular, at low/ low-medium power, through binocular summation factor, shows the same as my 102 with bino, but has the advantage of going to lower power and easier to setup. For medium to high/ high power, for sure 102 is better. I went to observations already many times with it, it is phenomenal with Morpheus 17.5 and 9, probably I should add to my collection the Morpheus 12 as well. Also very nice with APM 24 UFF. It is very natural and easy to setup with a phot tripod and video head. Even if it is an achro, stars looks great, without annoying chromatic aberration. During daylights, the colors are there, but image is very bright and sharp for an achro. The TS 125 just come and I have to test it more times, so far the weather was bad here. It came extremely well collimated from TS (great services from them!) and, at first sight, seems closer to 150 vs 102, where I did some comparisons, as overall planetary performance. Surprisingly, on a short comparison with 120ED SW, the 0.5cm more shows a little bit more- some stars close to Polaris where a little easier to be seen than with 120. Wish you clear sky!

Forgot to add, same magnification and similar eyepieces

Hi friends! Trying to resurrect this topic, I found that there is another option for a RFT- APM 100mm ED 90 deg binocular. Many thanks @The60mmKid for the idea, somehow I did not pay the proper attentions from the beginning. From binocular summation theory could be similar with an 140 refractor with binoviewer, or more. I had the chance to look through an Omegon 100mm 90 deg binocular today with 9mm Morpheus (around 60x magnification), but plenty of colors. I presume this one is the same with APM SA (plain achro), so the APM ED should be better. Attaching here a picture with my hand held phone. Second image, for the sake of comparison, is another building with high black/ white contrast, same eyepiece but 120/600 achro, full of colors but maybe better. Just wondering if someone here had the chance to compare a larger refractor with binoviewer with a true binocular Thank you!

Many thanks for the quick revert! I had a quick session of observations last weekend where I had the chance to compare my 102 TS FPL53 with my SW120/600 achro. Most time spent on Double Cluster and Moon, with my binoviewer eyepieces- having 2 of each, I just dropped them in the 2 scopes, a little bigger magnification on 102 because of the longer F (714 vs 600). On Double cluster, up 67x (Morpheus 9), the image was brighter in achro, but the same was visible in apo as well, just a little more darker. Any single star I tried to look for in achro, was visible also in apo. Above this magnification (using some barlows and GPCs), the image started to break down in achro. Probably above this magnification, it was the other way around- any star visible in apo, if you know where to look for, was visible in achro as well. I am not an experienced person and most of my time I spent enjoying what I see and less comparing, but most likely a more experienced person would have seen probably a bigger difference. Also between 60x- and probably 120x, the image in achro was reminding me my already sold Mak127 view, the stars weren't single points like in apo but much more "unfocused" with "a visible diameter" Regarding the TS 152 5.9 achro, TS give very clear data on backfocus. It has a slightly bigger backfocus from 2" thread compared with my 102 apo, which I have adapted for bino without ang GPC. By removing the M68 to 2" adapter and replacing with the short M68 to T2 adapter, about 25 mm will be gained, which will increase the backfocus bigger than 150mm requested (110mm for MB2 and 40 mm for T2 Baader prism) Now coming back to 125 APO, still I am trying to read as much as possible here. The quality seems very good (very happy with the smaller brother, 102), it will take the binoviewer without any other change, directly with the 2" diagonal, which also will shorten the length and do it much solid and rigid. Probably up to 60x-100x, the 152 will be above or similar, while above this magnification, 125 will start shining- talking here about DSO only, for the rest, 125 will outperform Which one to take, I yet have to figure out, think, debate... Many thanks again!

Paz, very nice and detailed reading! How would you rate the 125 apo vs 102 apo on DSO only, is the light gathering substantial, it handles magnification better, what about the real resolution? Does it worth? I have the TS 102 FPL53 and 120/600 achro, bino-addicted. Being a refractor only person, I am planning to increase the aperture for DSO only, for magnification up to 100x. The 152 f5.9 achro (TS, Tecnosky) has been my first option but many people, including my star parties budy, are pushing towards 125 FPL53- being the max I can afford. Weight, mount, rest I know and I can handle.. DSO only, up to 100x, would 125 be a better option? Or 152 achro, if by chance, you have ever compared. Sorry to jeopardize the thread.. Thanks a lot!

Yes, this is true This is why I much prefer the AltAz mounts 😀

Hi Don! Both- if time and AltAz position of the scope allows, I am sitting on the chair, if not/ available time is short, standing Thanks a lot for your message, I forgot to add that a chair will make the difference. On the shopping list, there is a chair with many locking heights, instead of the current one with 2 only

Smaller the country, lesser options. But there are many more branded new options 😀

I have learned the hard way the same. Before my above experience , I bought XWA 10mm, one the the most praised eyepiece on comfort and quality. I wasn't able at all to accommodate, even with the eyecup up (too far to "touch" me), so I sold it... After that Morpheus come, now seems redundant to buy again the XWA 10, owning Morphues 9, but who knows 😄 For all the people here, who want to buy expensive eyepieces or telescopes (better to say designs)- please wait, put some effort to go and test it, wait, test, wait, test. Otherwise the biggest joy of a new acquisition may turn on a big disappointment Read, test, think (adjust expectations/ need), wait (clean your mind), buy... 😀

On thought on eye placement on Morpheus line: I faced the same in the past- being used with SLVs, Lacerta ED, where I was used to touch something with my face for the optimum position, it was a disaster when I have tried first time Morpheus eyepieces. Instead of observing, my whole attention was towards the eye placement, which I found very challenging. What I have been learned by my budy, was just to support my body on something, to lean on something- either the mount if allows, or on a chair for observation. Having this second contact point, it will keep the body/ head/ eye much better in the best position. You can try first during the day, when everything is easier on placement. You can learn your body on the same using binoviewer, because the effort is less while placing both eyes at once. Third, you can learn during the night. Sometimes, even today, there are moments when the eye placement is difficult for me during the night, but I must come very easy, slow, towards the eyepiece. With the SLV for example, with the eyecup up completely, you may just "jump" on the eyepiece, and is good to go. I have tried in the past with eyecup extension but it was (for me) the wrong way. Why so much effort? While removing the eyecup, the feeling of immersion is much better than with the eyecup there. For me, through the binoviewer, there is no comparison at all. Nothing similar. Huge difference... While scanning the Milky Way, through binoviewer, is like there is nothing between you and the sky. It is not like you are scanning the sky from ISS. It is like you are in the sky, surrounded by stars. Together with the quality of the eyepiece, this should be the reason of so many people here loving the Morpheus line, and so many association between immersion and Morpheus. Forgot to mention, you should have no lights around you, no lights close to you, because the eyes are at some distance vs the eyepieces and any light will interfere. Apologies if this has been approached earlier in this thread- I didn't read it from the beginning

My today choices are: Morpheus 17.5. I am using it in MB2 binoviewer, with eyecups removed, should I count it twice? 😄 This is my most used eyepiece today, together with the 2 Baader GPCs and the ED comma corrector from APM, there are plenty of variations in the magnification Morpheus 9, same usage, more magnification; no eyecup for the most immersive experience APM XWA 13 APM XWA 7 The 5th most beloved eyepiece, should be either APM XWA 20mm, or APM UFF 30mm- both are on the wishlist; or APM XWA 5mm, who knows?

I am planning to buy soon the below bag: Teleskop-Express: Geoptik Elephant Outdoor Case with cubed foam 57x44x22 cm It is expensive but will keep all eyepieces safe and in a controlled environment. Such nice eyepieces deserve the best 😄. There are other sizes as well. Specific to me, I would like to buy the whole APM XWA range and to store them standing. While going to observation, I will take some of the eyepieces in a smaller bag

Hi friends! Just came back from a short trip in the mountains, where I took for the first time the 72 APO. The sky was pretty black but not 100% transparent; I wasn’t very inspired and took with me only 2 eyepieces, Lacerta 30mm ED (which was useless, too much light, sky not absolute black) and the APM XWA 13mm (the only one used, in fact). The 72 APO was riding the Benro tripod and S8 video head (overmounted), and, as expected, very stable (at least for a video head) I have observed few DSO and the Moon. The Moon was rising after the firs forest, incredible experience to see the craters between the twigs of the trees. This reminded me from my youth when I saw the same through a Russian binocular, amazing experience, with so many craters appearing and disappearing in seconds behind the trees, it is that magic moment when you see our planet, with all of the beings, being part of the whole universe. I spent more time on M57. While being frustrated that I was not able to see anything at all from the city, here it was very easy. The classic donut unfocused was extremely easy to see, direct vision. Close to M57, there are 3 collinear stars, from 10 to 11 magnitude, which were visible, mostly indirect vision. The max magnitude for this scope from what I found on internet is around 11, hence I presume a more experienced person/ maybe a better sky could have led to even 11.5 to be visible Next was Double cluster. While form the city was barely visible, here I had that magic feeling of diamonds on the black sky. Even if there are only 72mm, the dark sky has pointed out the magic of the double cluster. The best Double cluster I have seen was through my classic 120/600 achro with 13 APM XWA. Despite the much smaller aperture, the 72 did properly his job. Next was Wild Duck. Very few stars were visible, together with the foggy shape behind. I went to M13, which was just a small dust in the sky. I am 100% sure that a smaller focal eyepiece would have pop out few stars, will try next time. Last M10 and Lagoon Nebula, easy visible and nice but without any other details. Before going to bed, I had a look to Saturn- very nice ring but too less power for any other details. A lot of fun, easy logistics and sharp view for a small telescope!

Dear @Louis D, Many many thanks for your time and patience to come back with so many details. It is very visible that there is no comparison between the 152 and the APOs or the Newton. I have compared directly my 102 APO with the 120/600 achro on Moon and, in fact, there is no comparison. Despite the fac that I have few instruments and eyepieces, you make me curious reading about filters- so far I don’t have any filter in my collection Would help if, at some point of time, you succeed to compare the 2- Newton and 152 achro, for some DSO at different magnifications. At least in theory the 152 should provide better and more pleasant views up to 50x (if DSO is not so shiny- I read somewhere that it was a little violet in Orion nebula 😀), comparable up to 100x and worse after From my initial collection of eyepieces and scopes, I kept so far only the 120/600. Rest I have sold and acquire other stuff, because I realized that is not delivering to the expectations, hence no hurry now with 152 or other design- still learning... Thank you!

@The60mmKid- I already have a Celestron 20x80 binocular, but I am not using it anymore due to the much better optics in the MB2 and APO (even in the 120/600 achro)/ larger flexibility on eyepieces + more convenient view to zenith. Anyway, with the 90 degree binoculars, this is a fair idea and will give some reading on forums how to they compare + mount requirements. Thank you!