alan potts

Mark, I don't know if you ever read any of my comments about Ethos and Delos but I used to have all the Delos range and most of the Ethos range, only the two shortest ones missing. I got tired of trying to find differences between them so sold most of the Delos, the Ethos being better in my Dobsonian scope from a nudge point of view. I really couldn't see anything better, deeper, clearer or less scatter. Which ever you have it is very difficult to better them, maybe you need to be in Namibia or somewhere like that. Alan

John, Congratualtions, I am now the colour of the eyepieces, green and I have a black top on. Nice one you talked me out of buying one two or three times, we have both been hovering over the buy button for a long time. Well when the free clouds have gone and you get a clear night or two aroundabout May will you do the site review? I will then start all over again wanting one. Alan

I bet your nose has grown Derek. Coincidental, a likely story.

I had the 14XW a few years back and it was as John states, I did prefer the Delos 14mm being a TeleVueaholic. Alan

Michael, I personally think you could do a lot worse than the 14mm Delos in view of you having to wear glasses. The old Meade 5K 14mm would be nice but that again would be tight for you with the ER. Alan

Looks like a nice spread there Shane, I don't find TeleVues 10mm relief in the 15mm Plossl and Nagler 3-6mm zoom any problem and I don't believe you where glasses. Alan

Sort of explains why the weather is so bad over there, I have the same focuser but the black one, dark forces Derek. Nice scope!

I said at 100 that this was a bit like an innings of the great G Boycott, now at 125 it is building at the same speed, though this cannot be out. I have seen some lovely eyepiece cases on this thread filled with some lovely eyepieces, it is sort of nice to look back and remind ourselves what we had a few years back. Alan

A bit more stick granade .

Michael, It is not quite there as the Panzerfaust does not come in a 82 degree size, the Panzerfaust Klein must be the designer version by Calvin.

Well the two photo's there from Steve and Calvin, I am a little surprised they have not got snow on the tops. Alan

Kerry, Same cases i use they are very good and much cheaper than Peli. Nice selection you have there too! Alan

Great reports both of them. I am very pleased with my 18 inch from John and a little like you I sort of wish I had gone for a 20 inch which I could of at the time. I was a little worried about weight as I was getting older. Now of course it puts both of us in the 24 inch mirror next step bracket :eek: . The only down side is I don't seem to use my other scopes any more. Alan

John, It is all about power really, the XW5 is a very good eyepiece, as good as anything on the market, maybe a tad better than Delos though there is no exact match apart from 10mm and up, I'm still not sure on that my opinion seems to change from night to night. My APO is 805mm F/L so it gives me X160 as near as makes no difference. a bit on the low side, the 4.5mmD gives me X178, ideal for Jupiter. On the 190mm my 6mm will give me X166 so sort of does the job there. I have not used the 5mm for a long time and that a shame. Ok it could be said that 5mm would give a nice round X200 on the one scope but with the much larger apperture and my good seeing X222 (4.5mm D) and up to X250 (4mm Radian) is no reall problem. Apart from that its down to, I want to know what 110 degree field is like.

While I have power, it's been off twice already as the rain hammers down. Yes I am very close to convincing myself I need a 4.7mm E. The spare Paracorr, it's a nice piece of kit but don't read my review or you may want your money back. The daft thing is the case on the left only arrived a week before I went on the Derek slim fast diet, I don't know what to put in them now. Alan

There could be one to add to it very soon, I keep looking at the TH site and nearly sent an e-mail last night while the lightning was flying around everwhere, more sparks today they say and 3 inch of rain so if I am bored I might press the button tonight. However if the forecast is correct we will not have power. Alan.

This is what can happen when you really take dieting seriously. Though I still have a few bits of old glass to look through. Alan

Derek I have four cases of eyepieces now though my cases are not as big as yours, but looking at the the collection you have I can think and see a few thousand reasons to buy a bigger case, another Powermate and a 4.7mm Ethos, then have a cull. I like really the Delos range and only really have them for Planetary views in all the scopes I have, the same is true of the two Plossl's I have. Most Naglers, which have been on the increase of late and the Panoptics could be thinned somewhat and the high power could be served by the buy of a 4.7mm E, 5mm XW which I have and my Nagler zoom. It also would not be worth selling the range of Hutech and BGO orthoscopics due to shipping costs. I think it is only the amount that couriers cost me to sell in the UK that is holding me back and the fact I am not a massive fan of Ethos on planets but I could get used to it I suppose. That would mean that surplus to requirement would be the full Delos range, Panoptic's 24mm and 35mm, keeping the big one, Naglers 5,7,9,11&16mm, Radians 3,4,& 5mm. Though I am not sure it is worth offloading the Radians as it is 23ish pounds to send each one so something has to fetch around 150-160 to make it worth it, the same reason it is silly to sell a any ortho's at around the 50 quid mark. Having seen you chop and change many eyepieces over a fair period of time the end result sure seems to make sound sense, now where is the beathing apparatus or oxygen tent. Alan.

Derek, Personally I don't have a scope for the 3.7mm but I could always buy one to need it, I was also aware of Stu's problem with lashes, I have long ones too. I find I like the Delos range more on planets than the Ethos range, it focuses the attention on the target better a bit like an ortho with larger FOV but not too large. I have doubled up at 10mm, 8mm and 6mm however the Dobsonian use would finder the Ethos range more useful whereas I find the Delos better in the SC . I have spent hours comparing them and to be honest can't find any real differences apart from the FOV and a very slightly flatter edge showing a tad less distortion in the Delos, but in truth not enough to write an interesting review. I don't for the life of me know how they do it but the edge distortion in the Ethos is much better than that of either the Nagler or Panoptic ranges, truely stunning wallet emptying eyepieces.

Derek, Believe that and you will knit fog and plat jam at the same time .. I am looking at the 4.7mm Ethois as well and I would like a 27mm Panoptic, that would be me content . Did you find a 4.5mm after all but now I see you want to sell it? I feel the chances of a S/H 4.7mm are very slim, I have been looking on Astro B&S now for over 2 years for one and never seen a sign, I don't think I have ever seen one for sale so it looks like a big spend item . I only know of Joves down in Australia that even has one.

That was the scope and mount I used to dream of when I was starting out in astronomy back in 1973/4, it was way out of my pocket though. I think it would be worth recoating and getting it working, only problem is it really needs an obsey as I guess it is rather heavy. Alan

They knew how to make boxes back then Derek. I know it counts for nothing as to regards the optics but i don't think you can beat a good looking wooden box. Not that there is anything wrong with it but now it's all plastic and velcro. I do have one very nice ali case that my son has his Lego in, it would cost a few quid i am sure, it was given to me by an old friend, I am told it is made from a wing of a crashed aircraft though I don't actually believe that. Strong though it is i don't have any liners for it now. Alan.

That Tak Frac at the top with Mike is nice, might even be worth divorce for one of those. Alan

Some people have an organ or the like in the corner of the room, Scrap 15 has a couple of fine Dobs, great conversation pieces, well done that man! Alan