tooth_dr

Nice choice of scope, hope you enjoy using it 

1) I use a geared head on my tripod, but a motorised mount would keep the sun centred in the eyepiece but more £££

2) I don't think different eyepieces will help. You could invest in a cheap webcam and use this to capture images or even connect a DSLR to the focuser (is it the helical focuser) but see point 1) as you would maybe need a motorised mount

3) The scope is filtered and only lets 656.28nm wavelength of light through so you should be using any other filters with it 

Super links @Louis D many thanks. I like the second link wooden one. 

9 minutes ago, Louis D said:

You'll find binoviewers are great for solar system objects in particular.  They also work well on bright clusters.  Where they tend to come up short is in producing wide fields of view and detecting faint objects.  Make sure to use them from a seated position.  It's hard enough to keep one eye centered on one eyepiece standing.  Double this, and you're going to be exhausted very quickly.

I had a really quick look at Saturn last night using 26mm EPs and a 3x Barlow. It looked much better through both eyes despite being so low.  The 10" scope was on my pier, and it was nicely at standing height but I can see how it would tire very quickly. I'm not sure how I would sit using my scopes?

I'm delighted that they work out of the box. I've always been struggling with single eye viewing so I hope this sparks an interest in observational astronomy. 

Well the good news is on my Lunt, I get a lovely full disc view with a 2x Barlow (included) and a pair of (mismatched) 26mm plössls with 2cm to spare. It won't focus without a Barlow using any combo of eyepieces.

I'll try it on my other scopes this evening but the lunt was my primary concern.

I Had a look at box earlier, surprisingly minimal evidence of damage to the cardboard board.

Just been advised that the BVs are out of stock, so it's these or none!  I'm hoping they are ok when I get home to test them!

Just now, Louis D said:

If you decide to keep them, demand a huge discount because that level of damage absolutely kills its resale value in the secondary market.

I agree, I was planning on getting a new box off them, just I'm heading off on holiday soon, and dont want to risk not having them.  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Just now, Louis D said:

I would alert the vendor you ordered them from and request an exchange.  Clearly, not packaged well enough to survive shipping.  Make sure to photograph the outside box showing where the impact occurred.  I'm assuming it was purchased new and not used.  If new, it should arrive in new condition.  This wouldn't even be acceptable in the used market except with a severely discounted price and the condition clearly noted in the ad.

I doubt aligment suffered.  Mine took a plunge to cement once (2" adapter took the brunt of it), and there were no noticeable alignment issues.  However, that's not the issue here.  The issue is you paid for a new item and it should arrive in new condition.

Thank- you Louis.  The vendor was extremely cooperative, and has offered an exchange.  I said I would try them first and if I noticed problems I would contact them.  There was insufficient rigidity with the box, and no foam above or below it.

Unfortunately these arrived damaged today.  How likely are they to be knocked out of alignment?  I've never used BVs before so will it be obvious if it's user error or the product at fault?

1 minute ago, Louis D said:

Just beware of undercuts.  I have to mash down some eyepieces with undercuts while tightening the locking collet to keep them from popping up at odd angles.  Until I discovered this, I thought my Arcturus binoviewers were out of collimation.  Smooth barrels are awesome for fast eyepiece changes because I don't have to be super careful while tightening them down.

None of my matched pairs have undercuts - Meade 4000 series!  But thanks for the heads up.

Thanks for all the advice.  Skywatcher binoviewers with self-centering mechanisms, just purchased off Harrison Telescopes Ltd.

Looking forward to a more comfortable viewing experience.

Thanks for your replies. I blew my £300 budget for BVs on a dob but now I still want BVs so here I am.

My choices are revelation BVs £125 with screws versus Skywatcher BVs £159 compression fit plus Barlow.

Im notoriously bad at making decisions so please feel free to help me out here.

In addition im getting stuff from Harry Siebert to make it all work with my Lunt. 

Hi guys. Is there any benefit to the eyepieces being held with screws as opposed to the rotating locks?

7 hours ago, Stu said:

Very nice

Is that a Skywatcher tube on an OO base?

Yes its the SW explorer 300pds (minus the focuser which has been changed to a moonlight single speed crayford) black diamond series on an Orion Optics dob base and friction brake.  The focuser has be really extended practically fully to get focus with an EP so it's likely this will aid focus when trying prime focus imaging on the EQ6?

After years of thinking about it, I purchased a rather nice 12" dob. I saw Saturn last night, so at least I can work it!

The kids add some perspective to the size of this little baby dob.

...and this turned up today...

New t shirt arrived today:

Are these the essentially the same as the TS version?

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/SkyWatcher_Binoviewer_Kit.html#SID=913

On 06/06/2017 at 08:37, angusb1 said:

I use a pair of AE binoviewers which are chinese made and almost identical to the TS ones.  The thing to make sure of is that you get a set with the self centering diopters as these make it much easier to keep the EPs centred in the binoviewer.  Also worth considering is the length of the light path in the binoviewer and the clear aperture in it. I got a Siebert MultiMag OCA 1b from here http://www.siebertoptics.com/SiebertOptics-OCA.html#Ad 1b which allows me to reach focus in all of my scopes with a 1.25x magnification.  I use either Vixen SLV EPs or BST Explorers and the views on planetary and lunar objects are wonderful.  For lunar viewing in particular I always use the BVs.  I can see the full disk of the Moon with a pair of 18mm BSTs and my Orion Optics VX10L which has a focal length of 1600mm, and, depending on how good the seeing is, for higher powers I use either:

a pair of Meade 4000 9.7mm for 206x and a 1.2mm exit pupil

a pair of Vixen SLV 9mm for 222x and a 1.1mm exit pupil

a pair of BST Explorer 8mm for 250x and a 1.0mm exit pupil

I have a pair of Meade 4000 6.4mm EPs as well but I find it difficult to merge the images and the magnification is too high for the seeing at my house anyway most of the time. For high power viewing I probably use the 9mm SLVs the most and the BST 8mm the least.  The Siebert MultiMag OCA is better quality than the barlows I have used before I got it and I prefer the lower magnification it delivers although it can also give 2x or 3.5x in different configurations.  If I upgrade any part of this it will be to send the BVs off to Harry Siebert to get them supercharged so I can use EPs with a larger clear aperture for wider views.  I think the low mag OCA is worth having more than more expensive BVs as it means I can use any scope I like with the BVs as long as the focuser will cope with the weight and the chinese ones like the TS are light.  I would recommend reading through Harry Siebert's website.  Although the appearance of it is difficult sometimes, the info on there about binoviewing and binoviewers is excellent and helped me no end to choose what I wanted.

 

I hope this helps you with your choice.

Your advice has been very helpful.  I am going to order either 1a or 1b with this adapter that will work with my Lunt: http://www.siebertoptics.com/SiebertOptics-H alpha.html

I've been emailing Harry, and he is very helpful.  I hope to place an order by tomorrow once I've discussed a couple of queries with Harry.

Best wishes

Adam.

2 hours ago, alanjgreen said:

yeah, the main advantage of the baader is that you can use the T2 connection system.

Keep your eyes on astrobuysell for 2nd hand. Email Teleskop service to see if they can get you a pair. I get most of my Baader stuff direct from TS in Germany. They are very reliable and very very helpful !!

Put a post in the "wanted" section of this site & astrobuysell.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5436_Baader-Maxbright-Binoviewer---2----T2-Connection.html

Done and done. Cheers

Next problem - Baader has discontinued the MaxBright range, and no idea when the new model will be release.

4 minutes ago, niallk said:

+1 for Baader Maxbrights.

Here is how I connect to my 250px to achieve focus.  Great on planets

 

Exactly what I wanted to see - thanks for posting that!  Can I ask if it crucial that I buy the 2.6x lens? 

With respect to the Baader Maxbright binoviewers - the T2 thread would be benenficial for the likes of my ED80, where I can remove the diagonal and attach the binoviewers diectly onto the end of the focuser tube?  Same for the SW 250 px.  How awkward would this be for actually viewing through the scope?  Doesnt seem that practical?