Highburymark

Just to be aware Stu - unlike the Baader MkIV and MkV, the 1.7x GPC is supposed to go in the diagonal with the MBII, not in the binoviewer. Alternatively, you can reverse the elements within the GPC and continue using it inside the binoviewer. Otherwise, images will probably be slightly soft - that’s what I found.

I got that wrong too when I bought the MBII. Couldn’t work out why the 1.7x was a little soft as it had always been fine with my MkV.

Two things I’ve only recently discovered about the Maxbright II and GPCs: First - relevant to Mike’s post above, the aberration correcting properties of the GPCs apparently aren’t required above F/7 - it’s faster scopes that need them. And second - I used to have a Baader MkV binoviewer, which required the 1.7x GPC to be inserted into the BV. However, using the same GPC 1.7x inserted into the MBII produced clearly soft views. So I tried fitting it into the diagonal (ie turning round the GPC), and it sharpened up nicely. So I wondered whether the elements have been swapped in the newer 1.7x GPCs which are designed to fit into the silver dovetail of the MBII? Worth experimenting if anyone’s getting less than stellar results from their GPC.

I got by with nothing fancier than a set of Meade Plossls for 15 years, and today I use TV Plossls more than any other eyepiece. I bought an Astro Essentials plossl (£20) from FLO recently just to see how it performed and it’s very nice. For all our forum debates, eyepieces are far more similar than they are different - astonishingly so, considering the cost differences. Currently, the most expensive hyperwides are 45 times more expensive than the humble plossl I bought, yet on axis sharpness is pretty similar.

New Borg 125FL. All that aperture and under 4kg, if early reports are accurate. I’d happily trade in my perfect TSA-120 triplet for the Borg if CA is well controlled, purely because it’s nearly 3kg lighter. But the price is likely to be prohibitive.

1. The Baader GPCs are designed to iron out aberrations from the binoviewer, and they are very sharp, so best to use those, at least when you’re staring out. You can use any eyepieces - they all work well. The best I use are 25mm Leica and Zeiss microscope eyepieces, but simple Plossls and orthos or widefields also work well. 2. MkIV would be a good way to start - just check you can use them comfortably as they have a wide top, and there might be ergonomic/comfort issues. See what others say on this - I haven’t used them for binoviewing. 3. If you already have a T2 diagonal, you’re pretty much there - I’d just get a heavy duty changer system and some T2 spacers/adapters so you can reach focus and vary the power with GOcs/barlows. 5. yes - no problem. It’s a very nice binoviewer and works beautifully, so you can invest with confidence.

Looked up the Vixen - and my goodness you’re right. I’d seen this eyepiece once before and dismissed it as an April fool joke (the CN thread discussing it just happened to be at that time of year). A binoviewing pair would be quite something, though I’d have to take the cross wires out as it’s a finder eyepiece.

I think a C5 would be a compromise optically after a refractor, though there are clearly lots of good SCTs out there. The only reasons for choosing a C5 would be aperture and compactness for travel. Nothing can beat a smallish ED/Apo refractor for sharpness, flexibility in terms of targets, and ease of travel - ie not having to worry about collimation.

Snap - this is what I do on all my scopes, with T2-2” adapters in the focuser, T2 Baader diagonals and heavy duty changers, and either 1.25” or 2” clicklock EP holders. They make undercuts irrelevant, and the whole system is extremely strong (and flexible, if you need to rotate a binoviewer or eyepiece for example). Adding T2 spacers is easy to vary barlow powers, and it’s surprising how few 2” eyepieces vignette with a T2 diagonal. Finally, it’s light and offers a short light path.

Nice report on a clearly excellent eyepiece. I haven’t experienced any of the flat field line yet, but the 30mm in particular seems to get universally praised. Great to bag so many targets in one session - thought I detected the influence of Starsense.

The problem is to achieve the very lowest magnification possible through a binoviewer, through this frankly ridiculous optical path: ERF - 120mm refractor - 2x extender - solar filter incorporating 3x barlow - binoviewer - eyepieces. Even 40mm plossls are too much. If some enterprising designer could make a pair of 1.25”, 100mm lightweight eyepieces, with 15mm eye relief, a decent AFOV, and minimum glass, that would be perfect…… It’s a question for another thread, or perhaps another universe.

Very interesting - didn’t know about the Vixen 45mm. Suspect as you say it might take a few decades to track down a pair

This is exactly what I need now - a pair of 1.25” 50/55mm plossls, though I have the excellent TV40s. Why? Because I have a solar Ha filter that needs as slow a light beam as possible to show surface detail well - so ideally I’d stick a 2x extender in front of the 3x barlow/extender built into the filter. Trouble is, that would still give me far too much magnification with my TV40s in a binoviewer. A pair of 55mms would be perfect - though not even I am demented enough to try two TV55s in a 2” binoviewer. Yet there may be a solution. I believe Russell Optics in Vermont does a 50mm 1.25” plossl. But I’m sure they would be extremely challenging with eye relief. Don’t know if Louis or Don have any experience with Russell, or even more unlikely, with such an unlikely eyepiece? Apols for diverting the thread anyway….. I liked your story John

Nice Alan! First view I ever had through a Herschel wedge was with a 152mm F/5.9 - Altair I think. It should really shine in early morning and late evening, when atmosphere is steadiest, and lets you go above 200x.

Personally I wouldn’t risk anything in the hold. You could end up without anything to enjoy those dark skies. The scopes I’ve taken as hand luggage are: 4” Maksutov - really not the right scope for DSOs, and as a fellow city dweller, it was an unsatisfying travel scope. 80ED Equinox - excellent all rounder. 100mm Apo, minus the focuser and dew shield to fit into hand luggage - pretty much a dream set up. 85mm Apo - my current set up. This is the one I’ll stick with. There is so much to see travelling when you’re not used to dark skies that the slightly small aperture isn’t really an issue. If you’re determined to take a larger scope, I do like the idea of a C5 though - and you wouldn’t need to risk it in the hold - it would easily fit into hand luggage.

My problem is that I can’t sell things, even though I don’t really need them. This is a luxury that will come to an abrupt end when I retire in five years, (or when my current job finishes me off before I retire, which right now looks fairly likely.) I have three pairs of exceptional Zeiss and Leica 25mm microscope eyepieces - even after a year’s testing, I still find it impossible to split them. I have an excellent full set of Kasai orthos that I don’t use very much. And I have a Delite 4mm that is outshone by the TOE 4mm, but I haven’t yet summoned up the courage to sell. Of the eyepieces I’ve sold that I remember with nostalgia, I’d include Delos 10, Ethos 13, and Panoptic 35 (all too heavy when I downsized), Nagler T6 11mm (I had Delite and plossl 11mm, so couldn’t justify the Nagler too, though it was superb), and finally Celestron Ultima 30mms, a wonderful binoviewing pair (which I only sold because Steve/Saganite - who had originally sold them to me - wrote me a very nice note a year or two later saying if ever I thought of sellling them again, to please bear him in mind….). I had a pair of TV 32mm Plossls covering that focal length…… though the Ultimas were just as good…… couldn’t justify both pairs, so how could I resist Steve’s plea?

I’ve had a couple of problems with Baader recently too Stu. They set such high standards it’s surprising when anything falls short. I raised an eyebrow at the extra charge for the polarising filter too. Whatever happened to white light being the cheap way into solar astronomy? Still - should be a great piece of kit when it’s sorted.

Look forward to hearing about the new wedge Stu, particularly if any visible benefit to the narrower Continuum, though I can imagine it won’t be easy to compare with the old one. Are you still using the MkIV for white light - or moved to the MBII?

Fantastic - what a great story Mike. Thanks for posting.

Chroma 3nm Ha is the best filter I’ve got for night vision nebulae from London. It also proved a good investment. About two months after I’d bought the 2”, prices doubled over night. This was even before COVID. For night vision stars, globs and galaxies, Baader 685nm IR pass. Baader Continuum and polarisers for white light. Occasionally Astronomik UHC, Lumicon O III, if I’m travelling. And biggest of all, a 120mm Baader ERF for solar Ha.

Even though he had a great sense of humour, I loved how Sir Patrick would get deadly serious whenever the subject of astronomy or telescopes came up. This photo captures that perfectly. In 2007 I eventually got to play with it during our stay at Patrick's. It was at that time in need of some TLC. Of course it has since been renovated. I wonder where it is now? Would like to hear more about this Mike

Looks as though it might even lift off. That would be spectacular.

It’s been developing for a while, so not ‘hot off the press’ news, but this magnificent prom is well worth a look right now.

Yep - the build quality of Lunts is remarkable. Very solid pieces of kit. A joy to own and use. The only thing letting the old LS60 down was that so-so focuser.

They already do - my night vision tube is made by a European company called Photonis. They are freely available - not just to military buyers. But they tend to be pricier than their US counterparts, and use slightly different technology. But very good quality.