iPeace

I'm interested in what you had to "file" to get this to work, should you be inclined to divulge.

Similarly, with my initial modest collection of 1.25" greenies, I thought I knew what an eyepiece was, until the TV85 arrived with the 17mm Ethos and the 41mm Panoptic and I found myself sitting at the table - think group therapy session - asking them all: "All right, which of you is the actual scope?"

4 hours ago, Mak the Night said:

Of course, with any portable gear there has to be compromises, principally in aperture size usually.

For me, actual weight turned out to be quite a surprise. My first scope is the carbon fibre ED70, and I remember my novice worries about it being attached to a camera tripod by a single screw . What did I know? Along comes the TV85, which seems to qualify as "grab and go" by quite a margin, and it is so much heavier...I now catch myself picking up the ED70's case and wondering weather the scope is actually in it.

3 hours ago, Mak the Night said:

I know carrying it out piecemeal and assembling everything, let alone carrying my two main eyepiece cases as well, will take time, but that's half the fun for me.

I've stated elsewhere that enjoyment itself is the ultimate "grab and go" concept - the fun starts immediately, and includes setting up whatever gear you're using, no matter how long that may take, and indeed irrespective of how much subsequent viewing actually gets done.

3 hours ago, Mak the Night said:

Flexibility and adaptability is the key. To paraphrase the motto of the Special Air Service: 'Who dares views'.

On a similar theme - I'm no angler, but I've heard it said there's a reason they call it "fishing" as opposed to "catching"...

3 hours ago, Brasspoodle said:

There certainly is some comfort in knowing you have some of the better eyepieces going around. Kind of takes one aspect out of the equation when trying to see objects better. If something is not visible it's not the eyepieces fault!

Exactly

4 hours ago, Brasspoodle said:

I wonder if there is also a predominance of large fast Newtonians that go with these TVs? This is partly the reason for my TVs and couple of Pentaxs, although eye relief is one of my likes. In an undriven Dob FoV also matters to me: less nudging and averted/peripheral vision seems to work better as the eye moves around the wide FoV. If that wider FoV is also really well corrected I feel I have a better chance of picking up those faint fuzzies. For me ER often trumps the hyper wide 100° experience and dark skies coupled with good observation technique trumps that again.

 

Some amazing eyepiece cases here. I'm also enjoying the updates to see how these collections evolve. 

 

...and then, there surely is something to this. I have yet to try a newt, but with a grab'n'go frac on an undriven alt/az mount, FoV is king for me - now that I know what's to be had. My preliminary research had convinced me that quality eyepieces would be required to get the most out of a fast refractor - and there was no ignoring that green lettering was - on the whole - taken to be a pretty good indicator. I was very pleased with the experience of using 1.25" Naglers with my ED70 - when the TV85 appeared in the classifieds and just would not go away. A Panoptic and an Ethos were invited to travel along with the scope, and that spoiled me beyond any hope of redemption. However, as you also say, I'm quite convinced that none of this gear will make as much a difference as getting some quality observing time under some really dark skies, which I hope to do for a prolonged period soon...but I may as well make sure beforehand that my gear is sorted

6 hours ago, Mak the Night said:

The idea of a grab’n’go bag with a highly portable tabletop telescope makes taking advantage of breaks in the weather a reality for me. As I’m disabled (the right side of my body is partially paralysed), being able to set-up quickly with little preparation means I can get out and view at a moment’s notice (more or less). Only the tabletop Dob mount is carried separately, also in a light nylon bag. This enables me to carry both shoulder bags together relatively easily whilst walking with a stick. I may only be going to the bottom of my garden but it can be a major expedition for me lol.

Your approach is inspiring and puts things in valuable perspective. I started out in this business - not long ago - with a strong determination to stay on the grab'n'go path, convinced that "the scope you actually use lets you see the most". It's easy for me to feel greed for "more", or wonder whether I'm not selling myself short...

Thanks very much for sharing.

3 hours ago, Brasspoodle said:

I wonder if there is also a predominance of large fast Newtonians that go with these TVs?

For my part, I live in fear that scope will spit out anything without green lettering

1 minute ago, John said:

Baader 28mm Fine Tuning Rings. Less expensive than TV barrel extensions but they do exactly the same job and are threaded for 2" filters, which is the main point of having them on there for me.

I had originally ordered the TV model - which my supplier had (attractively) priced the same as a similar product their own brand - but someone beat me to it, so I was offered their own brand instead so as not to have to wait for the back order. I agreed, and it works perfectly fine. It's indeed threaded for 2" filters.

1 minute ago, John said:

I've got a set of 2" caps (non-TV mostly) which I use on the 2" barrel extensions. I've not had a problem with stuff getting in through the little notch and onto the lower lenses. My eyepieces are kept in the case and capped unless they are in a scope though.

That's good enough for me . Are the barrel extensions themselves by TeleVue, or another brand?

3 hours ago, John said:

Lovely set

Thanks - I've started using a barrel extender on the 8mm Ethos, and will probably get another for the 6mm. I notice you use them on these Ethos EPs as well, along with 2" caps. Do you keep the 1.25" caps on them when not in use? I can't get to the 1.25" cap in order to remove it with the barrel extender on (not extremely fat fingers, but there you have it), so that requires removing the extender, etc. Not using the 1.25" cap in favour of relying on the extender/2" cap combination to keep that end of the eyepiece protected in the case would seem adequate; the only thing I can think of is fine matter entering through the notch in the bottom of the EP's own 2" barrel and sloshing around inside the extender until it found its mark...

Update :

Scope has featured on this forum before, but has yet to make this thread...

...so, here is scope at work during another heroic effort observing Jupiter's most recent double moon and shadow transit + GRS:

Not quite built like a tank....I suspect it IS a tank...

16 minutes ago, John said:

One thing that I've found with scopes that range from F/5.3 to F/7.5 is that gaps in the medium to longer focal length eyepiece range are quite Ok but I do like to "crowd" the focal lengths below 8mm to have a number of high power options.

For example I find the step from a 21mm Ethos to a 13mm Ethos quite natural. I did have a 17mm Ethos for a short while and it was a lovely eyepiece but I could see straightaway that it would not get a lot of use because I'd simply "step over" it and go straight to the 13mm most of the time.

It's only really by trying different combinations that you find this sort of thing out though and I can see that others with longer focal length scopes and maybe different viewing priorities might make different choices.

 

 

I've pondered this in my own novice manner as well...when down-shifting from "space travel" with a 41mm Panoptic, I've often not spent much time with a 26mm Nagler before shifting again to the 17mm Ethos. But then I've yet to try them all on all possible categories of targets (galaxies and nebulae other than in Orion have not worked for me at this location, yet, but soon I'll be stationed away from the buildings and LP, so I hope to see just what the TV85 can do in its natural habitat - mindful of the obvious "aperturial" limitations). And then - as you have also stated - there will always be the specific targets for which specific eyepieces seem to have been tailor-made...

In short, I love both the 17mm and the 13mm but could imagine doing without either (but not both!). At the moment, I certainly don't feel the need for a 10mm. I do very much need a 6mm Ethos...spoiled rotten now.

On 3/15/2016 at 10:35, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

How can a case full of quality EPs not make sense? Very nice case indeed

Thanks! The part which I feel doesn't make total sense is having both a 26mm Nagler and a 25mm Plossl. And both a 11mm Nagler and a 10mm Radian. And both a Nagler 3-6 Zoom and a 3.5mm Nagler. So I guess I'm pondering selling the 25mm Plossl, the 10mm Radian, the 3.5mm Nagler, the 11mm Nagler and perhaps even the Nagler 3-6 Zoom and acquiring a 6mm Ethos - possibly to be followed by a 4.7mm Ethos... that image of an eyepiece case seems to make a bit more sense to me; whether it's in the realm of the sensible is entirely another matter

...and of course, if the gap between 13mm and 8mm starts to itch, there's a 10mm Ethos for that...

...and a 21mm obsession to be pursued...

...and a bit of 31mm anti-tank ordinance...

I'm in serious need of therapy

...yes, I know, it doesn't make much sense as a whole; let's just say I'm figuring things out the expensive way