Louis D

In that case, make sure to screen shot the original ad when ordering so you can provide it during the return process if asked to prove "not as advertised". I've had vendors update the images and/or description later to try to avoid having to accept a return on these grounds.

I suggested the extension tube to REPLACE the binoviewer's optical path length while trying to figure out why you can't reach focus. Often, you can simply unscrew the optical section from a Barlow and use the tube alone as an extension tube to get a couple of inches of extension for focus investigations. Do NOT use the Barlow with the SCT. You should be able to reach focus without it after turning the focus knob many times in the proper direction. Sure, the focal length will increase some, but not nearly as much as adding the Barlow will increase it.

During the Mars opposition, I found I was getting far superior views through my Arcturus binoviewer with a pair of vintage B&L SWA microscope eyepieces. I use the nosepiece from a Meade 140 2x Barlow screwed into the front of the binoviewer to reach focus in my Dob. I swapped back and forth with various Pentax and Televue wide fields in mono-mode, but the overwhelming difference in brightness made it impossible for my aging eyes to see any significant details. With two eyes, the view suddenly looked with those images taken by astrophotographers who stack hundreds to thousands of frames.

I watch our local Craigslist for such items (tripods, cases, fluid heads, etc.) that are cast offs from local film and music production companies/groups. There are some good deals to be had if you don't insist on cosmetic beauty.

I have a couple of these Chinese made cases, and they're quite tough. I have a small one to hold my six Paradigm (BST Starguider) eyepieces vertically that I picked up for $10 on sale a few years ago. I also have a large one from a wholesale club to hold my collection of large, yet seldom used, eyepieces. I also have a couple of vintage Doskocil cases as well that were American made. I prefer the denser foam in them, but the lower density Chinese foam works well enough. All can take quite a beating.

Are you using a 1.25" diagonal? This will help minimize the amount the mirror will need to be moved forward. Have you tried both with and without the Barlow? It should work either way. I'm sorry to read it's not working with the Barlow, either. Have you tried achieving focus in the daytime on a distant object? This can help sort out what's going on. Does the image appear to be converging to a focus, and the focuser just runs out of travel before reaching focus? Do you need to use a Barlow with the 4" refractor to reach focus? Have you tried racking the focuser all the way from one end to the other of its range of travel while looking through an eyepiece to ensure the mirror appears to be moving the entire distance? Have you tried adding a 4" extension tube in place of the binoviewer to see if you can reach focus. The binoviewer adds about 4" to the optical path length. I've had no trouble reaching focus with my 127 Mak without a Barlow, and I've read numerous places that 8" SCTs should also have no trouble reaching focus natively. Keep trying to narrow down the issue.

The 25mm eyepiece is considered decent, but everyone pans the 10mm eyepiece. Folks on here usually recommend upgrading the 10mm with an 8mm or 12mm BST Starguider.

What eyepieces do you already have before you rush off and buy a 2x Barlow lens? A shroud around the struts would be helpful to block stray light.

Just make sure to avoid the really cheap "aluminum" flight cases which are actually made entirely of thin, textured, metal-colored plastic. The sides puncture quite easily. Not even the edges or corners are made of metal despite the look.

I finally got around to trying out the SVBONY 68° UWA 20mm eyepiece in my 127 Mak. As expected, it cleans up nicely to the edge. I also snapped a picture through the Orion Centering SWA 20mm which is wider with poorer correction for comparison. The SVBONY is a bit cleaner to the edge, but not by a huge margin. If you have a slow scope, the SVBONY 68° UWA 20mm will probably work quite well in it.

The Astro Essentials 9x50 RACI from FLO is reportedly a GSO-sourced finder sold under many other brandings. I have a version under a US brand and find it to be terrific. If you defocus a bright star, you can make it easier to see the reticle crosshairs. I find I don't miss having illuminated crosshairs in a RACI.

I haven't had a chance to try my recently acquired 20mm SVBONY 68 degree in my 127 Mak yet, but it does reasonably well in the central 50% of the FOV at f/6. It should perform very well at f/12 for 75x. They're £29.99 shipped from ebay UK. Although the 6mm and 9mm SVBONY 68 degree eyepieces are well regarded for sharpness, field of view, and eye relief, they have a lot of kidney beaning (SAEP) going on, so keep that in mind if you're sensitive to it. I'd recommend the 8mm BST Starguider for highest power viewing (188x) with the 127 Mak. It does quite well in mine without SAEP for a bit more money. I'd pair it with the 12mm for a bit lower power (125x). Bought together, FLO offers a 10% discount. At the low power end, a 32mm GSO/Revelation/Astro Essentials Super Plossl works fine to provide the max field of view at 47x in a 1.25" eyepiece without breaking the bank.

Both the Radian and LV/NLV lines used rare earth glass types that seemed to make for slightly dimmer viewing in each as compared to the XL/XW and much later Delos/Delite lines. I see the same effect in my NT4 eyepieces as well, so they probably use rare earth glasses as well. My 27mm Panoptic shows a bit of this as well.

Maybe you're partially Japanese. They tend to prefer straight through viewing of planets since any diagonal adds some scatter, decreasing contrast.

I've bought a solar finder and 20mm 68 degree eyepiece from their ebay store, and they both seem fine. I think someone is trying to tie together all the unbranded Chinese astro accessories into a single brand to give them some cachet in the marketplace. As such, they seem to be rather careful about avoiding pure junk being offered under the SVBONY brand to avoid any negatives being associated with it.

Given the very long focal length of that Mak, I doubt you could ever make too long of a dew shield, within practical limits that is.

If you must, use a small amount of light grease on only the rack to help ensure it stays in place. Wipe off any excess. Oil tends to migrate everywhere. You could also disassemble the pinion support and put a small amount on the axle inside and then reassemble it.

Not exactly minimal glass, but you could use a high quality 2x Barlow with the 12.5mm and 9mm or a 3x Barlow with the 18mm to get close for now to fill in the gaps. At the very least, it would allow you to get some idea of what the missing powers would look like.

Sure it is. Just buy three more Q Barlow elements and mount them in each eyepiece. 😁

I know you specifically asked about diagonal usage, but BHZs are not sold exclusively to diagonal users. Many are sold to Newtonian users with native 2" focusers. Using the BHZ in 2" mode avoids have to keep it in a 2" to 1.25" adapter. This can be beneficial if many of your eyepieces are 2" only. It simplifies eyepiece swaps if all are 2" fit.

I might have missed it, but did you touch on eye relief for folks with strong astigmatism that must wear eyeglasses while observing. I don't think any binoculars come with astigmatism correction (DIOPTRX-like), correct? You need to look for binoculars with large eye lenses that are mounted nearly flush to the top of the folded down eye cup. In general, I've found that those retracting eye cups need to be completely removed in some manner to achieve sufficient eye relief for eye glass wearers. They simply do not retract until level with the top of the eye lens, so they always eat up several precious millimeters of eye relief. Commonly, simply continuing to twist them down will cause them to start unscrewing entirely from the bino because they are reverse threaded on.

Did shoot a new video of your scope riding on it to show it wobbling less after being touched than in your original review video?

I always keep my 10mm Delos cup all the way down and have never experienced this. Perhaps because I bought it around 2011 when it first came out, they were using a different lower cap back then? I'll have to check how tight mine is the next chance I get.

Let a bright star drift from center to edge in both the Morpheus and the BHZ. Does it remain point-like to the edge in both? Also, does the BHZ allow as long a dwell time at 12.5mm before nudging your Dob again? Do both control stray light as well on the moon and planets as they drift across the field? Can you see the same amount of field in both while wearing eyeglasses? These are all factors contributing to the higher cost of premium eyepieces.

Figure as an American business, a professional welder will generally charge around $100/hour for his or her services to cover shop overhead, not including materials, so add another $800 to the cost of your buggy. Labor in the first world is killer expensive. However, it is generally done right the first time. That's why telescopes, mounts, and astro cameras made in the first world are so expensive and so prized.