Acrab67

I second the use of the binoviewer. Until relatively recently, in almost 35 years of observation, I had never used one, and they have been a revelation to me.

I know there are a lot of horror stories out there regarding OO UK telescopes. The OO UK SPX 10" f4'8 (1148 mm) 1/8 pv that I currently have, and that I recently recovered (I sold it years ago to a good friend and bought it again recently) has some improvements made, including a change of focuser, spider collimation screws and black flocking on the interior. I have also made a long plate to prevent the tube from flexing. Mechanically mediocre, it has outstanding optics. I remember when I bought it that I was able to squeeze it with the planets with a TeleVue Nagler Zoom 6 -3mm, and at the shortest focal length (383X), there were nights when the images offered excellent contrast and resolution. I live in the south of Spain, near the sea, and I enjoy exceptional seeing on many occasions. I'm waiting for it to come back season of planets for use with binoviewer. I would not pay much attention to the interferometry tests that accompany their mirrors, but if you are lucky you can get one that, without being 0.99 strehl, performs excellently on nights of good seeing,

I had the opportunity to use the Svbony zooms in binocular vision with my Maxbright II for a short period of time and they worked excellently at 8mm, but I didn't go further because I had no need for higher magnification at the time. I had no problems with image fusion and was working at 373X with the TS 125 f7'8 refractor (Baader GPC 2.6X). I have put a parfocal ring on them so that they do not stop at the bottom of the eyepiece holder.

A while ago I was carefully comparing my SLV 5mm with the Svbony zoom 8-3mm with my TS 125 f7'8 refractor in double stars and planetary and, apart from the better eye relief of the SLV, I found the optical performance very similar, including the contrast and dispersion. The SLV didn't show anything I couldn't see with the zoom. Regardless of this, I prefer binocular viewing with relatively cheap eyepieces to monocular viewing with the more expensive eyepiece.

If you do not want height limitations, you only have two options. Either you put an extension tube on the mount, which will generate instability, or you raise the tube somewhat and compensate for it with some system of counterweights in the lower area of the tube to keep the system balanced. With both solutions, the position of the focuser would be excessively high for a person of my height. You can select the maximum and minimum lifting height of the mount, nothing more. We are talking about the Berlebach Planet tripod, with a lower one things obviously change.

As configured, with the Berlebach tripod and the more or less balanced optical tube, I observe very comfortably in any position. I have it limited in height to about 75° so that the lower part of the optical tube does not accidentally hit one of the legs of the mount. I have a height of 186 cm.

Hi, Here are some pictures of my SPX 250 f4'8 on SW AZEQ6 GT

Hello again, I have made a dovetail with a sufficient length to prevent the tube from flexing too much and to keep the collimation of the optics within tolerable limits. Here is the result. In that aspect I have been very satisfied. The dovetail in question measures 70 cm in length. I attach a video where you can see that the collimation remains within more than acceptable limits. VID20240201112956.mp4

Has anyone by chance tried to mount a long dovetail, say, 600 mm, on one of these tubes, and found improvement?. Something like this:

Everything is checked. I have to check if the tube at the base of the focuser flexes.

I've been considering it, but a carbon tube is quite expensive

I've been considering it, but a carbon tube is quite expensive

Me too

Hi, My optical tube in question is a SPX 250 f4'8 with 1/8 primary purchased in 2009. I sold it to a friend when I built a 16" Dobson with Ostahowski optics. The fact is that I have recovered This same optical tube a few months ago. I don't remember noticing any collimation problems in those years, although it is also true that I didn't use very sensitive collimation tools, just a 2" Cheshire Sight Tube from Catseye. Now I use Howie Glatter's 2" laser and tublug. The Tublug is very sensitive to any small change, which is not practically noticeable visually but is noticeable in the collimation tool. I have carefully checked and adjusted the mirror in the cell and I realized that I had changed the springs at the time for more rigid ones, in fact, it is impossible for the decollimation to come from there. Today I collimated it horizontally and raised the tube little by little to observe the drift of the reflection of the primary mirror circle in the Tublug. The variation is slight but it is there, and it definitely does not come from the cell. The only option is that it is either the tube itself, or the area of the tube near the focusing group that flexes somewhat depending on the height. I also don't know if the current VX series tubes are different in terms of wall thickness from the SPX series. I also changed the focuser at the time for a JMI EV-1n. I have also updated the rings fastening by 10" GSO studs (adding felt inside) of the tube that are fixed with a Losmandy type plate.

Thank you. I'm going to change the springs and see how it goes.

Hello, I have detected that the tube significantly loses collimation depending on the inclination of the tube. Presumably it is due to the lack of rigidity of the optical tube, since it is made of excessively thin aluminum. Has anyone solved this problem in any way without changing the tube itself? Thank you.

Hi, I am studying how to focus with my Baader Maxbright II on my Newton 250 f4'8 telescope. The fact is that of the various options being considered, I have seen the one attached in the photo, that is, the 2.6X Baader GPC connected directly to the binoviewer. Has this option worked for anyone? Otherwise, apart from a 1.3X OCA from Siebert (very expensive), could the Barlow APM 1.25" ED comacorrected Barlow 2.7x be used successfully? As always thanks for your help.

In the CloudyNights forums there are references to relatively heavy equipment that has been destabilized during the disassembly operation of the tubes and/or weight counters, with the tripod at a 24° angle, which is how it comes by default. The second clamp I installed for safety, not as a solution to cover the brown bricklayer that appeared when moving the spacer, jajajaja

I just added a second set of clamps. It has been a very simple operation.

Hello, I use the spacer that comes with the tripod by default and that is screwed to the legs, plus the tray that is attached to the center and sits on it

Hi, Following the advice and indications of Luxo II, from the CloudyNights forums, I have raised the spacer giving the tripod legs an angle of 30º in order to provide the tripod with greater stability. Like him, if someone decides to do this, I advise using a drill bit to drill the new holes before screwing. The heads are weak and will fade if excessive force is used when screwing. By the way, I have had no problems using the tray with this new layout. The trick is to fold the tripod a bit so that it allows the tray to be inserted. Waiting to receive the new clamps too.

That's right, it bolts directly to the legs. I bought M10X30. Check that the feet have a rubber base, and move at an angle

Hola de nuevo, Como el 90% de las observaciones las hago desde casa, en terreno duro y llano, he sustituido las picas de acero por estas bases de apoyo que desde mi punto de vista son ideales, resistentes y económica https://amzn.eu/d/bYXjyZA

Hi, Yesterday I received a Berlebach Planet that I bought second hand in France. The tripod seems new, and apart from its stability. It came with only one set of clamps, so I ordered another one from Astroshop to install them and increase security.

Hi, I'd rather not use extension tubes if possible because of the instability they introduce into the system. According to my calculations, with the distance between the legs of the Planet that my colleague told me before, both my Newton 250 f4'8 and my TS 125 f7'8 would have no problems. Thanks and regards Víctor