The60mmKid

Important points here. Even if our pupils are capable of dilating to 7mm, they won't do that under light-polluted conditions. That requires darkness, which is why we allow our eyes to dark adapt. Under light-polluted conditions, using binoculars with a smaller exit pupil means that we're not "wasting" light with an exit pupil from the binoculars that is larger than our eyes' not-fully-dilated pupils. @Second Time Around offers a helpful explanation above. This is why binoculars with a 7mm exit pupil (e.g., 7x50, 10x70) require dark skies to use to their potential. Because dark skies allow our pupils to dilate fully. Under light-polluted conditions, those 8x42s are more able to perform to their fullest than 7x50s.

Nice! I think 8x42 might suit your purposes well. I think I'd part with 7x50 first since the 7mm exit pupil is only fully utilized under dark skies. I, too, don't find 10x50 ideal, preferring either smaller or larger binoculars.

I like them very much. Underrated as handheld binoculars for astronomy, in my opinion. I don't think you'd find them redundant. How dark are your skies, out of curiosity? Are you interested particularly in 8x42 roofs or more broadly in binoculars of this general size/magnification class?

I think either the 2x or 3x Galilean binoculars would work well for those purposes. For what it's worth, I don't find focusing a necessity with these since one's eyes easily compensate. I've had pairs with focusers and actually prefer the Nikon teleconvertor ones. I see you're in the Netherlands. If you were in the UK, I'd lend you mine to try out! But it wouldn't be an expensive experiment to try one of the Nikon teleconvertors since they often sell for $20 on eBay.

I hope you won't go away. I hope we'll all keep working to treat each other respectfully and resolve misunderstandings, and perhaps use private messages to sort out private concerns.

Oh come on. I know your address now. I'll mail you a bumper sticker. "Peppermint tea is too posh for me and my perfectly painted Takahashis."

Is it so bad to poke a little fun every now as long as we don't get personal? ☺️ As someone who grew up in the US and now lives in the UK, I find the cultural differences glaring and entertaining. For example, while recently looking for information on the TV102 refractor, I stumbled upon this gem of a thread 🤣 Life is short, and it's good to laugh at what can be laughed at as long as we don't devolve into meanness. But isn't that part of what's great about SGL...? We tend not to devolve into meanness 😊 We can all remember to keep it light and keep it respectful.

Great point. FLO is unflaggingly wonderful. On a few occasions, I tried dealing with a different astronomy supplier that sponsors a different astronomy forum. They got irritated with me because I asked about Takahashi telescopes for visual observing! The vexed rep explained to me over the phone that they don't care about any of that "niche stuff" since it doesn't make them money because it's all about imaging now! Much gratitude for FLO...

I consider the animosity on CN one of the enjoyable features. It's like WWE (another fine US export) for backyard astronomers. Just pour some roasted pumpkin seeds into a bowl and crack open a kombucha and you've got the evening's entertainment covered.

👍 If only I spent cloudy evenings cleaning my apartment or reading books or something... I'd have a clean apartment and a better mind 😢 So, upon further thought, SGL might be the problem 😦

Exciting news, everyone: The Astroluxe siblings are reunited! And what a beautiful pair of twins... just look at those big, pretty eyes! Genetically similar though they are, their personalities are unique. The 18x70 provides an inspiringly immersive view with higher contrast but a lower level of edge correction. The 10x70 is tack-sharp from edge to edge but with an exit pupil that warrants darker skies than mine. Just from a little daytime experimentation, it's clear that they will be complementary, not redundant. I received the 18x70 a little while ago, and the 10x70 came today. Partially, I purchased the 10x70 as a commitment to myself to find my way back to dark skies. I miss starry nights dearly, so my beautiful 7mm-exit-pupil friend is here to remind me of what matters and reassure me that I haven't given up.

Agreed. I spent years observing doubles with a basic alt-az. That went well. But then I switched to a driven EQ mount. I still remember my reaction. "Oh... This is nice. It just stays there..." Now, I use an alt-az with slow-motion controls. I find it a good compromise since it's much lighter than an EQ mount.

Agreed: that is unimpressive. @vlaiv is the man! I get excited when I see his posts. "It's the masked guy whose posts go way over my head but nevertheless amaze and inspire me!" In my book, he's an astro-celebrity.

6" Newt! They're underappreciated! A good one is a wonderful instrument. Sharp, color-free images... enough aperture to keep one busy endlessly... a good balance of FOV and high-magnification capability... quick to cool... easy to mount... so comfortable to use as a dob... inexpensive... lovable. Refractors are nice, too, though.

As one who used to be part of the problem, I agree 😌

Oh, and it's a good way to pass the (considerable) time between observing sessions. It's healthier than buying lots of unneeded astronomy equipment and getting in online arguments, which feels like more of a CloudyNights thing to do.

I'm curious what brings us here. From my observations, I think that different people derive different things. For me, I feel comforted that there are other people who also look up and feel awe, connection, excitement, or curiosity. It saddens me when I think that many people on Earth feel that they're in a town or city, but not that they're in a galaxy or universe. So, I like appreciating other people's appreciation. I also enjoy how different people are excited about different things... refractors, physics, the volcanic features of the moon, and so on. Although much of it doesn't interest me, I like that there are people who are interested in it. And it's nice to be able to post a picture of whichever item is exciting me at the moment and have a few others share that excitement. I'll go to the office shortly, and none of my coworkers would fully understand if I tried to explain how excited I feel about the 10x70 binoculars arriving in the mail today. I still might try, though, since (thankfully) they consider my eccentricity charming. There are other things I could mention, but that's a start.

I got really worried once when, forgetting that I had my OIII filter threaded in, I took a look at M31. "What happened to it?!"

For me, it's peppermint tea. It stays hot in the thermos for hours, and the relaxing taste and aroma complement the serenity of observing. I once spilled kombucha all over my eyepieces while excitedly reaching for my sketchpad 😢 It was one of those rare moments in life when the thought arises, "I bet this is the first time ever in human history when anyone has done this."

Yes, Tele Vue is fantastic, and it wasn't my intention to cast doubt on their quality or value. I've gone through phases of selling everything that isn't black and green!

I'm also curious: When you notice the graininess from the zoom, have you compared it to a fixed FL eyepiece of the same (or similar) FL to which the zoom is set? The reason I ask is that I'm curious whether you're seeing optical shortcomings of the zoom or whether other variables are at play (e.g., the greater sensitivity of your dob to seeing vs. a smaller instrument, thermal acclimation of the primary mirror, etc.). When I started using a dob after years of using a refractor, I wasn't happy with the medium-high power views, and it took me a while to learn to manage the thermal factors that were actually impacting the view. I also recognize that, unlike me, you aren't a garden-variety bonehead 🐒 So, please accept my humble apologies if all of this is already obvious.

Hi Nicola! Do you have a strong preference for Tele Vue? I ask because the XWA eyepieces sold by various vendors (for example) give up little to an Ethos, cost less, and weigh less. Eyepiece weight is a consideration with dobs, especially with ultra-light ones on low rocker boxes like yours. Heavy eyepieces can create balance difficulties, which is why I wouldn't opt for powermate + heavy eyepiece. Since your Mewlon has a much higher focal ratio, I'd keep the 41 Panoptic (or something similar) to use with the Mewlon, then put together 3-4 medium focal length eyepieces that work well with both the Mewlon (for medium to high magnification) and the dob (for low to medium magnification), then have one or two eyepieces of shorter focal length for high magnification with the dob. So... A long FL eyepiece just for the Mewlon, a set of medium FL eyepieces for both, and a short FL eyepiece or two for the dob. But that's just me 🐢

Personally, I wouldn't go for it because you can buy a used Nikon teleconvertor that performs the same function for a fraction of the cost. Here's a great, epic thread on the topic: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/536652-home-built-nikon-2x54-widefield-binos/ I've made a few of these binoculars and find them enjoyable for teasing out a few more stars under light-polluted skies and also for meteor watching. If your main interest is exploring constellations, I'd also recommend an old pair of widefield 7x35 binoculars (Tasco, Sears, etc.). Those will reveal far more stars and still provide an 8.5°-11° FOV (depending on the model), which is a large patch of sky.

That telescope will provide thoroughly enjoyable planetary and lunar views. There's no need to think that it will be suboptimal or that a 90mm Mak will do better (which it won't). A 90mm refractor can be a wonderful all-rounder for visual astronomy.

OITH! It's an old favorite! I had a couple of copies. The author is a charming fellow who autographs each one before shipping them 😊 He also has a pdf version that you can purchase, which is handy since it's searchable and printable.