PeterW

EEVA is visual observers looking to see more using electronically means... could be rapid CCD stacking, could be intensifiers.... too many people get hung up about the details or too narrowly define things..... if you want to observe more than one object in a session then you’re in EEVA territory, if it takes weeks to observe one object and then you spend a week fiddling in photoshop then you’re probably an imager..... If you want your “eye to an eyepiece” then the intensifier is probably the way to go, if you don’t mind waiting a few minutes and have tracking then using a camera and software are your tools. Lots of options to explore, lots of options people haven’t fully explored yet, but both are fairly mature and close to physics limits, so don’t expect huge improvements. Each to their own..... vive la difference! Peter

I am only attempting this as I have been 3D printing stuff for a while and so happy to design, test and combine different design aspects as I move towards a final version. The printer doesn’t care how complex things are, though you need to be careful to ensure it prints well and any supports can be properly cleaned off. If I had had to buy the finders, eyepieces etc it wouldn’t be worth it. 2”‘erecting diagonals probably house bigger prisms, but they aren’t common or cheap. Effortless, rock steady views of the zenith with no arm strain, I could get used to this….. If/when I have a more user friendly version I’ll post to e OpenSCAD code so anyone can tweak it to the parts they own, it’s rather Kludgey at the moment…… Peter

Certainly a gap in the market, but then you’d be paying extra for flexibility rather than anything necessarily optically better. Imagine a pair of 70mm APM with even smaller objectives!! Also the current large binoculars have longer focal ratios to give good views, but this then impacts on the maximum exit pupil that they can deliver (24mm max focal length for 1.25” eyepieces), people are showing large exit pupils are capable of showing a lot of really quite impressively faint stuff. Of course fast optics are hard to correct and deliver sharp fields for. Everyone knows small binoculars are handheld, but we know that the more stable the views are the better. I hope that these make for good large scale sweeping binoculars, I’m thinking of adding swappable filters to make nebula hunting easier. Under my skies galactic nebulae are way beyond the reach of conventional glass 😉 Version1 is designed for my IPD and the miscollimation can usually be sorted by some wiggling. I plan several more iterations in the coming months to end up with something that others could equally well use and enjoy. I’d be interested in understanding what lenses I might need to add some field flattening, though they may just end up as another source of miscollimation or vignetting, can but try. I need to find a company to cost effectively add some anti-reflection coating to the prisms to up the transmission. Hopefully the new year might bring options to get to darker skies to see what these CaK deliver. Peter

Would it scale to a 13”f3? Peter

Noticed i’d got a few spare 9x50 finders and knowing the benefit of angled binoculars for ease of viewing near the zenith I wondered if I could make my own. Currently no IPD adjust and better focus/collimation is still to be added, but initial trials are promising, focus being a little sensitive these being f3.2 objectives. With the eyepieces I have I can switch between 7x/10x/12x50, using >65degree eyepieces. Given the lack of field flattener and fast objectives the edges are not going to win any prizes, but the sweet spot is quite useable and the stable view makes seeing faint stars much easier. I included a synta rail in the design, so now I have 90degree GoTo binoculars when mounted on an AZ-Gti… almost cheating. Peter

Nice looking job... if the bodge works who cares! I just taped up an old finder scope to chop a bit off the end... rushed it and the cut is most certainly not straight... however doesn’t affect what I needed it for. Peter

Luckily my larger bins have a v-groove I can temporarily rest a laser in, enables me to get initial pointing sorted before I go hopping. You might be able to add something to the centre rail. Peter

If you’re polymer 3D printing then I’d be careful about potential areas of weakness and printing orientation to maximise the strength. Interesting to see a CAD layout, given many people use CNC you don’t need a drawing produced to make anything. Peter

Popped out after a shower as the sky had cleared, went round the corner with the 66mm spotter and nailed them with the zoom at 8mm, very wobbly as they were at tree level. Had a few minutes until game over as the next cloud bank came in... very interesting colour contrast between the planets. Fingers crossed for the next few days! Maybe I could get at least one son to come and have a look..... peter

Thingiverse has a lot of SCAD files that you can build off (creative commons), have a look. I’ve used wide threads before, so worms and pulleys should be easy. To use OpenSCAD you have to think how to add/difference to make shapes. I tried sketchup and a few other options years back and none were so easy to get something useful. I see fusion has a free version I ought to check it out, though I have tried solidworks and found the learning curve rather steep. peter

I’m an OpenSCAD user, does most of what I want if I keep my wits about me. I use 3D-tool free to section and take measurements off stl to ensure I’ve not messed up critical dimensions. good luck Peter

Darn.... missed it. Any chance of a recording? Peter

Dude, I think peoples feet would be the losers if they came into contact with those tripod feet in the dark....!! Peter

Nice build, I used Leds (suitably resistores) clipped to coin cells in clear plastic bags. Used a pile at a starparty, Chuck them about, collect in when finished. There is no shortage of stuff to avoid at night (at starparties) or just to mark a safe route. Peter

It’d be interesting to know if the lens edges are blackened, I’ve thought about but not taken the plunge. Given how wide angle and compact these are I’m not surprised that bright lights can cause stray light. Peter

The winger eyecups let you use them hands free near the zenith. See if the paint does anything, I think the reflections are internal, But not sure from where. I have printed some wide, adjustable light shields that help a bit. Peter

Yes, the number of people making these things has drained the stock of these things, given they were designed for very early digital point and shoot cameras. Peter

Same thingiverse location as the other note, you want the latest short one, not the tall thin one. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1560347 Peter

The newer eyecup design does a good job too. I’ve added it to other eyepieces. Peter

Like the state of the natural environment in the U.K., I would hope we can go a long way beyond merely protecting the meagre dregs of what is left and actively push back towards what we have previously lost. Peter

These have the same field as the new Orions, but lack focussing. My eyes are OK and so I can use each. They feature a 3D printed housing round the teleconverter pair. The Orion is less tapered and dig into my nose a bit, both can use binobandits to block straylight. Peter

UHC or OIII, CLS isn’t aggressive enough and h-beta is very aggressive and is only noted to work well on a few objects. Darker skies are best, but if you can shield yourself from direct lights, dark adapt and shield/flock your scope you can gain something back against the light. Peter

Never seen any of these for sale... given the rarity of those lenses it’s a pretty good deal. I find them more ergonomic than the others and I don’t need the focussing (yet). Peter

The greater the awareness, the more people can appreciate and hopefully the more places will be recognised. The areas have to have full local backing and to have surveyed all the light fittings in their area and ensure they are suitable and maintained that way. Cities sidewards light spill is the big target that we have yet to make an impact on. If we could have all lights full cutoff then the dark skies would get darker and closer to the cities. The zenith is the darkest area as it’s the thinnest bit of atmosphere, maybe harder to view, but worth the effort. If you only want to view in perfect skies then foreign travel is your only option. Peter

.... there appear to be more areas working on similar applications, even talk of dark urban locations (as far as that is possible). The more poor lights that can be corrected the better the skies for all of us. peter