Antares 1.25" to 2" eyepiece adaptor with filter thread

[smulx]

Has anyone tried this? I wanted to know if it was any good. I'm looking for something that will stop me needed two sets of filters and this looks as though it should do the job.

[John]

I use these sorts of adapters (Antares and other brands) and they are fine but I found I needed to add a short extension to the end of them to make sure my loner barrel 1.25" eyepiece did not contact the 2" filter. The Baader Hyperion 14mm Fine Tuning rings are just the job for this. It's worth taking care on this point as one of our members ruined a nice 2" filter this way

[tom714uk]

I've been wondering, do the 2" to 1.25" adapters that come with Skywatcher dobs have 2" filter threads? I'd seen the Antares as well but also read that many (most?) adapters have the thread.

Cheers,

Tom

[John]

The standard Skywatcher ones that I have seen are not threaded for filters. Neither are the Tele Vue ones that I've used as it happens - Al Nagler was worried about people breaking filters in the way I've described above, apparently, so would not put the thread in.

[tom714uk]

Handy info, thanks!

[smulx]

Thanks for the info. Think I'll be buying one.

[tom714uk]

I use these sorts of adapters (Antares and other brands) and they are fine but I found I needed to add a short extension to the end of them to make sure my loner barrel 1.25" eyepiece did not contact the 2" filter. The Baader Hyperion 14mm Fine Tuning rings are just the job for this. It's worth taking care on this point as one of our members ruined a nice 2" filter this way

Would 1.25" parfocalizing rings work for this as well?

Cheers,

Tom

[NGC 1502]

Would 1.25" parfocalizing rings work for this as well?

Yes Tom, that would sort it, as long as there is enough chrome barrel left to insert into the adaptor. A problem can occur with parfocal rings if you need to place them where the safety undercut is on many eyepiece barrels. The safety undercut is smaller in diameter than the chrome barrel, so the parfocal ring is not a good fit. You can fill the undercut with tape. I have used "Dymo" label tape for this, as regular electricians tape was too soft. And of course you can use the tape to make a parfocal ring of the depth you require, without buying the proper item.

Regards, Ed.

[John]

Parfocalising rings would work but you would need one per eyepiece or swap them as you swap eyepieces which is pretty fiddly. With a fine tuning ring approach you put the ring onto the adapter and forget about it.

[tom714uk]

Helpful advice once more, thanks Ed and John.

Tom