Antares/BGO?

[paul mc c]

Hi are these the same ortho eyepieces,they look almost identical.

[spaceboy]

They no doubt come in the same packaging but the contents are different. The BGO has:-

Finely polished glass with multi-layer 'Phantom MC' broadband optical coatings, proper internal baffling and blackened lens edges ensure the highest possible light transmission and contrast.

The Phantom MC's performance beyond the visible wavelengths makes the Baader GO ideal for eyepiece projection photography and imaging.

[John]

I think they are very similar but the Antares coatings are not quite as good as the Baader GO's or the University HD Orthos. Here is a short report comparing the Antares and University items:

University Optics HD and Antares Orthos - Review

I have one of the University HD's plus a couple of Baader GO's and they are virtually identical, including in performance.

If you can get the Antares ortho's at a reasonable price they are good (I've owned a set in the past) but I would not pay as much as Baader GO's.

[John]

I've just found another Cloudynights thread on this topic:

CN FORUMS ARCHIVE Telescope Reviews: Orthos Antares, UO HDs, Baader

[paul mc c]

I was looking at a picture of the Antares ortho and it looked identical to the BGO,from the outside anyway, even the green lettering,i was just curious.

[John]

The lettering on the Antares and University HD's are screen printed wheras the Baader GO's have engraved lettering / logo's.

I'm sure these eyepieces are all produced by the same company commissioned by Baader, Antares and University Optics and in sufficient quantities that enables those companies to specify their requirements for details of manufacture including coatings, internal baffling and quality of lens polishing.