40mm SWAN from W O opinions

[alan potts]

Hello From Bulgaria,

I am looking to buy another 40mm eyepiece, my Tele-vue Panoptic is

too heavy for my smaller scopes. I would like opinions on the 40mm Swan from W Optics, I've try the Sky W Aero but was unhappy with the edges. I intend to buy one when I am in the UK in August.

Many Thanks

Alan Potts

[NGC 1502]

Hi Alan, welcome to SGL.

I do think that it depends on what scope you will be using the WO Swan with

as to whether you will be happy with it.

I have a 33mm WO Swan. I use it to find objects with my 10" F4.8 Dob.

It does that job ok, but is only sharp in the central 50% of the field of view.

I've used it with a friends 180mm Maksutov with a long focal ratio, and it was

very nice indeed.

If it were me, I'd find ways of using the TV Panoptic you have, one way is to use counterweights, if the Pan is too heavy.

Here is a link to a WO Swan review - http://cloudynights.com/documents/swan.pdf

BTW, I have an ex work friend who lives about 20 mins drive from Varna, no

street lights where he lives, shame he doesn't do astronomy.

Best regards, Ed.

[John]

If you are unhappy with the Aero ED, you won't like the SWAN - it's not as well corrected as the Aero ED's. You have been somewhat spoiled with the Panoptic and I can't think of anything to match it for edge sharpness other than perhaps a Pentax XW which would be a little lighter but has a high price tag.

[WayBig]

Aero's are lovely and light aren't they - but I sold mine because I wasn't happy with the edge performance.

I don't know how it compares in weight, but I would think the next step up from the Aero in terms of edge performance would be something like a meade 5000 SWA, or an explore scientific 68 or 82 degree eyepiece

[alan potts]

Thank-you, one and all.

I sort of was expecting these replies. Scopes I have

Lx 200 12inch

APM 115mm F 7

GSO 152mm RC Cheap buy I like it.

Sky W 190mm Mac Newt

I also have a 40mm SWA Meads and I wouldn't want to drop it on

my foot.

Many thanks, any other make I may have forgotten.

[alan potts]

The Meade and Explore sc are the same glass according to my local dealer.

Alan.

[alan potts]

Dear ED,

I have dark skies and plenty of land, it's very good for astronomy. Varna is about 220 miles from me, I am in the middle of Bulgaria near to a town called Sevlievo. I have been here for 13 years. I have never looked back.

Thanks for the reply.

[John]

Alan,

Looking down your kit list, I can't see any scopes that would really struggle with a 41mm Panoptic - or do you have some that are not listed too ?. The exit pupil would be overlarge with the 180 mak-newt I guess.

I have a Nagler 31mm which is as heavy as a 41mm Panoptic and it works very well with my little Vixen ED102SS - this is with the standard Vixen R&P focuser.

[alan potts]

John,Thanks,

It is not a case of the scope not handlling it.

It is more a case of having to re balancne all the time. The GSO, is really nice for visual in mu opinion. However it is very bad for balance. even with the scope set at the very back of the dovetail. Enter 41mm Panoptic or 40mm Meade SWA and these are almost 25% the weight of the scope. It is not possible to have any balance.

Maybe I should go for a smaller eyepiece and shorter focal length, but I do like the wide views.

Alan.

On the LX 200 they both work well, as you would axpect.

[John]

The trouble is, to get a well corrected eyepiece in fast scopes, in the 30mm - 40mm focal length, requires some large lenses, some quite thick ones (ie: steep curvature) and a fair amount of them. All the eyepiece types I can think of that have a wide field of view, really good edge correction and come in the 30mm plus niche, are pretty bulky / weighty affairs

[alan potts]

Thanks to Ed,

Read the cloudy night review and noted all thank-you for the link to it.

Alan

[alan potts]

John,

Maybe I am being too fussy. I have a Baader 60mm vario finder which I think is rubbish

for the money, I returned it to Baader twice and I still think finders of half the price are better or no worse.

I understand you very well worded answer thank-you. I guess in short I already have as good as you can get, so maybe I should shut up.

I have never tried the large 82 degree eyepieces but I have a few of the smaller ones.

Alan.

[John]

.... I guess in short I already have as good as you can get, so maybe I should shut up....

Not at all

It's a rapidly changing market these days and it's always worth asking the questions. Al Nagler managed to shrink the 20mm Nagler from a massive 2lb hunk down to the compact (for a 2") 1.1lb Type 5 design and maintain the performance so it's always worth keeping an eye on developments.

[alan potts]

John,

Very true, I have heard this before.

BTW Love the quote from Adams!

Sky is clear Good night and thanks,

Alan.

[faulksy]

have you considered the sw nirvana

[alan potts]

Faulksy,

Thanks for the reply, no I haven't considered the nirvana. I may well look at one.

The trouble with where I live is I have to buy things to check them out. I sadly can't go to a near by starparty, there are none. What I wanted was something of very good quality that was not too heavy. I already have quality eyepieces but they are 1 kilo each. The over thing I wanted was wide field.

Thank you

Alan.

[Moonshane]

what you could do is balance initially with a weight at the eyepiece end which equates to the difference between the 41mm Panoptic and the average eyepiece from your others. If you remove this when you use the 41mm then it should be a much easier process?

Perhaps you could use one of those velcro attached wrist weights they use in the gym apparently? or rig something up.

[alan potts]

Moonshane,

That is not a bad idea.

It looks as if I am not going to get a lightweight version of a 40mm that is of the same quality as the Tele-vue or the Meade SWA. The Pentax looks nice but what aprice tag.You can buy a telescope for that.

On a personal point I see you have a 16 inches Dob, I was thinking of one getting one. What yours and what do you think.

Alan.

[Moonshane]

another possible option is something actually designed for the job - http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=153-1322

I am really happy with my 16" dob. it's based on a good quality 0.984 strehl Orion Optics UK mirror. I made the base etc myself. here's the thread. http://stargazerslounge.com/showthread.php?t=140533

I'll never go back to small aperture observing, especially in the LP where I live; even more so if I ever move somewhere darker......

[alan potts]

MoonShane

Thanks for the thread on the Light monster you have, it was a good read.

Rhanks for thr other info, I will check it out later.

Alan

[alan potts]

Having read most of the site now, it looks as if the 38mm Panaview may be worth having some deeper thought. It just seems as if getting one is the problem, when this is the case it is usually not because they are rubbish.

Having said that it took a long time to get my Vario finder from Baader and I wouldn't give it house room. High quality finder, my left leg!

Alan.

[Moonshane]

I may be wrong but think that the Aero is better corrected than the Panaview.

[WayBig]

I may be wrong but think that the Aero is better corrected than the Panaview.

That is my understanding too.

[John]

That is my understanding too.

And mine

I've used the Aero ED 40mm and 30mm's and liked them a lot. They are light for 2" eyepieces too.

[alan potts]

John,

I had the 2 inch Aero or a least the same thing, I got it when I was in America. I didn't like the edges, I have to say it was most noticable in the Meade 12 inch with the higher magnification. But of course when you have other 40mm eyepieces as I have you start to make comparisons. I think sometimes I am my own worse enemy.

I am sure that because I have 6 Tele-vues and 10 S 5000 Meades and a Pentax, I expect the other to be the same, clearly they are not.

Thanks again John,

Alan.