Explore Scientific 82deg EP choice.

[olander08]

I seem to be getting decent weather tomorrow and it will be my darkest night ever, as well as first time with my 14 and 20mm 100 degree (still have to wait for the 9mm and 4.7 82 degree EPs to arrive to replace the faulty ones). I'm hoping to be impressed to say the least!

[Doug]

I seem to be getting decent weather tomorrow and it will be my darkest night ever, as well as first time with my 14 and 20mm 100 degree (still have to wait for the 9mm and 4.7 82 degree EPs to arrive to replace the faulty ones). I'm hoping to be impressed to say the least!

I would be very interested in your findings of the E/S 14mm 20mm 100 fov with what you can see and how sharp ect it is I have the 9mm and think it gives great view but that is with a f/10 scope so look forward to you thoughts on it

[russ.will]

Right. Popped in for a while, because a large cloud bank has rolled in, but should clear in about half an hour, by which time it should be properly dark. Initial impressions; Me like.

Eye positioning is a bit fussier than my BST Explorers. Whereas you could just hang out in the general vicinity of the BSTs and get a good view, the ES82s seem to like you to sit still. They seem to like my eyebrow just kissing the soft rubber eyecup and to be bang on axis, or you get (certainly in the case of the 18mm) a hint of kidney beaning. Nothing too drastic and easily solved by bothering to use my ironing stool - Apparently, it's not just for supporting the iPad...

Once disciplined, the FOV is extraordinary, especially if you've only had 60-70deg EPs to compare them to, but it's not just the width, it's the clarity to the edges.With the BSTs, the astigmatism in the outer 20-25% FOV masked the coma of my F5 200p Explorer and F4.9 300p Flextube, but it also masked faint fuzzies that were hiding there. The seagulls are gone, with only a slight chromatic smear in the last 10-15% evident, but this is a lot easier to see through. Having gone from a full GOTO EQ mount, to a (temporarily) push-to Dob with setting circles, I'm nailing the fainter Globs with ease, even against the backdrop of a sky that won't be totally dark until past midnight. Stuff (like M12) that was a complete mystery (until I finessed polar alignment) are easily visible in the outer FOV in the 18mm ES82, as long as I get within 1/2deg on the setting circles, which is a lot less of an ask than I thought it might be.

Once you've found the subject, the large FOV, coupled with the consistent sharpness across it, allow you to park the Glob (seem to be hunting them tonight) at one side of the FOV and then relax, whilst you just get on with observing it as it drifts through the FOV. Nudging the scope to chase it is minimised. This offsets the slightly fussy need to stay still at the EP and hence, it's a more relaxing observing experience. It also makes for less of a break neck rush when changing up to a higher magnification. Previously, I only used my TMB 'Designed' 8mm when something was being tracked accurately and dead centre, because of the haste with which the subject would dive out of view, even at the 125x mag in my old Explorer. The ES82 8.8mm, even after a couple of hours, is starting to feel like a go-to EP at 170x in the Flextube, rather than something I reserved for planets.

Which brings me to another point. I'd kind of got my head around the magnifications that were easy to use in the 200p. When looking for new EPs to suit the 300p, I based my choices on previous experience and therefore, perhaps undersold myself on the magnification front in some ways. I was a bit worried that the 18mm may feel like a bit too much of a jump from the 32mm Panaview, but took a leap of faith anyway.

In practice, I've had the Panaview out once tonight, but have found that it's roll as a finder EP has been rendered a bit redundant by the 18mm ES. That and the fact that it's previoulsy ample 70deg FOV now feels like looking down a toilet roll and it edges, well, they're hard to ignore now. As I'd settled on the 18mm, the 14mm seemed too close in FL and yet I was worried that the 11mm may be a bit to high a mag for my workhorse EP. That worry has well and truly had it's bottom smacked and been sent upon it's way. The 11mm is lurvely, darkening the sky to bring out globs and the colour differential of double stars. I do now wish that I'd stuck with my initial hunch of the 6.7mm, rather than the 8.8mm, good as it is. The 300p crams enough light in to make it more useful than I would have expected and as such, the extra mag would be handy, without being over the top at 223x. No matter, I'll re-shuffle the EP case to make way for the 6.7mm, rather than the 14mm which I now think I don't need. I also think I'll look into the 24mm to replace the 32mm Panaview which isn't cutting it anymore, but that one will have to wait for bonus month!

So, all good?

Well, I do miss the twist up hard eye cups of the BSTs; Once set, they're more precise. In the case of the 8.8mm ES, eyecup up is a bit too far, but eyecup down leaves my luxurious lashes brushing the objective, which will leave marks. Note to self - Less mascara.

Unless I'm making a schoolboy error, the ES82s are a long way from being parfocal. Okay the 8.8 & 11mm need a 1.25-2" adaptor that the 18mm doesn't, but swapping between the two shorter EPs is like an impromtu star check. Slightly annoying if you accidentally nudged whilst changing EPs, as you have to go back to the longer EP to find your subject.

Finally, my 18mm has a bit of a blob near the field stop. You have to really crank your eyeball to see it, but a quick check under the kitchen lights shows a bit of swarf, or some such, behind the field lens group. Bummer. Now I know it's there, it has to go back and that in turn means I will sample the quid pro quo of personal imports...

Russell

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. 82 deg is a huge step-up from 68-70 deg, isn't it.

I would return the 18mm. That spot should not be there. Let them send you a new one!

[russ.will]

I've already fired Sherry Hands an email, so we'll see how it goes. As I type, it's only 10:15 in Damascus, so I'm not going to get twitchy yet. Most of Sherry's replies to my queries have tended to come early evening our time and she has always relied same day up to now.

You're not kidding on the FOV. I guess it feels like a bigger jump, than the 55-60-72deg of previous EPs, because it's the first one that places the field stop nearly out of view. It blows the view wide open.

Russell

[olander08]

I have to agree with Russel. I haven't tried any other eps than the standard 10 and 25mm that you get with most SW OTAs and the 100 and 82 degree ES. Going back to the 10 and 25mms now, it looks like you're looking through a narrow pipe!

Since the field stop in the 100 degree is out of direct view when you're looking at the center FOV, I can't imagine you'd ever need more than 100. In fact, I'm sure 82 degrees would be enough for me, but since the price differential is so comparatively small when you import from the US it's probably better to go with the 100 degree eps.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Once I got my first Nagler, the two Vixen LVs (45 and 50deg FOV) had to go. It was indeed like looking through a straw. The Radian and Pentax XF at 60 deg are still OK, but Plossls are out for me.

[Dunkster]

Sounds like a promising start and I hope the 18 gets resolved swiftly. I'll be keeping an eye out, looking for another member of the 82 family myself

The FOV really is... erm... eye opening

I might be doing something wrong, but 82 degree FOV is about all I can see without moving my head around, although that doesn't mean I won't dabble with 100...

[russ.will]

I reckon, through experimenting with a pencil, that the absolute limit of your FOV per eyeball is about 100deg, but even then the outer reaches are only really there to make you duck in self preservation mode. The actual I-can-tell-what-it-is FOV is more like 80-90deg, but that's without added effect of peering through a hole.

If 100deg FOV EPs are to be more useful than pub bragging rights alone, then the size of the hole has to be a lot bigger than that offered on the ES82. As you say, to access a view of the field stop, you have turn your head to alleviate the literal pain of swivelling your eyeball form lock to lock. As such, I'd liken using an ES82 to looking though porthole - There's a huge view available, but not quite all at the same time.

Initially, I found this a bit disappointing. With further use, it turned to non-issue. The FOV allows you to find stuff that would be outside of the FOV of the typical 60-70 deg EP, which makes life MUCH easier and is therefore cool. As with any other EP, you then centre the subject and enjoy a view that is sharp to the edges that you can see and those edges are a long way out.

As expected, Sherry replied in the evening and told me simply to send the 18mm straight back. Airsure Tracked was £16. She didn't mention return postage so I will wait on that one, as indeed will I on the matter of the replacement comming back through customs. I shall tot up all the charges at the end of the process (including purchase) and see how it relates to the UK price. Based on worst case (charged for everything except the EP twice) I should still be £££s in.

It should also be noted that even if this were a UK purchase, Telescope House would have charged postage (albeit £2.42), but I'm not sure (based on past experience) that I'd select a postage option lower than Registered delivery (£7-8) had I needed to return it, so I suppose I should factor that into the calcs.

Russell

[russ.will]

** Update **

Well, the replacement 18mm turned up today and is imaculate. Hands on Optics stumped up the return postage, helpfully marking the customs declaration as 'sales sample' to the value of $20. This means it sneaks in under the limit of (IIRC) £14 which is below the point at which customs are bothered. I don't know if this is strictly within the rules, but as I have paid the charges once and strictly speaking I wasn't purchasing anything, I won't loose any sleep over it!

Russell

[Bart]

** Update **

Well, the replacement 18mm turned up today and is imaculate. Hands on Optics stumped up the return postage, helpfully marking the customs declaration as 'sales sample' to the value of $20. This means it sneaks in under the limit of (IIRC) £14 which is below the point at which customs are bothered. I don't know if this is strictly within the rules, but as I have paid the charges once and strictly speaking I wasn't purchasing anything, I won't loose any sleep over it!

Russell

Russ

How do you find the eye relief on the 18mm? I've heard its very tight. Do you have to stick your eye into the EP to get the full view?

Bart

[russ.will]

Yes you do if you want to see the whole FOV, but that then requires you to swivel your eyeball to extreme angles to see the field stop. I find it easier to back off a bit, which allows you to move your head instead, a bit like looking through a porthole at a much wider view.

Russell

[Dunkster]

I don't have the 18 so take this with a pinch of salt... when I first got mine I couldn't see the field stop. Now I've had them a while, I must be used to getting cosy, and last time out I found myself getting closer in to where I could see the field stop and didn't get my eyeball stuck to the glass All I'm trying to say is that there is some eye relief if what you want is to be immersed. I don't need my glasses for observing, however.

I've used an Ethos before and had to use the head tilting trick to look around. Shocking amount of sky

[Bart]

I've used an Ethos before and had to use the head tilting trick to look around. Shocking amount of sky

shocking good, or shocking bad?

[Dunkster]

shocking good, or shocking bad?

Shocking wide Good also...pinpoint stars across the field with the Edge HD, but in some respects too much to even try to take in all at once. I think the 82 requires less neck and eyeball exercise!

[Mike73]

I have the 13mm Ethos and yep it really does live up to its reputation but I'm actually considering selling it and changing to 82˚ Naglers because the 100˚ is just too wide for how I observe...I'm sat on the fence though because well its an Ethos.

[estwing]

my ethos is a keeper...owl nebula last night was stunning...

[John]

There is a lot more to the quality of the view though an Ethos than the ultra-wide field. Their light transmission, control of light scatter and sharpness all exceed the Nagler's. Not by much but I noticed the difference. And I'm a great fan of the Naglers too !

If you don't like / want the ultra wide Ethos field of view, then move to a Delos which gives you all the other performance gains plus a bit more eye relief to boot.