Can someone explain the Televue range of EPs?

[Zeffer]

I have a couple of TV plossls and may be allowed ( ) to buy one nicer EP but I can't get my head round the range.

Why would someone go for a Nagler rather than a Panoptic for example?

What are the differences between type 1 Naglers and type 6 (or whatever)?

Are there any other types?

I hope this isn't too daft a set of questions and if there is a great website please direct me - I am always ready for a good read!

Thanks!

Zeff

[John]

Hi Zeff,

This thread covers the ground with regard to Naglers and links to further info:

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,16046.0.html

The current TV line up is:

- Plossls 8, 11, 15, 20, 25, 32, 40 and 55mm. The 55 is a 2 incher. All offer 50 degree FoV except 40mm which is 43 degrees.

- Radians - 18mm down to 3mm (I think), all 60 degree FoV and 20mm eye relief

- Panoptics - 41mm (2 inch) down to 15mm, all 68 degree FoV and very sharp.

- Nagers - see above thread

- Ethos - the new one, 100 degree FoV, 1 focal length - 13mm

- Zooms - 8-24mm, 2-4mm, 3-6mm - the latter 2 are referred to as Nagler zooms but only have a 50 degree FoV.

There are also barlows and Powermates (TV's alternative barlow design) and other viewing accessories.

Everybody has their own favourites and all are great quality eyepieces (I've never read a duff review of one). Personally I like Naglers because they are very wide AND very sharp even in short FL scopes. Glasses wearers might prefer Radians because of the long eye relief.

I've probably gone and forgotten something crucial but I hope that helps a bit !.

John

[Brass n glass]

All the details are on the Televue website at http://tinyurl.com/34fgde

. Some people find the very wide field in Nagler eyepieces more than they need and find Panoptics more comfortable to use. They all have much wider fields of view than Plossls and most of them have much more eye relief, too - Hugh

[Cloudwatcher]

Hi Zeff,

If you can lay your hands on a copy of this months Sky & Telescope there is a review of the TV 13mm Ethos on page 41 by Dennis di Cicco headed "A Triple-Digit Field of View" which you might find interesting.

The reviewer suggests that if he were dropped on a desert island with a telescope and only one eyepiece he'd want it to be the Ethos.

(Personally I think I might have different priorities if I were on a desert Island...but there you go!)

Cheers

CW

[Zeffer]

Thanks for all the help! I have spent quite some time reading through all of this and the links.

I think it will either be a 17mm T4 Nagler or a 24mm Panoptic but I need to get out with the ED100 and see what the plossls look like so I can get a better idea of what FL I need for a workhorse EP which I want this to be.

Are there any other brands that will deliver similar 'goods' that I should consider? E.g. Pentax, Ultima LXs (they are new I think), Meade UWA / SWA?

[themos]

I thought that the 13mm T6 was the "classic" Nagler. The 17mm is a 2", isn't it? You pay more for that but do you really need 2"?

[James]

I find, like many, that Naglers offer more field of view than I can comfortably see so I prefer the Panoptics (especially the 24mm). I have a fast newt (f/4.7) and really appreciate the quality of the views one gets with the Naglers and Panoptics.

A very good (possibly even better) alternative is the Pentax XW range. The 7mm and 10mm are excellent eyepieces with a 70 degree field of view (which I can take in much easier than the Naglers 82 degree). I haven't tried other focal lengths within the Pentax range but I'm sure they are excellent as well.

James

[Hugh]

To build on Maccers point, I have a Pentax XL7, which I bought secondhand, (I don't believe they make them anymore). It isn't super wide but gives 65 deg apparent FOV and I love it - compared to my 11mm TV plossl I can actually "look round" in this ep, and there's loads of eye relief.

I wouldn't write off second hand as there is some great stuff out there, and IMHO most astronomers look after their kit.

(I have only had my scope 9 months or so and do not consider myself any sort of authority on the subject.)

Cheers

Hugh

[John]

I tried a Vixen LVW 22mm and that gave views which were very Panoptic-like. In the end I decided to go for the real thing though

I have read loads of reports on the Meade UWA's and though they are very good, the impression I get is they are not quite as good as their Tele Vue equivilents.

TBH though Zeff your F9 ED100 will be quite forgiving on eyepieces so if you don't want to spend a great deal you can get good performance at a lower price. IMHO it's in providing sharpness across a wide field in shorter focal length scopes that the TV's really excell at.

I used to use KK Widescan III's in my ED100 which actually gave a wider field than Naglers (84 degrees) and cost a lot, lot, less. Their performance in the F9 scope was very good.

John

[Cloudwatcher]

Unless you're set on a Nagler you might like to check out the Williams Optics UWAN range. Their 16mm Uwan with 82 deg. FOV & 16mm eye relief retails at half the cost of the Nagler 17mm. Wether the later is twice as good I'm not in a position to say but for general observing use it seems unlikely.

Pentax do a high quality 8-24mm SMC Zoom at the same cost as the 17mm Nagler which, if you are going to spend that kind of money, might be another avenue worth considering. It would give you a lot more flexibility for the same expenditure and If you believe the sales talk it might be "The only eyepiece you will ever need".

Cheers

CW

[Zeffer]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not in a rush so I will consider all the options. My hope is to buy second hand as the new prices are way out of my league at the moment (what with the new Sphinx).

Please PM me if anyone catches sight of one of these options second hand etc.

[GazOC]

As John says, at f9 you may not really need to buy Televues.

[John]

Please PM me if anyone catches sight of one of these options second hand etc.

You might strike lucky - I think some people are selling nice stuff off at the moment to raise funds for a Tele Vue Ethos which have just arrived over here.

John

[GazOC]

Theres a 35mm Pan in the S/H section of TelescopeHouse for £175 plus P&P.....

[Zeffer]

Can you do a link? I can't find the S/H section (probably obvious but I am having one of those mornings). Thanks.

[John]

Can you do a link? I can't find the S/H section (probably obvious but I am having one of those mornings). Thanks.

It's on the Clearance Offers page, at the bottom under Private Sales.

John

[Zeffer]

Right - after lots of tearing my hair out I realise that I will need to try a few over the course of a lifetime's observing!

In other words I have made no definitive decision!

However, what do those with experience think of this:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=13806

Is this a good price for second hand? If I make a mistake will I get my money back? I think it will show 1 degree of sky in the ED100 so should be great for the clusters.

Anyone traded with this chap? He seems to be quite active on the site.

[John]

However, what do those with experience think of this:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=13806

Is this a good price for second hand? If I make a mistake will I get my money back? I think it will show 1 degree of sky in the ED100 so should be great for the clusters.

Anyone traded with this chap? He seems to be quite active on the site.

The 13mm T6 is a superb eyepiece - I've got one

IMHO you should be able to get it a little cheaper than this - I would try an offer of around £120-£130. There's an 11mm T6 also on Astro Buy & Sell at the moment for £125 delivered ( they cost the same new ).

I've not personally traded with this chap.

John

[Andrew*]

Just a quick question related to this topic:

Does anyone know a site like this which gives the basic data (eye relief, elements, weight, parfocal group...) of the entire nagler range?

Cheers

Andrew

[James]

Tele Vue have one on their US site - I'll need to have a look for it though. They've even got details as to the exact dimensions of the eyepieces...

James

Edit: Found it - its here

[Andrew*]

great link james, but still not quite what I'm after, as this doesn't include specifications of types 1 and 2. Should have specified...

Cheers though

Andrew

[James]

Sorry, I should have read your post properly - it was my fault - I've no idea where to find that info unfortunately...

James

[John]

great link james, but still not quite what I'm after, as this doesn't include specifications of types 1 and 2. Should have specified...

Cheers though

Andrew

Andrew,

Try e.mailing Tele Vue - they are reputed to be very helpful.

John

[Andrew*]

will do john

specifically I was wondering the eye relief of the 20mm type 2. It seems to be 12mm, the same as the type 5. This I found a bit confusing and wanted clarification. But in general it would be a good reference.

Andrew

[John]

Another useful article on Tele Vue Naglers has just been posted on Cloudynights - here is a link:

http://tinyurl.com/3atj39

This covers the Nager types 1 and 2 and the short focal length Nagler Zooms. A further installment is promised

Many dealers have dropped Tele Vue prices by around 25% now - it's possibly a good time to splash out and find out what all the fuss is about - or wait for the price drop to ripple onto the 2nd hand market !

John