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Where will it all end ?

alan potts

By alan potts
in Discussions - Eyepieces

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alan potts

alan potts

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Interesting point ont the zoom FOV, Lets not forget Antares made an 84 dgree FOV range of two zooms, 12-8mm and 8-5mm with the option of an extention on both, these for some reason have been discontinued. I had the latter and it was not that bad but it has moved on now.

Alan

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chiltonstar

chiltonstar

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A nice innovation would be a zoom EP with a variable FoV using liquid lenses of different RIs, optimised continuously using an IR beam to get maximum sharpness. Perhaps with an inbuilt image intensifier so that you could get 24" performance with a 4" scope, and could do away with the need for a drive system altogether as the optics would be so fast a 2 sec exposure without tracking would be all you'd need on DSOs.

Dream on.........

Chris

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alan potts

alan potts

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I like Damo's lightweight Ethos idea. When you think back the 20mm Nagler was massive and now look at it. Don't think we will see the 6mm and 8mm though from Pentax

The 3 inch eyepieces we have just started to see though nothing new I remember a few weeks before this came to the surface one member dug up a 4 inch eyepiece that was for sale in the States. This isn't making things any lighter though which a few seem to want.

Better eyerelief we have started to see on whole ranges, Delos 20mm XW Pentax 20mm and more on the longer ones, Radians and the Vixen top range has good ER. What would people like to see for eyerelief? 25mm?

Alan

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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I like Damo's lightweight Ethos idea. When you think back the 20mm Nagler was massive and now look at it. Don't think we will see the 6mm and 8mm though from Pentax

The 3 inch eyepieces we have just started to see though nothing new I remember a few weeks before this came to the sufrface one member dug up a 4 inch eyepiece that was for sale in the States. This isn't making things any lighter though which a few seem to want.

Better eyerelief we have started to see on whole ranges, Delos 20mm XW Pentax 20mm and more on the longer ones, Radians and the Vixen top range has good ER. What would people like to see for eyerelief? 25mm?

Alan

I think 18-20mm is just about optimal. The 100 deg EPs do not support that yet, nor do many zooms

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alan potts

alan potts

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Michael,

I shouldn't think there would be a need for one. I use a Baader vario which is 250mm F/L with a 24mm Pan as a finder that has a FOV of 6.5 degrees, but the edges are not great, must be the eyepiece. I have it so it can go on any of my scopes using the same shoe fitting on all. I bought it at first because the Meade finder is junk, I have to to say the SW is much better but it dosen't look as if it would be.

Alan.

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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Michael,

I shouldn't think there would be a need for one. I use a Baader vario which is 250mm F/L with a 24mm Pan as a finder that has a FOV of 6.5 degrees, but the edges are not great, must be the eyepiece. I have it so it can go on any of my scopes using the same shoe fitting on all. I bought it at first because the Meade finder is junk, I have to to say the SW is much better but it dosen't look as if it would be.

Alan.

24 Pan as in Panoptic? It should then be the objective that is to blame, I would say.

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alan potts

alan potts

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An significant abandonment of eyepieces in favour of VIDEO astronomy?

I am ever surprised that this hasn't happened already, but... :p

A decent "planetary" eyepiece that isn't a microscope (Ortho) eyepiece? ;)

What about Radians or Delos both good for planetry work, Pentax XW as good as maybe a bit better.

Alan.

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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Nice thread Alan, so much has changed over my life though I'm not sure the Gordon Moore's and technologist can keep delivering at the same rate. And yet so many things that were just around the corner in my childhood (moonbase, mars exploration, intelligent robots....) seem far further away today.

But blue skies - how about variable geometry optics with flexible/fluid elements - one EP to rule them all. One day it may even be possible to buy that one scope that does it all, very well. Perhaps this could react quickly to compensate for atmospheric distortion in real time.

One more for the wish list variable band electrical filtration - a single high transmission element, that can be controlled to allow only the desired wavelengths through.

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alan potts

alan potts

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Jake,

A very nice selection of wishes, not sure I really know what you mean, you have to understand I have only just moved on from the Beano and the Dandy and before that it was Janet and John book, dangerously advanced.

Alan.

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E621Keith

E621Keith

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If I got the 3" focuser version of my 80mm scope, got a 3" diagonal, and inserted this behemoth, I would get 16x at a 6.7 deg true FOV. :eek:

Putting a 3" eyepiece in a 3" scope. It may not be obvious which end do you look through in the dark.

An significant abandonment of eyepieces in favour of VIDEO astronomy?

I am ever surprised that this hasn't happened already, but... :p

....

Well it happened and it's call astrophotography. See imaging section for details :D

CCD and video aside. Image intensifying eyepiece is an interesting emerging technology.

http://www.nightvisionastronomy.com/

Unfortunately this particular eyepieces uses US military night vision technology which has export ban. Hopefully some one in Europe will come up with something similar using European image intensifying tube.

It will be a good alternative to having bigger scope for people who's maximum scope size is restricted by the size of their house rather than their wallet.

http://blip.tv/cloudy-nights/the-denkmeier-biph-1116017

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rowan46

rowan46

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or even more sci fi. programmable eyepieces with force fields to provide light curvature. Just dial in your required fov, magnification even desired wavelength and the force fields do the rest. But in my opinion the most likely development for premium level astronomers is likely to be cheap space based scopes with data that can be downloaded to whichever interface you use

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alan potts

alan potts

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Keith,

Now I have all the eyepieces anyone could ever want apart from some Nikons that is, you manage to find a night vision device which has instant appeal for someone with nothing better to spend money on. Have you ever seen one?

Alan.

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Stargazer_00

Stargazer_00

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i want the night vision thing. They need to change the display so the non black element can be tuned to your eye, red/green/blue/orange etc. monochromatic is fine so long as you can choose the colour.

that just looks awesome. Imagine having that in a 16" dob.

Only $3299...

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John

John

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I was very impressed watching one of our members (philj) using a Minitron camera connected to his 5" refractor at the SGL star party a couple of years back. Phil was able to directly capture images of quite faint galaxies as we viewed them "live" on the laptop screen. I believe the sensitivity of the device meant that the scope was acting as at least a 10" aperture instrument. Very impressive. I occasionally wonder about getting one for my 12" dob :smiley:

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Stargazer_00

Stargazer_00

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This is the sort of thing I can see an eyepiece doing in the future. Or rather a device that sits in the optical pathway like a barlow or coma corector. It would have an in built sensor grid, insivible to the naked eye, so 2-5nm (which is achievable today with current tech) which amplifies photons in certain light ranges and possibly dims others giving you much more boost out of the photons you capture.

The purest in me does enjoy the fact that the actual photons emitted by the actual objects are being directed to the back of my eyeball. I'm not sure how I'd feel about augmented views. If I wanted that I'd just buy a AP setup i guess. Or buy a book.

Right now for me it's all about finding things myself and looking at their photons, clean and pristine.

That doesn't mean the potential for technology doesnt also excite me, I just dont think I'd use it :)

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E621Keith

E621Keith

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Keith,

Now I have all the eyepieces anyone could ever want apart from some Nikons that is, you manage to find a night vision device which has instant appeal for someone with nothing better to spend money on. Have you ever seen one?

Alan.

No I haven't seen one, they are only available in the US. It uses military image intensifying tube which cannot be exported, so we couldn't buy one in Europe even if we can afford it. Since export of image intensifying tube is covered by international arms trade regulations, you definitely don't want to smuggling one out of the US or into Europe.

May be some of US members are lucky enough to have tried one.

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