F.A.O Russ: First light with Pentax XL14

[Casus belli]

Skies finally cleared about 22:45. Light breeze. Perfect! I'll get to try that new Pentax XL14 ep I'm getting for Xmas I retrieve it from its hiding place, and take my 10" lightbridge out to the back garden, which is shielded from all direct lights.

I thought a good first test would be splitting Castor, I lined it up in my finder and took my first light through what felt and looked like a Royce of an ep. My first impression was...awful...followed by confusion. I dint know what it was but it wasn't Castor. I couldn't focus it and I couldn't find Castor. My first thought was that the Grandchildren had been playing with my scope. The collimation was waaay out, as was my red dot finder.

One quick check over the scope later and after finding that I hadn't seated one of the truss rods properly (Doh!) I tried again. Result! Two beautiful stars that are almost equal in magnitude and colour. Mars next stop but its still too low and only shows a bright, fuzzy blob. So I go lower and my first real look at the Orion nebula this season. Its outstanding! I can see the trapezium, way clearer than ever before along with lanes in the dust clouds.

I spent the next the next hour messing around with different ep's and a new Baader UHC-S Filter viewing the same spot in the sky but I kept coming back to the Xl 14.

I see clouds rolling in. I've only really looked at 3 objects so I try to get some old favorites in. M31 is stunning and M32 and M110 are easily visible. Holmes! I forgot Holmes! Actually at that time comet Holmes was directly overhead and my scope seems to vibrate when vertical, my best view of Holmes was through my binoculars.

Just before Mars gets covered by cloud I remember that I haven't barlowed this ep yet. I really wasn't expecting much but Mars just swam into view. I could see detail! I've never seen detail on Mars before! The North polar cap was visible as was a darkish area to the NE, I watched Mars swim in and out of view for a few minutes before the clouds socked me in. Curses!

I'm delighted with this eyepiece. Its put a show on for me tonight, its a pity it didn't last longer, but this was a session I'll remember.

[Zeffer]

Fantastic first light - sounds like you had a wonderful time. I am still looking for that special EP.

[Hugh]

Sounds like you had a good night there.

I would love to get another XL (I've got the 7 and love it). You also mentioned the UHC-S filter, somethingI am looking at buying, what did you think of it?

Cheers

Hugh

[russ]

That's great to hear and i'm so envious. The 14 and 21 XL's were the best eyepieces i've owned. The Panoptic 15 and 19 were also very good but the Pentax's were optically just as good but nicer to use.

Off course none of those come close to my current eyepiece collection....... Skywatchers best MA 20mm and 10mm long eyerelief jobbies.

Russ

[Casus belli]

I used the filter on the orion nebula and to be honest I felt that I could see more detail without it. However a brief scan of the skies seemed to show dust lanes that I certianly hadnt seen before. (It may have been high cirrus cloud but I dont think so) I think this filter will work best in a proper dark sky site, rather than in my back garden. Im hoping to get out again tonight and Im going to try for the crab nebula (which I've never seen before) and the ring nebula (which I have)

As for the Pentax ep well its back in the wife's "safe and secure" xmas hidey hole. There it will stay until she turns her back and the skies clear again. Im glad she hasnt wrapped it yet.

[MartinB]

I have a 7mm XL and it really does deliver.

I've sent a PM to your wife btw

[Hugh]

As for the Pentax ep well its back in the wife's "safe and secure" xmas hidey hole. There it will stay until she turns her back and the skies clear again. Im glad she hasnt wrapped it yet.

:laughing8: I did exactly the same with my s/h Parks Gold Barlow before the wife tucked it safely away. I of course explained that I needed to make sure it was ok (a test for at least a couple of hours). Her look said it all....

Glad you like the XL14 (now I really want one). Little bit disappointing about the UHC-S filter, I've heard only good things about them. BTW is, the orion nebula in the emission range of the filter (don't all jump on my head at once :?)

Cheers

Hugh

[John]

.......Little bit disappointing about the UHC-S filter, I've heard only good things about them. BTW is, the orion nebula in the emission range of the filter (don't all jump on my head at once :?)

I've used a UHS-C for a while now. It's at it's best on planetary nebulae. On M42 it extends the amount of nebulosity you can see a bit but does not seem to show more detals of the dark lanes etc.

The good thing about the Baader version of the UHC-S is that it is effective even with scopes of smaller aperture. I tried an OIII in my 4 inch refractor once and could hardly make out anything - it was too "severe"

John

[A McEwan]

Sounds like a great pre-Xmas test-run! Not surprising mind you... As a dedicated user of 14mm, 10.5mm and 5.2mm XL's I'm no longer surprised to hear good reports and superlatives heaped on these classic eyepieces!

AM