Eyepiece Turrets

[John]

Does anyone use an eyepiece turret ?.

I'm gradually moving towards getting my big 6" F/12 refractor properly set up but even with the sturdiest mounts I believe such long tubed scopes are rather sensitive to movement and weight changes at the focuser end so I'm wondering about using a turret such as the Baader Q-Turret or similar so that the overall weight at the focuser end remains consistent and movement is minimised as I rotate the turret to change eyepieces.

I'm happy to stay with 1.25" eyepieces with this scope as wide fields are not a priority and the scope has a fair amount of inwards focuser movement available so I don't anticipate a problem reaching focus.

One downside I can see is that you have 4 eyepieces getting colder as the evening progresses, rather than popping them back in a case when not in use. so fogging could be a problem. 

I'd be interested to hear of any other experiences with an eyepiece turret arrangement, positive and negative. 

Thanks 

[Rickstar]

I've never owned one, John, but I have noticed that they seem to be most popular with astronomers in warm, dry areas of the U.S.  I suspect they wouldn't be a very good idea in humid east coast Canada, nor in the UK.

Rick

[emadmoussa]

Have you considered a zoom eyepiece instead? The Baader version should work very well in a slow refractor.

[Naemeth]

I can't see the use for visual astronomy to be honest. In AP, turrets (well, filter wheels technically) are useful because it saves quite a lot of time, eyepiece turrets do save a little time in changing eyepieces over, but also make balance a nightmare. Imagine if you had 4 Delos in one? That's over 1.5kg of eyepieces!

[John]

A good zoom is an option - thanks Emad 

Jonathan - some back end weight will help the balance of the scope but you could go too far !:

[alan potts]

I am trying to work out what would cost more, the collection of Televues or the rotating spice rack they are in.

Alan.

[Joves]

Interesting contraption. Funnily, I've never heard of them before this thread. Shows what an amateurs amateur I must be!

Thoughts... Seems like overkill to me!

[emadmoussa]

Oh, that's a SCT...for a moment there I thought it was an anti-aircraft gun...

[estwing]

I wanted one on my zeiss....

[emadmoussa]

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2676

[L8-Nite]

The Van Slyke turret shown in Johns post is no longer made. Unfortunately the business & machine shop were destroyed when a forest fire raged through the area. The turret was made in two models, one for 1.25" eyepieces and the other for 2" eyepieces; they also had a slot built in for quick change of filters. 

We have a Zeiss amici prism turret for our Telementor, it holds 4 eyepieces. The eyepiece holders are for .965" and are made of plastic, they are delicate, and the three smaller ones would be near impossible to find if a replacement was needed. The remaining holder has M44 threads, so an adapter could be made to use 1.25" eyepieces if desired.

I like using the turret, as it has the convenience of rotating to a comfortable viewing position when seated.

[rwilkey]

Hi John, I don't think I could be bothered to be quite honest, though I would seriously consider a filter wheel.

[John]

Thanks for all the feedback folks. More food for thought there 

[Rickstar]

The one I've seen mentioned the most often is made by TEC.

[nightfisher]

John, save your money, but fit a sliding bar and weight system, then if you change from say an ortho to heavy ep such as a televue, just slide weight forward

[John]

John, save your money, but fit a sliding bar and weight system, then if you change from say an ortho to heavy ep such as a televue, just slide weight forward

Thats the other option Jules 

I have to say that I did quite fancy the retro look of the turret arrangement as well though - in keeping with the look the whole scope will have perhaps ?.

I might see if the nice chaps at FLO will lend me one of the Baader Turrets so that I could at least give it a try

[nightfisher]

Thats the other option Jules 

I have to say that I did quite fancy the retro look of the turret arrangement as well though - in keeping with the look the whole scope will have perhaps ?.

I might see if the nice chaps at FLO will lend me one of the Baader Turrets so that I could at least give it a try

That would be a good idea to review one, i guess it just goes into a diagonal like a normal ep

[John]

..... i guess it just goes into a diagonal like a normal ep

Yep:

[philj]

Hi John

I used to have a Borg turret adapted for my old 120 refractor years ago. It was a useful piece of kit in that it had a flip mirror in it which would act as a diagonal on 4 1.25" eyepieces arranged around the turret or if you flipped the mirror up you viewed straight through using a 2" eyepiece. The Borg is plastic but is well made and like all things Borg needs about three special adaptors to make it fit your scope but they are good value.

Take a look here  http://www.sciencecenter.net/hutech/borg/turret/index.htm

[John]

Thanks Phil 

That looks an interesting piece of kit. Borg stuff fascinates me - they always seem to take a different approach 

[MarkRadice]

I am interested in the turret as it must be easier to change magnification with a turret although the risk of fogging/dewing needs to be managed. Have you looked at the baader Q turret? It looks quite reasonably priced although limited to 1.25" eps.

Mark

[E621Keith]

I have a Vixen and a Borg turret. They worked ok with small eyepiece like plossl and ortho. They did't work at all with larger eyepieces like LVW.

The Borg uses a friction to clamp the eyepiece, just friction from the rubberised socket, no set screw or compression ring. Plossl and orthos were OK, but I didn't have the nerve to risk any larger eyepieces. 

The Vixen is nicely built, but it's locked in place using a spring loaded ball bearing. Unfortunately the weight difference between a 13mm LVW mounted on one side and a 5mm LVW mounted on the other was enough to overcome the lock and rotate the turret. 

IMHO, a turret will work with small eyepiece that won't cause balance issue, but unless you buy one of those expensive Van Skyes, TEC or Tak turret, it won't work with eyepieces that's big enough to upset a scope's balance. 

[John]

Thanks Mark and Keith 

I was thinking of the Baader Q-Turret with lightweight eyepieces in it.

[alan potts]

The turret is something that I have thought of a good deal. A good one would be very useful as I seem to compare eyepieces a fair bit, though I am not sure I would trust most I have seen with two Radians and two Delos's in the holders. They always seem to be with pictured with short orthos apart from that amasing piece of work that you posted a picture of on page one, the trouble with that one is, even if you could get one it would without doubt cost a lot of money.

It would also be nice if all the eyepieces in it were par-focal as well.

Alan

[AndyH]

I lusted after a 1.25" Van Slyke turret for years. An engineering masterpiece. There will be no more after the fire.

Have you seen the aftermath? Heartbreaking.

http://www.observatory.org/index.htm

Andy.