TeleVue Paracorr Type 1, have I done the right thing?

[Uplooker]

Hi All,

I have managed to acquire a TeleVue Paracorr Type 1, from an (in)famous online auction site. I do not have the item as yet and I am sure it will be a week or two until I do get it, as it coming from the States.

The item is described as being in very good condition and the seller has assured me that there are no marks or blemishes on the optics.

I have been in need of a coma corrector for some time and have read the various threads on here covering all the models currently available and the Paracorr does seem to be the best option with its tuneable top.

I could not stretch to the cost of a Paracorr Type 2 let alone the fact that they do not come up second-hand very often, yes, I know there was one in the classified ads just recently.

I figured all the additional costs that would potentially be incurred by buying from the states – Customs duty, import duty, couriers handling fee, exchange rates etc. and if I do get hit with them all I will have paid around £180.

Am I mad or just foolish with my cash?

Ian

[Dude_with_the_tube]

no you are not foolish and not mad by any means.

i have paracorr type 1 myself and I think also Shane aka Moonshane has it too. I am using mine on my 14" dob and it works like a champ.So far as i know,Shane has no issues with it either.

Works with every eye piece imaginable.And I agree with your statement,Paracorr,despite the higher cost is the best coma corrector available and works straight out of the box,where all others have different sort of tuning issues etc.

My one also came from US as I couldnt locate a s/h unit here in UK.If i remember i paid something around 150quid for mine including shipping and customs fees.

180quid is money well spent mate !

Clear skies

[Moonshane]

I agree, it's the one I have and have no issues at all. it does what it says on the tin.

[crashtestdummy]

The type 2 is only necessary for faster dobs below F4, the type 1.Is more than good enough

[Daniel-K]

Ah Ian so it was you who beat me to it!!

[estwing]

Couldn't find a P1..had to buy a P2, plus I read somewhere that the paracorr 2 is more for the Ethos range

[crashtestdummy]

The 2 also has the tunable top which makes life easier

[Dude_with_the_tube]

type 1 has turnable top too and works perfectly fine with ethos,es and anything else you throw at it.Type 2 has much longer tube,more turn positions and marked with alphabet letters,where type 1 has small stripes and only 5 positions what is still sufficient for visual use.Tables of settings for both paracorrs are available on TV website.

[Moonshane]

I think the T2 has a slightly more robust top with two fixed points for the groove.

[estwing]

yes Shane it does

[Uplooker]

Phew, thanks for all the comments. I feel a bit better now. Sometimes you can get a bit caught up on the excitement of an on-line auction. I had set a limit on what I was prepared to spend, I was just a bit worried that my limit was too high, thankfully I did not actually reach my limit. Seems some on here were bidding against me ;-)

Ian

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[AlexB67]

a Baader with tuning rings would have cost you 169 pounds new, so I would say money well invested for the convenience of the tuneable top alone. when you have lots of different types of eyepieces I would not want to be faffing about changing rings in the dark, unless you want to buy multiple sets for each eyepiece ( also costly )  or I feel the coma corrector would just stay in the case a lot of the time. 

There again I am the type once I am out under the sky I can just about tolerate a barlow, as long as it goes in and out of the scope easily, conveniently and quickly I'll end up using it, that's what great about the paracorr and IMHO makes it worthy investment in the long run.

if not happy no doubt you'll sell it in no time anyway 

[Uplooker]

Hi,

Hopefully some helpful soul can answer me this. I have been tracking my Paracorr from the States. It now tells me that it is in the UK and out for delivery. Does this mean that it is truly out for delivery or is the system suitably vague (computer says No) that it really means it is stuck in Customs and i am due for them to contact me to pay import duty and other associated taxes before it will properly be sent out?

Never had this situation before so do not know how I may be required or need to pay the duties.

I must admit I am totally and utterly living in the false hope that I will escape paying any duties 

Ian

[Scooot]

If it has been stopped by customs the postman will either knock or leave a card in your letter box. They'll also charge a small admin fee on top of the duty, I think its about £12.

[Dude_with_the_tube]

8 quid admin fee and whatever customs love to have.But if it says out for delivery you can expect either Paracorr itself or the card .Good luck and enjoy Paracorr.

[Mike73]

a Baader with tuning rings would have cost you 169 pounds new, so I would say money well invested for the convenience of the tuneable top alone. when you have lots of different types of eyepieces I would not want to be faffing about changing rings in the dark, unless you want to buy multiple sets for each eyepiece ( also costly )  or I feel the coma corrector would just stay in the case a lot of the time. 

There again I am the type once I am out under the sky I can just about tolerate a barlow, as long as it goes in and out of the scope easily, conveniently and quickly I'll end up using it, that's what great about the paracorr and IMHO makes it worthy investment in the long run.

if not happy no doubt you'll sell it in no time anyway 

The Baader MPCC doesn't actually work this way for visual, well it can but as you mention Alex it would be a lot of faff to use it!

Think of it as a CC for a single EP, in my case I went from a 28mm ES to a 17.3mm Delos so once I got the correct 55mm spacing between the MPCC and the rear element of the 28mm it gave me coma free views.

It worked every bit as good as a Paracorr 2 and once you had the spacing set you never had to touch it again so zero faff!

My Paracorr 2 had the great advantage of being able to use for every EP but I hated having to adjust the turntable top with each change of EP, I am very anti-faff when observing though and I know this doesn't bother most people.

I think the Baader MPCC really is a good option for some especially with slower scopes (like f/4.8) and UWA's, it has it's downsides the same as a Paracorr but it still maybe a decent option for some.

[scarp15]

The Baader MPCC doesn't actually work this way for visual, well it can but as you mention Alex it would be a lot of faff to use it!

Think of it as a CC for a single EP, in my case I went from a 28mm ES to a 17.3mm Delos so once I got the correct 55mm spacing between the MPCC and the rear element of the 28mm it gave me coma free views.

It worked every bit as good as a Paracorr 2 and once you had the spacing set you never had to touch it again so zero faff!

My Paracorr 2 had the great advantage of being able to use for every EP but I hated having to adjust the turntable top with each change of EP, I am very anti-faff when observing though and I know this doesn't bother most people.

I think the Baader MPCC really is a good option for some especially with slower scopes (like f/4.8) and UWA's, it has it's downsides the same as a Paracorr but it still maybe a decent option for some.

Mike

In your opinion, if a filter was attached to the nose of an extension tube, do you feel that with the MPCC and spacers attached to the e.p, depending on the eyepiece, that there is enough clearance? 

Sorry if I am deviating from the thread topic

This is something I am trying to figure out. If used with for example a 26mm nagler I will require this configuration -  MPCC,T29, T14, I will have approx  5cm of clearance for allowing this . I appreciate that a filter can attach direct to the MPCC, yet my own preference is for attaching the filter once only.  

[Uplooker]

Hi All,

Well I can now answer my own question . Not long after posting I got a card through the door telling me that my package was at the collection office and a charge of £34-82, including handling fee of £8 was due. This was no surprise as I had figured this into my calculations when bidding on the paracorr.  I moved faster than a fast thing, with a degree in fastness, and collected said package.

I am very pleased. The condition is v. good and certainly as described. It is significantly heavier than I thought / imagined.

On this occasion I think I have been very fortunate for a hassle free purchase from the States.

Ian

[scarp15]

Good to learn that this transaction worked out smoothly and I guess a total extra cost incurred of £34.82 isn't so bad really.

[faulksy]

nice one ian, look foward to your review

[Mike73]

Mike

In your opinion, if a filter was attached to the nose of an extension tube, do you feel that with the MPCC and spacers attached to the e.p, depending on the eyepiece, that there is enough clearance? 

Sorry if I am deviating from the thread topic

This is something I am trying to figure out. If used with for example a 26mm nagler I will require this configuration -  MPCC,T29, T14, I will have approx  5cm of clearance for allowing this . I appreciate that a filter can attach direct to the MPCC, yet my own preference is for attaching the filter once only.  

That problem is to do with the focuser and not the MPCC. My OOUK has a internal lip which prevents the EP/CC sliding all the way in, if your using a Moonlite you won't have that problem.

I think the OOUK focuser really isn't aimed towards using 2" accessories for visual use, I couldn't use my MPCC, Baader VIP barlow or Telecentre collimator with it. 

[nightfisher]

Nice one Ian, glad it all worked out well for you, it will have been a nervous transaction

[Uplooker]

Thanks Jules. The guy that I bought from was a pleasure to deal with, he was really upfront and communicated really well.

Ian

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