The night the Terminagler was terminated

[Daniel-K]

Was that x450 with the lx 12??

[faulksy]

I think at the end of the day the Dobsonian will be something completely new to me as for x360 and x500, I really think some work needs doing before I am good enough to keep them in the FOV. I used X450 last week on M57 and had to sit down for a while as I felt faint.

I used to Powermater the 8mm Ethos but as that was the only thing I ever did with it found that keeping it was a bit unnecessary so I sold it. As for secondhand 4.7mm Ethos, I do not think I have ever seen one, 3.7mm yes, a couple over the last year, 4.7mm, no. This eyepiece will give about X420 on the new scope, now for me that is over egging the pudding. Having said that I have never even seen a scope this size before and I do remember something Moonshane wrote about 2 years back, saying lager scopes in the 16 inch plus area need to be provided with some power to really see them shine, we will have to see and I will have new things to learn.

I think though there are very few eyepieces that I now would really like to see in the cases, it is maybe down to the fingers on one hand, but I think that is one of them, could be including the thumb as well.

Alan.

thats good going on the ring alan, i find around 300x in my 14" is great

[alan potts]

Dan and Mike,

Yes that was X450 on the ring with the 12 inch Meade but I wouldn't say it was a good view, I was hunting and found again the centre star, the only reason for all the coal on the fire. As you know power helps you see deeper, I much prefer the Ring on X150-200 if I am honest, I posted a report on the observation which some may have seen. The difference of the extra X250 on the gas peddle can be 0.7 of a magnitude deeper viewing but it sure don't make for sharper viewing, just focusing that power is a job and a half and if you have not got a dark site, forget it.

I am not a big lover of power ( in more ways than one)  but it has it's uses.

Alan.

[Daniel-K]

 I used X450 last week on M57 and had to sit down for a while as I felt faint.

lol Alan dont look at a glob through the 18" @ x450 you will be in a coma for a month!  

[Don Pensack]

The date of the murder of my 31mm T5 Nagler was Friday the 24th of October. The place, the SWSP. The perpetrator of this heinous crime against eyepieces was a certain 21mm Ethos. 

I had been quite happy observing the veil with my beloved Nagler and O-III filter in my 20" Dob when a person who will remain nameless (CALVIN AKA ESTWING ) came wandering  over all innocently holding an eyepiece in his hand. He smiled knowingly and asked if I'd like to try his 21mm Ethos on the veil. I didn't see the danger and foolishly agreed to put his harmless looking piece of glass in my Dob. Calvin said very little as I went about removing the O-III filter from my Nagler, and he even helped me fit it on his Ethos. I popped it in the focuser and BANG  . This wasn't in the script, my jaw fell limp, hitting the floor with a decided thump. The Nagler  had just been handed a severe body blow and was reeling from the shock. 

Now, I've called the view with the 31mm Nagler and O-III photographic, and I will say the views through the Ethos aren't photographic....... Put simply, they're better. You are there, in space with the veil spread out in front of you. It gives the  same incredible detail as I have seen  in my 20mm Nagler but on a scale you have to see to believe. Its shocking how good this object looks. 

His job nearly done Calvin took his ethos away, and my Nagler breathed a heavy sigh of relief, as I carried on observing some other objects and recovering from the shock of what just happened. Little did I know he would be back.......

M42 cleared the trees and made its way up into the sky. I could hear it gently calling out for the 20" Dobs first look at it. I was swinging the Dob into position when who should appear......Yeah Calvin with his ethos. "Wanna try this again?" he laughed. Foolishly I agreed.

We screwed a UHC filter in, and I popped it in the focuser. Errr.......err......err Dunno what to say. Ive been observing a long time and nothing prepared me for this view. I can't even begin to describe the detail, the giant field of the ethos is alight with glowing gas. You can not only actually see where the trapezium stars are blowing the gas away from around them but it feels like you could fall in there. Its the sheer scale the ethos and the 3D effect it gives that is mind blowing. Trying other eyepieces was pointless the 31mm was stone dead. The comparison was a no brainer. The 21mm ethos had murdered it.

We even tried Cals 13mm ethos......nah. that went straight back in the case, relegated as not even worthy of taking on the big 21mm here. In my 20" Dob the 21mm ethos would quite simply murder any eyepiece on these objects. As my mind starts to now wander as to what it could achieve on objects like the Omega, the Lagoon and others, I believe the big Nagler is finished.

My 31mm T5 now sits cold and dead in my eyepiece case. Terminated.

Yes, ditto.

One other reason to terminate the 31 is that, er, as we get older (not to imply, you understand) the astigmatism of the outer parts of the dark-dilated pupils seems to increase.

I see a lot of dob users changing from the 31 to the 21 as a low power just because of that reason.

And the contrast (darker background, of course), and image size (you can see smaller details better).

The 21's only real rival is the 17.  Just don't EVER try that one.

[jetstream]

The 17mm Ethos is a special favorite and provides the best M42,M43 view in my 10". Not heavy like the 21mm, its just about a perfect all round Ethos in my scope and its used often.

[faulksy]

The 17mm Ethos is a special favorite and provides the best M42,M43 view in my 10". Not heavy like the 21mm, its just about a perfect all round Ethos in my scope and its used often.

i like the 13mm in my little scope gerry works realy well , saying that i have only used the 8mm once proper and made me feel a bit dizzy

[John]

I like all the Ethoi but the 8mm is a really intriguing eyepiece in my 12" F/5.3 dob as it gives 199x so enough to get some great views of the larger planets and the Moon but still shows 1/2 a degree of sky so many DSO's will fit and can be examined "up close and personal"

[swamp thing]

Yes, ditto.One other reason to terminate the 31 is that, er, as we get older (not to imply, you understand) the astigmatism of the outer parts of the dark-dilated pupils seems to increase.I see a lot of dob users changing from the 31 to the 21 as a low power just because of that reason.And the contrast (darker background, of course), and image size (you can see smaller details better).The 21's only real rival is the 17.  Just don't EVER try that one.

Tried the 17mm in my old 16" Dob, what a pairing that was. Not sure I want one anywhere near my focuser now with one.

[estwing]

...up walks Calvin holding a 17E...!!!

[jetstream]

The 21E,17E and I0E all work extremely well and have a permanent place in the case. I personally like the Delos's FOV/characteristics a bit better for planetary/lunar and they are excellent as well. The 3 Ethos are used every night out from the dark sites, without exception, I love my Ethos.

[John]

I owned a 10mm Delos for a few weeks. Fantastic wide angle eyepiece but it lacked the "wow" that the Ethos either side of it in my eyepiece case have so it's found another happy owner now. I'm glad I tried one though - it's the only way to find out ...

It was a good example of the advantages of the used market too as owning the Delos for a few weeks cost me around £5 in total.

[Daniel-K]

17E incoming

[m.tweedy]

17E incoming

you will love it. 21 next

[Daniel-K]

you will love it. 21 next

10E after the 17

[estwing]

Your going down the right path at last Dan... Powermate next...

[Daniel-K]

Cal you showed me the way brother

[m.tweedy]

if you get a powermate then you would not need the 10

you could powermate the 21 (which you WILL get) to 10.5 anf the 17 to 8.5.

I find the 21 is probably the best lager (sorry eyepiece) in the world.

I also own the 17, 13, 10 and 8. call it greed.

[John]

Powermates are great but you can end up with a lot hanging out of your focuser:

[Dude_with_the_tube]

add comacorr to that building and you get a skyscraper hanging out of your focuser

[swamp thing]

Powermates are great but you can end up with a lot hanging out of your focuser:

Dan will have a feather touch on his new scope John. they can handle pretty much anything you throw at them. Beautifully made piece of kit.

[faulksy]

17E incoming

you will have to lend us all that at dobfest 3

[John]

Dan will have a feather touch on his new scope John. they can handle pretty much anything you throw at them. Beautifully made piece of kit.

I know Steve. I'm only pulling his leg

My cheap chinese crayford actually handled the above combo pretty well. The centre of balance of the scope seemed to change a bit though and I did wonder how much weight it would take to start flexing the tube wall.

Overall though I'm happier using the PM with the 8mm and 6mm Ethos to create 4mm and 3mm. Most of the time these FL's are more use in my refractors rather than my dob although I've had a couple of nights over the past year where the seeing conditions were superb and the 3mm virtual Ethos provided breathtaking views of the Lunar surface including achieving my personal record number of Plato craterlets - 10.

[Daniel-K]

Hummm do I get the 13lol

[faulksy]

Hummm do I get the 13lol

you love mine