WO Binoviewer

[Saganite]

I am hoping to buy the WO binoviewer for use in both of my scopes, but I have been reading of

problems reaching focus.

The 12" Lightbridge appears to be the most troublesome, the standard focuser having just 35mm of movement.

I would really appreciate any advice.

My other telescope is a Skywatcher ED100 with Revelation Quartz 2" Diagonal.

My thanks in anticipation

Steve

[neural]

Funny you should ask... I'm certainly no expert but I do have a SW ED100 with WO dielectric diagonal and have recently acquired a WO binoviewer. The supplied end bit that's supposed to allow you to reach focus -- didn't. I did happen to have a Celestron Omni barlow 2x lying around; normally if I screw the end bit off this and attach it to an eyepiece it gives 1.5x. Using this piece on the BV gives 3x, ouch, but does allow me to use it.

My next step I suppose is measuring light paths and working out whether a prism diagonal would help.

I would say though, if this is your first binoviewer as it is mine: so far I've used it on some bright doubles, the moon and the sun (no planets yet), and for my money the view of the sun alone is worth the price and the kerfuffle.

[Saganite]

Many thanks neural for the reply, I can purchase the binoviewer knowing that it will work in the refractor,

and won't therefore be a total waste. 

I guess I will just have to experiment with the Lightbridge.

[neural]

Good luck! Let us know how you get on (and if you find any good tips for the ED100/WO BV combo).

[Northern Soul man]

Hi Guys, Nice thread.  I have the WO BVer's - they are said to be at the cheaper end of these BVer's, but to be honest I have had really nice views with them, Planetary detail is un - surpassed with both eyes against mono viewing - the supplied 20mm EP's are really nice to use - even with the 1.6 Barlow giving an effective 20mm focal length working at around 12.5mm giving me x 224 in the CPC 1100 - very nice detail on Jupiter last year.

I think using the ep's from around 26mm to the 20mm are about the best - I have just bought another Baader Zoom and tried using them in the BV - I've not had a long amount of time with them up to yet, but have found that around 24 - 20 - 16 they work well, not tried them on the Moon or Planets yet - so just DSO's - this range is fine, but as soon as you move up to the 12mm setting on the Zooms things start to look a little odd - double images from what i have experienced up to yet - had a quick look at a few doubles and yes - double images.  I think its down to the way the ep's are clamped into the holders - they use compression rings- which I think are "moving" the ep's whilst being tightened to one side - throwing the views out a little - This is where the high end BV er's differ - I think they centre the EP's whilst being tightened - I think similar to how the Baader Click locks work.

As said, not had a long enough time to evaluate - the lower powers from the Zooms work like a treat, but as soon as you magnify/rotate to higher powers it becomes a problem - not sure if I can eliminate this by just rotating one Zoom to see if its actually off centre - so I could probably loosen in the holder a little and rotate to find the "smallest" separation on the double image and then let the eye/brain "combine" the image - I need to try this out a little more.

I think that collimation is spot on because under low power they work really well and when using the standard Plossl/WO ep's and not the Zooms - the views of Jupiter were absolutely amazing - its just when the Zooms are used - It may just be the Off centre clamping, together with he lens arrangement of the Zooms that are at fault here but I need a little more time to have a fiddle with them.

So just beware of this - it may just be me - but this is where the price shows through - but I am quite willing to put up with this, after a little more fiddling I'll report back, but just using the WO/Plossls I have no issues at all - this is what makes me think that collimation isn't an issue and have been more than happy with the views up til now - its just a point about the Zooms which I thought I would make as if anyone else was thinking in going down the Baader Zoom/BV route.

Paul.

[Northern Soul man]

Just a quick update, set the scope up, didn't bother firing the electrics up, just pointed at Polaris and fine - absolutely fine - even down on the 8mm setting - not sure what I had done differently but not a double image in sight!! - probably have to wait a few more days to get it on the Moon, just for a good check, but the starfields all have been fine, I've just lost M15, M2 around the side of the house but had a scan over the double cluster and just fine, spent a while sweeping both the clusters, but really nice - as you would expect, a little narrow on the 24mm setting - swept over to Uranus to see a little bit more of an extended "point of light" and again fine.  

Not sure of the problem first time out but I've just parked the scope and will pop out a little later and have a go on the M clusters in Auriga and just can't resist M1 to see how the transparency is.

One thing different I done this time around was to seat both the Zooms and used the Dio setting to focus - only I read somewhere that you should screw the Dio's all the way in and focus by sliding the one side out - then you would not alter the focus when rotating the Zoom - but set up with both EP's seated and just took my time rotating the Zooms whilst keeping the Dio setting the same.

All in all - well pleased!!!

Paul.

[Saganite]

Well I can now give an update having purchased the WO bino in January. The Lightbridge was the first to be tackled

and 65mm of tube extension between the binoviewer and the 1.6x Barlow did the trick but at the cost of much increased magnification.

However with the 20mm eyepieces in place the view of the moon , with both eyes, was startling to say the least, absolutely

fantastic. By comparing the image with that obtained from a single eyepiece It appeared to be between 190x and 217x 

which suggests the 1.6x barlow was increased by the extension to either 2.5x or 2.85x

The same set up worked well in the ED100 but only by removing the diagonal and inserting the bino directly into the tube.

This arrangement though is not ideal as I have to extend the tripod legs to maximum height to gain any sort of comfort.

I have read that putting the 1.6x barlow on the scope side of the diagonal works but I have a Revelation Dialectric 2"

and I have not yet found a way to fit a 1.25" threaded barlow to it. The easy option would be to buy a 1.25" Diagonal

but that can wait.

Viewing with both eyes is just so much better in both scopes, but with the 12" it is simply awesome.

Apart from the Moon, M42, M45, and Jupiter, have given me the best views I have ever had, and Binoviewing

is definitely the way forward for me.

[denis0007dl]

Of course, two eyes are two eyes, MUCH better than looking with one,eye.

Do simple test to see how much worth looking through two eyes: put one eye closed, and one opened to one minute or more, and observe one object at daytime, without any optics, and try to see as much details you can!

After one minute or more, open second eye, and see HUGE difference ;-)

[Dude_with_the_tube]

to enhance your views,suggest to change out your diagonals to prisms.These offer shortest light pass and also will greatly increase the contrast of the image.

for Dobsonians,the only easy way around is to move your primary mirror up the tube (shorten the focal length) then you will not need that 65 mm extension.For refractors there is no easy way.either you use barlows or you introduce the OTA to hacksaw.But i agree with above statements:Binoviewing is very interesting and complicated thing,but once mastered,it does wonders and doubtfully you will go back to mono views.

[Mark in Macc]

Another convert, welcome on board. Binoviewers are well suited for use with SCTs and Maks. My 9.25 + WO binos produces brilliant views.

[neural]

Hi Saganite,

Good to hear you're having fun with the binoviewer. My 1.25" 2x Barlow died (the lens fell out ... seriously) so I bought an unbranded Chinese one. I've found that the same trick works, i.e. screwing off the bottom end of the Barlow and putting this in the binoviewer nosepiece. This allows me to use a diagonal, albeit only at higher mags. Have you tried that with your ED100?

By putting the BV directly in the focuser without a diagonal, I find I can reach focus without any sort of Barlow, so the 20mm eyepieces can be used at 45x which is just magnificent on the Moon (but only when it's low in the sky of course ... ow my neck).

Although they're not traditional binoviewing targets, I've also enjoyed some of the brighter double stars -- worth trying. Tight pairs seem easier to split with two eyes - Xi UMa for example.