Another eyepiece (and then some)

[Astronut]

I was delivering to a couple of carpet warehouses on Longfield Road in Tunbridge Wells yesterday and I was due a 45 minute break before I drove on to Folkestone so there I am sat outside Topps Tiles (last delivery) and opposite me is the Alladin's cave known as Telescope House. I've been in before but I thought I'd kill some time and look around. There were no other customers in at the time so I had the whole place to myself. Over in one corner - lots of Lightbridges including the impressive looking 16", over by another wall were a few very expensive and huge APM refractors, lots of Shmidt Cats and a whole host of other things including an impressive display case by the door full of Nagler eyepieces.

I ask, on a whim, "Have you got any Ethos in stock?". "Sorry", says he, "I don't think we have but we did get a Televue shipment in the other day, I'll go check". He comes back with a big black box and my eyes lit up. "We've got 4". Now there's no way I can afford 4 so I said "Just the one will do"

Opening the box and holding it in my hands, my eyes widened even more and my card was out of my wallet before you could say "There goes the pension top-up plans".

We chatted for quite some time and when I got back to the truck a full hour after I left it, I drove on to Folkestone with £500 gone from my account.

I was planning to get one soon anyway so the deed is done

Anyway, here's a pic (click the thumbnail for a bigger pic):

It's a beauty but alas it's cloudy so it'll have to wait. Besides I have to get up at silly o'clock again in the morning.

My Astronomik UHC filter was in the letterbox when I got back too and I've a Moonlite CR2 focusser on order (courtesy of Steve@FLO) arriving in the near future. Flocking paper is on order too.

It's lighter than it looks at 1.3lbs and certainly feels a bit lighter than my Pentax 30mm XW.

It's designed as a 1.25" eyepiece but also has a 2" barrel. If it's fitted in a 1.25" adaptor the idea is to use the lockscrew supplied on the 2" barrel to lock it onto the outside of the focuser's eyepiece adaptor (as well as using the eyepiece adaptor's lockscrew on the 1.25" barrel which goes through the slot in the 2" barrel). The eyepiece adaptor on the standard Skywatcher Crayford focuser is a bit too wide so the 2" barrel on the eyepiece won't slide over the outside of the adaptor. Not all adaptors are the same AFAIK so this might not be a problem with the Moonlite I've got coming. I plan to fit it as a 2" eyepiece so it's not really a problem.

Next on the list is a Paracorr and a 2xPowermate - I'll be skint by Christmas at this rate

[beamish]

You got a great pair of cahones and style !! That looks like a MMF ! I'm sure it'll be worth every penny ! xlnt I hope you get the chance to use it soon

Karlo

[John]

Wow

I'd pay good money to have a look through your Ethos and 12 inch dobsonian at M13 sometime - I have a feeling that the word "awsome" could properly be applied

Congrats on a great purchase !.

Must work out how many Naglers I could do without if I had one of those ......

John

[Macavity]

Look on the bright side: It could replace one/some/all of: 16mm @ 82°, 19mm @ 68°, 26mm @ 50° etc. Always puts it in perpective for me - Same TFoV as a 26mm Plossl. Sometimes wonder too what (if any) would be the other members of a hypothetical Ethos series. In 2" format, 26mm and you'd already be using the full diameter field stop. Maybe 3" format?

[James]

Next on the list is a Paracorr and a 2xPowermate - I'll be skint by Christmas at this rate

Yep, I think you will be ... when the next star party you'll be at so that I can ply you with beer for a chance to have a peek through the Ethos?

James

[Astronut]

Next on the list is a Paracorr and a 2xPowermate - I'll be skint by Christmas at this rate

Yep, I think you will be ... when the next star party you'll be at so that I can ply you with beer for a chance to have a peek through the Ethos?

James

I'm hoping to get to the one in May that Darren's organised so if you're there you're more than welcome to push your way to the front of any queue that may form

I'd like to get to SGL4 (August?) too.

[James]

If I can make it I will push my way through...

James