Lightweight wide field eyepiece recommendations

[Helen]

I'm off to Arizona next week

I'm looking to take a scope, but it will need to be small and lightweight, so thinking that my Borg 77 may fit the bill.  Taking the astrotrac and a giro mini - so can use either tracking or non-tracking. 

That leaves the choice of eyepieces.  I love wide field, but my weapon of choice - the 28mm UWAN - is a hand grenade!!  Too big and heavy (and might prove challenging to get through US customs??).  So what would people recommend as a good widefield that is a manageable size??

Thanks

Helen

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If you restirct yourself to 1.25" the MaxVision 24mm 68 is very good. I do not know what focal ration you will be using (native F/6.6(?) or F/4.3 or 4.6 with reducer), but if you are using a reducer I would guess that the 24mm would be a good focal length. The 82 deg version is a lot heavier. At native focal length a 40mm could be used, and an Aero (or TMB Paragon) could be nice. Big but not very heavy for their size.

[nicoscy]

I would say that the most manageable widefield is either a 24mm 68 degrees eyepiece or a 32mm Plossl. If low weight and size is an issue, this means restricting yourself to a 1.25" eyepiece.

Both will give you 4.5 degrees TFoV. Difference is that the Plossl will give you a larger exit pupil but the FOV will feel a bit narrower (52 AFoV vs 68 AFoV for the 24mm).

I would go with the Televue 24mm Panoptic. Gives a nice 5.5mm exit pupil and with 4.5 degrees AFoV, this should keep you happy. Plus you can skip the 2" diagonal and save some more weight and place in your luggage.

If the 24 Pan price is an issue, the slightly wider and larger Explore Scientific 24mm should do just fine at less than half the price.

EDIT: my recommendation is based on using it with the reducer at 330mm.

[Helen]

Thanks both.  I'll probably be using the scope at native focal length ~500mm as I'd need yet more Borg adapters to get to view with the .85 FR I have (so extra cost for not a huge amount of FoV difference).  My 16mm UWAN will almost certainly go with me, so probably looking at the longer lengths if they have narrower FoV... 

Helen

[alan potts]

Helen,

Knowing what the US borders are like these days I doubt that they will let you in with a 28mm UWAN. Maybe not as good optically the Aero 30mm-40mm SWA's are very light and not at all bad, I had the 40mm some time ago. Shorter I know but not much beats the T6 Naglers

Alan

[John]

If you are going to stay with 1.25" eyepieces the 16mm UWAN is nearly as wide as that format can go. You can go to an 18mm 82 degree but thats it. In the 2" fitting the Aero ED's are pretty light for that format. Nice eyepieces too

If you decide instead to buy one in the States, the Aero ED's are sold over there as Astro Tech Titan II's. Bit of a mouthful but the same eyepieces   

[jetstream]

My thoughts about the T6 Naglers too Alan, the best lightweight widefields out there IMHO.

Helen, considering your exchange rate and the fact that you will be in the great US of A, would purchasing a few TV's there be of benefit to you? On our trips we get huge tax exemptions on return to Canada if the stay has been long enough. Get them shipped from out of state, to your accommodation and then no state tax either..., free shipping...I love America !

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The 22T4 (680g) and 26T5 (730g) Naglers are actually a good deal lighter than the 28mm UWAN (1000g). The 40mm Paragon was 540g or so, not very much lighter than the 22T4.

[swamp thing]

I'd go with a 20mm T5 Nagler Helen. Lightweight and superb 2" eyepiece

[John]

I've just remembered the Hyperion Aspheric 31mm and 36mm. They are certainly very light for 2" eyepieces. Might not be well corrected enough for the scope though, if it's a fast one.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I compared a Hyperion Aspheric 36mm to my Paragon 40mm in the 16" F/8 RC of our university. The Paragon certainly had the edge. The Aero is supposed to be a clone.

[ScottS]

I'm off to Arizona next week

I'm looking to take a scope, but it will need to be small and lightweight, so thinking that my Borg 77 may fit the bill.  Taking the astrotrac and a giro mini - so can use either tracking or non-tracking. 

That leaves the choice of eyepieces.  I love wide field, but my weapon of choice - the 28mm UWAN - is a hand grenade!!  Too big and heavy (and might prove challenging to get through US customs??).  So what would people recommend as a good widefield that is a manageable size??

Thanks

Helen

No. I definitely wouldn't recommend trying to take a hand grenade through customs. It's frowned upon.

[russ.will]

If it were me, I'd be looking at what Jetstream suggested.

Even with import duty, VAT and handling, it was cheaper for me to buy an ES100 20deg from the US. If I were over there, I'd be buying them, slipping them in the case and declaring nothing on the way back. How are they going to know?

Russell

[mikeDnight]

Without a doubt I'd take a 24mm Panoptic. Its a great performer and only 1 1/4 fit, so you could get away with taking a 1 1/4" diagonal which would also lighten the load.

Mike :-)

[ghostdance]

........ slipping them in the case and declaring ******** on the way back. How are they going to know?

Russell

Shhhhh.....don't think SGL wants to recommend tax avoidance

I'd do as above tho

[nicoscy]

Helen,

It would be nice to narrow it down. 2" or 1.25" eyepiece?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If it were me, I'd be looking at what Jetstream suggested.

Even with import duty, VAT and handling, it was cheaper for me to buy an ES100 20deg from the US. If I were over there, I'd be buying them, slipping them in the case and declaring nothing on the way back. How are they going to know?

Russell

In the Netherlands you can legally import any number of items this way if the sum total does not exceed 435 euro (at least, that was the figure when last I checked). No doubt a similar rule applies in the UK

[Helen]

Thanks everyone, you've made me think. Having picked up my 2inch diagonal I think for weight sake it will have to be 1.25 inch format. If its to be a TV, then secondhand would be best - the current exchange rate means that even buying there would be expensive (and I'm saving my duty free allowance for something else later in the holiday )

Helen

[nicoscy]

Thanks everyone, you've made me think. Having picked up my 2inch diagonal I think for weight sake it will have to be 1.25 inch format. If its to be a TV, then secondhand would be best - the current exchange rate means that even buying there would be expensive (and I'm saving my duty free allowance for something else later in the holiday )

Helen

Helen,

Then it's either a 24mm 68 degrees or a 32mm 52 degrees.

Personally I tried both but couldn't handle the kidney beaning / blackout of the 32mm and so I stayed with the 24mm. Do try before buying a 32mm Plossl in case the eye relief is too much.

Even the eyeguard extender of the TV 32mm Plossl didn't do it for me...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

In an F/6 scope, the MV 24mm 68 deg is hard to beat, especially for that price. Quality-wise, at that focal ratio, it is on a par with the Nagler 22T4. It also gives a nice 4mm exit pupil, rather than 5.3 with a 32mm Plossl: nice dark background. I recently had the MV24 and TV 22T4 in the APM 80mm F/6 triplet, and the views of Lovejoy amongst the stars were just great. Really sharp right up to the edge. Given this comparison to the mighty Nagler 22T4, I would think a Panoptic 24mm would be hard pressed to show enough improvement to justify its much higher cost. Unless you happen to have one, I would go for the MV24 68deg

[John]

Helen,

Then it's either a 24mm 68 degrees or a 32mm 52 degrees.

Personally I tried both but couldn't handle the kidney beaning / blackout of the 32mm and so I stayed with the 24mm. Do try before buying a 32mm Plossl in case the eye relief is too much.

Even the eyeguard extender of the TV 32mm Plossl didn't do it for me...

I have a 32mm TV plossl and have recently added the eyeguard extender. It's worked excellently for me and I can now gently nestle into the soft rubber eye cup with the whole Field of view completely visible and no black outs / beaning

Great solution for me but other eyes may see things differently of course.

[nicoscy]

I have a 32mm TV plossl and have recently added the eyeguard extender. It's worked excellently for me and I can now gently nestle into the soft rubber eye cup with the whole Field of view completely visible and no black outs / beaning

Great solution for me but other eyes may see things differently of course.

Unfortunately other eyes do see things differently. 

I just received a 4mm Vixen SLV and I have the same problem again.

More testing is in order before making a final decision, but apparently I must resign to the fact that my eyes have an issue if eye relief is too long 

[John]

Unfortunately other eyes do see things differently. 

I just received a 4mm Vixen SLV and I have the same problem again.

More testing is in order before making a final decision, but apparently I must resign to the fact that my eyes have an issue if eye relief is too long 

Thats a shame Nicos. The SLV's are superb but if the eye relief does not suit then I can see the problem. I'm fine with long eye relief but I don't like to have to "hover" above the eye cup if the manufacturer has not put enough extension in the design.

[nicoscy]

John,

Just another excuse to change to another design I suppose. I used to own a TV 3-6mm but couldn't stand the eye relief. I got one again and it doesn't bother me (also getting into orthos - that's a long step from my Ethos + Nagler lineup) that much, but I wanted to have the 4mm for the comfort it offers for extended viewing.

If it won't do I will rehome it and just "settle" on using say a 9.5mm Fujiyama Ortho with a 2.25 baader barlow.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Odd that you don't seem to get along with the SLV. I have the 5mm, and those with glasses do need to hover behind it a bit, but by screwing the eye cup upwards, they generally get a more comfortable view. EPs are a very personal thing, of course.