New eyepieces first light (at last)

[Alfian]

Having endured whats seems like weeks of snow, rain, gales, hill fog and cloud, at last a decent clear night. Sometimes though I think that there is an extra twist to the new equipment weather curse in that when a good night eventually comes along other factors chime in e.g family commitments/considerations, work, man flu etc. And so it was, but last night I doggedly managed to squeeze at least enough time in to let the Tal1 cool down and get a quick(ish) look through my new EPs, a 20mm Explore Scientific Maxvision and a Altair Lightwave Long Eye Relief 1.25" Planetary .

http://www.astroshop.eu/explore-scientific-maxvision-1-25-68d-20mm-eyepiece/p,44862

http://www.green-witch.com/altair-lightwave-long-eye-relief-125-planetary-eyepieces-3088-p.asp

M42 was hard to resist and with the Maxvision in (40x) and I am immediately given an absorbing 68 degree crisp sharp contrasty view that brings a big smile. Wow! The  nebula has that well defined “text book"  winged shape. I spend time just gazing, taking it in.

I swapped the 20mm for the Altair 12.5mm. Compared to the very distinctive shiny barrel shape of the Maxvision the Altair is a more conservative looking EP with a solid grippy feel to it and I was a little cautious in my expectations (stupidly) as to how it would perform. I need not have been. M42 again was a treat, the view again sharp and contrasty. First impression was that the edge sharpness was very good but I had little time to properly analysis it as I was absorbed by what I was looking at. At 64x the 4 main stars of the trapezium were clearly visible and the main structure of the nebula nicely visible. Although at only 55 degrees the Altair is hardly wide field, but it felt as if it was wider than that and the really nice surprise was that it was so comfortable and easy to use. The Maxvision is definitely impressive but I was really smitten with the Altair. I certainly would not hesitate to get another. (9mm?)

It was almost impossible to ignore Jupiter so a quick look gave a nice sharp (very bright) view with Ganymede almost kissing its surface and the equatorial cloud belts clearly visible. 

Just 50 minutes of joy. The Tal1 is modest but good ‘scope  and at F7.3 is quite “forgiving” optically so its not going to test eyepieces the way an F5 will. That said, using these  two eyepieces almost felt like using a different ‘scope. I feel almost  embarrassed by the experience such is the difference. 

I do not have the experience to say that either of these EPs is better than an X-Cel LX or a Starguider, for example, but they are certainly a step up for me and I’m certainly looking forward to using them.

Just a parting word on the Tal1 or more to the point - its finder. Every time I use it - I can’t help being so impressed with just how damn good it is!

[nightfisher]

Lovely little write up and sounds like the 12.5 is a right keeper

[ronin]

I suspect the X-Cel nor BST is "better" just different.

It is a lot easier to make the choice and get something, you can spent a lot of time trying to guess which may be better.

[Dinosour23]

Sweet ! Thanks for sharing.

Would you go as far as saying these eyepieces effectively make 50 degree plossls redundant in your collection ? 

[Roy Challen]

Interesting review! It's certainly the first I've read about the Altair LER planetaries.

[F15Rules]

Nice report and must have been so good just to get outside! Know just how you feel about work and other commitments..if only we could just 'Bank" the good nights for future use:)

Dave

[Alfian]

Hi all,

Ronin -"better" was probably a clumsy word to use and I certainly did not want to imply that "this is better than that", but inevitably when spending hard earned/saved cash, "comparisons" are made with other items in a chosen price bracket. In my case I have a bad habit of pondering and comparing far too long, because in the end,  as you say,  you make a choice and see how it works out, or as my dear dad used to say "you have to suck it and see". (don't ask!)

Dino - No no I am in no way going to say plossls are redundant! My Rev./GSO 32mm will be staying. Its a good and makes for  a really useful finder/wide field EP. The 15mm Vixen is also a good EP and will certainly  be staying, at least for now. The S/W 25mm has pretty much found a home as resident EP in my Travelscope and is useful for holidays/terrestrial use (with original diagonal). The 9mm SWA needs to find a suitable home as I rarely use it anyway.

F15' - yes "banking" a good night would be wonderful. Its an uncomfortable feeling when you have agreed to do something else, and the skies clear, but you still smile and "enjoy" what you are doing, but kind of half wish you were stargazing!

Roy - It would be interesting for some one far better qualified than me to evaluate the Altair LERs. They share a similar spec. to several other similar looking EPs including the Williams Optics SPL. I am definitely not going to say they are the same. IF, however they come from similar root  stock, they should perform pretty well. (IF)

Anyway, whatever, as things stand at the moment I am a happy bunny, and that is not forgetting the Maxvision which is superb in my very humble opinion. More later as and when the skies clear again.

PS Jules - moving?

[jkwhinfrey]

Interesting.

I've got the WO 12.5mm SPL and it's very good. I'm in the process of comparing it with a Fujiyama HD 12.5mm ortho and a Vixen 12mm SLV. The latter's just arrived, but the ortho seems a little sharper in the centre field and more contrasty. The WO is sharp right across its larger FOV, but perhaps a bit less transparent.

The eye cup is my main problem with my SPL: it's too short for the long eye relief. And despite what I said above the optics are lovely though. My 6mm SPL has a different eye cup (which I like) and it's performance I feel is even better, so would the Altair version?

These are very modestly priced and have more focal lengths than the WO, the 9mm being one of these. It'd be interesting to know if it's as good. So when are you going to take the plunge with the 9mm then?

James

[Alfian]

Hi JK', thanks for the interest. RecentlyI have had a bit of a "spending spree" by my standards (!) so I need to a bit cautious but If I can get the readies together I would indeed be tempted. I'll let folks know if/when it happens. Northants is the county of my birth (just outside Kettering). I occasionally visit family there. Since leaving, industrial estates have multiplied like rabbits and with the expanding road systems that seem to be grossly lit up, the light pollution seems horrendous - how do you manage?

[nightfisher]

Hi JK', thanks for the interest. RecentlyI have had a bit of a "spending spree" by my standards (!) so I need to a bit cautious but If I can get the readies together I would indeed be tempted. I'll let folks know if/when it happens. Northants is the county of my birth (just outside Kettering). I occasionally visit family there. Since leaving, industrial estates have multiplied like rabbits and with the expanding road systems that seem to be grossly lit up, the light pollution seems horrendous - how do you manage?

only just noticed the bit about moving, yes still all going ahead, really looking forward to a MUCH better garden

[Alfian]

Hi Jules,good to hear.As and when, you,all have to post a "first light" from your new plot.

[jkwhinfrey]

I'm over the other side of the M1, but yes, the warehouse thing. The industrial estates do look like an alien landing in progress at night. I've not been at the observing game for that long really, but the sky glow's definitely got worse in that time. Still, sometimes you just have the deal with what you've got: clusters and stars are my answer.

Or you can move house ;-)

James

[Ruud]

Congratulations, Alfian, on those new eyepieces, and thank you for sharing your first light experience. It seems you made a very good investment that will give you years of observing pleasure.

Clear skies.