Using Vixen NLVs in Binoviewers

[Mark in Macc]

As some of you are already aware, I have a pair of 15 mm Vixen NLVs that I bought for my binoviewers and I have never been comfortable with them because of the width at the top. The optics are top notch but the wind-up eyecup is a plastic abomination, that is too wide and will never win any design awards. What were you thinking Vixen? I have looked into removing the plastic overcoat, but there isn't an easy way to do this without damaging the eyepiece. Anyway, I have now found a solution. With the eye-cup wound down, I have added soft rubber eyecups to the top of the eyepiece using Praktica binocular eyecups that I bought on Astroboot for £1.75 each. There is now plenty of room for my nose when using the eyepieces in my binoviewers and they feel comfortable to use. I can't comment on this method for the SLVs, but it should work for all NLVs.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice solution. I found the rubber eye-cups of the original LVs an abomination, as they were so difficult to fold back, and you couldn't keep the caps on with them folded back so I was forever swearing at them whilst I folded them back and forth. Maybe they heard me swearing and changed the design. As I use the SLV with eyecup down, I do not care too much about it. The cup stays down with the cap on.

[russ.will]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Top marks!

I tried a pair of NPLs and sent them back because of the sheer width. At the lesser cost of the NPLs, it wasn't worth further investment. However, they did prove to me that Plossls were the way to go (I binoview in white light solar too) so I bought some 25 & 15mm TV Plossls that are far more reasonably proportioned. In for a penny etc....

Russell