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TeleVue DeLite 18.2mm Review


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Hello all,

As a starter I would like to let everybody know that i am not an extremely experienced observer thus my statements and opinions might not be correct and are subjective.

 

The DeLite range are a relatively new line in the TeleVue brand and I am going to review it in combination with the TeleVue 2X barlow.
The DeLite is a small brother of the Delos range and features the great 20mm eye relief of the Delos but has a smaller AFOV of only 62°.
Telescopes used: Skywatcher 250PDS and Explore Scientific 80ED Triplet.

DeLite
The unboxing.

As can be expected with any quality eyepiece, the DeLite came in a very sturdy box, much better than some of the "carboard/paper" boxes.
It feels as this wouldn't get saggy or tear like the carboard boxes will.
The eyepiece box contained some documentation and instructions on how to use the eyepiece.
The eyepiece itself was nicely wrapped in 2 pieces of bubblewrap and a plastic cover around the eyepiece.
DSC_0245.JPG

Build Quality.
The eyepiece feels of very good quality with a nice chrome barrel, the beautiful TeleVue DeLite markings.
There was no damage what so ever on the eyepiece casing, not a single scratch.
The eyepiece protections caps feel nice and sturdy and have TeleVue printed on both of them.
Slight remark towards the plastic protection caps. They fit nice and tight, a little too tight for the bottom one which, when not pulled down straight, would cause the chrome barrel to unscrew. Not a huge issue but something to note.
A nice design feature is the ability to change the height of the eyeguard housing and its ability to lock it, the action feels very smooth and once locked feels really sturdy and i wouldn't see it moving by accident.
The lenses appear pristine with no markings visible, the coatings appear purple in reflections. The top eyepiece glass has a small indentation which is belongs to this eyepiece, I have no experience with any of the other DeLite range so i can not exactly tell if this is only on the 18.2mm.
As I do not own any 1¼" filters I can not see how the filter threading on the eyepiece barrel is but it looks good.

DSC_0247.JPGDSC_0250.JPGDSC_0248.JPGDSC_0252.JPG

Optics.
During the first test using the 80ED triplet I tried some dusk lunar observations with the sun still shining quite bright.
First thing I noted was the very nice color reproduction. It did not feel like I was looking through a telescope at all and the moon seemed color free.
In focus the detail on the moon was revealed very nicely. Even on this low magnification it was a great sight to see and a good half hour went by before I took my eye of the eyeguard.
There was no color on the edge detected what so ever and it looked very fine and sharp.
Taking a look at the field stop showed it was razor sharp with a hint of a blue rim around the outer most edge near the field stop itself. I found this minimal and it is barely noticeable.
After sunset we used the eyepiece in the Skywatcher 250PDS.
A rough alignment on Jupiter later revieled it and its moons in pristine quality.
The details on Jupiter looked amazing, the red spot was easily spotted and some of the smaller storms were even visible at this magnification.
It was a beauty to behold and again the eyepiece did not show any color and views were very nice even right up on the edge of the field stop.
We moved on to the moon to show some more detail than the ES80 ED and we were not surprised to see some very nice detail. The lower craters were nicely defined and the Terminator looked very nice revealing the tiniest of craters.
Hopping over to some stars, just before the clouds set in. The image was nice and clear, seeming to look much cleaner and brighter than the Maxvision 24mm 68°.
Stars were looking like pinpricks over the entire field and the double star Mizar and Alcor looked fantastic.
Shortly after we had to pack everything up due to high clouds.

Conclusion.
We are very impressed with the eyepiece, really good optics, really good build quality and appearance. I can highly recommend this eyepiece who wants TeleVue quality but does not have the money for the Naglers or Ethos or Delos eyepieces.

I hope this was of some help to the people trying to decide if they should get these or not. They are of fantastic quality and in combination with the barlow gave me very impressive results of Jupiter, showing the color of the red spot easily and giving me detail I have no even seen in a Meade 12" ACF and Delos eyepieces at my local astronomy club!

Feel free to leave any questions in the reactions!

Clear skies,
Buikimaging.


 

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Nice review. I've recently acquired an 18.2mm DeLite, they have an orthoscopic-like quality and contrast which quite surprised me. In my experience, TeleVue eye lens and draw tube dust caps have never been good fitting lol. TeleVue filter threads aren't particularly universal however, and I find that Lumicon filters, for example, don't thread properly. Baader filters, which use M28.5x0.6 threads I believe, seem to thread onto anything.

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Excellent review. Really enjoyed reading it. I have not yet had a chance to view through a Delite so I really must track one down to try, or figure out if I have any gaps in focal length in my EP case and buy one.

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1 hour ago, Mak the Night said:

Nice review. I've recently acquired an 18.2mm DeLite, they have an orthoscopic-like quality and contrast which quite surprised me. In my experience, TeleVue eye lens and draw tube dust caps have never been good fitting lol. TeleVue filter threads aren't particularly universal however, and I find that Lumicon filters, for example, don't thread properly. Baader filters, which use M28.5x0.6 threads I believe, seem to thread onto anything.

 

17 minutes ago, DirkSteele said:

Excellent review. Really enjoyed reading it. I have not yet had a chance to view through a Delite so I really must track one down to try, or figure out if I have any gaps in focal length in my EP case and buy one.

Thanks both, I am definetely thinking of getting more of the DeLite range, maybe a short focal length for the extra magnification on the moon or something similar. I will add some more of the review as I do some deep-sky work with both the ED and the newton, but I can't imagine it failing at that considering the amazing views it already gave.

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12 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

Better yet, get a TeleVue 2x Barlow and turn the 18.2mm into a 9.1mm eyepiece. That's what I do and the 18.2mm Barlows well.

That's exactly what I'm also doing ;) amazing barlow by the way! Took this image that night through murky clouds with an ASI120MM, but back to the Delites, might be good to get some extra zoom in the future ofcoarse :) 

jupiter 2 meter.jpg

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1 hour ago, buikimaging said:

That's exactly what I'm also doing ;) amazing barlow by the way! Took this image that night through murky clouds with an ASI120MM, but back to the Delites, might be good to get some extra zoom in the future ofcoarse :) 

jupiter 2 meter.jpg

Nice picture. I thought I saw a TV 2x in your original post. I've had brain damage and I forget things lol.

Barlow City - Copy.jpg

In that case, I recommend you get a Powermate as well!

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I have the 11mm and 7mm Delites and agree they are superb. Basically, orthos on steroids!

I missed out on an 18.2mm a while back and really regret it. I'll probably be looking to buy all of them over a period of time as they really do stand out for me even over Delos and Ethos, partly due to weight and partly lunar CA issues.

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