First time with binoviewers

[Thewalkingastronomer]

Finally got to use my Baader maxbright binoviewers for the first time last night and have to say i was really impressed with the views.

Using them in my Tak FC100 DF with a pair of Televue 20mm plossls and definitely got that pseudo '3D' effect that i had read about.

I was only looking at he moon and Juipter and the seeing was not great but with a barlow the views at x74 were really nice.

I did however experience a bit of difficulty merging the images on Juipter to start with (but not on the moon), after about 15 minutes i had got the hang of it but if i went away from the eyepiece, it took a few seconds to 're-merge'. I wonder if this is a fairly common issue when people first start using them but i suppose i'll find out the next time i'm out if it happens again. 

Any 'techniques' anyone knows about for helping to merge the images i'd be grateful to hear about (if indeed i experience any issues again).

Cheers

Adam

 

[Stu]

I have had a love-hate relationship with binoviewers for a few years now. I am on my fifth pair, and only got on with the last two which were the quite inexpensive TS ones and now my Baader Mark IVs. I too use a Tak FC-100D

I had problems merging images with WO and Maxbright binoviewers, there just seemed to be two must adjustment possible in the eyepiece location and I couldn't get it right. The TS ones have nice self centering eyepiece holders and diopter adjustment which is great.

So far, I am happy to use them for solar and lunar observing where the give stunning views, and really help control the floaters in my eyes at high power. The solar white light views with a Herschel wedge in particular are amazing.

I find that the eye relief can get a little long when bar lowing strongly, and the inter pupil distance is quite critical but I know where to set it now so it's fine. Getting both channels correctly focused is also critical.

I don't really get on with them for Jupiter though. It's not related to merging the images, but I still see significantly more detail in mono viewing vs binoviewing on it. I see more colour with the binoviewers so the view is not unpleasant, it's just that all the fine detail seems to be smoothed out.

I shall keep persisting but they are well worth keeping for lunar and solar use.

[Thewalkingastronomer]

Thanks Stu,

Once i've got a bit more use to it i will try and do a comparison between mono and bino to see what differences can be discerned.

I think the IPD was quite critical for me as well last night but relaxing a bit also seemed to help.

[jetstream]

Consistent eyepiece alignment and IPD are needed for reliable merging. If after this is confirmed and the merge still takes a bit of doing, collimation can also play a role. Once you are used to the 20mm's try a bit higher mag pair and see if the merge is harder.

[Thewalkingastronomer]

I think i'll be getting a pair of 12mm Pentax XFs soon for that and have also just bought Stu's Denk power switch for higher mags.

 

[YKSE]

Glad that you like the 3D through a binoviewer

I had some difficulty in merging the image in the beginning. As already mentioned above, adjusting IPD to quite precise help too. Also, I find frames of my glasses were kind of distracting for merging, and taking off the glasses helped me too. Nowdays I don't have issue with merging.

I've read that EPs with undercuts might be more sensitive when tightenning since more tilting might be introduced, my bino pairs(25mm tak ortho and 18mm BCO) are all smooth barrel type with quite tight fit into the EP holder, with lite room for tilting.

[mikeDnight]

15 minutes ago, Thewalkingastronomer said:

I think i'll be getting a pair of 12mm Pentax XFs soon for that and have also just bought Stu's Denk power switch for higher mags.

 

The 16.8mm Abbe orthoscopics from 365Astronomy  are superb for bino viewing on the moon and planets and give high contrast razor sharp images to the edge. They are as cheap as chips and better than the Fujiyama HD orthos by a significant margine, and at half the price too. A pair of 16.8 mm orthos and a X2 barlow screwed to the nose of my binoviewer put my prized 5mm Pentax XW into early retirement with regard to the moon and planets. 

I've had my cheap revelation binoviewer for just over four years now, but a few weeks ago I started to dabble with the thing and totally messed up the alignment just by rotating the eyepiece holders. It took me ages to get it back to how it was before, but now all is ok again. So the moral is Dont Mess once it's set. I check the separation each time I use it and adjust it to where I'm most comfortable. Then I focus the scope to suit the eye that requires more inward focus, which in my case is my right. Then I lock the focuser and retract the left eyepiece fractionally until it too is critically focused, then lock the eyepiece  in position. Now I can adjust the main focuser as and when need be and both eyes remain tuned as it were. It's best not to let others mess with your settings once you've achieved the best setting for you. Tell them to buy their own binoviewer and preferably their own FC100  too. 

Mike

[Thewalkingastronomer]

Thanks Mike,

That response actually answers a question i just asked you on another thread!

[Stu]

14 minutes ago, YKSE said:

Glad that you like the 3D through a binoviewer

I had some difficulty in merging the image in the beginning. As already mentioned above, adjusting IPD to quite precise help too. Also, I find frames of my glasses were kind of distracting for merging, and taking off the glasses helped me too. Nowdays I don't have issue with merging.

I've read that EPs with undercuts might be more sensitive when tightenning since more tilting might be introduced, my bino pairs(25mm tak ortho and 18mm BCO) are all smooth barrel type with quite tight fit into the EP holder, with lite room for tilting.

Similar to you Yong, my Baader's are apparently an early version of the Mark IVs which had very tight tolerance on the eyepiece holders. I have found some eyepieces just won't fit! But my Zeiss Orthos do perfectly with no wiggle to them so all is good. The Orthos also have diopter adjustment on them so that makes up for the lack of it on the binoviewers. I follow a similar routine to Mike for setting focus.

In terms of IPD, I just noted where it was most comfortable and put them back at the same setting each time so it's really easy.

[Thewalkingastronomer]

Just a quick update on this that i used the binoviwers on deep sky for the first time last night looking at M3, M5 and M13 in my 8" SCT and have to so i was mightily impressed. No merging images even though magnification was at 100x and the views were spectacular. Especially M13 where the propeller was clearly evident and the 3d effect was readily apparent. I'll be looking forward to try this on some of the other summer milky way objects come July

[niallk]

Interesting - nice one! I primarily use my binoviewers for solar/lunar/planets, preferring mono for DSOs. Must give them a go again - especially on globs like you're suggesting I am a bit limited on the dual EP options side though tbh.

Glad they are working out.  I've found that enjoying a couple of glasses of wine while cooling the scope is a sure recipe for not being able to merge the images - a shockingly strong effect on my ability to see through them, and I was not squiffy at all  honest!