The Drive For UWA EPs Continues

[cloudsweeper]

.....with the arrival just now of a Meade 5000 UWA 20/82, courtesy of Amazon (US).

Eight of my collection are now 82 deg - wide, but not too wide.

At longer FLs they get heavier of course, but this one is a mere 708g compared with the ES 30/82 at 992g.  (Weights declared by suppliers are more than these figures, especially in the case of the ES, described by some to be 1410g!)  And, like the ES, the Meade is waterproof.

I believe some of these Meades have been reborn as ES Maxvisions, but I do like the coloured band round the Meade, and its matt-finished rounded contours look nicer than the big ES, I think.  Also, the Meade bulges ever so slightly at three points around its profile, making it somehow nicer to hold.  (And prevents rolling.)

I reckon the main EPs I shall use (in the 8SE at least) will be these two big 'uns, giving useful mags of x 68 (at 1.21 deg) and x102 (at 0.81 deg).  Respective eye relief figures are stated to be 22mm and 17.6mm, which will suit me with my specs.

Can't wait to put it through its paces.

Doug.

One thing to those with experience of these Meades/Maxvisions: the eyecup is said to be adjustable, but applying gentle torque doesn't produce any movement whatsoever.  Any tips or comments please?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice one. I had the Meade S5K 14mm UWA, and it could readily hold its own next to TV Naglers. The only reason I sold it was that its eye relief was a touch too small for my glasses. The 20mm should have no such issues

[John]

Big brutes !

Try not to get a taste for 100 degrees like I did - real wallet emptiers those are

With the Maxvision / Meade 5000 SWA / UWA's the whole of the eyepiece body should rotate (everything above the chrome 2" barrel in your pic) and that gives the eyecup travel. This is a Maxvision in the "raised" position:

 

 

[cloudsweeper]

Excellent, @John - thanks a lot!  That is an unusual way to raise the eyecup - not exactly handy when in use!  And I notice it exposes the much-mentioned grease, which must be treated with caution!

Doug.

Reckon I'll use it with the guard down and a hand to block light.  That way, I shan't get any grease on lenses!

[John]

I don't wear glasses to observe and find that I need to have eye cups in the raised position to avoid blackouts, kidney beaning etc. It might be different for you though ?

 

[cloudsweeper]

I rarely remove my specs (unless the eye relief is very small), but find that blackouts/kidney-beaning only seem to bother me with the largest of ER values, and I can easily get my head in a comfortable position.  All highly subjective, I suppose!

Doug.

[John]

If you wear glasses, a lower positioning of the eye cup will work better I think. Pentax XW's use a similar system to the Meades / Maxvisions and their instructions specifically state that the lower positions are intended for glasses wearers. Being a bloke though I didn't read the instructions  so initally had some difficulty finding the right place.

I'm sure you will find your "happy place" as well

[cloudsweeper]

16 minutes ago, John said:

If you wear glasses, a lower positioning of the eye cup will work better I think. Pentax XW's use a similar system to the Meades / Maxvisions and their instructions specifically state that the lower positions are intended for glasses wearers. Being a bloke though I didn't read the instructions  so initally had some difficulty finding the right place.

I'm sure you will find your "happy place" as well

We "keen types" do tend to blunder in.  Mrs Sweeper usually manages to sort things out though!

Doug.