New EP delivered today!

[John]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

Every time I read posts like this, I get infuriated.  As long as I stay under $800/day, I pay no import duties.  Sales tax is never applied to imports.  So much for free trade and reciprocity with the US.  Y'all need to start a Tea Party type of revolution over there to get government off your backs.  Brexit was a good start.

We need to stay off politics Louis, as I'm sure you know

 

[25585]

Vixen 22mm LVW in Wanted forum post. 

Have a 30 NLVW forthcoming. Up against Vixen 32mm Erfle, TV 32mm Plossl, TV 35mm Panoptic when it arrives. 

Edited November 8, 2017 by 25585

[25585]

Astro Physics diagonal. Heavier than I thought. Going to have some re-balancing to do. 

[25585]

Last Vixen LVW (unless the Orion 20mm LHD is one secretly)

The NLVW 30mm 65 degree AFOV. 

Fine in itself but is much lighter than it looks. It's big golden metal jacket both protects a thinner black metal cylinder which holds all the optics, but one. The cylinder is easily unscrewed from top of its armour. 

Middle part which holds the broader diameter lens is screwed to bottom of the armour & finally just the empty silver tube. 

Rubber eye cup is removable, but it does not go up or down, it's a buffer and nothing more. 

As the lowest lens is well protected, so is the eye lens. Unfortunately for spectacle wearers, as my photo shows, the top eye lens is recessed & much more deeply than plain LVWs. 

However not too much FOV is lost, there are no black out or kidney bean issues, and head/eye movement needs no millimetre critical positioning. 

This ep is like my very first Vixen, a 32mm Erfle 36.4mm screw thread fit with broad but recessed eye lens. Very easy & forgiving on posture. The 30 NLVW will be interesting to compare with my 35mm Panoptic, TV Plossl 32mm & the Erfle mentioned above. 

Pleiades are at zenith...

VID_20171117_192945.mp4

[John]

Nice looking eyepiece - I'll look forward to hearing your views on it

Nice Ripping Yarns DVD as well - I've not seen that series in ages - an idea for my Xmas list

 

[fozzybear]

the postman over here in france just delivered my spanking new BST 8mm in its box can't wait to try it out...

[25585]

Not a LVW, but hopefully as good. 

Eye cup does screw up but is loose. It comes off completely leaving a bare metal red rim. 

Screwed down or removed made no difference to eye relief. I could see almost the FOV, less than on my LVWs. The eye lens is slightly concave but near top so not very recessed. 

This 2 incher is heavy, more than my 30mm NVLW, not much difference between this Orion & a 42mm LVW. 

Good feel to the construction and broad rubber grip ring. 

This 20 does not replace the LVW 22mm I want, but hopefully will dampen my yearning. Onto bigger things!

Edited November 25, 2017 by 25585

[25585]

Bigger things...

ES MaxVision 40mm 68 degrees. I have lighter dumbell weights! Nicknamed "Hulk"!

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, 25585 said:

Not a LVW, but hopefully as good. 

Eye cup does screw up but is loose. It comes off completely leaving a bare metal red rim. 

Screwed down or removed made no difference to eye relief. I could see almost the FOV, less than on my LVWs. The eye lens is slightly concave but near top so not very recessed. 

This 2 incher is heavy, more than my 30mm NVLW, not much difference between this Orion & a 42mm LVW. 

Good feel to the construction and broad rubber grip ring. 

This 20 does not replace the LVW 22mm I want, but hopefully will dampen my yearning. Onto bigger things!

Looking forward to your first light reports on all of your new eyepieces.

2 hours ago, 25585 said:

ES MaxVision 40mm 68 degrees. I have lighter dumbell weights! Nicknamed "Hulk"

If it uses a glue similar to the Meade 5000 SWA line, it's easy to decloak this eyepiece.  I did that to my 40mm Meade SWA soon after buying it.  Just pry up the rubber cap from the metal ring with a butter knife (plastic may work as well to avoid marring anything).  Once this is done, the screw and bushing that the helical slot rides on becomes visible and can be unscrewed from the main body.  After removing the screw and bushing, the entire metal eyecup slides up and off.  You can then put the rubber cap back on it for storage.  Don't lose the little screw.  I put it in a baggy in the eyepiece box along with the eyecup for storage.  Next, clean off the lubricant from the main eyepiece housing, and you have a much more manageable, though still huge, eyepiece.

[Timebandit]

2 hours ago, 25585 said:

Bigger things...

ES MaxVision 40mm 68 degrees. I have lighter dumbell weights! Nicknamed "Hulk"!

 

 

Looks a great counterweight to get my Dob to balance correctly?

 

 

18 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Looking forward to your first light reports on all of your new eyepieces.

If it uses a glue similar to the Meade 5000 SWA line, it's easy to decloak this eyepiece.  I did that to my 40mm Meade SWA soon after buying it.  Just pry up the rubber cap from the metal ring with a butter knife (plastic may work as well to avoid marring anything).  Once this is done, the screw and bushing that the helical slot rides on becomes visible and can be unscrewed from the main body.  After removing the screw and bushing, the entire metal eyecup slides up and off.  You can then put the rubber cap back on it for storage.  Don't lose the little screw.  I put it in a baggy in the eyepiece box along with the eyecup for storage.  Next, clean off the lubricant from the main eyepiece housing, and you have a much more manageable, though still huge, eyepiece.

 

 

?????. I would not start pulling my new eyepiece apart as soon as it comes through the post. I try to keep my new eyepieces in one piece ??

 

 

[25585]

Compared to LVW 42mm (still on A US) in its Michelin-man rubber, the Maxview has marginally less eye relief.

Its eye lens is larger however. As far as balancing,  C8 or Genesis will be easiest, the LVW 42 for my dob.

 

Apart from ever getting that elusive Vixen LVW 22mm, and a nice 2 inch barlow, my eps need is sated. For now.

First lights next - clear skies!

 

 

[Ricochet]

Congratulations on the new eyepieces. I look forward to your thoughts on the views with the Orion once you get a decent chance to use it. I'm not sure about that eyecup though . 

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, Timebandit said:

 

 

Looks a great counterweight to get my Dob to balance correctly?

 

 

 

 

?????. I would not start pulling my new eyepiece apart as soon as it comes through the post. I try to keep my new eyepieces in one piece ??

 

 

It was basically unusable due to balance issues (3 lbs with eyecup vs 2 lbs without) and not being able to get my nose alongside the eyepiece (long nose).  Same thing with the mushroom top 30mm ES-82.  That, and there was no way I was ripping so much extra pick-n-pluck foam out of my eyepiece case just to make room for the eyecup which I would always leave down anyway.  I had some misgivings, but after I was done and using them without cups, I was so satisfied I had sucked it up and removed the caps.

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, 25585 said:

Compared to LVW 42mm (still on A US) in its Michelin-man rubber, the Maxview has marginally less eye relief.

Its eye lens is larger however.

I measure 29mm of usable eye relief with the eyecup removed on my 40mm Meade SWA.  The cup probably costs it 3mm to 4mm of eye relief.  The eye lens is 39mm in diameter.  I also measured the AFOV to be 71 degrees.

1 hour ago, 25585 said:

Apart from ever getting that elusive Vixen LVW 22mm, and a nice 2 inch barlow, my eps need is sated. For now.

Famous last words from a budding oculaholic. 

[John]

Congratulations on the new arrivals. The Orion pics are the 1st "non stock" images that I've seen of one as far as I recall.

 

 

Edited November 20, 2017 by John

[25585]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

I measure 29mm of usable eye relief with the eyecup removed on my 40mm Meade SWA.  The cup probably costs it 3mm to 4mm of eye relief.  The eye lens is 39mm in diameter.  I also measured the AFOV to be 71 degrees.

Famous last words from a budding oculaholic. 

Budding?! Over-indulgent!

[25585]

Not in my photos is "Taiwan" in small white letters on the red band. So not a Japanese ep. It will be the first I try out next starry night.

 

[John]

13 minutes ago, 25585 said:

Not in my photos is "Taiwan" in small white letters on the red band. So not a Japanese ep. It will be the first I try out next starry night.

 

Many Tele Vue eyepieces are made in Taiwan, including the Ethos and Delos ranges.

Hope 1st light with the eyepieces goes well.

[25585]

13 minutes ago, John said:

Many Tele Vue eyepieces are made in Taiwan, including the Ethos and Delos ranges.

Hope 1st light with the eyepieces goes well.

I am surprised that TV has not made LER 20 - 30mm De/los/lite eps as Pentax XW 20 reputation has a less steady reputation, Vixen were rarer, so there is a mid-price gap for those focal lengths. (Panoptic 27 & 24 are not LER, neither are TV plossls until 32).

Edited November 20, 2017 by 25585

[John]

38 minutes ago, 25585 said:

I am surprised that TV has not made LER 20 - 30mm De/los/lite eps as Pentax XW 20 reputation has a less steady reputation, Vixen were rarer, so there is a mid-price gap for those focal lengths. (Panoptic 27 & 24 are not LER, neither are TV plossls until 32).

I guess they could retire the Panoptic line and release a "Delos II" range starting at, say, 22mm which would be the largest possible in the 1.25" barrel I think, then have a couple of longer FL's in the 2" format. I'll mention it to Al Nagler when we next have lunch together ...... 

 

 

[martinl]

14 hours ago, 25585 said:

I am surprised that TV has not made LER 20 - 30mm De/los/lite eps as Pentax XW 20 reputation has a less steady reputation, Vixen were rarer, so there is a mid-price gap for those focal lengths. (Panoptic 27 & 24 are not LER, neither are TV plossls until 32).

Agreed. I’m eagerly awaiting the 22mm Delos II. It’s also surprising how few, if any, high quality wide angle EPs with decent eye relief there are that max out the 1.25” format. The LVW 22 was probably closest, I kick myself for selling mine. 

[25585]

The "L" word (but not last as an 8mm in the post). Lanthanum <3

Shorter, lighter, slightly slimmer than Orion's 20mm 2 inch 80 degree Lanthanum. Like the other LVWs, whole FOV wearing glasses,with the eye cup rolled back. 

This 22 & my TV 32 Plossl with a good 2x Barlow will make a good travel ep kit. I can retire my little 20mm Erfle now. 

Need some good testing weather now. 

[Alan White]

You should enjoy it a lot.
The 22mm LVW I have is a very treasured astro possession.
 

[25585]

41 minutes ago, Alan White said:

You should enjoy it a lot.
The 22mm LVW I have is a very treasured astro possession.
 

Amen! A-Team EP. 

[John]

Well done for finding one !

I had one for a while before moving to a 24mm Panoptic. The 22 LVW is very good though.