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9mm WO SWAN Disassembly


Mak the Night

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Since you've been doing a lot of these lately, do you consider "readers requests"? :D

I had an idea of some sort of DIY enhancement to Star Analyzer diffraction grating. Based on some research I've done, probably best configuration would be with two collimation lenses - one in front and one behind it.

Maybe a diagram would explain it better:

image.png.feb950c0ee7c53cd84dedbda22fe67f6.png

My idea was to take simple cheap plossl (32mm) because I think (not sure about that) it should have two cemented lenses that are of equal focal length? And fashion some sort of adapter to hold it all in place (T2 thread on one side, 1.25" nose piece or T2 thread on the other side + filter thread in middle).

Could you do a 32mm plossl (some cheap version like GSO or something like that) and figure out focal lengths of elements (if they are equal)?

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1 minute ago, vlaiv said:

Since you've been doing a lot of these lately, do you consider "readers requests"? :D

I had an idea of some sort of DIY enhancement to Star Analyzer diffraction grating. Based on some research I've done, probably best configuration would be with two collimation lenses - one in front and one behind it.

Maybe a diagram would explain it better:

image.png.feb950c0ee7c53cd84dedbda22fe67f6.png

My idea was to take simple cheap plossl (32mm) because I think (not sure about that) it should have two cemented lenses that are of equal focal length? And fashion some sort of adapter to hold it all in place (T2 thread on one side, 1.25" nose piece or T2 thread on the other side + filter thread in middle).

Could you do a 32mm plossl (some cheap version like GSO or something like that) and figure out focal lengths of elements (if they are equal)?

That looks like an interesting idea of yours. Unfortunately I don't want to sacrifice my 32mm GSO Plossl quite yet lol. I have a physical disability and my right arm and hand are now partially paralysed (as is the right side of my body). As I was right handed before the paralysis I have to do most things with my left (non-dominant) hand. I am slowly getting some dexterity back in my right arm and hand but it isn't good enough to manipulate small and delicate objects well. So, these 'dissections' are a bit one way. The eyepieces I've disassembled are either damaged or I just don't use them anymore. The 9mm SWAN was a bit of a disappointment as I originally bought a pair for my WO bino. Despite people telling me they weren't very good I bought them anyway. I don't regret buying many astronomical items, but I regret buying these as much as I regretted buying an AZ3 mount lol.

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Ah, interesting. Do you also do videos?

Videos might be instructive for anyone who discovers a spot of fungus or so inside an eyepiece. Occasionally people do ask how to reassemble an eyepiece that came apart in an unexpected way!

You have a wide selection of eyepieces so we'd have plenty dis- and reassemble videos. Of course I hope for you that none of them are spring loaded!

About this WO SWAN: how does it preform in your opinion?

EDIT

Oops, we posted in the same minute and I had not read your post above. I hope you'll have full control over that arm again!

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Just now, Ruud said:

Ah, interesting. Do you also do videos?

Videos might be instructive for anyone who discovers a spot of fungus or so inside an eyepiece. Occasionally people do ask how to reassemble an eyepiece that came apart in an unexpected way!

You have a wide selection of eyepieces so we'd have plenty dis- and reassemble videos. Of course I hope for you that none of them are spring loaded!

About this WO SWAN: how does it preform in your opinion?

The 9mm William Optics, 72° AFOV SWAN performs like a dead duck IMO. It lacks clarity, contrast, brightness and sharpness. Plus WO told some porkies about its eye relief. 

I wouldn't recommend it.

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15 minutes ago, Ruud said:

I see. Thanks

I edited my post above to add that because we posted at the same minute I had not read your post right before mine. Sorry about the arm! I do hope it gets better.

Thanks Ruud. I have made a lot of progress with my right arm over the past four years. At one stage it was totally paralysed. It took me four months in two hospitals just to learn to walk and talk again, so I've developed some patience lol.

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45 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

That looks like an interesting idea of yours. Unfortunately I don't want to sacrifice my 32mm GSO Plossl quite yet lol. I have a physical disability and my right arm and hand are now partially paralysed (as is the right side of my body). As I was right handed before the paralysis I have to do most things with my left (non-dominant) hand. I am slowly getting some dexterity back in my right arm and hand but it isn't good enough to manipulate small and delicate objects well. So, these 'dissections' are a bit one way. The eyepieces I've disassembled are either damaged or I just don't use them anymore. The 9mm SWAN was a bit of a disappointment as I originally bought a pair for my WO bino. Despite people telling me they weren't very good I bought them anyway. I don't regret buying many astronomical items, but I regret buying these as much as I regretted buying an AZ3 mount lol.

Sorry to hear that.

While you were disassembling all of these, what are your findings, can they be put back together afterwards or did you have to make irreversible steps like break something / cut into body or whatever?

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4 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Sorry to hear that.

While you were disassembling all of these, what are your findings, can they be put back together afterwards or did you have to make irreversible steps like break something / cut into body or whatever?

All I did was unthread the retaining ring after unthreading the drawtube and the lens elements would easily drop out. Replacing them is tricky for me but if you are able bodied shouldn't be a problem. If you do disassemble anything be sure to replace everything in its correct position. It's easy to forget which way around some lens elements were.

 

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22 minutes ago, Ruud said:

I had to look them up. It's amazing. The SvBony Aspherics are extremely economically priced!

 

They are plastic bodied and even have a plastic eye lens, but the views are superb.

IMG_20170925_114327.jpg.720c2bcb8e86b9edb6c1b39a82ad39b0.jpg

I've replaced the drawtubes with a couple of old SW MA tubes that are now inverted. I won't need filter threads for the bino.

IMG_20171009_112028.thumb.jpg.5985e6423894fc646dfdaa9cf470355e.jpg

The 23mm is equally good if not better, the 4mm is different as it has a Smyth type lens,

IMG_20171011_135324.jpg.157a7db161f32d913821ad076422d95e.jpgIMG_20171011_135648.jpg.d6b80922d6c4415d6d54b06a28f934dc.jpg

Unlike the 10 & 23mm it can display some false colour towards the edge of field in an f/6 Newtonian.

IMG_20171225_172906.jpg.21a7a895035e8d0b6ffef69f5af4045f.jpg

The 10 & 23mm both Barlow & reduce well.

IMG_20171009_002813.jpg

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29 minutes ago, N3ptune said:

@Mak the Night I've got one of those, it's true they are good at all for the price.

I partially disassemble mine, It was not worth it to continue removing the inner lens but I suspect there were 1 or 2 lens inside, they are holding pressure fit with a ring I think.

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Nice disassembly! I think someone on CN stripped down a 23mm Vite Aspheric. 

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8 hours ago, N3ptune said:

@mak the night ah yes it's true, i just found the thread on CN,

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/503147-vite-23m-aspheric/

Just extracted the picture from there, if the 23mm is similar to our 10mm then this is it:

a2XYo9P.jpg?1

 

 

Yes, that's it! Bill has taken a few things apart like that and posted the pictures. He has a great knowledge of eyepiece design. I would assume the 10mm is more or less identical. I believe the Aspheric is usually a fairly simple design and a lot of its visual clarity and sharpness is to do with the shape of the Aspheric eye lens. I think the Vite/SvBony eye lens is some form of polymer. The 4mm is probably the same with an added Smyth in the drawtube. It's probably what causes the off axis CA as it isn't noticeable on the others. I've heard that these plastic eyepieces have been marketed as 'Celestron' and even included as giveaways with some scopes. I like them as they are very light and useful in a tabletop Dob' mounted Maksutov and for use in bino's. I was viewing M42 the other night with my Orion SkyMax and the four main Trapezium stars were crystal clear with the 23mm Aspheric. It's easily as good as an orthoscopic and was just as sharp as looking at M42 with a 32mm BCO the same night. 

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Yeah lol. How to sell a turkey! It's such an odd design. It seems to have been designed for a bet with an *asymmetrical convex eye lens, a doublet, a concave undersided convex lens and a concave field lens with a flat upper surface.

 

*As far as I could ascertain by looking at the disassembled lens elements. :wink:

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I heard of the Vite Aspherics, but had no idea that the SvBony are the same. It's sad for William Optics, the way their SWAN gets beaten by the SvBony, which costs a fraction of the price. Amazing. 

Maybe plastic lenses have the future, though a glass eye- and field lens might be a good idea for cleaning.

 

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1 hour ago, Ruud said:

I heard of the Vite Aspherics, but had no idea that the SvBony are the same. It's sad for William Optics, the way their SWAN gets beaten by the SvBony, which costs a fraction of the price. Amazing. 

Maybe plastic lenses have the future, though a glass eye- and field lens might be a good idea for cleaning.

 

I have no idea who the OEM of the aspherics is. Chinese no doubt. I think there are top end eyepieces with polymer lenses. I don't know how they'd fare after cleaning. The SvBony's are exceptional for the money though. 

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13 hours ago, Mak the Night said:

I have no idea who the OEM of the aspherics is. Chinese no doubt. I think there are top end eyepieces with polymer lenses. I don't know how they'd fare after cleaning. The SvBony's are exceptional for the money though. 

The Svbony/Vite eyepieces are cheap enough to just toss them and replace them if they become damaged like a $10 watch with a bad wristband.

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6 minutes ago, Louis D said:

The Svbony/Vite eyepieces are cheap enough to just toss them and replace them if they become damaged like a $10 watch with a bad wristband.

Yeah, their disposable nature is appealing. I don't know about their long term availability though. It would be interesting to know who the OEM is, as SvBony is a distributor name. I know Solomark either source from Yuyao Qihang Optical Instrument Co., Ltd, or that's their own trading name, like Sky-Watcher is for Synta. I suspect SvBony and Solomark source from the same OEM's.

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