Baader Maxbright binoviewer questions

[F15Rules]

I've got a couple of questions concerning Baader Maxbright binoviewers, and would be grateful if anyone on here can help clear them up for me..

1. Does anyone know when the Maxbrights were introduced, and how many versions of these there have been? I always thought there was only one version, (I've owned at least two pairs), but I have recently become aware of at least two versions: I owned from new (c 2014) a pair which had 3 adjustment/locking screws for each eyepiece holder and came in an aluminium box. There were even cutouts for the tiny screws in the foam - an exercise in pointlessness if ever I saw one! I seem to recall that this pair had compression rings in each eyepiece holder, but I may be recalling incorrectly. What I do recall is how much I hated the very fiddly screws in the dark and the cold  - very un-Baader like IMO for a company that usually puts a lot of thought into it's design, with innovations like T2 flexibility etc.

2. I have recently decided to get another pair of binoviewers, and a response to my recent advertisement came up with a pair which only have 1 adjustment/locking screw on each eyepiece holder - but no compression ring. In that respect they are like the Revelation budget bvs, but otherwise the Maxbrights look to be a more solid build, better looking, have T2 connectivity and claim to have metal prism seats like the Mark V's , not glued in prisms like many other cheaper ones - can any owners/past owners confirm or refute this? These (older?) Maxbrights don't have a case, or glasspath corrector, just a T2 1.25" nosepiece. I believe both variants have the same basic build, optics etc and have 110mm back focus requirement, is that correct?

What I'm not clear on is were there any other "versions" of this bv, and does anyone know the timeline of the introduction/ending of either version in the market?

3. Does anyone know of a Baader adapter which would fit a Tak FS128 2.7" focuser tube on one thread, and then have a T2 male thread on the other side to thread into a T2 Baader prism diagonal (I'd like to shorten the light path as much as possible). If so, has anyone used one, and does it allow native focus on the FS128, or is a glasspath or OCS still needed?

4. Finally, if a x1.6 OCS/barlow is placed in front of the bv (threaded into the T2 1.25"nosepiece), what magnification will that give (I've read that it is more than the stated x1.6 normally expected due to its physical distance from the eyepiece? Could I use a matched pair of x1.6 OCS/barlows on the eyepiece side (ie threaded into each eyepiece barrel), and if so, would this deliver just the normal x1.6 magnification?

I'll find and attach pictures of the two types I've seen shortly..

Thanks for any opinions, knowledge etc

Dave

 

 

Single screw version above (library photo)

3 retaining screw version above (library photo)

Interestingly, both items have the same article number, ie #2456450

and this is the one I am buying used, (in the post at the moment)..

[Red Dwarfer]

28 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

a pair which had 3 adjustment/locking screws for each eyepiece holder and came in an aluminium box. There were even cutouts for the tiny screws in the foam

That sounds exactly like the pair I got last month as part of a job lot of stuff including a Mak and EQ3-2 . They are the first ones I`ve owned so have nothing to compare them with . I would be interested to find out how many versions there are too and moreover what version mine are . 

Mine just came with the 1.25" nosepiece , so I had to use the 1.5 / 1.6 lens cell from a Celestron Barlow to get focus and from tests on M13 a couple of nights ago I would estimate that 2 25mm lenses in the BVs with 1.5 cell attached gives around 6 or 7mm ( tested against an ES 8.8mm ) . This link might be useful  http://www.alpineastro.com/Binoviewers/binoviewers.htm

[F15Rules]

Hi Red Dwarfer

Thanks for the link, yes I've seen this and it's very useful.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of the Maxbrights when you've had first light..

I have a lovely 25mm pair of Parks Gold Series plossls (aka Celestron Ultima, Orion Ultrascopic etc), and that why I'd like to try a x1.6 Barlow in front of each of these eyepieces to see if I can get a true x1.6 magnification this way..If so, they would operate at c15.6mm, which would give me x67 in my FS128 and x51 in my Vixen ED103s..

Dave

[25585]

Lucky to get any now. Teleskop-Express has none, ditto Baader, David Hinds & everywhere else I have looked. 

The new model is vapourware at present, ie promised at some point. Not sure why so much delay on a relatively simple design. Perhaps hard to beat budget competitors, but keep brand distinction. Or just still shopping for cheapest materials. 

I have seen Celestron bino viewers on ebay made for them by Baader, with the Baader trademark under Celestron - orange or black letters on a silver body. Those have sliding ep holders on a rigid body rather than binocular pincer types for IPD adjustment. 

[Red Dwarfer]

3 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Hi Red Dwarfer

Thanks for the link, yes I've seen this and it's very useful.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of the Maxbrights when you've had first light..

I have a lovely 25mm pair of Parks Gold Series plossls (aka Celestron Ultima, Orion Ultrascopic etc), and that why I'd like to try a x1.6 Barlow in front of each of these eyepieces to see if I can get a true x1.6 magnification this way..If so, they would operate at c15.6mm, which would give me x67 in my FS128 and x51 in my Vixen ED103s..

Dave

I have had first light ( in a 200P ) on the Moon's terminator and my jaw hit the ground at the 3D , HD moonwalk experience - I have tried them on Jupiter too with a similar reaction ... and on M13 and the Cigar galaxy in a 350P a couple of nights ago - everything is clearer with two eyes , even the central dark lane in the Cigar galaxy .

Mine came with two Meade HD-60 25mm and one 6.5mm from the same range - the 1.5 lens cell I use is screwed on to the front of the BVs itself - see pic below 

[YKSE]

Hi Dave,

I've had two pairs of Maxbright, one with compression rings, and the other not.

They all have three screws for each EP-holder. The binoviewer I bought new had only two screws attached to it, while the other 4 screws were in the cut-out in the box.

Mechanical, the inner diameter of none-compression-ring pair feels a tiny bit tighter, optically, they were the same to my eyes, I ddin't find merging difficulty with any of them.  I kept the the one with compression rings since none of my binoviewer EPs has under-cut, so a small cosmetic advantage with compresion rings.

[garryblueboy]

Hi Dave mine are the 3 screw version I've had several different model binos over the years WO /Revelations etc and got rid of them as didn't get on with them then a pair of these came up local and I took a punt glad I did they are awesome I love them Solar I have a couple pairs of flat eyepices that work so well 10mm and 19mm I have the glass path correctors but never used them as I can reach Focus without in my Lunt 80 not got round to using them night time yet hoping to in a few weeks .