New APM "super zoom"

[bosun21]

On 28/07/2022 at 05:17, Don Pensack said:

I posted a review here:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/782373-apm-super-zoom-eyepiece/?p=12043283

Thanks Don, that was an extremely thorough and detailed review of the APM zoom. You certainly left no stone unturned.

[badhex]

It arrived!

Lovely look and feel as others have said, clean lines and finishes on everything. About the same size as the Morpheus 4.5mm, and within the same sort of weight range as my other EPs (as mentioned, one of the deciders). Detent on the clickstop feel good, with reasonably fluid movement between just giving a little resistance. 

Can't wait to get it under the stars! 

 

[badhex]

I've still not had a chance to do anything other than a bit of daytime testing, but does anyone know how to remove the eyecup to get to the M43 thread? I tried pulling it up and over like the APM UFFs but it had more resistance than I would like, and I do not want to break it!

[Don Pensack]

Just now, badhex said:

I've still not had a chance to do anything other than a bit of daytime testing, but does anyone know how to remove the eyecup to get to the M43 thread? I tried pulling it up and over like the APM UFFs but it had more resistance than I would like, and I do not want to break it!

It is held in place by the knurled ring.  You need to unscrew the ring to remove the rubber eyecup.

That will expose the M43 thread.

[badhex]

32 minutes ago, Don Pensack said:

It is held in place by the knurled ring.  You need to unscrew the ring to remove the rubber eyecup.

That will expose the M43 thread.

Aha, so it does, thanks Don. I actually tried that already, but was only using the tips of my thumb and forefinger, and I couldn't seem to unscrew it and didn't want to use force. This time I used the whole of my thumb and forefinger as a sort of strap wrench and it unscrewed immediately. I was obviously not spreading the force evenly around the ring. 

[Louis D]

If it's anything like the 12.5mm APM Hi-FW, you can roll the eyecup down over the exposed threads more easily than with the knurled ring in place to maximize eye relief.  It's a little tricky until it's snugly ringing the threads, then it stays nicely in place.  It's the second one from the right below.  I couldn't get the eye cup to roll down and stay down over the knurled ring.  I now know that @badhex needs less eye relief; but I thought I'd share my learnings with KUO eyepieces having that knurled ring in case others need more, rather than less, eye relief.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Louis D
Added image of eyepieces with rolled down eye cups.

[badhex]

6 hours ago, Louis D said:

If it's anything like the 12.5mm APM Hi-FW, you can roll the eyecup down over the exposed threads more easily than with the knurled ring in place to maximize eye relief.  It's a little tricky until it's snugly ringing the threads, then it stays nicely in place.

Well, I managed a brief first light yesterday and as I suspected in another post it turns out I need less eye relief rather than more! I've already ordered a bunch of Baader extension rings and eyecup, as I also need to adjust the height of the eyecup on my APM 24mm UFF. 

Will link here once I've written it up. 

[badhex]

21 hours ago, Louis D said:

If it's anything like the 12.5mm APM Hi-FW, you can roll the eyecup down over the exposed threads more easily than with the knurled ring in place to maximize eye relief.  It's a little tricky until it's snugly ringing the threads, then it stays nicely in place.  It's the second one from the right below.  I couldn't get the eye cup to roll down and stay down over the knurled ring.  I now know that @badhex needs less eye relief; but I thought I'd share my learnings with KUO eyepieces having that knurled ring in case others need more, rather than less, eye relief.

Cheers Louis. Very helpful that some of these EPs have various permutations and options to vary ER for those that need it - perhaps the M43 rings should be a standard for eyeguards. 

[Louis D]

5 minutes ago, badhex said:

Cheers Louis. Very helpful that some of these EPs have various permutations and options to vary ER for those that need it - perhaps the M43 rings should be a standard for eyeguards. 

The Astro-Tech AF70 (Omegon Redline SW, etc.) have M43 eye cups as well, just extremely stiff.  They basically can't be folded down at all, so I have to unscrew and remove them altogether.  Here's an image of mine showing the eye cup attached to the 17mm version:

M43 is a fairly common size for eyepieces, video cameras, and digital camera adapter tube filter threads.  I believe the 24mm APM UFF has that thread size as well.  However, the 30mm APM UFF has an M45 thread, so not universal even with the UFF line.

[badhex]

21 minutes ago, Louis D said:

The Astro-Tech AF70 (Omegon Redline SW, etc.) have M43 eye cups as well, just extremely stiff.  They basically can't be folded down at all, so I have to unscrew and remove them altogether.  Here's an image of mine showing the eye cup attached to the 17mm version:

M43 is a fairly common size for eyepieces, video cameras, and digital camera adapter tube filter threads.  I believe the 24mm APM UFF has that thread size as well.  However, the 30mm APM UFF has an M45 thread, so not universal even with the UFF line.

Yes, the 24mm UFF does have M43, I'm awaiting delivery of an additional eyecup and extension for mine as the ER is slightly too long for me (naturally 😂). Weird that the 30mm doesn't follow that standard. 

I believe I read somewhere that the top of the Pentax XW eyecup has a piece which unscrews to reveal an M43 as well. I'll have a look tmw and report back. 

[Don Pensack]

44 minutes ago, badhex said:

Yes, the 24mm UFF does have M43, I'm awaiting delivery of an additional eyecup and extension for mine as the ER is slightly too long for me (naturally 😂). Weird that the 30mm doesn't follow that standard. 

I believe I read somewhere that the top of the Pentax XW eyecup has a piece which unscrews to reveal an M43 as well. I'll have a look tmw and report back. 

Yup.

Baader Morpheus, Pentax XW, Baader Hyperion--all 43mm underneath (Hyperion also has a 54mm).

[JeremyS]

My SZ arrived yesterday. Had a chance to try in my Tak FC 76DCU last night.

Looks well bit. Zoom mechanism was slightly tight, so I rotated it a few dozen times and it is now smooth.

Zoom works flawlessly.

Eye relief seems fine for me (I can be susceptible if too long, but I will consider get an extender as Joe has).

I normally avoid Zooms, apart from the TV NZ, but this one is much better that the many I have tried before.

Only foible is replacing the eyelens cap which takes a second to dispel entrapped air. I see others have pricked a tiny hole to allow air escape during this process. If this is my only moan, then we have a winner 👍🏻

oh, one other thing. In a 1.25 inch eyepiece holder you need to rack the focuser way in compared to other EPs. Was fine in my Tak FOA 60Q which has a huge focus range. But with the Tak FC 76DCU I need to remove a small extender ring - but then other EPs done reach focus, unless they are slightly retracted from the diagonal. 

Oh and it has no undercuts!

Could form part of my travel kit….
 

Edited August 6, 2022 by JeremyS

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, JeremyS said:

oh, one other thing. In a 1.25 inch eyepiece holder you need to rack the focuser way out compared to other EPs.

Do you mean way in, as in closer to the objective?  Racking the focuser outward mean extending it away from the objective in my experience.  The 2" lower barrel section on the SZ acts like a built in extension tube in 1.25" mode.  I get the same effect with Morpheus and similar eyepieces.

[JeremyS]

25 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Do you mean way in, as in closer to the objective?  Racking the focuser outward mean extending it away from the objective in my experience.  The 2" lower barrel section on the SZ acts like a built in extension tube in 1.25" mode.  I get the same effect with Morpheus and similar eyepieces.

Yes that’s what I meant, Louis - have amended 

[badhex]

28 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Yes that’s what I meant, Louis - have amended 

I actually can't reach focus in 1.25" mode with my TS102 and Baader BBHS Clicklock. First time I've had that happen with an EP actually. 

On the eyelens cap, if you do end up replacing the eyecup with the extender+baader eyecup, the existing lens cap fits snugly just inside the cup and does not require 'burping'. 

[JeremyS]

51 minutes ago, badhex said:

and does not require 'burping'. 

So that’s the technical term I was looking for 🤣

[badhex]

48 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

So that’s the technical term I was looking for 🤣

I think I heard @Louis D use it first and was quite taken with it 😂

[Louis D]

21 minutes ago, badhex said:

I think I heard @Louis D use it first and was quite taken with it 😂

If I did use it first on here, it was only reusing a term from 50+ years ago.  Tupperware invented the airtight plastic storage container market years ago (at least in the US); and in commercials, they would refer to "burping" the lid to push out excess air (at about 35 seconds in):

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Louis D

[Zeta Reticulan]

I've been known to burp after too much Butty Bach.

[Zeta Reticulan]

Or Hop Twister ...

[badhex]

17 minutes ago, Louis D said:

If I did use it first on here, it was only reusing a term from 50+ years ago.  Tupperware invented the airtight plastic storage container market years ago (at least in the US); and in commercials, they would refer to "burping" the lid to push out excess air (at about 35 seconds in):

 

I have heard it used exactly the same about Tupperware, however you are perhaps the first to apply it to astro gear 🙂

Edited August 6, 2022 by badhex

[badhex]

Rightio, I finally got round to writing some words about my first light with the Superzoom!