ALTAIR ULTRAFLAT 30

[mikeDnight]

The ALTAIR ULTRAFLAT 30 caught my eye while at the Practical Astronomy Show in March.  Cosmetically it is a beautiful eyepiece with a dull green anodized sheen body with rubber grip, and a stainless steel 2" fit barrel with safety curfs.  The eye lens is large, and easy on the eye making for comfortable viewing. The white writing on the green body does not state the apparent field of view, which presumably is 70°. The eyepiece comes with top and bottom soft rubber caps, and has a soft rubber foldable eyeguard. This has a tendency to come off quite easily which is annoying.

First light:  This was the night after my adventure to Kettering. The night was clear, and using a new 2" Altair dielectric mirror diagonal in my 100mm apo my first target was The Crab nebula M1, as this would make a good indicator as to transparency.  I was very impressed with the clarity of this eyepiece, as immediately and without any real dark adaption, M1 appeared easily. Sweeping through star fields was a pleasure with pin sharp stars across 80% of the field, and star colours were seen easily despite the low power of the eyepiece. The Pleiades was beautiful and despite being past its best, the Merope nebula was easily seen. M42 the Orion nebula was spectacular, not only because of its beautiful swaiths of bright nebulosity, but because of the dark nebula that so obviously made up a great portion of the nebula, but which is so often overlooked. Daylight views do show a lack of field curvature, but UltraFlat??

The real let-down with this eyepiece comes when looking down the barrel from the field lens side. I didn't look at the field lens when buying it, but if I had, I certainly wouldn't have bought the eyepiece. A bright, bare, shiny retaining ring inside the eyepiece stares starkly back at you. No eyepiece should ever have bare metallic parts internally. Everything should be totally mat black internally. Despite this poor finish the Altair Ultraflat 30 remains among my eyepieces as it has proved itself to be very capable. The shiny interior doesn't appear to have any negative impact on the performance, but never the less it should not be there. Im left in two minds as to whether I should dismantle the eyepice and blacken the bright silver ring just for my own piece of mind???

 

[JeremyS]

Thanks for the thorough review Mike.

I wonder if the equivalent EP sold by other brands have blackened retaining rings.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

A very comprehensive review Mike. Thanks. 👍 These alternative to APM branded ultraflats are imho nice for the price. The Altair UFF 24mm 65° is my goto wide field eyepiece. I can't say I've noticed any shiny metal but then I've not noted any internal reflections so haven't looked... I also picked up the 15mm used but the performance was too close to the Nirvana ES 16mm so moved it on. The Svbony 10mm UFF bought during an Amazon sale is used every time out and works well paired with the Skymaz 127 too. I don't know about these eyepieces being ultraflat but they're certainly very flat 😉 and the view through them is very 'contrasty'.

[Littleguy80]

Nice review, Mike. I just checked my APM equivalent and all darkened. One of my favourite eyepieces  

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

Thanks for the thorough review Mike.

I wonder if the equivalent EP sold by other brands have blackened retaining rings.

The Celestron 30mm Ultima Edge 70 deg eyepiece has blackened retaining rings. It's a lovely eyepiece.

Edited April 11, 2023 by paulastro

[Alan White]

@mikeDnight I do wonder if you have an odd one out, perhaps contct with Altair will confirm if its just the one or the whole range.
As others have said above, the APM UFF 30, has a dark ring where the Altair you have is not.
A real shame as the APM and most probably the SL UFF 30 are the same items, including the darkened parts.

As a focal length and the field with, makes a super item on f7-8 refractors and indeed any other scope,
I still reccomend the UFF 30, but clearly some versions are not quite equal, which is a great shame.

[Mr Spock]

I have the SL 30mm UFF version and that has a black interior.

[FLO]

14 hours ago, JeremyS said:

I wonder if the equivalent EP sold by other brands have blackened retaining rings.

The StellaLyra 30mm UFF eyepiece has a blackened interior, same as the APM. 

[cajen2]

As does the Celestron Ultima Edge 30mm, supposed to be the same EP.

Edit: Oops, sorry @paulastro , missed your post.

Edited April 12, 2023 by cajen2

[mikeDnight]

 Thanks for all the feedback showing other brands being fully blackened.

 As suggested I have tried to contact Altairastro and come across obsticles all the way. First I tried logging into their website but receive the warning that the site is not recognised. Anyhow, I eventually managed to get onto their site, but there is no simple way of asking a question, or receiving advice. I did send a message to one link but recieved an e-mail back suggesting I try another. Why my e-mail couldn't have been passed down the line to the individual who deals with problems I'll never know. May be they're sick of people complaining?   Anyhow, I followed the direction only to come across another wall. I now had to log in and create an account. Then I had to request a ticket so that I can email, someone.  At this point I was seeing red! What the he'll is going on? I know I'm growing old and becoming increasingly intolerant of technology and anti-social business practices, but this beggars belief. At the very least the Altairastro site has been designed by a moron, while at worst, by the most uncaring and unhelpful company I've ever encountered in the Astro community. As a consequence I will never deal with them again.

 So onto the eyepiece. It wasn't my intention to return the 30mm Ultraflat, as unlike Altairastro, it really is very nice.  So I decided to dismantle the field lens to access the bare shiny metal and risk painting it.  I had a tin of stove black paint designed for touching up log burners & multi fuel stoves, and which dries dull black. After removing the field lens I very carefully managed to blacken all the internal parts without getting any paint on the inner lens. I should have been a surgeon! I'm very pleased with the results, although I shouldn't have had to do any of this. 

I suppose 'buyer beware' is an appropriate warning when dealing with Altairastro. Even if they were unaware of the issue, they appear to have little concern for the customer.

The original bare internal metal.

After removing the field lens.

A steady hand was needed to paint the bare metal with stove black.

And the reassembled eyepiece, all clean and in this case, better than new.

Lesson learned!  I should have bought from FLO - which incidentally I would have done had they been at Kettering. Not that I'm implying it's FLO's fault I bought this eyepiece,  but.... 

Perhaps my extra artistic skill has added to the resale value of my Altaire 30mm Ultraflat?   Answers on a postcard please! 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by mikeDnight

[Alan White]

Dr Mike, Surgeon of Optics..... has a nice ring to it 😉

Nice job, and well executed as I would expect from the fine surgical hands of Dr Mike.

I think your frustration with said retailer has been documented before,
but I have always managed good communication with them, if not immediate communication.

As to frustration with technology and business methods, I fully fall in that camp, just done with awkward and stupid these days.
You are not alone, it a club of at least two of us.

Nice outcome all the same and a fine piece of glass in my book, enjoy my APM one.

 

[paulastro]

19 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

 Thanks for all the feedback showing other brands being fully blackened.

 As suggested I have tried to contact Altairastro and come across obsticles all the way. First I tried logging into their website but receive the warning that the site is not recognised. Anyhow, I eventually managed to get onto their site, but there is no simple way of asking a question, or receiving advice. I did send a message to one link but recieved an e-mail back suggesting I try another. Why my e-mail couldn't have been passed down the line to the individual who deals with problems I'll never know. May be they're sick of people complaining?   Anyhow, I followed the direction only to come across another wall. I now had to log in and create an account. Then I had to request a ticket so that I can email, someone.  At this point I was seeing red! What the he'll is going on? I know I'm growing old and becoming increasingly intolerant of technology and anti-social business practices, but this beggars belief. At the very least the Altairastro site has been designed by a moron, while at worst, by the most uncaring and unhelpful company I've ever encountered in the Astro community. As a consequence I will never deal with them again.

 So onto the eyepiece. It wasn't my intention to return the 30mm Ultraflat, as unlike Altairastro, it really is very nice.  So I decided to dismantle the field lens to access the bare shiny metal and risk painting it.  I had a tin of stove black paint designed for touching up log burners & multi fuel stoves, and which dries dull black. After removing the field lens I very carefully managed to blacken all the internal parts without getting any paint on the inner lens. I should have been a surgeon! I'm very pleased with the results, although I shouldn't have had to do any of this. 

I suppose 'buyer beware' is an appropriate warning when dealing with Altairastro. Even if they were unaware of the issue, they appear to have little concern for the customer.

The original bare internal metal.

After removing the field lens.

A steady hand was needed to paint the bare metal with stove black.

And the reassembled eyepiece, all clean and in this case, better than new.

Lesson learned!  I should have bought from FLO - which incidentally I would have done had they been at Kettering. Not that I'm implying it's FLO's fault I bought this eyepiece,  but.... 

Perhaps my extra artistic skill has added to the resale value of my Altaire 30mm Ultraflat?   Answers on a postcard please! 

 

 

Mike, did you try phoning? 

By the way, your not getting more intollerant at all.  I've known you for over 20 years, and you've always been like that - and grumpy!  😊

[mikeDnight]

3 hours ago, paulastro said:

Mike, did you try phoning? 

By the way, your not getting more intollerant at all.  I've known you for over 20 years, and you've always been like that - and grumpy!  😊

No phone number on their website. 

[paulastro]

29 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

No phone number on their website. 

Mike, it's there if you follow the 'contact us' link, it's 01603721946, though I dont know how easy it might be to get through.

If a company has only email contact, its vital you get a rapid response.  In this respect FLO is top class, it would take some beating, or even matching.

Hope you get it sorted Mike.

[Saganite]

Great job Mike, but a pity you had to do it. 

I am of the same tolerance as you with most all forms of on line contact.  It often seems to me to be done in such a way as to be a deterrent.  Luckily for me my dear wife is blessed with the knowledge and patience required in this area, as to put me to shame, as well as an uncanny ability to detect when I am about to go Supernova.......

[paulastro]

Mike.  You've done a great job with that, you must have a very steady hand as well as your steady eye.  Are you available June 27th, when my hip replacement is planned?  If so, could you be on standby just in case it should be posponed for any reason? 😊

[Zermelo]

FYI Mike, I have the Altair version too, and mine is the same as yours (was).
As someone said above, the position and orientation may mean that the unblackened area isn't an issue. But for a premium eyepiece, you might expect that they'd do it anyway.

[bosun21]

Altair astro used to be fairly good at responding to enquires and questions, however as of late this has changed for some reason. On their site they state “check that the item is in stock” but on several occasions I have done so for numerous items but all I heard was crickets. Something or someone has obviously changed IMO.

[mikeDnight]

On 16/04/2023 at 18:54, paulastro said:

Mike.  You've done a great job with that, you must have a very steady hand as well as your steady eye.  Are you available June 27th, when my hip replacement is planned?  If so, could you be on standby just in case it should be posponed for any reason? 😊

I'd be happy to stand in at a moment's notice for your surgery Paul. I used to have a doctor's set when I was younger, and I once dissected an eyeball in Human Biology O' level (though it looked like it had been attacked with a hammer by the time I'd finished); then I dissected a pair of lungs in Human Biology 'A' level.    I was much better at Chemistry, but don't let that unnerve you. I'm sure you'll be fine!

[ollypenrice]

12 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I'd be happy to stand in at a moment's notice for your surgery Paul. I used to have a doctor's set when I was younger, and I once dissected an eyeball in Human Biology O' level (though it looked like it had been attacked with a hammer by the time I'd finished); then I dissected a pair of lungs in Human Biology 'A' level.    I was much better at Chemistry, but don't let that unnerve you. I'm sure you'll be fine!

It's your Doctors and Nurses game that we really want to hear about...

Olly

[mikeDnight]

4 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

It's your Doctors and Nurses game that we really want to hear about...

Olly

You'll have to ask the awesome Janice Broughton about that. I was in love with Janice from being 8 years old, but when I reached my mid teens, for some inexplicable reason I became a Neanderthal.  She was blonde with bright blue eyes and a wonderful sense of humour.  Then one day as I was walking along the road leading to the local park I heard her sweet voice say " Hiya Michael"!  I replied with a grunt and walked on without saying much. What an idiot! My heart still burns when I think about her.  She's now a nurse living in Australia, so if nothing else her medical training under my guidance paid off. 💔

[paulastro]

On 19/04/2023 at 14:18, mikeDnight said:

You'll have to ask the awesome Janice Broughton about that. I was in love with Janice from being 8 years old, but when I reached my mid teens, for some inexplicable reason I became a Neanderthal.  She was blonde with bright blue eyes and a wonderful sense of humour.  Then one day as I was walking along the road leading to the local park I heard her sweet voice say " Hiya Michael"!  I replied with a grunt and walked on without saying much. What an idiot! My heart still burns when I think about her.  She's now a nurse living in Australia, so if nothing else her medical training under my guidance paid off. 💔

It wouldn't have worked out Mike, she sounds far too good for you 🙂.

[Louis D]

On 19/04/2023 at 08:18, mikeDnight said:

You'll have to ask the awesome Janice Broughton about that. I was in love with Janice from being 8 years old, but when I reached my mid teens, for some inexplicable reason I became a Neanderthal.  She was blonde with bright blue eyes and a wonderful sense of humour.  Then one day as I was walking along the road leading to the local park I heard her sweet voice say " Hiya Michael"!  I replied with a grunt and walked on without saying much. What an idiot! My heart still burns when I think about her.  She's now a nurse living in Australia, so if nothing else her medical training under my guidance paid off. 💔

“Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.”

― Alfred Lord Tennyson