First light on a couple of bits of new gear.

[cajen2]

Recently, I've bought a Takahashi 1.25" diagonal and a Baader Morpheus 4.5mm EP. Tonight was my first chance to try them out. Optically, the Tak prism was excellent, giving very sharp views. I had just two targets as my garden is very heavily light polluted, with street lights all over the place. So I started on the half moon. I was so eager to try out the new stuff that I didn't even give my poor Starfield 102 time to cool down, so I expected mushy views at best at the outset. Quite the contrary: the terminator was sharp and clear with only slight wavering. All this was in anticipation of Jupiter rounding the corner of next door's house and after a while, it appeared. By then, the scope was nice and cool.

I'd always had a problem getting an ideal view of the planet as my 9 and 6.5mm Morphs gave very sharp views but too small to see a lot of detail. My Long Perng 80° 4mil made the planet bigger and bands more visible but I've always found it ever so slightly soft in comparison with the Morphs. So in went the new 4.5mil Morpheus. A Goldilocks moment, both pin sharp and large enough to see great detail. I'd always been slightly sceptical when reading reports of fine detail on Jupiter through a medium-sized frac but now I could see it for myself. I counted five darker bands and in moments of good seeing, signs of more.

For anyone with a Starfield 102 ED F/7, just try the Morph. It's a match made in heaven!

As to the Tak diagonal, as I said, optically it's excellent, though it seemed slightly more prone to light scatter from the planet when it was just out of the FOV than my WO 2" dielectric diagonal. Not enough to worry me but there you are. My only other beef was with the twist lock (one of the reasons I bought the Tak). It was smooth enough but needed a lot of turns when releasing or tightening up an EP, increasing the risk of jogging the scope, irritating at high mags. Takahashi need to take a long look at a Baader Clicklock to see how it should be done!

All in all, however, an excellent night and I'm VERY pleased with both bits of gear.

[cajen2]

Oh, forgot to mention that the moons of Jupiter were also pin sharp, clearly different in apparent size and I was able to watch one (I haven't bothered to work out which) approaching the limb and then starting a transit. All easy to see.

[Mr Spock]

The Tak prism does improve the view of Jupiter. However, I don't like the twist lock so I have a short extension tube permanently fitted.

[Zermelo]

I don't like the Tak's twist lock either, especially now that I have a Baader quick lock to compare it with.

It's surprising how much the barrels of different EPs vary.

[cajen2]

2 hours ago, Zermelo said:

I don't like the Tak's twist lock either, especially now that I have a Baader quick lock to compare it with.

It's surprising how much the barrels of different EPs vary.

You're right, Z. I find the twist lock on the Tak sometimes needs just one whole turn and with other EPs, several. I suppose I'll get used to this, but it'll never be as good as a Clicklock.

[IB20]

13 hours ago, cajen2 said:

For anyone with a Starfield 102 ED F/7, just try the Morph. It's a match made in heaven!

Spot on. First two eyepieces I grab when I’m observing planets with the 102ED f7 are the 5mm XW and 4mm TOE!

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by IB20

[cajen2]

31 minutes ago, IB20 said:

Spot on. First two eyepieces I grab when I’m observing planets with the 102ED f7 are the 5mm XW and 4mm TOE!

 

I have the 5mil XW too. You wouldn't have thought the difference in mag between that and the 4.5 Morpheus would be significant but the extra 16x, plus the 6° wider FOV, can make all the difference.

[cajen2]

@Zermelo FLO still has one 4.5 Morpheus in stock....

[Zermelo]

48 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

@Zermelo FLO still has one 4.5 Morpheus in stock....

Stop it, right now.

I can resist anything except temptation, and eyepieces.

[badhex]

On 22/10/2023 at 23:57, cajen2 said:

For anyone with a Starfield 102 ED F/7, just try the Morph. It's a match made in heaven!

It's a great combo, and is also currently my shortest FL without using a barlow/PM. It took me a bit of faffing to get the eyecups/extenders set up correctly for best eye position (M42 extension ring + eyecup rolled down + thin o-ring = weird combo but it works!). I'm reminded of a great session I had last year with Jupiter and Saturn, the Starfield (well TS102, same thing) and the Morpheus 4.5mm. I recall that I found it to be better than the using a Powermate + Pentax XW 10mm or BCO 10mm, providing a great balance between mags, brightness and definition of the planets. It's a great EP! 

 

 

[Mr Spock]

The Morpheus does sound really good. It's a shame they don't make a shorter focal length then 4.5mm. That's only x164 in the Tak. I prefer to work much higher on planets and the moon. I have been using the 3.3mm TOE for x224; recently my preferred lunar combination is the x2.5 Powermate and 8mm LVW for x231. It's such a detailed yet relaxing view. A 3mm or 3.2mm would be perfect and might make me defect 

Heck of a strain on the Tak focuser though using a Powermate + LVW, especially when viewing from the side (I like to be seated). It's gone back to FLO for adjustment  One problem I never had with the Starfield. I have taken the plunge and ordered the astonishingly expensive (and 2-3 month waiting list) FeatherTouch for it  Well, that can be my final retirement present.

[cajen2]

3 hours ago, badhex said:

It's a great combo, and is also currently my shortest FL without using a barlow/PM. It took me a bit of faffing to get the eyecups/extenders set up correctly for best eye position (M42 extension ring + eyecup rolled down + thin o-ring = weird combo but it works!). I'm reminded of a great session I had last year with Jupiter and Saturn, the Starfield (well TS102, same thing) and the Morpheus 4.5mm. I recall that I found it to be better than the using a Powermate + Pentax XW 10mm or BCO 10mm, providing a great balance between mags, brightness and definition of the planets. It's a great EP! 

 

 

Weird that you have to do so much faffing about to get your eye position right. We observe very differently: all the eyecups on my EPs are rolled down and I 'hover' my eye over the EP. This has always been my way and I'm used to it. It does mean that changing EPs is quick and easy.

[bosun21]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Well, that can be my final retirement present.

Until the next one 🤔.

[Mr Spock]

[bosun21]

3 hours ago, badhex said:

It's a great combo, and is also currently my shortest FL without using a barlow/PM. It took me a bit of faffing to get the eyecups/extenders set up correctly for best eye position (M42 extension ring + eyecup rolled down + thin o-ring = weird combo but it works!)

The only one in my set of Morpheus eyepieces that i fitted the extension piece to is the 4.5mm. Even then I can use it without it. I do the same as @cajen2 and just have the eyecups turned down and position my eye to get a comfortable full FOV. This is now become second nature to me.

[Captain Scarlet]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

… I have taken the plunge and ordered the astonishingly expensive (and 2-3 month waiting list) FeatherTouch for it …

Did you order it from USA or FLO? Whenever I see the wait times I assume they’re a proxy for “probably never”.

Magnus

[Mr Spock]

Just now, Captain Scarlet said:

Did you order it from USA or FLO?

FLO - they seem confident about the wait time.

[cajen2]

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

The Morpheus does sound really good. It's a shame they don't make a shorter focal length then 4.5mm. That's only x164 in the Tak. I prefer to work much higher on planets and the moon. I have been using the 3.3mm TOE for x224; recently my preferred lunar combination is the x2.5 Powermate and 8mm LVW for x231. It's such a detailed yet relaxing view. A 3mm or 3.2mm would be perfect and might make me defect 

Heck of a strain on the Tak focuser though using a Powermate + LVW, especially when viewing from the side (I like to be seated). It's gone back to FLO for adjustment  One problem I never had with the Starfield. I have taken the plunge and ordered the astonishingly expensive (and 2-3 month waiting list) FeatherTouch for it  Well, that can be my final retirement present.

Well, if you will buy these cheap and nasty Japanese telescopes, Michael....😆

[badhex]

1 hour ago, cajen2 said:

Weird that you have to do so much faffing about to get your eye position right. We observe very differently: all the eyecups on my EPs are rolled down and I 'hover' my eye over the EP. This has always been my way and I'm used to it. It does mean that changing EPs is quick and easy.

 

54 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

The only one in my set of Morpheus eyepieces that i fitted the extension piece to is the 4.5mm. Even then I can use it without it. I do the same as @cajen2 and just have the eyecups turned down and position my eye to get a comfortable full FOV. This is now become second nature to me.

 

Thankfully now I've adjusted the eyecups etc to my liking I don't have any issues, and they don't need any further adjusting. I do prefer to have my eye right up to the eyecup as I find hovering quite uncomfortable when observing for long periods, plus they help with shielding my eye from local stray light. I've actually added the extensions to both my Morphs, APM 24MM UFF and APM Superzoom. I posted something a while back detailing the whole thing and asking what other people's experiences were - quite a range of different answers. 

[bosun21]

1 hour ago, badhex said:

 

 

Thankfully now I've adjusted the eyecups etc to my liking I don't have any issues, and they don't need any further adjusting. I do prefer to have my eye right up to the eyecup as I find hovering quite uncomfortable when observing for long periods, plus they help with shielding my eye from local stray light. I've actually added the extensions to both my Morphs, APM 24MM UFF and APM Superzoom. I posted something a while back detailing the whole thing and asking what other people's experiences were - quite a range of different answers. 

What’s important is that we do what is right for us and our particular observing style. It just goes to show how individual we all are.

[John]

1 hour ago, badhex said:

.... I do prefer to have my eye right up to the eyecup as I find hovering quite uncomfortable when observing for long periods, plus they help with shielding my eye from local stray light.......

That is very much my preference as well 👍

[Louis D]

On 02/11/2023 at 05:54, Mr Spock said:

(I like to be seated). It's gone back to FLO for adjustment 

You sent your derriere to FLO for adjustment?  Perhaps try a chiropractor next time. 😏😁

[cajen2]

Just a brief update: I've managed another couple of short sessions between the clouds and my initial impressions have been confirmed. The Morpheus 4.5mil is a little gem and very well suited to the Starfield and the Tak diagonal is very good - I'm even slowly getting used to the twist lock!

Edited November 5, 2023 by cajen2

[Don Pensack]

23 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

Just a brief update: I've managed another couple of short sessions between the clouds and my initial impressions have been confirmed. The Morpheus 4.5mil is a little gem and very well suited to the Starfield and the Tak diagonal is very good - I'm even slowly getting used to the twist lock!

Though I own a 4.7mm Ethos SX, I find myself using the 4.5mm (measured at 4.8mm, alas) Morpheus more because (blasphemy!) it's sharper.

Others have reported EOFB (I haven't seen it) and scattered light (I use it primarily on planetary nebulae, double stars, and small globular clusters in the 12.5").

Its 78° field is quite a bit narrower than the 110° of the Ethos, so it involves movement of the scope more frequently, but I will put up with that.

It sees a lot of use in my 102mm apo at 159x (actually149x) for small star clusters and globulars.   In that scope, it has a 1/2° field.

I've used it fairly often on the moon, but don't see the scattered light issue some report.

Could that be because I wear glasses with the eyepiece so that the light bounce-back from my cornea is suppressed?  Or the bone-dry air we often have here

(I've seen relative humidity numbers at night in the teens, %-wise)  Not sure.

[Don Pensack]

P.S. some measured focal lengths on the Morpheus eyepieces:

17.5mm--17.2mm

14mm--13.9mm

12.5mm--12.4mm

9mm--8.9mm

6.5mm--6.7mm

4.5mm--4.8mm