Best Diagonal?

[steve_bham]

Im looking to upgrade the star diagonal that came with my nexstar. What do you think the best 1.25" diagonal for the money is?

Can you notice the difference from going to the one that came with the scope to ones in the £80+ area?

Steve

[The Warthog]

If you are not having an obvious problem with your current diagonal, I doubt that the difference in a more reflective one will be obvious to your eye, even if the specifications say it is better. I may stand to be corrected on this, but I suspect there are lots better places to spend £80.

[steve_bham]

Hi Warthog,

The existing one works fine, just wanted to squeeze every last photon out of the tube so to speak!

If buying a super dooper one wont improve it by that much might put the cash towards a high power EP instead

[John]

I've spent a lot on diagonals over the years for the reasons that you are thinking of but TBH the differences between the expensive ones and the less expensive ones have been very difficult, if not impossible for me to detect.

I've curently got an old Meade Japanese 2" diagonal and a Tele Vue Everbright Enhanced Aluminium 2" - the former cost me £25 used and the latter nearly 4x as much - I really can't tell any difference between the views they give. The Tele Vue is better constucted though being machined from a single alloy block and having brass compression rings to hold the eyepiece. These issues are worth something but not 4x the price IMHO.

You could get a focal reducer for your scope for around the same money which would be a better use for it, if you don't already have one of those, IMHO.

John

[steve_bham]

Hi John,

I was thinking about getting a focal reducer, but the celestron one mentions every scope apart from the C6 (nexstar 6). I assume it can be used on the 6" tube?

[skye at night]

Hi Warthog,

The existing one works fine, just wanted to squeeze every last photon out of the tube so to speak!

If buying a super dooper one wont improve it by that much might put the cash towards a high power EP instead

I would think that the best diagonal for you (based on your reason above) would be NO DIAGONAL...

Less optical surfaces = less light loss etc..

But if you NEED one.... a good one with high quality coatings and very high reflectivity and kept in dust free condition would be the one...

And as said previously.. whatever works well already is worth sticking to....

Steve

[steve_bham]

I would think that the best diagonal for you (based on your reason above) would be NO DIAGONAL...

Less optical surfaces = less light loss etc..

But if you NEED one.... a good one with high quality coatings and very high reflectivity and kept in dust free condition would be the one...

And as said already.. whatever works well already.

Steve

Def want a diagonal i dont have a flip top neck

[Jarndyce]

I replaced the stock diagonal on my Nexstar 6 with the 2" WO one from FLO.

Diagonals - William optics 2" Dielectric Diagonal with SCT Adaptor

I have a Celestron one of (as far as I can tell) similar quality which I use on another scope. Although this was cheaper than the WO, the WO comes with an SCT adapter, so the final purchase price is similar.

Adds a lot of weight on the back, and only just clears the SE mount, but, yes I think the views are brighter and crisper than with the stock diagonal. :-)

[skye at night]

OK...

Solutions to eek out more photons and cut out a diagonal..

dig a trench around the mount each time you observe...

develop custom kneeling position observing chair...

only observe sub 15 deg. altitude objects...

get a 10 foot tripod....

Glad to be of help!:)

Steve

[ombos]

Agreed as above, its very doubtful you will notice any difference, been there done that, swapped from a cheap 1.25 to the WO-2", can I tell the difference???? well I'm not advising you buy one, you must make up your own mind! Save your cash and buy a larger ap scope bud, its the only way you will get better views IMHO.

[steve_bham]

Cheers for your comments, means i can spend the cash on other goodies