Zoom Eyepiece for PST

[part timer]

Hi all,

I get the best views through my PST when using a single polarising filter.

This means it gets a bit tedious changing the filter over and then finding the ideal position (rotating it to get maximum detail) every time I change eyepieces.

So I have considered getting a zoom. My budget is low but, as it will be solely used on the PST, I don't care much about field of view (it just has to fit the sun in) or chromatic aberration (there's only one colour!)

Skywatcher has a couple of cheapies. Has anyone used them? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your help

Luke

[LukeSkywatcher]

Generally for any kind of observing, zoom EPs,bins etc are pretty much frowned upon. On a budget (who isnt these days), if the price is within the size of your wallet..........why not invest in it and try it out. If it works...............GREAT. If it is no good.................you have not wasted much.

[part timer]

Thanks for your reply.

The days when zoom eyepieces were all terrible are long gone. There are now several quality brands on the market. (I haven't used any good zoom bins yet though!)

However, I'd really like to get a feel for the faults of the lower priced eyepieces out there. This is because I'll be observing over such a narrow bandwidth and with a max field of just a bit bigger than the sun that the most common complaints over zooms will be irrelevant.

So a fairly average performer may well do fine for this purpose.

thanks,

Luke

[Scott Tilley]

Hi Luke, I have the Baadar Hyperion Zoom, a great piece of kit but expensive. If your looking for something cheaper I've used the Celestron Zoom and was impressed, although the meade Zoom got top marks in Sky at Nights recent review (beating the Baadar too), although I can attach my slr directly to the Baadar:D

Don't think I would go much below the eighty quid mark for a zoom. The Celestron and Meade are around this price and are good performers by all accounts. (can't comment on the skywatcher)

Scott

[tinvek]

i'd suggest you keep an eye out for a second hand baader hyperion zoom. as scott says it's a great eyepiece for a zoom.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I use my Baader Hyperion Zoom mainly on the PST and William Optics SD66 (solar white viewing). It is very good and was well received when SGL members viewed the Sun at SGL4 this year. I appreciate that it costs about £170 which is lot more than the cheaper versions.

Hopefully, you might obtain a secondhand model but if that does not happened I would suggest that you try the other versions before you buy so that you are not disappointed.

If you are coming to SGL5 you are welcome to use my Hyperion.

Mark

[brianb]

How often do you need to change eyepieces?

When I first got my PST I fidgeted around between 18mm, 12.5mm and 9mm. After a few weeks I found that the occasions I wanted to use anything but the 12.5mm (BGO) were few & far between. The 18mm was sometimes too "glary" and the 9mm was too soft. I also found the 12.5mm very comfortable & got no improvement with a polarizing filter or colour filter ... some people do find a mild neutral density filter helps surface detail but polarizing filters tend to scatter light. I'm absolutely sure that "no filter" is best for observing prominences.

[part timer]

Thanks for the suggestions guys,

I'll keep a lookout on the second hand market and bide my time for the moment.

How often do you need to change eyepieces?

When I first got my PST I fidgeted around between 18mm, 12.5mm and 9mm. After a few weeks I found that the occasions I wanted to use anything but the 12.5mm (BGO) were few & far between. The 18mm was sometimes too "glary" and the 9mm was too soft. I also found the 12.5mm very comfortable & got no improvement with a polarizing filter or colour filter ... some people do find a mild neutral density filter helps surface detail but polarizing filters tend to scatter light. I'm absolutely sure that "no filter" is best for observing prominences.

Well, actually I've had the PST for just over five years and it originally had the 'old' optics. These were replaced for the rust problem and the scope then never performed to the same level again.

I found that my UHC filter made a difference in the detail visible and realised that it was probably an effect of polarisation.

So I now have two polarising filters which makes an absolutely astounding difference. I only use one at a time of course.

The level of detail seen on the disc now approaches that of the old optical lay out.

Prominences are slightly darker I agree but they are seen much more easily this way as the glare and ghost imaging is cut down significantly by the polarizing filter.

It really has made all the difference.

I change eyepieces fairly often just because I like too sketch the position of flares and so on in low power and then go in close to get the details correct.

[hunterknox]

I also have a hyperion which lives in my PST. The views are great but it is a big beast. I had to take the little black end cap off the nylon screw that holds the eyepieces in to avoid bending the screw. I also made a very industrial style bracket from a dovetail and some aluminium angle so that I could balance it properly on a side arm mount. If I was starting again and there was something smaller that did the same job I'd probably opt for that.

Thanks for the tip on the polarising filter, by the way!

[Mark at Beaufort]

Luke in hindsight do you regret having your PST repaired for the rust problem. The reason I ask is my PST has the rust and is still under the 5 year warranty - March 2010!!! The views I get are really good and I wonder if I should bother - I knew there is no safety issue.

Mark

[part timer]

Mark,

It's a difficult question to answer.

The fact is that my PST did seem to suffer a slow decline in image quality which I ascribe to the rust problem. From those who have experienced the rust it seems some still get good images and some don't. You have to judge for yourself if your images are deteriorating or not.

What I will say, is that I sent out a well made, functioning telescope with a dodgy lens and got back something which had clearly been thrown together with no thought to set up or adjustment. Because of this it simply didn't work.

I had to trawl the internet to find similar dissatisfied customers who were able to guide me on how to take apart sections of the telescope, secure them properly and adjust the tuning ring to allow Ha detail to be seen again.

The same company still handles warranty repairs as far as I know (telescope house) so it's up to you if you take your chances or not.

If the image is good I'd be tempted not too.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thanks Luke that is very useful information. I must admit I was siding towards leaving the scope as it is. The image quality is very good and I have not seem an apparent deterioration over the last few years - well not yet. I think I will leave the scope as it is. Grateful Luke.

Mark

[part timer]

My pleasure!

Luke