TMB 6mm planetary eyepiece

[MishMich]

I have a 6 mm eyepiece I never use, because it is like looking through a pin-hole. Somebody recommended I look at the TMB 6mm at Astronomica (UK). I ordered one. Only had a couple of opportunities to use it, two weeks ago now. Much easier to look through, and yeilds more detail than using my 2x barlow with a 15mm eyepiece. Quite bright, clear and no noticeable fringing. Not tried pushing the TMB with a barlow. Not sure there's any point.

Wondered if anybody else has one, tried one, have any thoughts about them?

I find I only use three EP's now - that and two Celestron EP's I got from the states, a 32mm and 15mm. I do like looking through them. Not televues or hyperions, I'm sure, but I like them. I guess I need to sell on the ones I don't use any more.

M.

[russ]

Not had the 6mm myself but have owned the 2.5mm, 4mm and 9mm TMB Planetaries.....loved em! A really good budget option for a comfortable high power eyepiece. I too am not a fan of pin hole eyepieces, especially when using the dob.

Russ

[arad85]

Yup, I have one. Find thatI'm using the 13 Ethos barlowed if I want around 6mm. My feeling on the TMB (actually TS clone) was it wasn't quite as sharp - but that could have been my imagination - as my then 11mm TV plossl barlowed with the Celestron Ultima. Really must get out and do a proper comparison on Mars with a longer session where I've had the chance to properly cool and collimate the 'scope beforehand.

[russ]

I think opinion on this eyepiece is split somewhat. I know that Rob felt the view through his TMB was soft and preferred the WO SPL. I suppose there could be some variation in quality which could account for differing views.

My original Burgess TMB's were good but i did briefly have two of TS clones with the restyled body and they were clearly not as good, despite being advertised as the same TMB eyepiece.

Russ

[kniclander]

I have a 9mm and a 5mm "clone" sold by Teleskop Service (which seems to be the same but is a bit cheaper). I like the slightly wider fov and the eye relief is good. Only problem is I sometimes get blackouts and I find you need to keep your eye in just the right place.

[F15Rules]

I had a 5mm TS clone of the TMB until recently.

Pluses..

-wide field, good eye relief, well colour corrected

Minuses..

-big, heavy (some might see that as a plus for counterbalancing your ota), slightly soft image on some subjects.

I sold it when I bought a set of Baader Genuine Orthos. Although these don't have such a wide field or such good eye relief, for planets, double stars and Luna they are pretty much unbeatable unless you are lucky enough to have Zeiss Abbe orthos! And they are definitely better than the University Optics orthos - I think its the Phantom coatings that give them the edge.

Going back to the TMB/TS EPs, I just feel there are horses for courses..if you want wide field, go for a dedicated wide field EP, if you want good general purpose, go TV Plossls or if budget won't stretch (mine won't) go Meade 4000 SPs, great EPs. And for high power close ups, go Baader. Simples!!

[MishMich]

Yes, they are big. Thanks. I'm sure some day I'll be able to bring myself to pay out for a TV (or baader even) eyepiece. Not got there yet. Maybe something for Xmas/birthday suggestions?

Thing I do wonder about though, no matter which eyepiece I have tried, on which telescope, I only every get to see things in black and white, apart from a slight tinge to Mars. I had thought this was normal. Then I read somewhere about somebody seeing coloured bands on Jupiter, using quite modest equipment. I can get that in images, but not visually. Is there something I am missing? Do I need to stop down the scope to reduce the brightness in order to see the colour, or use filters? I have some basic filters - yellow, light blue, red. I've not noticed a lot of difference with them, apart from the red one, which makes everything look red.

M.

[kniclander]

Thing I do wonder about though, no matter which eyepiece I have tried, on which telescope, I only every get to see things in black and white, apart from a slight tinge to Mars. I had thought this was normal. Then I read somewhere about somebody seeing coloured bands on Jupiter, using quite modest equipment. I can get that in images, but not visually. Is there something I am missing? Do I need to stop down the scope to reduce the brightness in order to see the colour, or use filters? I have some basic filters - yellow, light blue, red. I've not noticed a lot of difference with them, apart from the red one, which makes everything look red.

M.

thru my 10" dob I have seen lots of colours in jupiter's bands - grey, light grey, dark drey, grey-not-quite, marigoldgrey, primrosegrey etc etc

seriously, to me jupiter was always monochrome; satrun yellowy

[F15Rules]

Hi M.

There are colours on celestial objects...but they are generally very subtle. Speaking for myself, I find that I can discern colours much more readlily once my eyes are properly dark adapted - it can take up to an hour for this..in the same way I often find I can see significantly fainter objects both directly and with averted vision, once I have been outside for an hour or more.

Your ED refractor should readily show colour differences, being an apo..

A good test is the double cluster in Perseus...this contains several noticeably reddish coloured stars which contrast nicely with the whiter colour of the majority of stars. Try varying your power levels..sometimes a higher mag can darken the sky background, ie increase contrast, but for others the brighter, sharper image at lower power is better for seeing colours. I find the latter for myself.

Finally, on dso's you won't see any colours visually..the exception might be M42 in Orion, where you may see a greenish tinge (I do), but it IS very subtle..the fabulous colours we see in astro pix only come about with long or multiple exposures which allow more and more details to accumulate on the image, building areas of much more saturated colour.

Hope that helps..

Dave

[MishMich]

Thanks. I gave up trying to see DSOs through the scope, apart from lining them up take pictures, a while ago. As you say, M42 does yeild up some of its nebulosity. I tend to use the 32mm, as it gives the brightest and widest view. I think the SPX yeilds the best result visually. I tend not to use the Onyx for planets, because the focal length is quite short and I have to push it quite hard to get a viewable image. That is what I mainly use for the little deep sky imaging I have managed so far. Having said that, though, it gives the crispest views of the three, Jupiter and the Galileans together look good through it. I got the 5" Meade for imaging planets, although haven't really had many opportunities to make use of it yet. It's always a hard to decide which to use, and soon I will be mounting the two refractors together, because I tend to keep what I have on the mount for the evening - so I will start out intending to do visual with the SPX, and end up sticking a camera on that, or image with the Onyx, and end up looking through it instead. I guess what I need is two mounts, then I could be using one for imaging, and while I'm doing that, use the other one to mount a scope to look through. But that seems a bit OTT. Just wish there was more time in those rare evenings when I can use the equipment.

M.

[John]

I've tried a number of the TBM / Burgess Planetary eyepieces and the TS Planetary clones and one that was the same design but not branded at all.

I was pretty impressed by all the ones I tried (3.5mm, 4mm, 5mm 6mm and 9mm). They seemed a pretty good balance between viewing comfort (semi-wide field and decent eye relief) and optical performance. Only one of the one's I've tried was affected by the original problem that the TMB / Burgess one were afflicted with - off-axis light flaring. On that one I had to remove, chamfer and blacken one of the internal lens retaining rings to remove the problem.

Good eyepieces for the money. I note that Telescope Services in Germany seem to be carrying 2 varients of them at the moment on e.bay - don't know it the differences are any more than cosmetic though.

[russ]

I note that Telescope Services in Germany seem to be carrying 2 varients of them at the moment on e.bay - don't know it the differences are any more than cosmetic though.

They do indeed John. I made the mistake of buying the one that has the more rounded body. It's the eyepiece i referred too earlier in the thread. Billed as a TMB but in use not quite as good. The HR version that looks like the Original TMB is the one to go for.

Russ

[Darren B]

I have the 5 & 4mm of the BO/TMB planetary (older style) and I like them. I find them easy to use. The 5mm came with a new grooved blackend retainer ring. I also flocked the interior of these eypieces. Didn't make much different with the 5mm, but increased contrast with the 4mm.