Ascension ED Eyepices

[Bried]

I bought an Ascension ED 5.2mm eyepiece a couple of weeks ago. Here is the link:

Ascension ED Apochromatic Eyepieces.

I know it's not the most expensive EP at £55 but I was expecting superior quality compared to what I have been getting with my standard EPs supplied with my scope.

What I have noticed is that whilst the subject of my viewing is dead centre in the FOV everything seems fine, but as soon as what ever I am looking at starts to move off to the side it becomes very distorted. I have been viewing Jupiter a lot and it isn't just obvious whilst right at the edge of FOV. As soon as Jupiter is slightly to the left it starts to become elongated and blurs outward towards the edge, becoming more severe the closer to the edge it becomes.

I'm sure this isn't a collimation issue as I have swapped the EP with my standard supplied Skywatcher 10mm with 2x Barlow which gives similar magnification and the view is rapidly improved!

Like I mentioned, I bought this EP as an upgrade but I seem to have bought a downgrade!

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this brand and model and has had similar problems or just has some general comments. They are supposed to be (or so I was told) very similar to the Celestron X-Cel EPs.

I have got two Televue Plossls on order now anyway. I have heard lots of good things about them and am quite confident that I won't be disappointed this time.

Brian

[Capricorn]

They look very much like copies/clones of the Orion range of ED2 eyepieces. Basically same production line but not branded/marked as Orion. The specification reads as if they are.

If are simply unbranded Orions then they should be quite good.

I would therefore guess that you have been unfortunate in getting a bad one or it may be that your scope and that range do not work together, not all eyepieces will work equally on all scopes. You do not say the scope. Is it f/5 by chance?

TV plossl's start at 8mm so comparing the 2, a 5.2mm to an 8mm, is a bit unfair.

Also have you bought the 5.2mm to give a large and therefore possibly excessive magnification for the scope, in which case an 8mm will be better.

[Bried]

Thanks for your reply. I haven't got my tv plossls yet. Hopefully in the post soon:D

I was comparing to my skywatcher 10mm and 2x barlow that come standard with the scope. From what I've heard on sgl they are nothing to write home about but they give similar magnification to the ascention EP and totally outperform it too. My scope is f5 by the way.

I've also read that a lot of people don't use barlows because of the lack of definition but I would definately say that using the bog standard supplied barlow and 10mm EP I am getting bettet results.

I think basically I am giving the ascension EP a big thumbs down aren't I?

I just don't feel confident (being a noob) in giving a piece of gear a bad review (when it could be me) but all the evidence suggests that it's a load of pants.

Which is a pity because it looks the business.

I'm putting my faith in the TV plossls now.

I was wondering from the lack of replies on this post that no one had heard of ascension gear.

I have done quite a few searchs on the net and come up with nothing other than the website of the shop I bought it from.

My god, this post has been really hard! I am typing it in bed on my blackberry after having quite a few drinks from my mates wedding

It has taken me abiut half an hour!

My eyes probablly won't be able to see through a scope again after pressing these fiiddly buttons!

Cheers

Brian.

hick!

[Bried]

Thanks for your reply. I haven't got my tv plossls yet. Hopefully in the post soon:D

I was comparing to my skywatcher 10mm and 2x barlow that come standard with the scope. From what I've heard on sgl they are nothing to write home about but they give similar magnification to the ascention EP and totally outperform it too. My scope is f5 by the way.

I've also read that a lot of people don't use barlows because of the lack of definition but I would definately say that using the bog standard supplied barlow and 10mm EP I am getting bettet results.

I think basically I am giving the ascension EP a big thumbs down aren't I?

I just don't feel confident (being a noob) in giving a piece of gear a bad review (when it could be me) but all the evidence suggests that it's a load of pants.

Which is a pity because it looks the business.

I'm putting my faith in the TV plossls now.

I was wondering from the lack of replies on this post that no one had heard of ascension gear.

I have done quite a few searchs on the net and come up with nothing other than the website of the shop I bought it from.

My god, this post has been really hard! I am typing it in bed on my blackberry after having quite a few drinks from my mates wedding

It has taken me abiut half an hour!

My eyes probablly will won't be able to see through a scope again after pressing these fiiddly buttons!

Cheers

Brian.

hick!

[ID1 john Ei3]

Thanks for your reply. I haven't got my tv plossls yet. Hopefully in the post soon:D

I was comparing to my skywatcher 10mm and 2x barlow that come standard with the scope. From what I've heard on sgl they are nothing to write home about but they give similar magnification to the ascention EP and totally outperform it too. My scope is f5 by the way.

I've also read that a lot of people don't use barlows because of the lack of definition but I would definately say that using the bog standard supplied barlow and 10mm EP I am getting bettet results.

I think basically I am giving the ascension EP a big thumbs down aren't I?

I just don't feel confident (being a noob) in giving a piece of gear a bad review (when it could be me) but all the evidence suggests that it's a load of pants.

Which is a pity because it looks the business.

I'm putting my faith in the TV plossls now.

I was wondering from the lack of replies on this post that no one had heard of ascension gear.

I have done quite a few searchs on the net and come up with nothing other than the website of the shop I bought it from.

My god, this post has been really hard! I am typing it in bed on my blackberry after having quite a few drinks from my mates wedding

It has taken me abiut half an hour!

My eyes probablly will won't be able to see through a scope again after pressing these fiiddly buttons!

Cheers

Brian.

hick!

Hi I know it has been a while now but what are your conclusions on the ED EPs now that you have had time to play with the TV plossl's?