Finally on the TV firm

[Moonshane]

ha ha

I have a long way to go before I can afford my dream scope - hold onto your cash for now

you are right that a small step will be needed at the zenith but in truth I am not keen on observing right at the zenith with a dob anyway.

[spaceboy]

Yep I know what you mean. There was a period of clear skies the other day (first for a long while). I wanted to get a view of uranus and Jupiter as they were so close together. Anyway I had one look and then immediately packed up. The seeing was just so bad it was unbelievable. In fact I haven't had good seeing for about a month now. I got into this hobby in April last year so this is my first winter observing. I just wonder if its normally this pants. The only highlight I have had recently is my first view of the orion nebula and very nice it was!

I've had a telescope for 6 years but due to busy work schedules only got to use it now and again. Now I'm out of work and looking after the kids last year was my first proper year for observing. Although the skies are brighter during the summer, because of the warm air seeing tends to be slightly better (if you kept the scope cool that is). M57 is amazing during the summer and other objects come to life late in to the night but there is no doubt the darkness of winter makes for more DSO opportunities. I have had probably 13-16 nights under the skies in 3 mths 7 days. Most of the time I've had to make do with my binoculars but that's just a quick look around before cloud came over. We have had a few clear skies but if I see too much twinkle to the stars then I know it's not worth the hassle setting up. These nights are not a total loss as it gives an opportunity to learn the constellations with out actually missing out on telescope time.

In the 6 years I've been looking at the stars I have never seen the seeing as bad as it was the other night. TBH I think I was that desperate to get the telescope out that I ignored the usual star twinkle check.

[spaceboy]

I did half consider a 7mm Nag while T/house had 10% off but M42 sits perfectly in the 9mm and any more mag than this I see it as planets, globulars and tiny distant galaxies so the 6mm seems the next best choice. Some times you just have to stand back and think DO I really need this ???.

ARRRGGGGHH!!! Well it would appear after last nights all nighter under superb skies the 7mm Nag "I really need this" after all dam weather!! I have been relying on doing my sums to what magnification will work best as Birmingham has had no decent skies for months and when we do the seeing is often so bad I've been settling for lower powers than usual and now I have finally had a decent nights viewing it would appear I F'ed up my calculations!

My 200p happily viewed Globulars with the (167x) 6mm Radian but :iamwithstupid:was hoping the lack of a (171x) 7mm gap would be OK on the 10" and the 6mm Rad at 200x would be OK. I think this might be a tad to much magnification to work efficiently on globulars given our usual poor seeing. As we know upping the mag dulls the image slightly and I think the extra 33x is going to rob me of some view. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the extra 2" of aperture will compensate for any dulling but I will truly be at the mercy of seeing as if it won't take 200x the next best thing after that is my (133x) 9mm or barlowed 16mm at 150x

4 times I got to checkout at T/house and hesitated over complete due to lack of funds but it now appears this boat has now sailed and I'm gona have to hope one comes up second hand at a competitive price. I can't help but laugh at my prediqument as I try to keep a level head about needlessly buying EP's but yet I find myself in this moneytrap of needing yet another. I laughed at Stargazing live when they said you don't need much money to start stargazing

Roll on an 82' 6-20 nagler zoom to save us all the hassle of never having enough EP's.

FYI I personally think M3 is better than M13 don't know what's the big fuss about "The great cluster" And Saturn looked great now the rings are opening up a bit.

[Moonshane]

I got around this problem by getting some cheaper options to fill in the gaps in my main EPs. I bought a 7mm Baader Genuine Ortho for £42 used as well as a 9mm University Ortho for £27 used, plus a 15mm TV plossl new for £56.

my dream EP would be a 7-14mm Nagler zoom. Even if it had the 50 degree field and 10mm eye relief of my 3-6mm it would just be awesome.

[Kef9]

Just a thought but an Antares Speers Waler Zoom might just be the ticket?

I love mine.

[spaceboy]

Just a thought but an Antares Speers Waler Zoom might just be the ticket?

I love mine.

This is an eye Piece I haven't researched. How do you find your? How is it regards FOV, ER etc?? TBH I haven't come across many of these do they no longer sell them. They look a large eye piece what is the weight like???

If it wasn't for the 80minute round trip and the £7 in diesel to get to my dark site I wouldn't be so p***t off. I just know I will get there one night and the sky's are going to be turbulent and the 6mm will be to much magnification. It has been a steep learning curve for me as I have for 6 years used plossl's and a F/10 scope. It's been a 6 year habit of reaching for a certain eye piece for a certain object and knowing what works best to now having to forget all that I know and get used to using shorter FL EP's. I now have 4,5,6mm EP's which would have been useless in my F/10 and it still feels odd reaching for them to put in my F/5. This morning I barlowed my 5mm with relative success

[Kef9]

I love mine. I finally got a lens pen so I could clean the eye lens of eyelash grease so I guess that kind of tells you what the eye relief is like although I don't have a problem with it. FOV is 89 to 84 degrees dependent on setting and its sharp right to the edge. I have the series 1 and there is alot of dust inside the barrel due to the way the zoom mechanism works. You can get it sent off to be removed by Antares themselves which I might just do one day. This dust doesn't affect the viewing although I saw it once when I powermated it to 2.5mm in one of Shanes scopes which was weird. The series 2 zoom solves this problem I think by having a click stop mechanism. There are a few retailers selling the series 2 new for about £250. I got mine second hand although I do think to myself whether I should upgrade to the new model? ummm. Have a search on the forums and you will see that a few of us have them. From memory I think Russ and Andrew* do. I like to give an honest appraisal of an eye piece than rather just say its great because I have it. There have been positive reviews of eyepieces I have read and then when I have come to use them they have been shocking.

I think £7 to get to your dark site is good. It would be alot more for me! Just been out tonight and it was very clear and unusually dark. I got the best view of the orion nebula I've ever had through my 8mm ethos. It's the first time I've had the chance to use it and you can tell eye relief is alot tighter than the other models. Nebulosity was awesome and still showing brightly even at 5mm with the XO where i centred on the trapezium. It was really a night for the startravel and a bit more aperture but I had the C100ED on the mount. Think I might swap them over again as it only takes 3 minutes. I just couldn't be bothered but wish I had now.

I think you need to sell some of your gear and get a nag zoom also! very very useful to dial into the seeing.

[spaceboy]

I think you need to sell some of your gear and get a nag zoom also! very very useful to dial into the seeing.

WHAT!!! and give up my TMB's NEVER!!!!! I've had a look through a Nag zoom in a shop and the ER would be too like taking a step back to plossls for me.

[Kef9]

I know the TMB's are great but the nag zooms cut down the number of eyepieces you need. 1 nag zoom can equal 4 to 5 eyepieces. It's just something to consider.

I personally dont have any issue with eye relief and only think it matters if you wear glasses for obvious reasons. I get by with just 3mm of eye relief (if that!) on the XO and I can take in the whole FoV. There is a special technique!

[spaceboy]

Don't get me wrong if I had the cash and one came up at the right price I would probably go for it, but we all know TV's hold there price well and at £275 new I don't have a prayer. I missed one last year and I haven't seen another come up 2nd hand since. Unfortunately in the mean time my money burnt a hole through my pocket

[Nexus 6]

Hi Spaceboy,

I must admitt I am very fortunate in being only a few minutes walk from a decent dark sky location, what makes it better is the view to the south is the best due to very little lp and I have a great horizon in almost every direction. Unfortunately its not really possible to take the 925 there but I hope to report my opinion on the views with the new Helois 20x90's I have just bought from there in the near future. I apologize for high jacking this Televue thread but I guess its this location it makes up for the lack of enough quality ep's!

Alan

[spaceboy]

Hi Spaceboy,

I must admitt I am very fortunate in being only a few minutes walk from a decent dark sky location, what makes it better is the view to the south is the best due to very little lp and I have a great horizon in almost every direction. Unfortunately its not really possible to take the 925 there but I hope to report my opinion on the views with the new Helois 20x90's I have just bought from there in the near future. I apologize for high jacking this Televue thread but I guess its this location it makes up for the lack of enough quality ep's!

Alan

Congrats on the 20x90s I saw them and half considered it but I now have to save the pennies for a 7mm Nag. I have the 20x60's and they are a great binocular. Japanese build quality you can't go far wrong but you will need a HD tripod as they will weigh a ton. Hijack away as I feel it all makes for a good read. Must admit I am envious that you are steps away from dark skies. Where I am it never really gets dark, you wait and wait and then the sun comes up I understand it is something to do with light bouncing of particles and pollution in the sky so the fact that Brum has a lot of industry as well as LP doesn't help matters either. There is the rare occasion you see more than constellations and a slight tint to the milky way can be made out but on those nights the cloud decides to come over.

[Nexus 6]

Hi Spaceboy, thanks for your reply, ye it must be a bummer to have such poor conditions and lp. I am right on the Humber river so there is a fair bit of industry along the bank so I guess its not perfect but I have no complaints.

Alan

[John]

...I got the best view of the orion nebula I've ever had through my 8mm ethos. It's the first time I've had the chance to use it and you can tell eye relief is alot tighter than the other models.....

That's interesting - according to the Tele Vue specs (usually accurate) the eyerelief is the same across all the Ethe - 15mm

I've not noticed a difference between the 13mm, 8mm and 6mm's that I have.

The 8mm is a great DSO eyepiece though - ideal for spotting the fine details such as E & F Trapezium

[Kef9]

I can tell the difference. To me it just feels tighter and I've read comments from others that have said the same. Apparently some dont like the 6mm for this reason.

I'll probably get used to it though like you do with all eyepieces and then I won't be able to tell the difference.

[John]

I'll probably get used to it though like you do with all eyepieces and then I won't be able to tell the difference.

I know what you mean - you get used to their "little ways" then it seems odd to use something else

[spaceboy]

You will always have one that you feel lets the side down. Although I am very happy with it and there is no real alternative the 10mm eye relief of my 16mm Nag makes it harder to see the field stop. It is comfortable to use and more compact than all my Nags so I wouldn't want to change it. I just wish they had made the usual 12mm ER then that would have been perfect but I would imagine it would have also have made it much larger. I can see the field stop on my other naglers at 12mm ER but I still need to look around to make out the whole view so I guess the 16mm works out anyway but I can't help but think "if only".

[callisto]

I've just purchased a TV Plossl, can I be in the gang

[Moonshane]

sure mate - no snobbery here - a superb eyepiece is a superb eyepiece no matter what the field.

[spaceboy]

Welcome Callisto

[callisto]

Thanks everyone

Honestly though, its a fantastic eyepiece.

[spaceboy]

Do you plan to add any others ? What is your line up anyway ?

[callisto]

Hopefuly,

I'm saving hard at the minute

My line up is....6mm WO SPL, 9 and 15mm WO Swan, 28mm WO Uwan.

And just added the TV 20mm

[callisto]

Oh, sorry,

Got a SW 32mm Panaview also.

[spaceboy]

Not a bad line up at all callisto I take it you like Williams EP's. How do you find them in your dob ? I have the same dob but under the SW brand name but don't get the fancy dob knob for some reason