Budget 2" widefield eyepiece for flextube Dob?

[astroimpulse]

Say Wha!

So they're duff?

[John]

I think that means a "no show" from the eyepieces

[astroimpulse]

Looks like I dodged a bullet. Although they must be a one off mistake, surly?

[CGolder]

Yup, not in stock with a 28 lead time followed by a never going to be back in stock message

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[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

As in "A fish called Wanda":

"OK, OK. Disappointed!!!"

Sad state of affairs.

[astroimpulse]

Yup, not in stock with a 28 lead time followed by a never going to be back in stock message

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Ah...you didn't get them Thought your scenario seemed strange lol

I got (a few months back):

1: "in stock" via phone

2: Ordered

3: "Received order and all is well" via phone

4: "It's now in dispatch" via phone

5: "It'll be gone today" via phone

6: "Item out of stock...sorry" by email

7: Struggle to get refund...opened dispute

8: Tried to trick me into closing dispute "we can't refund until the dispute is closed"...which is deceit as this renders you helpless once you close it. Paypal won't open a dispute again. Be aware of people trying to trick yous on this!

9: Threats = refund within the hour...which auto canceled the dispute.

Same thing happened a few days earlier (with a different item) but tried to give them the benefit of the doubt.

So poor at the front end but when I used astroboot they were faultless

[Space Cowboy]

Shucks!

[astroimpulse]

Have you been pointed to Telescope House's Revelation budget ones? Telescope House Revelation Eyepieces

Or Opticstar's Ascension Range? Ascension Super Wide Angle Eyepieces. or ultra wide (not as budget...but still) http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Accessories-Telescopes-Ascension.asp?p=0_10_5_1_1_0

Both 5 element ones (swa ones). Been considering both and after my fantastic experience with Opticstar I'm considering theirs. Although the Rev ones are a very nice price to me. I'm not going to be a full on observer so it's a sensible route while AP hogs all my cash

[sixela]

The first ones are GSO Superviews. Personally, I wouldn't do it, at least not in an f/5 scope.

The second ones are slightly better (recent Kunming United Optics SWAs, identical in design to the Skywatcher Panaview), but I also don't find them performing that well in f/5 scopes (they are about as good as it gets in the price class, though).

First law of fast scopes and eyepieces: widefield, cheap, good, pick any two.

[russ]

I would go with the Opticstar, it's the same as the Adler but with chrome barrel. The Revelation is tempting with its much lower price but it performs below the others too. I was quite disappointed with the Revelation 30mm Superview.

[CGolder]

i dunno, the price is getting too close to the WO Swan in my opinion. I think i would just get some of those... or panaview. the second hand value would be much better if ever replaced

[sixela]

No, not a SWAN in a fast scope. Performs worse than a Panaview and siblings and is not cheaper.

[Space Cowboy]

Thanks for those options Sy!

[pvaz]

Ok... the review...

These eyepiece offer 100% light transmission, you cant feel them in your hands as they are so light...but they also offer 0 magnification... thats right

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Ouch...

As my father always says "It's expensive to buy cheap!" (rough translation)

Edit: Ok now I see you never got them. I thought you had a fake EP sent to you.

[John]

I would go with the Opticstar, it's the same as the Adler but with chrome barrel. The Revelation is tempting with its much lower price but it performs below the others too. I was quite disappointed with the Revelation 30mm Superview.

I've tried a couple of those as well (the 30mm and the 42mm I seem to recall). They were not too good, even in slow scopes.

[derekm]

I've an Astronomica 2" 32mm SWA Super Wide-Angle 32mm (2in push fit)

£60 less 10% for SPA members.

I bought it when I had a Skywatcher 8" f6 and now it's on a Revelation 12" f5 and I can honestly say that it is excellent. No-one has made adverse comments of the views either.

I am not saying that a £400 hand grenade would not be better, but if £60 is classed as budget, it is wrong to infer that all budget 2" eyepieces are of doubtful utility and quality.

[PARTY MARTY]

I've got all the Skywatcher Panaview 2" eyepieces (26,32,38mm) and for the cost of all 3, they are really good value for money, esspecially when they all cost me under £300 in all, that's properly not even as much as one TV nagler 2" eyepiece with that value. The Panaview are a Bargain and they so excellent view of DSOs and I think 70 degree of F.O.V is very comfortable to the eye and more than sufficent.

If you can only afford just one eyepiece then get the Skywatcher 2" 26mm Panaview, it's your best bet and it cost's around £79, this is the best eyepiece I use more often with my Skywatcher 12" Dob!!

[cs1cjc]

I have the 38mm Adler Skarp. It gives a magnification of about 24x, nearly 3 degrees of view. with an exit pupil of about 8.5mm in my 200mm f4.5 newtonian. It works well as a fully illuminated finder and the first time I used it, there were M81 and M82 together, just as shown on star charts - wonderful! Stars look like seagulls at the edge. Further, the focal plane is very curved so if you focus the centre, the outer area is very out of focus. I focus a little way out and allow eye accommodation to bring the centre of the field back into focus. The central obstruction is barely visible, once my eyes are fully adapted.

It also works as the finder for my 70mm refractor. I do not regret buying it and a new widefield eyepiece is not high on my wish list.

[russ]

There's no doubt the best budget option is the Panaview/Adler/Astronomica/Opticstar SWA. Not perfect but does the job if the budget won't allow something better.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have the 38mm Adler Skarp. It gives a magnification of about 24x, nearly 3 degrees of view. with an exit pupil of about 8.5mm in my 200mm f4.5 newtonian. It works well as a fully illuminated finder and the first time I used it, there were M81 and M82 together, just as shown on star charts - wonderful! Stars look like seagulls at the edge. Further, the focal plane is very curved so if you focus the centre, the outer area is very out of focus. I focus a little way out and allow eye accommodation to bring the centre of the field back into focus. The central obstruction is barely visible, once my eyes are fully adapted.

It also works as the finder for my 70mm refractor. I do not regret buying it and a new widefield eyepiece is not high on my wish list.

These errors may be corrected with a coma-corrector/field flattener, especially in a fast Newtonian.

[John]

These errors may be corrected with a coma-corrector/field flattener, especially in a fast Newtonian.

But coma is a product of the scope, not the eyepiece

I'm not sure a coma corrector would remove astigmatism that is introduced b the eyepiece.

[cs1cjc]

These errors may be corrected with a coma-corrector/field flattener, especially in a fast Newtonian.

Indeed! I have the Altair Astro unit (same as the Astro-Tech, optical design by Roger Ceragioli, manufactured by GSO, I understand) which certainly makes a difference. With it, the outer edge of the Adler field is much more like it is in the refractor. "Seagulls" are much reduced, but the curved focus "plane" remains much the same.

Altair Astro Photo Visual Coma Corrector and Field Flattener for Newtonian reflectors

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

But coma is a product of the scope, not the eyepiece

I'm not sure a coma corrector would remove astigmatism that is introduced b the eyepiece.

Astigmatism would not be corrected, but part of the error may well be coma from the objective. The field curvature may also be attenuated by some correctors.

[John]

Astigmatism would not be corrected, but part of the error may well be coma from the objective. The field curvature may also be attenuated by some correctors.

Yes, I see that now

I guess coma and astigmatism are defects that affect / annoy some folks more than others (rather like chromatic abberation).

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Yes, I see that now

I guess coma and astigmatism are defects that affect / annoy some folks more than others (rather like chromatic abberation).

I have found that once you notice it, it starts to annoy. Hence my rule of thumb of replacing any piece of kit only when I start running into its limitations.