Dakota Tobias
super member
Reged: 02/17/05
Posts: 122
Loc: SouthCentral PA
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The pros have been pretty well covered here, the views on the moon and planets, double stars, and bright clusters especially can't be beat.
The biggest con for me is the slight light loss when using the binos as opposed to using a single eyepiece for DSOs. I formerly owned a pair of Denk standards and over the course of a year did exhaustive comparisons at similar magnifications between the binos and single eyepieces. From both my back yard and at various dark sky sites, the single eyepiece view always went a little deeper for me. For example, the difference was seeing spiral structure on M101 with direct vision while using a single eyepiece, as opposed to seeing it with averted vision through the binos. Globulars were also better resolved, M55 for example, in the single eyepiece. Of course, the tradeoff is the comfort factor. For me, at 12.5" of aperture, the difference was enough for me to sell the Denks and 24 Pans and stick with mono mode for most faint fuzzies. It always bothered me when I was observing select DSOs in the binos that I knew I could see just a little more detail through a single eyepiece. That's just the way I am. Of course, YMMV.
I do miss the binos more than I thought I would for the moon and planets though. Maybe a pair of Stellarvue BV3 in my near future? 
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Dakota Tobias
Dobstuff 12.5"
Orion XT8i
AT72ED
Lunt 60 Ha
Vixen Porta II
Edited by Dakota Tobias (08/16/07 11:22 AM)
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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 2085
Loc: Blue Ridge, GA, USA
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Quote:
...and now the focuser couldn't be pulled off by a gorilla.
I wouldn't bet on that - I've seen our Oliver loosening a screw that was tightened down with a socket wrench 
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tjswood
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 1881
Loc: Earth
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Is there enough interpupillary distance in your BV's for Oliver to comfortably view?
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DerekDRP
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 903
Loc: Michigan
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I've desided to wait until christmas to get the bino viewers and hope they're under the tree this christmas. I'm actually going to get a good dobby instead. since you all said the weight of the bino viewers will be heavy and my little scope will not be able to take it. but the big ole dobby will.
What do yout hink guys is it good idea?
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My Website
http://astroderek.wordpress.com/
My Sky Clock.
Quote By David H levy
Astronomy is an Art, Not a hobby.
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tjswood
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 1881
Loc: Earth
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Quote:
I've desided to wait until christmas to get the bino viewers and hope they're under the tree this christmas.
Same here... I may have to end up buying them, wrapping them, and then acting surprised and overjoyed when I open them... but hey, I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em.
Quote:
I'm actually going to get a good dobby instead. since you all said the weight of the bino viewers will be heavy and my little scope will not be able to take it. but the big ole dobby will.
What do yout hink guys is it good idea?
That's your judgement to make - hopefully this thread helped you reach a conclusion!  Its your $$$, spend it how you see fit!
Tim
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Rusty
Postmaster
Reged: 08/06/03
Posts: 19246
Loc: Brooker, FL
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Quote:
Same here... I may have to end up buying them, wrapping them, and then acting surprised and overjoyed when I open them... but hey, I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em.
Tim
Wait'll you get to be my age...then when you open them, it WILL be a surprise... 
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N11GPS Fastar//TOA-130S//MK66 Std//AT6RC//Vintage C5//Megrez II 80mm APO//SolarMax 40
NJP Temma II//Sirius EQ-G
Too Many Astro-Cameras//Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
Two not-spoiled Golden Retrievers - Casey and Nelson
Lot 19 Deerlick Astronomy Village (Canis Major)
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering. - Arthur C. Clarke
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tjswood
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 1881
Loc: Earth
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Russell Chase
super member
Reged: 05/09/07
Posts: 103
Loc: Northwest Arkansas
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I forgot a one. Well, it’s not a pro or a con rather it's something I have to do differently. For years (pre BV) I would observe with a contact in my left eye and no contact in my right viewing eye. If I had to drive to a dark site I would take the right contact out as soon as I arrived and then when I was ready to leave I would take the remaining contact out and put on glasses to drive home with (love those daily disposable contacts). Enough of the boring back ground, I like the only one contact method since my observing eye didn't get dry or have another lens in the optical train to degrade the image any more. When away from the eyepiece my mind was quick to dismiss my uncorrected eye and I could use the Telrad or whatever else I needed to do away from the telescope. But now, with the BV, my glasses are following me around all the time and getting in the way of things. I've tried the lanyard, putting them on my head, and just using them at the eyepiece, but nothing is as convenient as my previous method.
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b1gred
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 16902
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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I actually use "blended vision" (one contact for reading and nothing in the other eye. The only time I don't do this even when observing is at open houses where others may want to look through my BV. I simply use differential focus (the DenkIIs have individually adjustable focus on the EP holders, and keep right on going with the one "up close" eye and the other 'au naturale"...
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / W0RDR
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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DerekDRP
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 903
Loc: Michigan
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Thank you for the help guys. I wills till get the bino's but not at this time I need a scope that will support the wieght of the bino's Thank you again for the help.
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My Website
http://astroderek.wordpress.com/
My Sky Clock.
Quote By David H levy
Astronomy is an Art, Not a hobby.
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Star Gazer
sage
Reged: 05/25/07
Posts: 466
Loc: South Texas
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Quote:
Quote:
I almost never observe without them in my 9.25. I've loved them since day 1.
Same here, 90% of the time I use my C9.25 with the Denk II's.
How did you set yours up? Did you get the whole Denk II PXS BV set up, or did you get the PXS diagonal and BVs separate?
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Celestron CPC 9.25 GPS XLT
Stellarvue F50M 9x50 Finder
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
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Star Gazer
sage
Reged: 05/25/07
Posts: 466
Loc: South Texas
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Quote:
I've desided to wait until christmas to get the bino viewers and hope they're under the tree this christmas. I'm actually going to get a good dobby instead. since you all said the weight of the bino viewers will be heavy and my little scope will not be able to take it. but the big ole dobby will.
What do yout hink guys is it good idea?
Yea, it'll be Christmas before I can afford them. I would like Denk IIs. Maybe by then I will have figured out the best set up for my CPC 925.
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Celestron CPC 9.25 GPS XLT
Stellarvue F50M 9x50 Finder
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
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arowana
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/02/06
Posts: 2905
Loc: Pleasant View,Tennessee
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Just to chime in, I bought my Denk II's and Power X Switch Diagonal seperate. I like having the option of using the Power X Switch Diagonal with my eyepieces at star partys.
That way I dont have to keep changing things out for different viewers. Bino's out, eyepiece in. Very easy with a focal reducer and barlow to boot.
CS's
Joey
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CPC 1100
Earthwin Binoviewer with Dielectric P/F Switch
Matched Pair of 24 Pan's
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Star Gazer
sage
Reged: 05/25/07
Posts: 466
Loc: South Texas
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Quote:
Just to chime in, I bought my Denk II's and Power X Switch Diagonal seperate. I like having the option of using the Power X Switch Diagonal with my eyepieces at star partys.
That way I dont have to keep changing things out for different viewers. Bino's out, eyepiece in. Very easy with a focal reducer and barlow to boot.
CS's
Joey
I read somewhere there may be a problem getting that set up to focus all the way with a 925.
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Celestron CPC 9.25 GPS XLT
Stellarvue F50M 9x50 Finder
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
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arowana
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/02/06
Posts: 2905
Loc: Pleasant View,Tennessee
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I dont know about that. I have not heard that.
I would not think that the focus distance would be much different from my C-11. But I could be wrong.
I know that in my C-11, have about 2-3 full turns of focus left on both ends using this set-up.
CS's
Joey
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CPC 1100
Earthwin Binoviewer with Dielectric P/F Switch
Matched Pair of 24 Pan's
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Star Gazer
sage
Reged: 05/25/07
Posts: 466
Loc: South Texas
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I found it. "A special Dovetail Connector is also included for SCTs that may have less backfocus like the 14" Meade or the C9.25" by Celestron". It is part of the product description on OPTs web site. I thought there might be a problem with back focus (whatever that is).
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Celestron CPC 9.25 GPS XLT
Stellarvue F50M 9x50 Finder
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
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Joe Ogiba
Postmaster
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 5446
Loc: NJ USA
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I almost never observe without them in my 9.25. I've loved them since day 1.
Same here, 90% of the time I use my C9.25 with the Denk II's.
How did you set yours up? Did you get the whole Denk II PXS BV set up, or did you get the PXS diagonal and BVs separate?
I have the Denk II with PXS that works great with all my eyepiece pairs using the 2" Televue Everbright diagonal/SCT adapter.
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Pentax PF-80ED,Meade 102ED APO,Orion EON 72,120ST
Apex 127,C6 XLT,CR150,C9.25,XT10 ,Celestron Regal 100 F-ED, CT152
Zeiss 7x42 FL,Canon 10x42L IS WP,15x50 IS
12x36 IS II , Pentax 8x32 ED
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45, Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
21mm Ethos,17mm Ethos, 22mm Nagler, 40mm Pentax XW, 14mm Pentax XL, 5.2mm Pentax XL, 8-24mm Pentax XL Zoom, 31mm Axiom LX
Member #17
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Star Gazer
sage
Reged: 05/25/07
Posts: 466
Loc: South Texas
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Thanks Joe!
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Celestron CPC 9.25 GPS XLT
Stellarvue F50M 9x50 Finder
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
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rkoz
member
Reged: 06/24/07
Posts: 15
Loc: Naperville, IL
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Quote:
I've desided to wait until christmas to get the bino viewers and hope they're under the tree this christmas.
You may want to factor in a delay between ordering and getting them. I had an order for Denk 2's with a large internet telescope shop go a full month and then got a cancelation notice as they didn't know when they would get the product. I immediately placed an order direct with Denkmeier and it is moving past the 30 day mark. These apparently are special order with most resellers and made to order by Denk.
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CPC 1100 GPS
C 9.25 SCT (sometime after Jan 2009 this or the MAK will be sold)
Orion 150 Mak
TV 2 Pan 24's, 2 Pan 15mm, 2 Plo 11mm
Pentax 20UW, WO UWAN16
TV 31 Nagler, 40 Plo, 10 Radian
Denk 2 Binoviewer & S2 Switch Diagonal
Baader moon and skyglow filter
Televue Bandmate Mars type A filter
Skyview Pro mount
JMI Wheeley bar 10" tires
Stardust observing chair
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Mike B
Starstruck
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 8169
Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA
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Quote:
I thought there might be a problem with back focus (whatever that is).
My SCT is (was?) not one of those listed, and i had no focus problems, but in conversations with Russ at Denk he verified that for *some* SCTs (mainly the 9.25's of the species) there were issues of achieving focus... i believe it might have bveen specifically for "Starsweeper" or "focal-reduction" mode. Best thing is, if you've got one of the scope types mentioned, to contact Russ directly- while i believe there's no way to tell *beforehand* if it'll be an issue, i suspect he has a couple of tricks up his sleeve to assist, should your specific scope have that problem.
 mike b
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"I have been paddling in the shallows of a great ocean of knowledge." - Sir Isaac Newton
* * 15" F4.55 Starsplitter Dob & a Denk II binoviewer * *
http://peaceofsky.wordpress.com/
 Pacheco State Park
 Fremont Peak
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