Telescope Reviews: Exposed Brandon

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Equipment Discussions >> Eyepieces

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Jaimo!
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/11/07

Loc: Exit 135 / 40° North

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: Ed Kessler]
#5648780 - 01/28/13 05:30 PM

Thanks Bill, I always love to see the insides of eyepieces!

Jaimo!

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LDb
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/01/08

Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: leonard]
#5651482 - 01/30/13 12:47 AM

Quote:

......

From what BillP has shown here Rick Wood has been correct ,a Brandon is a Brandon and only a Brandon !!! .......

Just another 2-cents from this Acolyte of St. Chester .....
I couldn't agree more. The Brandon is not an antiquated, quaint, design from yesteryear .... it's a superb optical component. I use mine Bino'd and have for decades.

The US Military does indeed use these eyepieces in various "spotting" applications, and other "field-instrumentation". I know this from personal experience as well and yes, many are just lost, and also get damaged when rubbing sand and grit from the eye-lens .... use your imagination.

They are extraordinary eyepieces and give astonishing images in my Meade 14" LX200GPS, and every other scope I have every owned.

Thanks Bill for showing the optics. Once and for all showing that they are indeed three different lenses in the group of four. And we all know that one of them is the special glass not generally available and only in limited pours, especially for the exceptional 48mm Brandon.

Lie I said -- just my 2-cents.

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Rick Woods
Postmaster

Reged: 01/27/05

Loc: Inner Solar System

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: Ed Kessler]
#5651501 - 01/30/13 01:13 AM

Quote:

I'm using Brandon's with a Vernonscope binoviewer for much of my observing these days.

You're obviously a man of refinement and impeccable taste.

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Rick Woods
Postmaster

Reged: 01/27/05

Loc: Inner Solar System

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: leonard]
#5651508 - 01/30/13 01:24 AM

Quote:

Hi Jeff ,

>>>> Equating age of a design to usefulness or performance is a big mistake. <<<<<

I don't think so .

Well you should. I submit:

Exhibit A - Marilyn Monroe. As far as I know, there have been no improvements in the design, despite the passage of time and multiple newer entries.

Exhibit B - the Les Paul and Stratocaster guitars. There have been modifications, versions, etc; but the original design is where they really got it right.

Exhibit C - the Constitution of the United States. Nuff said.

(You already covered Exhibit D, the 1911 pistol.)

Some things are just good, and remain good. Other things come along, but never eclipse them.

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johnnyha
Postmaster

Reged: 11/12/06

Loc: Sherman Oaks, CA

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: Rick Woods]
#5651709 - 01/30/13 07:23 AM

Quote:

Exhibit C - the Constitution of the United States. Nuff said.

To be fair, the original, "perfect" document has undergone a few subtle, minor alterations over the years - establishment of gun rights, abolition of slavery, women's right to vote, freedom of speech, and so forth.

Of course, by the same token, the newer Brandons have different colored coatings.

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: Rick Woods]
#5652517 - 01/30/13 03:08 PM

Marilyn was a "pill head" with emotional problems.

Guitars, themselves, are headed the way of the Lute and Mandolin.

The Constitution erroneously confers things as "rights" that really ought instead to be "privileges" that have to be earned and can be taken away when someone demonstrates that they can't use them responsibly.

Thanks heavens that Brandons are NOT analogous to the listed items.

- Jim

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Rick Woods
Postmaster

Reged: 01/27/05

Loc: Inner Solar System

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: jrbarnett]
#5652572 - 01/30/13 03:40 PM

Quote:

Marilyn was a "pill head" with emotional problems.

Guitars, themselves, are headed the way of the Lute and Mandolin.

The Constitution erroneously confers things as "rights" that really ought instead to be "privileges" that have to be earned and can be taken away when someone demonstrates that they can't use them responsibly.

Dude! What's wrong with you?

- I was speaking of Marilyn Monroe. You're obviously talking about Norma Jean Whats-her-name.

- You're hallucinating about guitars. I'd love to know where you got that idea!

- Facist-speak. Who confers these "privileges"? You, I assume, would be the one to determine whether a person was or wasn't using them responsibly?
You tread on dangerous ground when you speak about the Constitution being in error. Such an assertion presupposes that you are smarter and wiser than the men who framed it. No offense, Jim, but - I don't think so!

You always seemed so rational before.

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bcuddihee
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 11/04/06

Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: Rick Woods]
#5652823 - 01/30/13 05:27 PM

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johnnyha
Postmaster

Reged: 11/12/06

Loc: Sherman Oaks, CA

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: bcuddihee]
#5652968 - 01/30/13 06:32 PM

I sense the Brandons are slowly gaining more respect. Gone are the days when the actual word was censored from this very site. Especially with the current dearth of quality orthos, I think people are starting to appreciate the incredible quality v. cost value of these little expertly-polished American jewels. They have definitely become quite popular in the binoviewing community.

They are not plossls, they are not orthos. They are Brandons!

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iceblaze
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/15/11

Loc: 33.9° N, 118.4° W Lawndale, CA

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: johnnyha]
#5653137 - 01/30/13 08:15 PM

No more politics please. Keep this on topic in regards to the exposed Brandon, and the theory behind them.

Thanks,

-James

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dscarpa
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/15/08

Loc: San Diego Ca.

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: BillP]
#5654553 - 01/31/13 03:35 PM

I bought a 24 Brandon in Dec. and it's one of my favorites. Used it last night last night barlowed back with my 10 XW and 12 Delos with very good seeing on Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon. The Brandon's every bit their equal but with a special quality to the image that's all it's own. I got to use it and the 10XW barlowed at 550X on the Moon in my C-9.25 with excellent seeing a few weeks ago. One of my all time favorite lunar sessions. As for DSOs while image seems darker than the widefields I can see as many stars and or as much nebula detail. Once again that special quality comes through. David

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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/28/03

Loc: Prescott, AZ

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: dscarpa]
#5654630 - 01/31/13 04:26 PM

Quote:

I bought a 24 Brandon in Dec. and it's one of my favorites. Used it last night last night barlowed back with my 10 XW and 12 Delos with very good seeing on Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon. The Brandon's every bit their equal but with a special quality to the image that's all it's own. I got to use it and the 10XW barlowed at 550X on the Moon in my C-9.25 with excellent seeing a few weeks ago. One of my all time favorite lunar sessions. As for DSOs while image seems darker than the widefields I can see as many stars and or as much nebula detail. Once again that special quality comes through. David

The 24 has become my favorite too. It has sharpness, contrast, and great eye relief. The best view I have ever had of the M11 region (including large Dob views) was through an 8" refractor with the 24 Brandon. The rifts of dark nebula, range of grayscale, and the tiny diamond stars were incredible.

While I love my Delos eyepieces last year I put a barlowed 24 Brandon against my new 10 Delos, and on the narrow field targets it was the clear winner, as I wrote in post 5179553.

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BillP
Postmaster

Reged: 11/26/06

Loc: Vienna, VA

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: dscarpa]
#5654681 - 01/31/13 04:53 PM

Quote:

As for DSOs while image seems darker than the widefields I can see as many stars and or as much nebula detail.

IMO, the darker "look" to the background is a consequence of the reduced transmission of single coated optics and the hypothesized better polish could be a factor as well. FWIW, in many tests I have done over the years with Brandon's vs other multicoated eyepieces, was easy to detect greater extent to nebula and more faint or adverted vision stars with the multicoated optics. Most recently I pitted the 8mm Brandon against the 8mm AP-SPL and it was *no contest* on which pulled in more stars and nebula (the AP)...similarly with the 24mm Brandon vs the 25mm Sterling. On Moon and Planets though, the Brandon definitely outclasses most normal eyepieces showing more or better details.

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Kent10
professor emeritus

Reged: 05/08/12

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: BillP]
#5654732 - 01/31/13 05:24 PM

I wonder what the difference in transmission would be between the Brandon and AP-SPL or Sterling. Is it true that most people wouldn't notice a difference of up to 10%. Is the transmission difference between those 2 EP's more than 10% then if the difference is easily seen. Thanks.

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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art

Reged: 11/10/03

Loc: Upstate NY

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: BillP]
#5654745 - 01/31/13 05:30 PM

Really was one of the very simplest eyepieces to take apart I have done. No little retaining rings to futz with or anything like that. And very easy to "properly"

reassemble.

No, you're out of luck. You released the magical stardust that Don includes between the lens groups. Your Brandon will never be the same again.

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leonard
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 10/19/07

Loc: West Virginia

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: BillP]
#5655160 - 01/31/13 10:01 PM

Hello BillP,

Glade you took the time to show the lens elements of the Brandon . I may have known about the lens configuration and let it slip my mind , but it come as a suprise that it looks this way .
I had it in my mind that the Brandon had one lens group with a smaller diameter than the other like what may be called a true Plossl.
Thanks for showing .

PS - Sorry about steering the topic away from thread , I feel remorse over the fact , enough said .

Leonard

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iceblaze
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/15/11

Loc: 33.9° N, 118.4° W Lawndale, CA

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: leonard]
#5655195 - 01/31/13 10:20 PM

Final warning. If this thread does not stay on topic it will be locked. We do not need anymore harassing of other members just because they prefer a specific line of eyepieces. I have removed all of the bickering-type posts and their responses.

Thanks.

-James

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orion61
Vendor(Clear Edge Optical)

Reged: 10/20/07

Loc: NW Iowa BURRRR

Re: Exposed Brandon new

[Re: Moonglum]
#5656044 - 02/01/13 10:27 AM

Quote:

Hey! Gonna blacken the edges with a sharpie before you put them back in? Are these easy to take apart and put back together? (I want to blacken mine...) I ordered mine with no fieldstops because I'm alt/az at F20. I'm gonna try cutting my own fieldstops out of a soft black plastic waste-basket. Getting the holes perfectly centre for merging with binos will be the tricky part.

try rubber O-rings they work great!

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