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amiraziz
member
Reged: 02/22/08
Posts: 11
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I am trying to decide between two offering from University Optics "University Abbe Orthoscopics" and "University H.D. Abbe Orthoscopics". Can someone tell me the difference between the two and which one is better investment? Thank you.
Amir
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mikey cee
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/18/07
Posts: 2287
Loc: bellevue ne.
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Amir.....In all practical honesty about $20. The volcano tops do have better eye relief tho'. Invest the savings towards a later or better scope upgrade if you must later.   Mike
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Mike 10x50 sears tower binocs, 3" f/10 edmunds reflector, 2.4" f/11.7 manon refractor, 6" f/8 jaegers refractor, "The 8 Ball" 8" f/13.3 brandt refractor, 3" f/15.8 sans&streiffe refractor, 3.1" f/15 selsi refractor(towa 339), 2.4" f/15 sears refractor, selsi 30x30mm spyglass, criterion 5-draw 25x45x75x spyglass(1957).
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Jim Rosenstock
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 2351
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Differences include:
1. The HD has, perhaps, slightly better coatings. The visual difference most times will be undetectable, or very small...but perhaps that 'little bit" is important to you...
2. The HD has a "flat top", while the old-style UO ortho has a "cone top" or "volcano top".
3. The HD has a "safety undercut" or groove on the barrel, which is supposed to help prevent the eyepiece from falling out of the focuser onto the ground.
4. The HD costs about $20 more.
Many of us do not regard 2 and 3 above as advantages for the HD....we find the "volcano top" eyepieces easier to use, and the safety undercut can be a pain when you're taking the eyepiece out of the focuser...it's easy to pull your telescope off-target if the undercut catches the focuser thumbscrew.
I'd gladly pay $20 more for the slightly improved coatings alone, but overall I like the original, cheaper eyepieces better, because they are more user-friendly, and they have 95% of the optical performance of the HD as well...
In any case, the UO abbe orthos are a good choice. Very sharp, very economical.
Clear skies,
Jim
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amiraziz
member
Reged: 02/22/08
Posts: 11
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So you are suggesting to go for University "Abbe Orthoscopics". Just out of curiosity what is the eye relief of both EPs? Thank you.
Amir
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BillP
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 2187
Loc: Vienna, VA
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To my eye, the HDs put up a better picture which was easy to see -- better contrast, brighter, and appeared sharper. I never had a problem with the ergonomics of the flat top vs the volcano, as others sometimes do. IMO the UO ODs or the Baader Genuine Orthos are tops in this price class.
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250mm f/4.7 Orion XT10i Dobsonian
102mm f/8.0 Tak TSA Super-APO
66mm f/5.9 WO ZenithStar SD APO
40mm f/10 Coronado P.S.T.
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rtomw77
sage
Reged: 10/06/04
Posts: 461
Loc: Deer Valley, AZ
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The HD orthos are parfocal, and the standard volcano tops are not.
Tom
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Celestron 8" Nexstar GPS XLT
Meade 8" f/6 newtonian on GEM-New GSO Mirror
StarBlast 4.5" Dob
XT12 IntelliScope Dob with COL
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7618
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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I've owned 3 of the HD Orthos and after using them in an F/5 refractor,an F/6 reflector and an F/10 SCT,they are not precisely parafocal IME. I needed to tweak the focuser of whatever scope being used to obtain the best focus. To me the overall differences are mighty slim when compared to the KK Orthos but the one thing that stands out is to me they scatter less light than the volcano top Ortho or my present Antares flat top Orthos. The flat top design presents me with no eye relief issues in focal lengths of 7mm and above. I love the near neutral color rendition when used to split double stars and for this purpose these probably are the most cost effective eyepieces I've ever used. IMO they are an $80.00 bargain when purchased new.
At present I'm using a 7mm Antares Ortho in an undriven Dob at 171X and can still track and keep my target in view without too much difficulty. I've been doing a side by side comparison between this eyepiece and the 7T1 Nagler for most of the last 2 weeks. The Nagler makes manual tracking much easier but pretty much plays seconds fiddle in all other optical aspects,with the exception of off axis correction for astigmatism in my F/4.9 scope. I'm giving serious consideration to letting the 7T1 and my 4.8 Nagler find a new home.
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
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David E
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/25/06
Posts: 1711
Loc: North Carolina
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I bought a 7mm volcano top and a 6mm flat top so I can tell them apart in the dark.
David E
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David E
So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.
-Robert Frost
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pennyandchris
sage
Reged: 01/30/07
Posts: 493
Loc: Horsham, England
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Quote:
Differences include:
1. The HD has, perhaps, slightly better coatings. The visual difference most times will be undetectable, or very small...but perhaps that 'little bit" is important to you...
2. The HD has a "flat top", while the old-style UO ortho has a "cone top" or "volcano top".
3. The HD has a "safety undercut" or groove on the barrel, which is supposed to help prevent the eyepiece from falling out of the focuser onto the ground.
4. The HD costs about $20 more.
Many of us do not regard 2 and 3 above as advantages for the HD....we find the "volcano top" eyepieces easier to use, and the safety undercut can be a pain when you're taking the eyepiece out of the focuser...it's easy to pull your telescope off-target if the undercut catches the focuser thumbscrew.
I'd gladly pay $20 more for the slightly improved coatings alone, but overall I like the original, cheaper eyepieces better, because they are more user-friendly, and they have 95% of the optical performance of the HD as well...
In any case, the UO abbe orthos are a good choice. Very sharp, very economical.
Clear skies,
Jim
What he said. BUT, I couldn't see significant difference in performance, and so have settled on a (nearly complete) set of 'volcano-tops'. They are definitely more comfortable to use at shorter f.l.s.
The HDs and Baaders are allegedly nearer parfocal, but the 'volcano-tops' are not far off.
I still believe there's more difference between manufacturing batches than whatever labelling and metalwork is put on these eyepieces.
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Orion UK OMC140 Mak Cass
TeleVue Ranger
Coronado Ha and CaK PSTs
Meade LXD75 mount
Ambermile alt-az mount on wooden surveyors tripod
Manfrotto 074 photo tripod with 501 head
+ various binocs
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