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Oly Olson
super member
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 155
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Anyone know anything about the Baader Planetarium 31mm Hyperion Aspheric eyepiece? I'm interested because it comes with a 1.25" barrel as well as the 2". I did a site search but came up donuts so any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Oly
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AstroPhethean
member
Reged: 03/04/08
Posts: 21
Loc: Aberdeen, UK
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It's a lovely eyepiece. I enjoyed the views at f/4.5 and f/5. Not saying they were perfect mind - just acceptable - on a par with a regular Hyperion, just with a hair more AFOV.
Using the 1.25" barrel is not much needed if you have a 2" focuser. The barrel cuts down on the AFOV considerably (to about 55° by my reckoning). However, the 1.25" barrel might be of use if you don't have 2" filters...
Anything else you wish to know?
Andrew
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Observing kit:
16" Lightbridge
7mm TS Planetary, 8.5-12mm Antares Speers-WALER, 18mm Meade S5K UWA, 32mm TV Wide Field.
Set of 4, 6, 10 and 16mm Zeiss Abbe-II orthoscopics and 2x Abbe barlow in a beautiful walnut case.
Imaging kit:
Skywatcher 8" newtonian and Orion ED80 side-by-side on EQ6.
Sony alpha-300, Atik 1-HS and 2-HS CCD; Minolta Film SLR.
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Oly Olson
super member
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 155
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You answered quite a bit for me there as I was wondering if it vignetted with the 1.25" barrel. I'm on the troll for eyepieces that outperform their price point (Celestron Axioms come to mind) and I'm rather curious about this one. Your personal opinion that it's "acceptable" vs. something a bit more gushing makes me wonder if it isn't simply a properly priced mid-range eyepiece?
Thanks for the feedback!
Best,
Oly
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Mike B
Starstruck
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 4460
Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA
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Oly-
A lot of these EP's performance "acceptability" will vary by the scope its used in, as well as the viewer's eyes, and *tastes*.
Quote:
I'm on the troll for eyepieces that outperform their price point
While i've never viewed thru these Aspherics, i *have* done so thru another EP of what is likely similar pedigree... a 30mm TMB 'Paragon'... which are (or recently *were*) on sale for ~$100 from this vendor, normally a $250 retail EP!
Yet i've found with the Paragon, when used in a fast Dob (mine's F4.55), it really needs a 'Paracorr'... at least for *my* eyes & tastes. And i've heard others say similar things re: the 31mm Aspheric. If your scope is an F7 refractor, it'll very likely be a different story.
Cheers,
 mike b
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Just for giggles- Next time when the money comes out the ATM, scream "I Won!, I Won!"
* * 15" F4.55 Starsplitter Dob * *
 Pacheco State Park
 Fremont Peak
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llanitedave
Humble Megalomaniac
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 10483
Loc: Amargosa Valley, NV, USA
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Quote:
You answered quite a bit for me there as I was wondering if it vignetted with the 1.25" barrel.
It might, but if so the vignetting is slight on my F/5.6 10", and I don't notice it visually. My estimate of the FOV through the 1.25" barrel is closer to 60 degrees than 55 -- it's significantly wider than that of my 32mm TV plossl.
Quote:
Your personal opinion that it's "acceptable" vs. something a bit more gushing makes me wonder if it isn't simply a properly priced mid-range eyepiece?
Thanks for the feedback!
Best,
Oly
"Properly priced" is itself nothing to sneeze at in this market! I happen to like mine quite a bit: transmission, clarity, sharpness and contrast are all excellent, distortion is low, much less than that of other Hyperions, astigmatism is, as was said, "acceptable", the coating colors are white and clear.
I don't know that you'll find better all around performance for that price point. But you might, since performance is a subjective measure.
You can certainly find better eyepieces, but they'd probably be much more expensive.
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"S.O.E." (Sauron's Other Eye) 16" Royce conical mirror: A permanent work in progress.
10" Homebuilt dob, old Coulter mirror
Next Project: The "Eye of Sauron" Observatory!
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llanitedave
Humble Megalomaniac
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 10483
Loc: Amargosa Valley, NV, USA
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Quote:
Yet i've found with the Paragon, when used in a fast Dob (mine's F4.55), it really needs a 'Paracorr'... at least for *my* eyes & tastes. And i've heard others say similar things re: the 31mm Aspheric. If your scope is an F7 refractor, it'll very likely be a different story.
Cheers,
mike b
Every fast scope I've ever viewed through "needed" a Paracorr, regardless of the eyepiece choice.
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"S.O.E." (Sauron's Other Eye) 16" Royce conical mirror: A permanent work in progress.
10" Homebuilt dob, old Coulter mirror
Next Project: The "Eye of Sauron" Observatory!
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Mike B
Starstruck
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 4460
Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA
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Having & using both a 24mm Pano & 12mm T4 Nagler, i was happy as a clam with my Dob's "coma", no Paracorr used or "needed". That changed pretty radically when lesser "corrected" EPs started getting tried! Coma by itself i find fairly tolerable... others may find it less so; But when EP astigmatism (and maybe EP field-curvature?) get thrown into the mix WITH the coma, that stew sunk to well below "tolerable", even in my book! 
Curiously enough, now that i have & use a Paracorr, the Paragon i'd previously turned my nose up at for abberations, is now (as predicted by many   ) pretty decent... with the coma removed from the view! Now its the little bit of astig & FC that are "tolerable". 
So now i wish i could try that Aspheric EP, as well... see how it fares in the system. My bet is that it'd do equally well as the 'Gon... but i have no way to say for sure. Perhaps someone's write-up on the matter is congealing as we speak?  But it was the OP's comment re:
Quote:
I'm on the troll for eyepieces that outperform their price point...
that made me think of the sale-priced Paragon...
mike b
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Just for giggles- Next time when the money comes out the ATM, scream "I Won!, I Won!"
* * 15" F4.55 Starsplitter Dob * *
Pacheco State Park
Fremont Peak
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Oly Olson
super member
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 155
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Thanks again for the feedback fellas. All good points re. opinions and some great info as well. Much appreciated!
Best,
Oly
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erik
telescope surgeon
Reged: 01/30/04
Posts: 24019
Loc: Hawaii 19 N lat -155 Long.
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I much prefer the Agena 32mm and 38mm SWA's to the 31mm and 36mm Hyperion Aspheric's. Better edge correction and price.
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
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csa/montana
Astro Ambassador
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 28681
Loc: montana
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Eric, is that with/without a paracorr?
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
AstroTech 66ED / Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Tak LE 5mm B/TMB 3.2
7mm Pentax XL, 10mm Pentax XW
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
22mm Pan, 35mm Pan
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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llanitedave
Humble Megalomaniac
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 10483
Loc: Amargosa Valley, NV, USA
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Quote:
I much prefer the Agena 32mm and 38mm SWA's to the 31mm and 36mm Hyperion Aspheric's. Better edge correction and price.
Dagnab it Erik, now I'm going to have to search some up and try them out! And I thought I was done! 
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"S.O.E." (Sauron's Other Eye) 16" Royce conical mirror: A permanent work in progress.
10" Homebuilt dob, old Coulter mirror
Next Project: The "Eye of Sauron" Observatory!
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7635
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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Better edge correction in what focal ratio telescopes? I've tried the 32mm in an F/6 scope and it did a credible job. At F/5 I didn't care for it.
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
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AstroPhethean
member
Reged: 03/04/08
Posts: 21
Loc: Aberdeen, UK
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Better price, yes. But better edge correction? I don't think so! I tried them (well, the equivalent of the Agena) side by side and they WERE close, but the Baader just came out on top, both in terms of contrast (attributable to difference in f/l, probably not!) and edge correction. Of course, considering the difference in price.....
I should have elaborated on my original comment. I was using the Asph in a f/4.5 dob without a paracorr, so of course coma was there! However, in my f/5 scope, I was able to get stars very small RIGHT at the edge by focusing them. How much of this is the scope's FC and how much the EP is anyone's guess.
In my f/7.5 refractor, it's a different matter. The view is beautiful, no question. There is some astigmatism, but I haven't yet worked out if this is my eyesight or the eyepiece.
Andrew
--------------------
Observing kit:
16" Lightbridge
7mm TS Planetary, 8.5-12mm Antares Speers-WALER, 18mm Meade S5K UWA, 32mm TV Wide Field.
Set of 4, 6, 10 and 16mm Zeiss Abbe-II orthoscopics and 2x Abbe barlow in a beautiful walnut case.
Imaging kit:
Skywatcher 8" newtonian and Orion ED80 side-by-side on EQ6.
Sony alpha-300, Atik 1-HS and 2-HS CCD; Minolta Film SLR.
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peter k
member
Reged: 02/03/07
Posts: 99
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On my f/6.3 Megrez 90, the Asph. 31 gave a 3.7 degree fov, but almost the outer third was astigmatic--little better than my old UO 32 Konig. So I picked up a used 27 Panoptic instead and now have 3.2 degrees of perfection. 
I almost think I somehow got a bad copy of the Asph.
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