Telescope Reviews: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> Binoviewers

Pages: 1

Mark9473
Postmaster

Reged: 07/21/05

Loc: 51°N 4°E

Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright
#4009776 - 08/27/10 04:38 PM

I've (almost) decided to buy a Baader Maxbright binoviewer. The main purpose would be planetary observation (specifically Jupiter) with my 107mm refractor. I need help selecting eyepieces.

In mono mode I've been using a 4mm BO/TMB Planetary EP with good effect on Jupiter. It gives me 175x which on most nights is supported by my atmosphere. It's sufficiently bright too, in fact Ive been using a Lumicon 82A filter to slightly reduce the brightness. But I have quite some floaters and debris in my eye it seems, so that's where I hope the binoviewer would help out.

From what I understand, to match the brightness of my 0.6 mm exit pupil in mono-mode, I'd need to have a 0.85 mm exit pupil in the binoviewer. This means a magnification of just 126x. I fear I won't see as much detail at that power. I was more aiming for about 150x as a compromise, also because I feel I can afford to loose a bit light. Does that make sense?

For eyepieces, I've been considering the Pentax XF. Now the difficult choice:
the XF 8.5 with the Maxbright's 1.7x corrector gives me 140x - below my target magnification.
the XF 12 with the Maxbright's 2.6x corrector gives me 152x - on target, but the 2.6x isn't recommended for refractors.

Any thoughts from you specialists? (I've never used a binoviewer).

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

CarlDD
sage

Reged: 07/23/07

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Mark9473]
#4011522 - 08/28/10 03:07 PM

Hi Mark
I've been binoviewing with Denk Standards for a few years, in a broadly similar setup, 101mm f/5.4 refractor - I use BGO 12.5 and 18mm eyepieces and am happy with them, but to start with I had a pair of TV clickstop zooms.

Perhaps you might consider zoom eyepieces - if Pentax are your preference then the Pentax XF Zoom ( 6.5 to 19.5mm ) would give you options around where you want to be in magnification and exit pupil size.

Best Regards
Carl

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Astrojensen
Post Laureate

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Mark9473]
#4011577 - 08/28/10 03:43 PM

Hi Mark

Quote:

From what I understand, to match the brightness of my 0.6 mm exit pupil in mono-mode, I'd need to have a 0.85 mm exit pupil in the binoviewer. This means a magnification of just 126x. I fear I won't see as much detail at that power. I was more aiming for about 150x as a compromise, also because I feel I can afford to loose a bit light. Does that make sense?

Splitting the beam into two does mean that each eye only receives 50% of the light, but going two-eyed instead of mono also means a drastical improvement in perceived contrast and for many people also in resolution. This means that you can magnify just as much with a binoviewer as in mono mode, despite the lesser amount of light, because of the higher contrast, but that you don't need to do so, because you can resolve the details with lower power when using both eyes. At least, that is how it is for me.

I use a Zeiss Telemator a lot, a 63/840mm refractor, and 79x (1.7x GWK + 18mm KK orthos) is plenty to show lots of details on Jupiter with my Baader Maxbright bino. On my 80/1200 Vixen I use 163x (1.7x GWK + 12.5mm KK orthos) with great success.

Quote:

the XF 8.5 with the Maxbright's 1.7x corrector gives me 140x - below my target magnification.
the XF 12 with the Maxbright's 2.6x corrector gives me 152x - on target, but the 2.6x isn't recommended for refractors.

I can't find anywhere on Baader's site where they say the 2.6x corrector isn't suited for refractors and I see no reason it shouldn't work. I'd buy it without hesitation if high-power observing was my goal. Do remember to tell Baader or the dealer that it is meant for a Maxbright, since the 2.6x corrector is air-spaced and will have to be carefully centered from the factory. The reason I am telling you this, is that the correctors are not identically mounted on the Maxbright vs the Mark V, but in order to work properly, the same side will always have to face forward. It is therefore important to let Baader know which bino you intend to use the corrector(s) on. The 1.25x and 1.7x units can be modified by the owner by removing the threaded ring and flipping the lens 180 degrees, but the 2.6x unit is airspaced and can't be taken apart by the owner.

But if you can reach focus with just the 1.25x corrector, I'd *strongly* recommend you to get that one as well. There are few things as fascinating as observing deep-sky objects at low power with a binoviewer on a powerful telescope from a dark site. Many objects are fascinating even in my 63mm Zeiss, which effectively becomes a binocular 45mm telescope. Your 107mm with binoviewer will be equivalent to a 75mm bino-scope. Also, don't forget to look at the moon and the sun. Both are wonderful in binoviewers.

Oh, and I'd *strongly* (again!) recommend you to get a Baader T2 diagonal for your future Maxbright. I foolishly didn't get one from the beginning, but very quickly realised that there was no way around it - I needed one in order to take full advantage of the Maxbright's fine optics and in order to reach focus on all my scopes. I have the T2 prism with Zeiss prism and the T2 amici prism is on my wish list.

Finally, be warned that one - just one - look through a binoviewer on a high-end telescope is more than enough to completely win you over to the bright side!

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Mark9473
Postmaster

Reged: 07/21/05

Loc: 51°N 4°E

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Astrojensen]
#4011700 - 08/28/10 05:02 PM

Thanks guys for your detailed comments and suggestions. Gives me a lot to think about.

Carl, does your binoviewer also include a magnifying lens? What magnifications do you get with your 12.5 and 18 mm eyepieces?
My workhorse eyepice in mono-mode is a Baader zoom. I may go for zooms in a future binoviewer set-up, but for a first go I think I'll stick to something a bit lighter and more affordable. I still have to allow room to grow, right?

Thomas, I think you've more or less convinced me that 140x wouldn't be too bad a choice. I was looking at the Baader 2" 1.8x corrector today - would be an interesting option too, though significantly more expensive.
Thanks for the tip on the info to give when ordering a corrector. I figure if I order them both together (BV and corrector), the dealer will figure it out anyway. I'm already using two T2 prisms so no worries from that side.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Astrojensen
Post Laureate

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Mark9473]
#4013141 - 08/29/10 12:45 PM

Hi Mark

Just some data points that might be of interest for you (or others).

I was out last night, observing the Moon and Jupiter. I used my 85/1600mm Zeiss apochromat and my Zeiss 63/840mm Telemator with 1.25x and 1.7x GWK's (GlasWegKorrektor) and 25mm, 18mm and 12.5mm Kokusai Kohki orthoscopics and 20mm SkyWatcher plössls.

This gives the following powers:

Telemator, 1.25x GWK:

25mm KK 42x
20mm Pl 53x
18mm KK 58x
12.5mm KK 84x

Telemator, 1.7x GWK

25mm KK 57x
20mm Pl 71x
18mm KK 79x
12.5mm KK 114x

All of the above magnifications are wonderful on the Moon, though 114x is obviously pushing it, if the seeing isn't cooperative. Jupiter is fine up until 114x, which is probably close to the limit for this scope.

85/1600mm apochromat, 1.25x GWK

25mm KK 80x
20mm Pl 100x
18mm KK 111x
12.5mm KK 160x

85/1600mm apochromat, 1.7x GWK

25mm KK 109x
20mm Pl 136x
18mm KK 151x
12.5mm KK 218x

218x was too much for Jupiter, and not just because the seeing was pretty soft, but because there was simply not light enough. 160x seemed fine, even if it bordered on being too faint, but 151x and 136x were very fine, brightness-wise.

Again, at least for me. It might be different for you. I'd play it safe at first, if I was you, and go with 130x - 140x. The image will be bright and contrasty and you'll see lots of details, I guarantee that. If the image is bright and clear, I'd aim for a magnification closer to 170x next. I'd also be sure to get some low-power and medium-power pairs. Binoviewing is very addictive and you'll soon want to observe everything with both eyes.

BTW, I can fully recommend the Kokusai Kohki / UO orthos for binoviewing the planets. The price is right, they're small and lightweight and eye relief is good in the focal lengths I use. Plössls are also very fine in these focal lengths. Remember always to use as much magnification *before* the binoviewer as possible (within reason, of course), in order to obtain maximum image quality and ease of observing.

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Mark9473
Postmaster

Reged: 07/21/05

Loc: 51°N 4°E

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Astrojensen]
#4013421 - 08/29/10 03:40 PM

Thanks for the detailed follow-up Thomas.
It looks like for you, 0.5 mm exit pupil is still fine for binoviewing. Good to know.
I know that ortho's make fine planetary eyepieces, however I hate looking through eyepieces with very short eye relief, so these are not for me.

Most of my time under the stars is with binoculars, but I would defnitely like to use the binoviewer at 50-70x magnification. That shouldn't be too hard to organise. But first the high-powered views for Jupiter.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

CarlDD
sage

Reged: 07/23/07

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Mark9473]
#4015928 - 08/30/10 05:59 PM

Hi Mark, sorry for the delay in responding.

Yes the Denk OCS system includes a magnifying lens (refered to by Denkmeier as an OCS), there are 2 ways to configure the 1.25 inch Denk OCS( screw in the hollow nosepiece for high power or swap to a lensed nosepiece for low power), from their website and if I remember correctly the options are either 1.2 or 2.5 times the normal eyepiece magnification.

So with 18mm eyepieces in the binoviewer I get 36x or 75x and with the 12.5mm I get 52x or 108x, I usualy stick to the 1.2x configeration of OCS that gives a lower magnification, but it's nice to have the option.

The same options are available when I use the binoviewer in my 12.5 inch f/5 reflector.

Best Regards
Carl

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Mark9473
Postmaster

Reged: 07/21/05

Loc: 51°N 4°E

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: CarlDD]
#4017568 - 08/31/10 12:24 PM

Thanks Carl. In the meantime I ordered the Maxbright BV, 1.7x GPK and two Pentax 8.5mm EPs. I'm figuring that 140x should be a fine first step into high-power binoviewing.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Astrojensen
Post Laureate

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Mark9473]
#4017678 - 08/31/10 01:22 PM

Quote:

In the meantime I ordered the Maxbright BV, 1.7x GPK and two Pentax 8.5mm EPs. I'm figuring that 140x should be a fine first step into high-power binoviewing.

I think you've made an excellent choice and I believe you'll be very happy with it. I look forward to hearing about your impressions and a first light report once you get your hands on it.

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Mark9473
Postmaster

Reged: 07/21/05

Loc: 51°N 4°E

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Astrojensen]
#4024905 - 09/03/10 08:00 PM

The Maxbright BV and the eyepieces arrived earlier today, and I had first light on Jupiter.

So far I am very pleased. Initially it took me some effort to merge the two images, but after rotating the eyepieces it was fine. I started looking just as Ganymede was close to starting a transit, and its shadow was a bit past the meridian. The inky dark shadow was a great help for precisely focussing the two images.

The image of Jupiter at 140x magnification (0.76 mm exit pupil) was still sufficiently bright. I'm guessing that with two 7mm eyepieces giving 170x it would still (just) be sufficient.

The seeing was good but not excellent. The view of Jupiter did show me a surprising amount of detail. The NEB was partly split open down the middle and its edges were 'lumpy' and had bright areas hanging from them especially towards the equator. There was a good amount of detail in the equatorial region too, and the other belts stood out nicely. All in all this was the best view of Jupiter I've ever had. Too bad the GRS wasn't in view, but Ganymede slowly continuing its transit, after its shadow was gone, made up for that.

The only minus is the two Pentax XF eyepieces being rather prone to a reflection of light bouncing off my eyes. Jupiter is bright enough to cause a prominent ghost image in this way.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Astrojensen
Post Laureate

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Mark9473]
#4025761 - 09/04/10 09:39 AM

Hi Mark

I am relieved and happy to hear that you're happy with your purchase and get great results so far. Sorry about the ghosting in the eyepieces. I use orthos and no ghosting here, no matter the target.

Just wait until you get a night of excellent seeing and GRS in transit! The details will be stunning.

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Mark9473
Postmaster

Reged: 07/21/05

Loc: 51°N 4°E

Re: Help me pick eyepieces for Baader Maxbright new

new

[Re: Astrojensen]
#4027436 - 09/05/10 06:57 AM

I posted my first observations here in the Sketching Forum.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Pages: 1

Extra information

3 registered and 5 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: Geo557, panhard

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 2128

Jump to

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics