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Equipment Discussions >> Binoviewers

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sshres
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/07/10

Loc: Silver Spring, MD

Opinions on Low Power EPs?
#3864491 - 06/14/10 03:15 PM

Hey everyone so I just bought my first binoviewer via OPT - I got the Denk Standards Super Package because of the dual arm Power X switch with the 3 mags and because I didnt want to spend the extra $ for a Denk II. I have a 16" f/4.5 Dob and 120mm and 80mm refractors that I plan to use this on.

So after looking at the magnifications that I will get I decided to buy another 12T4 as a higher power EP but am looking to see what people have for lower power EPs? I ordered a set of Orion 38mm Q70s after reading and researching but Im curious as to what other people use since most low power EPs are significantly heavier than other EPs.

Thanks for reading!

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Fred1
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/19/07

Loc: Somewhere in the Orion Spur

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: sshres]
#3864577 - 06/14/10 03:50 PM

Aren't those Orion 38mm 2" barrels? If so, they won't fit the EP holders of your Denks.

I use a pair TV 24mm Panoptics mostly in my binos, both in my 11" and 8" SCT.

For single eyepiece use, my most used are the 41mm Panoptic in my 11" (71x, .9°TFOV) and the 35mm Pan in my 8" (62x,.75°TFOV).

Be sure to do the math for your scope when matching up EPs so you can have a good idea of True Field of View and Power.
TV gives an nice tutorial here:
http://www.televue.com/engine/page.asp?ID=131

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sshres
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/07/10

Loc: Silver Spring, MD

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: Fred1]
#3864653 - 06/14/10 04:21 PM

Actually good call Fred, I didnt even consider the barrel width - order cancelled

Now I just have to figure out some other options...

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midnite4blues
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/21/05

Loc: Denville, NJ

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: sshres]
#3864683 - 06/14/10 04:34 PM

I use a pair of Televue 32mm Plossls with my dual pxs. I find they give nice views at all three mags. Most nights, I don't take them out of the binoviewer at all. If seeing is excellent and I want to go higher, I switch to a pair of 16mm Meade SWA.

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crazyqban
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 12/16/08

Loc: Miami, Florida

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: midnite4blues]
#3864779 - 06/14/10 05:19 PM

24 Pans is the way to go IMO...

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doctordub
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/11/06

Loc: New Rochelle, New York

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: crazyqban]
#3864816 - 06/14/10 05:36 PM

I agree, 24mm Pans stay in my binovue and Siebert powermagwheel.
CS

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sshres
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/07/10

Loc: Silver Spring, MD

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: doctordub]
#3864861 - 06/14/10 05:57 PM

I have heard a lot of people praise the 24 and 19Pans and I am surprised that people dont have a lower power preference but then again I know that bino viewing is a very different game than viewing mono - if anyone can help with this that would be great since I see the 24/19 Pans as more medium power pieces...

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Rick Woods
Postmaster

Reged: 01/27/05

Loc: Inner Solar System

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: sshres]
#3864892 - 06/14/10 06:07 PM

24mm seems to be a sweet spot. I like 24mm Brandons in my bino.

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Fred1
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/19/07

Loc: Somewhere in the Orion Spur

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

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[Re: sshres]
#3864968 - 06/14/10 06:56 PM

Quote:

I have heard a lot of people praise the 24 and 19Pans and I am surprised that people dont have a lower power preference but then again I know that bino viewing is a very different game than viewing mono - if anyone can help with this that would be great since I see the 24/19 Pans as more medium power pieces...

24mm Pans, as far as I know, are the widest field of view EPs in the 1 1/4" format. So, for wide field binoviewing, they're about the only game in town. Using them with a focal reducer as supplied with the Denk, EarthWin switchers or Siebert Power Wheel gives the widest available views without investing a lot more money in a 2" format binoviewer like the Siebert Elite series.

I think you'll find that the 24MM Pans will rarely leave your binos.

Edited by Fred1 (06/14/10 07:01 PM)

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Fred1
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/19/07

Loc: Somewhere in the Orion Spur

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

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[Re: Fred1]
#3864990 - 06/14/10 07:13 PM

As a less expensive alternative to a pair of TV 24mm Pans, there are Harry Siebert's 24mm Ultras w/65° AFOV. They're lighter, so easier to balance and long 20mm eye relief vs the TV's 15mm, if that's a concern.

http://www.siebertoptics.com/SiebertOptics-1.25in-eyepieces-ultra.html#24mm%27s

Consider, also, your shorter focal length than my SCT's. For my refractors my Siebert 19mm Ultra's and 7mm Naglers are excellent. When used in combination with either my Power Mag Wheel or Power Switch I get a variety of power settings that keep the EPs in the binos for most of the night before I feel a need to change out.

Edited by Fred1 (06/14/10 07:20 PM)

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sshres
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/07/10

Loc: Silver Spring, MD

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: Fred1]
#3865007 - 06/14/10 07:20 PM

Hey Fred thanks for the input - that makes a lot of sense and I was definitely looking at the Ultras but thanks for the link anyways - I dont wear eyeglasses but ER and comfort is definitely important for me!

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Mike B
Starstruck

Reged: 04/06/05

Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: sshres]
#3865584 - 06/15/10 01:16 AM

Quote:

I decided to buy another 12T4 as a higher power EP

I've used pairs of 12mmT4s in my Denk- optically they're excellent... but *mechanically* they're troublesome; the 2" skirt ends up fitting OVER the knurled collet rings used to tighten each EP into the BVer- so getting them tightened IN is a bit tricky... and then getting them LOOSE afterwards can be even trickier. I eventually gave up, and now use only dedicated 1-1/4" EPs in the BVer.

You *may* also find that 24mm Pans vignette a little? Not everyone experiences this, and those that do may or may *not* be bothered by it. But there *IS* a reason Denkmeier markets a 21mm 65* EP for their BVers

Other widest-field non-vignetting options for your Denk would be, in addition to Denk's own 21mm's mentioned, 22mm Vixen LVWs, 20mm Pentax XWs, Siebert's 24mm Ultra's (mentioned in a previous post), 20mm Meade SWA's, 26mm Meade series 5000 Plossls, 21mm Hyperions / Stratus, and possibly the 24mm Hyperion.

In addition, i'm currently using an older pair of Meade series 4000 24.5mm SWA's- they're AFoV is quite a bit less than the Pans, so they don't seem to vignette... or if they do, its so slight i can't tell. But they're a bit tougher to come by in matching pairs! And they're level of "correction" is a notch behind the Pans- but still quite decent.

18mm Meade series 5000 ultrawides aslo make good widefields for those requiring less ER (eye-relief)... as do 16mm T5 Naglers & 17mm Speers Walers, also UWAs.

mike b

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Fred1
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/19/07

Loc: Somewhere in the Orion Spur

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: Mike B]
#3865884 - 06/15/10 08:54 AM

Complementing what Mike B says, several Dob owners in my club just love their 21mm Denks. Also, further confirming his comments about the 12mm T4 Nagler, note that Tele Vue does not recommend them for bino use. See the link below and scroll to the spec for the 12mm T4
http://www.televue.com/engine/page.asp?ID=144

I have a pair of 13mm Naglers T6, that do excellently in all 3 sets of my binos, when the seeing permits.

The 24mm Pans do vignette for some. My TV binos have a 27mm clear aperture which accommodates the 27mm field stop of the 24Pans very well. MY EarthWin's have a 26mm clear aperture but I don't notice any vignetting, however, my Stellarvue BV3 with a 22mm clear aperture certainly vignettes with the 24 Pans.

Edited by Fred1 (06/15/10 08:58 AM)

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

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[Re: Mike B]
#3865892 - 06/15/10 09:03 AM

An inexpensive option would be Celestron 32mm Omni Plossls. 52 degree AFOV, 22mm eye relief, only about 4 oz, blackened lens edges, FMC. You can get them for as low as $39. For me they give a clear, fairly wide field of view, no blackouts, sharp field stop, sharp stars and moon, fair contrast. Something to use until you get 24mm Panoptics! And you can keep them for star parties.

Mike

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bcuddihee
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 11/04/06

Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

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[Re: Sarkikos]
#3866026 - 06/15/10 10:29 AM

Another inexpensive option but a very nice ep is the
Edmund 28mm plossl (not to be confused with the RKE)
They are very sharp, lightweight, and have excellent low scatter attributes.
They run around 39.00 at Scientifics online.
bc

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

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[Re: bcuddihee]
#3866226 - 06/15/10 12:31 PM

Since you guys talked up those Edmund 28mm Plossls a few months ago, they're $49.95 and "temporarily out of stock."
Here

Gee, thanks a lot.

Next time, just private message us, please!

Mike

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sshres
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/07/10

Loc: Silver Spring, MD

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#3866286 - 06/15/10 01:07 PM

I was actually also looking at those and noticed they were out of stock - must be a pretty popular size!

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sshres
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/07/10

Loc: Silver Spring, MD

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

new

[Re: sshres]
#3866296 - 06/15/10 01:09 PM

So I saw someone selling a pair of celestron ultima 30mm's so I went for it - at only $100 for the pair I think its a good deal unless of course they are optically beat up beyond belief

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Scott99
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/10/07

Loc: New England

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? new

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[Re: sshres]
#3866443 - 06/15/10 02:26 PM

Right now I use a simple pair of 25mm Plossls. Eventually I'll probably migrate toward something like 24mm wide-fields, or even 30 or 32mm Plossls to get the maximum FOV. Not sure how much low-power work I'll be doing, I mainly got this for lunar/planetary.

I've seen 24mm Pans in other peoples' scopes and they work very well, they are heavy though.

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Opinions on Low Power EPs? [Re: sshres]
#3866515 - 06/15/10 03:03 PM

Quote:

I was actually also looking at those and noticed they were out of stock - must be a pretty popular size!

They are now!

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