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Lumicon UHC Filter shortage?

Started by John K , Aug 24 2011 07:16 PM
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22 replies to this topic

#1 John K

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 07:16 PM

I have been having a hard time trying to find a Lumicon 2" UHC filter any where.I guess the Tsunami in Japan has affected there supplie and has put them on back order.I guess I will have to order the DGM NPB 2" filter. :o

#2 Doc Bob

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 07:20 PM

Hey John,
Try Hands On Optics:
www.handsonoptics.com
They had a good supply of Lumicon filters recently!

Bob

#3 David Knisely

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 07:20 PM

I have been having a hard time trying to find a Lumicon 2" UHC filter any where.I guess the Tsunami in Japan has affected there supplie and has put them on back order.I guess I will have to order the DGM NPB 2" filter. :o


You won't notice any drop off in performance with the NPB. In fact, I find I like the NPB just a tad better than my Lumicon UHC filter. The Orion Ultrablock is also a good choice. Clear skies to you.

#4 cuir

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 07:40 PM

Try Montreal's La Maison de l'Astronomie store. The websites shows it as being in stock. The website's a bit of a letdown, but they are a serious shop, with inventory of just about anything out there. It's a brick and mortar shop, and they have been in business for decades, it's not some fly-by-night outfit run from a guy's living room.

The following URL leads to a picture of the shop's accessory displays:

http://www.maisonast...g=en&original=1

#5 John K

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 07:40 PM

thanks David
I have been trying not to be a skeptic.So I ordered the 2" NPB filter today.

#6 Crazy Canadian

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 11:22 PM

Hi John,

The 2" NPB filter will definitely be my next purchase...if I may ask, where did you order it from?

PS..David, thank you for your excellent posts and reviews, as I have bought more than one item with confidence from such information that you have made available and those items performed just as you reported. Thank you!

#7 John K

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Posted 24 August 2011 - 11:55 PM

I ordered the filter from here
http://www.amateuras...vlet/StoreFront

#8 Crazy Canadian

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Posted 25 August 2011 - 07:23 PM

Thanks John, much appreciated!

#9 rdandrea

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Posted 26 August 2011 - 01:47 PM

I did confirm with Lumicon via e-mail that they are out of stock on the 1-1/4" UHCs and don't know when they will get another shipment from Japan. If you can find a place that still has some stock, go for it. I cancelled my order at Telescopes.com (backordered) and bought an NPB.

#10 MrJones

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Posted 26 August 2011 - 01:59 PM

I just ordered the 2" Orion Ultrablock from Adorama. They don't have many left and lots of places including Orion themselves are out of this one too.

#11 wolfman_4_ever

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Posted 28 August 2011 - 11:47 PM

They are also back ordered on their 2" LumiBrite diagonals. Had one on order for a few weeks and was lucky to pick a used one so canceled my order a few days ago.

#12 John K

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Posted 05 September 2011 - 09:45 PM

Well I got my NPB filter.It is a good filter but there is some quality issues.The threads don't work well in my 2" TV eyepieces.I had a chance to talk to a machinist at the star party last weekend.He suggested that I gently sand the ridges off the thread tips.He said that during anodization the filter becomes two deep for the standard thread.After dong this it has helped ,but my 21 Ethos is still a little fussy with it. Another problem that I saw is that the filter has a 3mm long scratch on the outer edge of the filter.Now I don't think this will affect the views much and I won't pay the shipping to send it back to the US so I will have to live with it.Other than that the filter works well.I was able to see the Horse head with it on the weekend.But I will give the nod to Lumicon on the Quality control.

#13 sixela

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Posted 06 September 2011 - 05:54 AM

Well I got my NPB filter.It is a good filter but there is some quality issues.


Sadly, 2" filter threads aren't that standardised. I have filters that thread on a Televue Paracorr but don't thread on a Televue 21E. I have three different M48-T2 converters and only one of them goes far enough into my APM 2" adapter for the Leica zoom.

It's not just an Omega Optical issue, regardless of the lofty standards we ascribe to other companies. I usually have even more trouble with 2" Lumicon filters, by the way, thna I have with my Omega Optical ones. Some thread only for roughly half a turn before they jam themselves, but that's enough for them never to fall out.

The only company that gets this stuff completely right seems to be Baader (because their threads really are M48x0,75).

By the way, Teleskop Service supplied me with some 5mm M48x0,75 extenders that solved almost all issues: they thread on anything that I've got and all filters I have also thread on them without any issue :).

#14 John K

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Posted 06 September 2011 - 07:35 PM

would you send the filter back for the 3-4mm Scratch in the coating on the very outer edge of the filter?

#15 Tiny

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Posted 06 September 2011 - 08:19 PM

I probably would only because i'm **** about such things. Will it effect performance? Most likely no. Basically if you cant see it in your largest TFOV, you're fine.

If i remember correctly they do [or did] sell cosmetic seconds so another option would be to contact them about the issue and get a refund of the difference.

I'd definetly contact them one way or the other.

#16 John K

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Posted 06 September 2011 - 08:23 PM

I have sent them an E-mail but I have not got a response yet.

#17 Tiny

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 01:13 AM

get your issue resolved?

#18 John K

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 09:15 AM

Nope no yet.They have not come back with a solution yet.

#19 Tiny

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 01:19 PM

if you have an ebay account go through there instead. Communication should be substantially better. They sell filters under the name "omegabob2".

#20 dpwoos

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 02:48 PM

Given that you have posted that you used sand paper to work on the threads, I don't think that I would do anything for you for a small scratch at the edge. Really, if I had used sand paper on any part of a filter then I would consider it mine.

#21 John K

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 03:12 PM

The glass has not been touched.I have asked them to put the new glass into my cell.The sanding has only improved the functionality.The scratch is on the recessed side of the filter sand paper would have left a scuff not a single scratch.

#22 dpwoos

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 03:19 PM

I know that you don't think that you made the scratch, but honestly if I sand/scrape/file/cut or otherwise work on something I have purchased then I accept that it becomes mine. If I was the vendor I don't think I would accept a return on a filter that had come into contact with sand paper.

If I were you I would enjoy a wonderful filter. I have a 2" Lumicon UHC, but I have observed with the NPB and I liked it better than the Lumicon.

#23 John K

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Posted 10 September 2011 - 03:59 PM

I just feel that I have been let down with the fit and finish of the product .The glass works great but the threads are an issue.If the scratch was not there than I would be fine with it.I know that there is no standard for filters.Lumicon works well with TV eyepieces but then not so well with others.The NPB filter threads onto my William optics extender nicely.so I can live with the threads(So Be It)But the scratch is the problem.It is not very big but it is there.I cant take a photo of it but there is how big the scratch is.

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