31 replies to this topic

[GolgafrinchanB]

Just an update here:

 

I ended up buying an unused-but-preowned 30mm UFF here on classifieds (The Celestron Ultima Edge version) based on recommendations here and I'm very happy with it. There's none of the annoying astigmatism at the edges that I noticed in my old Orion 40mm Optiluxe and stars are crisp right to the edge! I could have used maybe am mm or 2 of extra eye relief in a perfect world, but the amount provided is plenty and my glasses don't have to touch the rubber when correctly positioned. The beehive was LOVELY in my 10" f/5 - so much color visible when comparing the stars! It was also really fun star hopping M35 -> M37 -> Pinwheel (M36) -> Starfish (M38) all without leaving the eyepiece! Really, I found myself just having fun with this eyepiece - no worries, it just got out of the way and let me enjoy low power viewing.

 

tl;dr - I'm super happy with my choice and thank you all for helping me pick. If another eyeglasses user is looking for a 38mm field stop eyepiece, I would now happily pass the 30mm UFF recommendation along.

[eblanken]

Hello to OP & All,

 

I just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful thread. I enjoyed reading it. Everyone behaved. The humor was good. My choices were reinforced and confirmed (I'm the guy who bought the Pentax XW Set from Tay noted in post #10). This post was very informative to me and my "use model" of eyepieces and personal preferences. I will say that, as an eyeglasses wearer, Vertex Distance (spacing between the cornea and the inside of eyeglasses) is really important and not so widely known. I wear big "aviator-style" frames with tri-focal lenses. I will keep my Pentax XW Set and DeLite Set and Baader Hyperion Set know that all the rest of the options discussed each have their place in other's eyepiece cases.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ed

 

P.S. Thank you TOMDEY & family for your service. My father was a firefighter for two decades. I didn't get that "risk-taker" gene, but my brother did, as did his eldest son (both USMC).

Edited by eblanken, 21 April 2025 - 01:43 AM.

[CHASLX200]

I'm an eyeglasses wearer and lover of my 15mm delite, 3mm delite, and 8mm delos. I find the delites to be exceptionally comfortable and the delos to be perfectly reasonable but slightly more difficult to use, which is about a wash in return for the added FOV.

 

My question is: which of the 2 title eyepieces should I eventually get for widefield work in my 10" f/5 dob and 3" f/6 frac. I want the answer to be the 27 pan because I'm confident 68deg is plenty for me and I like the concept of it being a bit smaller and lighter. BUT I'm worried about the eye relief of the pan from various "I wouldn't want to use that piece with eyeglasses" reports here and elsewhere. Astronomics lists the 22mm T4 as having "all of its very long 19mm eye relief" available where as the 27 pan is listed as "with 16mm of usable eye relief" which is also a strike against the pan. Tele Vue lists both eyepieces as 19mm of eye relief.

 

So, how bad is the eye relief in the 27mm pan, how about the 22T4? Also, how bad is the added weight of the 22T4? It looks like my 8mm delos and even my 55mm plossl are lighter than the 22 which is a bit concerning. Are there any difficulties with eyeball positioning in the 22T4 when compared to the 8mm delos?

 

I think I'm talking myself into the 22T4, but am curious others opinions here. I'm also open to other suggestions. I wish there was just a 25mm delos or delite - but that's not how life worked out. The plan is to have an eyepiece for when I want to go wider than my 15mm delite (without getting to the ridiculous exit pupils of my 40 and 55 plossls which I use for afocal night vision stuff). This is an "eventually" buy, so I've got plenty of time.

27mm Pano is better for me vs the 22mm NAG TAG.

Edited by CHASLX200, 21 April 2025 - 06:13 AM.

[Mike W]

Just an update here:

 

I ended up buying an unused-but-preowned 30mm UFF here on classifieds (The Celestron Ultima Edge version) based on recommendations here and I'm very happy with it. There's none of the annoying astigmatism at the edges that I noticed in my old Orion 40mm Optiluxe and stars are crisp right to the edge! I could have used maybe am mm or 2 of extra eye relief in a perfect world, but the amount provided is plenty and my glasses don't have to touch the rubber when correctly positioned. The beehive was LOVELY in my 10" f/5 - so much color visible when comparing the stars! It was also really fun star hopping M35 -> M37 -> Pinwheel (M36) -> Starfish (M38) all without leaving the eyepiece! Really, I found myself just having fun with this eyepiece - no worries, it just got out of the way and let me enjoy low power viewing.

 

tl;dr - I'm super happy with my choice and thank you all for helping me pick. If another eyeglasses user is looking for a 38mm field stop eyepiece, I would now happily pass the 30mm UFF recommendation along.

Good choice!

[TayM57]

Hello to OP & All,

 

I just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful thread. I enjoyed reading it. Everyone behaved. The humor was good. My choices were reinforced and confirmed (I'm the guy who bought the Pentax XW Set from Tay noted in post #10). This post was very informative to me and my "use model" of eyepieces and personal preferences. I will say that, as an eyeglasses wearer, Vertex Distance (spacing between the cornea and the inside of eyeglasses) is really important and not so widely known. I wear big "aviator-style" frames with tri-focal lenses. I will keep my Pentax XW Set and DeLite Set and Baader Hyperion Set know that all the rest of the options discussed each have their place in other's eyepiece cases.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ed

 

P.S. Thank you TOMDEY & family for your service. My father was a firefighter for two decades. I didn't get that "risk-taker" gene, but my brother did, as did his eldest son (both USMC).

 

You and me both. My Dad and brother are both risk takers, while I'm the calculating and careful one. My dad tore his ACL+MCL while dirt biking at age 60. That was the end of it for him. No more biking. My brother, well, the ending is not so happy. Right after we met up in that parking lot at Costco, my brother got into a motorcycle accident and is now unable to work permanently. The bike he crashed in, was given to him by my Dad. I do wonder at times, if my Dad feels any guilt over what happened. To add insult on top of that, my brother's daughter died in a boating accident last summer. 

 

When my son was 1 years old (he is 17 now), my mom asked me if I wanted to go skydiving with her on her dime. I declined, citing a young burgeoning family as the reason for staying on the ground. I recall one of the professional skydivers (the ones that link themselves to skydivers on their first skydive) being quite risky with regards to deploying his parachute so close to the ground while there for my mother's dive. He was skydiving himself though, and not with clients  All worked out fine, and my mother did her dive. However, a week later, news broke (it was on the local news all over the area) that that very same skydiver deployed his chute too close to the ground and bounced off the ground a few times before dying immediately, on site. I remember seeing him deploy his chute way, way, way too close to the ground a few times. Way too risky. Honestly, with that level of judgement, I'm shocked he was even working as a professional skydiver. I would not put anyone I know in his uncapable hands. 

 

My wife and I have had many conversations with our 17 year old son about the choices we make, and the impact our choices can have on ourselves and others around us. It's early to say whether my son is a risk taker or not, but, we try our best to equip him with the information he needs to calculate and weigh his choices accordingly. 

[areyoukiddingme]

There's an interesting hypothesis for that kind of behavior.

 

https://www.scienced...-902Z2LV0KBwPDQ

[turtle86]

You and me both. My Dad and brother are both risk takers, while I'm the calculating and careful one. My dad tore his ACL+MCL while dirt biking at age 60. That was the end of it for him. No more biking. My brother, well, the ending is not so happy. Right after we met up in that parking lot at Costco, my brother got into a motorcycle accident and is now unable to work permanently. The bike he crashed in, was given to him by my Dad. I do wonder at times, if my Dad feels any guilt over what happened. To add insult on top of that, my brother's daughter died in a boating accident last summer. 

 

When my son was 1 years old (he is 17 now), my mom asked me if I wanted to go skydiving with her on her dime. I declined, citing a young burgeoning family as the reason for staying on the ground. I recall one of the professional skydivers (the ones that link themselves to skydivers on their first skydive) being quite risky with regards to deploying his parachute so close to the ground while there for my mother's dive. He was skydiving himself though, and not with clients  All worked out fine, and my mother did her dive. However, a week later, news broke (it was on the local news all over the area) that that very same skydiver deployed his chute too close to the ground and bounced off the ground a few times before dying immediately, on site. I remember seeing him deploy his chute way, way, way too close to the ground a few times. Way too risky. Honestly, with that level of judgement, I'm shocked he was even working as a professional skydiver. I would not put anyone I know in his uncapable hands. 

 

My wife and I have had many conversations with our 17 year old son about the choices we make, and the impact our choices can have on ourselves and others around us. It's early to say whether my son is a risk taker or not, but, we try our best to equip him with the information he needs to calculate and weigh his choices accordingly. 

 

My wife and I once did the iFly thing and it was fun, but no way I'm ever going to try real skydiving, even though I know at least a dozen people who've done it and loved it.  I'm much more comfortable taking my chances with different eyepieces!