76 replies to this topic

[betacygni]

If what catches on - no undercuts? If that's what you are referring to, they are late to the party.

Not only that, weren’t they the first ones to start using undercuts? At least they are the first I remember. Would be curious who started the trend.

As an aside I love undercuts in diagonals, saved me on occasion.

Edited by betacygni, 28 April 2025 - 02:59 PM.

[csrlice12]

In new announcements, astro goods manufacturers are changing focusers and diagonals to a single hardened steel set screw.

[Granite Glasser]

I will NOT be parting with my TeleVue 24mm Panoptic eyepiece!

[jrmacl]

I would not be surprised if this catches on, as TV is a true market leader in many ways.

 

I'll certainly raise a toast on that.

 

Not only that, weren’t they the first ones to start using undercuts? At least they are the first I remember. Would be curious who started the trend.

As an aside I love undercuts in diagonals, saved me on occasion.

Ha-Ha that's what I was thinking - didn't they start the undercut trend (before my time so I don't know). So YES, TV is a true market leader and now everyone will copy them and ditch the undercuts

[jrmacl]

PS: The 24mm Panoptic is so popular because it provides the ≈ largest field fitting into a 1.25-inch barrel. My favorite eyepiece pairs on my 16-inch F/4.5 True Binoscope are these three >>> really pulls in those little fuzzies >>>    Tom

 

   eyepiece                magnification     pupil      AFOV        TFOV

 

Pano 24mm                     76x            5.3mm      68^o        51 arc-min

Pano 19mm                     96              4.2            68         40

Nagler T6 13mm            141              2.9            82         33

That binoscope looks like it came off the movie set for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" - awesome

[TOMDEY]

That binoscope looks like it came off the movie set for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" - awesome

Ummm... all I remember is Roger's wife, Jessica.    Tom

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[KTAZ]

I've been a member on and off for years, Starry Messinger before that.

 

I tried to re-up and my e-mail and password came up but then the notice that these do not match their records, then I tried to register and got a notice that that e-mail was already in use! Stupid!!!!!

I gave up on AM for exactly that reason.

[scotsman328i]

I will NOT be parting with my TeleVue 24mm Panoptic eyepiece!

…and right here folks…is exactly WHY you don’t see any 24 Pans for sale for 42 days. Retail is sold out everywhere of them, and the eyepiece is so darn good, no one (including me!) will part with theirs. 

[jrmacl]

…and right here folks…is exactly WHY you don’t see any 24 Pans for sale for 42 days. Retail is sold out everywhere of them, and the eyepiece is so darn good, no one (including me!) will part with theirs. 

I think that all the people that wanted a 24mm Pan but can't stand undercuts have been waiting for this day and are buying them up. And the people that don't like undercuts but already broke down and bought one with undercuts are having a tough time trading up to the new model because of the cost. Or maybe they are just waiting for that first review that claims the new Japan model has better coatings and polish...Has Ernest got his hands on a new model yet?

Edited by jrmacl, 30 April 2025 - 05:50 PM.

[scotsman328i]

I think that all the people that wanted a 24mm Pan but can't stand undercuts have been waiting for this day and are buying them up. And the people that don't like undercuts but already broke down and bought one with undercuts are having a tough time trading up to the new model because of the cost. Or maybe they are just waiting for that first review that claims the new Japan model has better coatings and polish...

Could be a combination of some or all of those factors, however I say that’s why folks are holding onto theirs…at least for now. 

[Jon Isaacs]

I think that all the people that wanted a 24mm Pan but can't stand undercuts have been waiting for this day and are buying them up. And the people that don't like undercuts but already broke down and bought one with undercuts are having a tough time trading up to the new model because of the cost. Or maybe they are just waiting for that first review that claims the new Japan model has better coatings and polish...Has Ernest got his hands on a new model yet?

 

I doubt it has much to do with undercuts.  Other TeleVue eyepieces with undercuts are apparently also out of stock.

 

Jon

[scotsman328i]

I doubt it has much to do with undercuts.  Other TeleVue eyepieces with undercuts are apparently also out of stock.

 

Jon

I agree Jon. If 24 Pans are at that high of a premium as they are currently, the last thing on my mind would be if it had undercuts or not. That’s just me though. I don’t care about undercuts or smooth barrels. None of that has any bearing on the performance and views in the ocular.

[jrmacl]

I agree Jon. If 24 Pans are at that high of a premium as they are currently, the last thing on my mind would be if it had undercuts or not. That’s just me though. I don’t care about undercuts or smooth barrels. None of that has any bearing on the performance and views in the ocular.

I agree, if I were not a member of CN I would not even know that undercuts are something people complain about. And I know that ep's have been out of stock everywhere, I just meant that of the first batch of the new smooth 24mm Pan that there were probably quite a few that were sold to the non-undercut fans that finally got their wish.

[scotsman328i]

I agree, if I were not a member of CN I would not even know that undercuts are something people complain about. And I know that ep's have been out of stock everywhere, I just meant that of the first batch of the new smooth 24mm Pan that there were probably quite a few that were sold to the non-undercut fans that finally got their wish.

Oh no, I agree with you also. That is also part of the issue. It’s a combination of many factors making the 24 Pan about as easy to find as a needle in a haystack right now. 

[scotsman328i]

***NEWSFLASH*** AGENA ASTRO HAS 24 PANOPTICS IN…inventory 10+!!!

Edited by scotsman328i, 01 May 2025 - 12:24 PM.

[25585]

I doubt it has much to do with undercuts.  Other TeleVue eyepieces with undercuts are apparently also out of stock.

 

Jon

TV have probably sent out their Taiwanese-made existing stock, and they have sold out in retailers. New ones will be from Japan I expect.

[jrmacl]

TV have probably sent out their Taiwanese-made existing stock, and they have sold out in retailers. New ones will be from Japan I expect.

Didn't this thread, or I guess the other thread, start with people receiving their new 24mm Pans and being surprised when it had no undercuts, the new ones are on the market 

[Mike W]

No, maybe from NEAF.

[scotsman328i]

In new announcements, astro goods manufacturers are changing focusers and diagonals to a single hardened steel set screw.

Oh wow. Why away from the BCRs? I wonder if that will cause an uproar. I own a 2001 Televue 76 and a 2000 Televue 102. Both of them have single hardened steel set screws in their focusers.

 

What I’ve done is use a strip of 100mph tape cut to width to fit in the undercut channel of the two diagonals for both those telescopes and then tightened the diagonals into the focuser with the steel set screw of the focuser. It’s two ply…first off the tape is strong and very sticky to protect the diagonal from the set screw, and secondly, the set screw grips the tape far better than just the metal set screw on powder coated metal where it can slide around in there. It has worked flawlessly and even with a 26 Nagler or 35 Panoptic in the diagonal and tilted 20-90 degrees, will not budge.

Edited by scotsman328i, 01 May 2025 - 02:39 PM.

[Mike W]

Oh wow. Why away from the BCPs? I wonder if that will cause an uproar. I own a 2001 Televue 76 and a 2000 Televue 102. Both of them have single hardened steel set screws in their focusers.

 

What I’ve done is use a strip of 100mph tape cut to width to fit in the undercut channel of the two diagonals and then tightened the diagonals into the focuser with the steel set screw of the focuser. It’s two ply…first off the tape is strong and very sticky to protect the diagonal from the set screw, and secondly, the set screw grips the tape far better than just the metal set screw on powder coated metal where it can slide around in there. 

I think he is trying to be funny..................

[scotsman328i]

I think he is trying to be funny..................

Well, lol, if he is being serious. I’d suggest my solution. It’s worked flawlessly. I’ve read a few posts where some folks are mad as hell about no BCR on their focusers or diagonals or whatnot. A measured strip of 100mph tape makes it better than it was. 

Edited by scotsman328i, 01 May 2025 - 02:36 PM.

[jrmacl]

No, maybe from NEAF.

oh... I guess you're right. How the heck did 5u4 score one way back in early march from the amart classifieds then? dang, that's sus, if that was a plant (the ep, not 5u4 of course) then it sure worked, got people talking.

 

https://www.cloudyni...ew-24-panoptic/

[jrmacl]

well then in that case of course there aren't a gang load of used 24mm Pans in the classifieds, no one has really had a chance to replace them yet

[jrmacl]

Oh wow. Why away from the BCRs? I wonder if that will cause an uproar. I own a 2001 Televue 76 and a 2000 Televue 102. Both of them have single hardened steel set screws in their focusers.

 

What I’ve done is use a strip of 100mph tape cut to width to fit in the undercut channel of the two diagonals for both those telescopes and then tightened the diagonals into the focuser with the steel set screw of the focuser. It’s two ply…first off the tape is strong and very sticky to protect the diagonal from the set screw, and secondly, the set screw grips the tape far better than just the metal set screw on powder coated metal where it can slide around in there. It has worked flawlessly and even with a 26 Nagler or 35 Panoptic in the diagonal and tilted 20-90 degrees, will not budge.

I just put down seventeen 10' x 10' sheets of bubble wrap and don't even worry about my set screws

[Tulsa]

I started this hobby wanting to take pretty pictures.  Recently, as in this year, I decided to up my visual game.  So, much new to this aspect.  Apologies if this is a silly question, but...

 

What is an “undercut” eyepiece?