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Old 29-04-2012, 06:39 AM
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mental4astro (Alexander)
kids+wife+scopes=happyman

mental4astro is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: sydney, australia
Posts: 4,979
Hi Markus,

First, I can't make an appology for what I saw down the eyepiece. I came to this evenings session completly with an open mind. No prejudice towards my gear, actually I favoured the LVW's. I very much looked forward to using these LVW's, particularly after reading your comments and Wavy's.

Symthe lens or barlow, I used the term as a description only by the way this lens has been described in many other threads I've read. Doesn't change things though. The only true "barlow" then is the one I stuck in the end of my Hyperion.

No, niether of these LVW's are defective. They are both superb eyepieces.

Field curvature comeing from the mirror. Could be. My definitions on optics is limited, so I apologise if I used the incorrect term here. "Fishbowl" effect then. The image displayed a distinct deformation as the scope was moved across the field, like that seen in a big, fat magnifying glass. I can only guess that there is some miss-match of "smythe" lens with my 13mm Hyperion. I have read only good reports from other 13mm Hyperion users, so I'm at a loss to know what happened there.

Come to think of it, yes, the field was tighter across a wider stretch of the FOV of the LVW, but the FOV distortion in the Hyperion only occured in that area that extends beyond the field stop of the LVW. Over the same FOV area, nope, I can't say I noticed any real difference.

Like I said, I came to this evening's comparison session expecting fantastic things from the LVW's. I wasn't disappointed. Fact remains that my modified Hyperion and my humble TMB out performed the LVWs. I saw more stars in them. Isn't that what it's all about? Even if at the extremes the FOV the stars didn't remain pin point, any softening in the Hyperion happened beyond the field stop of the LVW. And, it is not really an area that is used very much when observing. When the object gets so close the extreme edge, you will always move the scope to centralise the object in the FOV anyway. So, for me, this is good enough.

I have no bone to pick with anyone here. I could not be more objective in coming to an observing session. I would not write about what I did not see, especially as I have been seriously considering purchasing some LVWs from what had be written here by yourself and Wavytone - two very learned fellows! I've known Wavy for quite some time too. I consider my purchases very, very carefully, researching as much as possilbe. In the end I saw what I saw. Simple as that. I saw more stars.
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