Depends how many/big your eyepieces are. I have two cases.
One is a cheap "vaultz" case from Officeworks, originally for storing CD's, but with some foam its perfect for a set of 1.25" eyepieces (my LV's). From memory these cases are 55mm deep and there are 2-3 sizes. The other I have is a case from Bintel, large enough for 5x 2" eyepieces, very reasonable price I thought, something around $50.
Wooden cases look great but won't stand the wear and tear. I have a gorgeous wooden box with a mirror finish, perfect for ep's and accessories, but it would be a shame to use it.
The other thought I've had concerns the innards - instead of boring old foam I have been toying with the idea of some laser-cut racks made from bamboo to fit into the cases, and with internal LED lighting, though haven't had them cut yet. Good job for some cloudy nights.
Thought long and hard about exquisite wooden cases. I agree they're gorgeous for display, but there are two problems:
a) wooden boxes - even when varnished - shed fine dust especially if the metal parts of the eyepiece rub on wood. This is very common if they use a tray with drilled holes, for example, to carry the eyepieces.
Practical yes, but the dust is a disaster with high-power eyepieces. I learnt this the hard way 20 years ago.
b) impossible to throw in the car for a night out in the field; you'll hate yourself the day the box is scratched or dinged.
IMHO the "bolt" cases or a polyethylene case is the best, with caps on the lenses. Metal cases with foam are better than wood, but not as good as an all-plastic box without foam - the foam starts to shed dust as it ages (it disintegrates slowly).
Yes, its a Pelican for me too, with pick 'n' pluck foam insert. Pricy perhaps but for peace of mind hard to beat. Although I have not experienced disintegrating foam inserts as yet, I always store my eyepieces with the end caps on. The foam is great, can fit lots in safely with careful planning of where you pick 'n' pluck.
Kerrie the foam deteriorates quite slowly, I'm thinking 5-10 years. The stuff in the case for my old Meade 100mm f/10 is quite crumbly now after 20 years. You'll also notice it seems to get a little stiffer than it was when new, a bit like stale white bread, when you notice that its time to replace.
The best material IMHO is probably a tough plastic or possibly felt.
Kerrie the foam deteriorates quite slowly, I'm thinking 5-10 years. The stuff in the case for my old Meade 100mm f/10 is quite crumbly now after 20 years. You'll also notice it seems to get a little stiffer than it was when new, a bit like stale white bread, when you notice that its time to replace.
The best material IMHO is probably a tough plastic or possibly felt.
Thanks for that info, will keep it in mind and keep an eye on it. My foam is only about 18 months old; should have plenty of 'life' left in it with any luck.
Yes, its a Pelican for me too, with pick 'n' pluck foam insert. Pricy perhaps but for peace of mind hard to beat. Although I have not experienced disintegrating foam inserts as yet, I always store my eyepieces with the end caps on. The foam is great, can fit lots in safely with careful planning of where you pick 'n' pluck.
Kerrie
Hi Daniel/Kerrie
It's Pelican for me 3. Pricey but piece of mind in a superbly made high quality product. I didn't have a problem spending $300+ on a case to protect nearly $10k worth of eyepieces and accessories. They are waterproof, shockproof, snowproof, floodproof (as proved in New Orleans) and idiot proof.
One word of warning. As you can see from the photograph of my Pelican 1600 case attached, it is very large and has a lot of eyepieces and accesories in it. It is very heavy and I am getting very old. If I was doing this again I would unhesitatingly go Pelican again but I would split the load over 2 smaller cases. I don't see deteriorating foam as being an issue in any way. Foam and Plastics technology has improved a lot in the past 20 years and Meade aren't renowned for using premium quality components in all applications. ie. I think the Pelican foam will be a lot higher quality than the Meade foam.
I started with the "metal briefcase" tool box first sourced at Bunnings with foam from the Foam Booth (location in Chatswood). It worked well and fit my budget.
I also have picked up small eyepiece cases from Bintel...while smaller, it also worked well.
I have since moved up to a Pelican case...the Pelican is much nicer than either of my previous solutions and if I had to do it again I would just go straight to the Pelican. Mine is bright yellow and is a fabulous bit of kit.
Rob, I bought mine at a "Camera House". I'd suppose that all the franchise would carry Pelican cases.
Jaycar had small Pelican type cases going for just $30 a while ago. Just the right size to fit my Gstar, filters and 3 cctv lenses.
I am pretty sure they are the Australian Distributor for Pelican. They are still around 5 years after I bought the case which from my point of view is a comforting thing on any product with an unconditional lifetime warranty. However, having had the case for 5 years I doubt I will ever need the warranty. The case is bulletproof.
Camera House cool!,Looks like they're about to get more of my money.
I hear ya John, I looked in my ep case this morning and did a rough
calc of $6.5k sitting in a $20 non airtight bunnings special. I think
it would be worth the investment.
Thanks for the info both of you.
Anyone know where you can get good quality 2" filter containers?
or know of something that could do the job?
The 2" square ones are excellent and "almost" identical to the square ones you see in my eyepiece case, which are those supplied with both the 2" and 1.25" Astronomik filters.
