Celestron Axiom LX 23mm stripped

[casstony]

The 23mm Axiom is a decent wide field eyepiece but the bulbous outer covering isn't to my liking. The outer body can be removed by unscrewing the two screws beneath the Celestron insignias, resulting in a somewhat slimmer and lighter eyepiece which offers significantly more comfortable eye positioning.

The screws in the photo are to block holes which might let dust into the eyepiece until I make a bicycle inner tube rubber covering for the body. The Televue cap fits firmly but easily over the eyelens and doesn't fall off.

After the two screws are removed the whole outer body slides off; sticky green grease then needs to be cleaned off the eyepiece, avoiding contamination of the eyelens.

I'd seen this done with a 15mm Axiom but there's more to be gained by stripping the larger eyepieces because of their greater diameter and weight.

[bytor666]

I did the same to a Meade 5000 24mm UWA, well I didn't really do it myself, it was sent to me that way. It was much lighter in the focuser with the eye-cup off. I weighed it before and after. By removing the eye-cup, it is 1/2 a pound lighter! :)

Cheers,

[casstony]

The bicycle inner tube ended up being to difficult to stretch over the eyepiece so it got a self adhesive carbon fibre look instead. The lines in the carbon fibre are reflections.

[casstony]

Having used this a couple of times now I can say it's a very nice eyepiece. In it's stripped form there's enough eye relief that the view blacks out if I get too close, but it's easy rest my nose against the side of the eyepiece to maintain the correct distance. Almost the entire field of view is easily seen at the same time and there are no obtrusive aberrations until right near the field stop, but nothing annoying in normal use. On-axis sharpness seemed quite good with Trapezium e & f easily visible in an 8" sct.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: looks nice Tony , I was wondering , where did you get the carbon fibre look alike from? I might do it to my Axiom 31mm , its an awsome eyepiece , but really heavy.
M42 the Pleides and every deep sky wonder within reach of my 127mm Apo are spectacular in this eyepiece, wicked field of view and so bright .
Brian.

[FlashDrive]

I bet they are ...awesome optics on the ED127 ... eh Brian'o

Flash.. :hi:

[clive milne]

All that extra fluff just detracts from them imho)

[brian nordstrom]

:eyepop:Hell yea mate we had a very nice night up here a week or so ago and I was impressed with the views turned into a late night , and looong day at work the next day ,,,, was like visiting old friends wth a new pair of glasses ...., the 7 sisters were especially good !!
:hi:..
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Bang on there Clive , but the design is sexy ,one of a kind , like a little fluff ?. he he he :rofl:.
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:shrug: oops M42 and the Pleides ..

[casstony]

I got it from an auto shop when I was in California Brian; I don't know if it's sold out here. The brand name is Trim Brite. Some type of contact used for covering books would probably work just as well.

[casstony]

Yep, Celestron should stop letting the mad hatter design the cover for their eyepieces. Even the newer Explore Scientific versions aren't built the way I'd prefer - the eyelens is inset by a few mm chewing up eye relief.

[clive milne]

Making eyepieces with excessively large barrels also precludes their use in binoculars. It is a minority of people who have this concern, but still....

[brian nordstrom]

:D But the heft gives you a feeling of security when handling them , I like the feel of my Axiom LX 31mm monster in my hand , I think thats some of the idea behind it .
:thumbsup: Its an awsome eyepiece , on par with a 31mm Nagler a friend has , but the images seem a little brighter in my Axiom to both of us .
Got to be seen to be bieleved in my 127mm Triplet , very nice!!
Here it is on the end of my ED80.
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

oops ...;)

[brian nordstrom]

:eyepop:Still no photo , here goes 3rd time lucky ?