Thread: Paracorr
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Old 18-06-2007, 09:00 AM
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Don Pensack
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Paracorr

The Paracorr is adjustable for the proper distance between the field stop of the eyepiece and the lens in the corrector. This distance determines optimum coma correction.
The Lumicon or Baader are simpler lenses, and are not adjustable, though a judicious use of spacer rings could work OK. They were originally designed for photographic coma correction--a less stringent application than visual use (note that TeleVue completely redesigned the Paracorr when it became obvious more people were using it visually than photographically).
I thought I would be bothered by the 15% increase in focal length and its concomitant loss of field of view, but it turned out to be an "on-paper" issue more than an "in-field" issue. It improved the images so much, I completely forgot about its magnification factor, as will you.
The coma-free field of an f/5 scope id .022mm x f/ratio cubed = 2.75mm.
The field stop of my 5mm Nagler is 7mm, and I can see coma when I don't use the Paracorr. The 14XW has a field stop of 17.6mm, so certainly coma would be visible and obvious in that eyepiece. With a Paracorr, the coma-free field at f/5 expands to 16.5mm, so a trace of coma might still be noticeable on bigger eyepieces, but not the 14.
Hope the info helps.
P.S. label the setting stops on the Paracorr 1-5 with a label maker. Put a small label on the side of each eyepiece with its appropriate setting. You'll never have to remember the proper settings again. As for picking the right setting, start all the way out, focus, and check the edge-of-field images. Dial it in one setting and refocus, comparing the edge. And so on. Whichever setting works best on the edge-of-field images, that's the one you make a label for.
My eyepieces use every setting from 1-5, so the labels on the eyepieces are nearly essential, because I have CRS.
Don
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