Which to keep? Meade 8.8mm s4000 UWA or Hyperion 8mm

[davewaldo]

Hi Everyone!

I am the proud new owner of a Meade s4000 UWA 8.8mm EP!

Because of all the rain I am yet to compare it to my Baader Hyperion 8mm.

I know its sharpness will blow me away (just like my 14mm does). However I'm a bit conserned that its transmition will me much worse and limit what I can see on the dim stuff.

It cost me $190 so I'm not expecting it to compete with modern Naglers nor can I spend more than this on an EP.

So the question is.... which one to keep?

Any opinions or experience is valued.

Cheers,

Dave.

PS. Just to define matters... The Hyperion is 68 degree view, Meade = 84 I think.

[h0ughy (David)]

well mate it simply comes down to which one you like to view with (when you get a go) after all they are your eyes and you will quickly work out which one is more comfortable to view through. though the extra view with the meade would be tempting, is the image sharper with the hyperion?

[davewaldo]

From what I have read, the Meade will be VERY sharp edge to edge. The 14mm s4000 UWA I have is extreamly sharp.

The Hyperion suffers towards in the last 25% in my f5 scope.

[casstony]

Eye relief is short on the Meade - around 9mm from memory.

[wolfman]

I swapped my 14mm and 8mm Orion Stratus (Hyperoin clone) for a 14mm and 8.8mm UWA Meade S5000, I found the Orion design harder to look through and find the sweet spot, the Meade's I just stick my eye near it and its all good.
The views nothing in it really other than field of view in my SCT.
Interesting to see which way you go.

[iceman (Mike)]

The Meade s4000, no question. I love my Meade s4000 UWA 14mm, and would love to have the 8.8.

Greater FOV and sharper edge to edge.

[davewaldo]

Thanks everyone!

Well, when the rain goes away I will be able to test it out, and compare the two.

The main thing I will be looking at is light transmition, so I guess I should compare the views of some dim galaxies or somthing of the like.

I'll let you know how I get on.

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

You probably won't notice diff in transmission. If anything the meade should look significantly brighter, given 10% decrease in magnification. It's also closer to the 2mm exit pupil DSO sweet spot in your f/5 so many objects should fare better in the meade.