It was time to upgrade the low magnification end of my eyepiece range. I have the standard 26mm and 40mm Bintel Kellners. I've been having fun with them, but now the low performance characteristics have been pointed out to me, I figured let's take the next step. Time to go for some "width" in my viewing. But the piggy bank is decidedly in drought, so I'm in the budget section of the shop.
So here I am looking at these 30mm 2" ultrawides (spec'd at 80 deg AFOV) that seem to have come on the market over the last year or so. Several people on this forum and elsewhere reckon they are pretty good value (as low as $99 retail in Australia) - some seem to love it! I must report, however, that some reckon they are rubbish, but they seemed to be using them in scopes faster than f6. I'll be using them in my f6 8" dob.
My research suggested all these 30mm Ultrawides are coming out of the same Chinese factory - they sure look the same and have the same specs.
So, it's off yesterday to the friendly guys at Bintel, Melbourne, to have a look at their version - referred to on their site as the "Bintel SG Wide Angle 30mm (2")". After Roger quizzing me about my focal ratio, and expressing relief at the "f6", I walked out with one - parting with only $109. Not too chunky or heavy - but there is a huge expanse of glass in it. Glad I have an observing chair with wheels - I think I'll need it to get my eye around every corner of the view!
Now it does look cheap from outside, but seems to have everything needed. Holding it up to the light, there is distinct orange/yellow colour around the very edge of the view. It's threaded for filters etc. I've already unscrewed my GSO barlow lens and checked that will screw in place, given a recommendation on this forum that doing this transforms it to a 20mm pretty sharp to the edge of field. The rubber cup also unscrews to reveal a thread which, apparently, takes standard T-mount stuff to connect a camera for eyepiece projection (if I've got that right). Also came in a nice enough bolt case. One silly thing - came with two identical caps - one fits neatly on the field end, the other doesn't fit on the eye end, just drops onto the lens
. Roger found a binocular cap that fitted well over the rubber cup - thanks Roger. OK, it's out of the bolt case now and has found a home in my eyepiece case, ready for first light. (and I'm overdue for a report on what I think of my new second-hand 6mm and 10mm Vixen LVs
)
Of course, I look out the window and it's wall-to-wall cloud! Sometime next week? Perhaps not until my next Snake Valley visit.
Eric
. My hope is that I don't groan when I look through it the first time. Anything better than that will be a bonus! 
