First impressions..Astronomik's UHC-E

[astro_nutt]

Hi everyone,
After a long time deceiding which brand/type of Nebula filter to buy..I narrowed it down to the Astronomik UHC-E.
I already use a Sirius Optics CE1 which works like a partial broandband..it does block out some light pollution making stars brighter but the background sky isn't dark enough to define faint nebula...
The view from my Melbourne subs backyard is typical..streetlights.(both Mercury vapour and low-pressure sodium!)..skyglow and on this night..a slither of Moon.
I set up my 10" F4.9 dob and chose my target, namely M17 in Sagittarius situated at an angle of about 45 degrees. I poped in a 25mm plossl to find a very faint wisp against a light grey sky..I then attached the UHC-E to the same EP..very noticable diffrence..the background sky turned a dark shade of grey. The surrounding stars had dimmed but M17 itself was now clearly defined. Viewing M8 gave the same result..very impressive! I must stress however that the longer you allow your eye to adjust to the image..the better it is!..can't wait to try it from a dark site
Definitely money well spent!

[matt]

What's the difference between a UHC and a UHC-E filter...

as far as the "E" is concerned?

[astro_nutt]

The "E" is an economy version of the UHC...the transmission range of the "E" is 94% and a bandwith of 43nm. The UHC trasmission range is 98% and a bandwidth of 38nm. This makes the "E" cheaper to manufacture hence the lower price.
You can check their website located at www.astronomik.com
Cheers!