Antares Speers Waler Zoom 5-8mm

[noice (Michael)]

Hi ,

I received this eyepiece yesterday (see attached image) and want to warn everyone who is thinking about getting one of these. This one is huge and may give you a hard time balancing your 8" or 10" GSO . As I'm currently moving and my eyepiece case already moved, I could only put a russian TAL Kellner 15mm as a comparison to this beast.

There was no first light yet (snowing....), but I know the predecessor and the lenses are said to be the same.

It's not a zoom eyepiece, but a "Variable". It works by adjusting the gap between the actual ocular and the barlow lens. This means it's not homofocal. On the other hand - it does have a constand fov, "real zooms" are lacking this feature.

It's 84° fov from 5mm to 8mm, suitable for f/5 and --- did I mention it's a beast!? It's 1/3 of a Nagler 31mm in price and a bit more than 1/2 of the Nagler in weight. You definitely get more weight for the buck with this one

Sorry I can't tell much about optical performance of this new series, but I'm just happy it finally arrived and I wondered why I didn't find this eyepiece in this forum. Speers eyepieces are not that common down under?

CS and no, I'm not jealous of McNaught, no, I'm not, never, why should I? NO really, I'm NOT!

Michael

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

Hi Michael! Welcome aboard! The main issue with this EP afaik is reaching focus, because effectively you have a long barlow almost all the way out of the focuser. 8" GSO Dobs might be okay but 10" and 12" would be very doubtful.

[iceman (Mike)]

That is one huge eyepiece.. I almost considered getting one of those myself last year sometime.

[noice (Michael)]

Hi,

iceman, these are new - the "old version" of this eyepiece is a bit smaller (not in length, but in diameter).

Finally got a chance to test this one on a GSO 12" and was able to focus, even with 8mm focal length. Not much room left (about 1mm), but it works. I was prepared to adjust the primary mirror so I can get some mm more, but didn't need to. Actually, the primary is at the very end in it's support - in the "wrong" direction (for Speers eyepieces). I was also able to focus without glasses on, so I'm happy with it.

Hope to give the eyepiece some _real_ first light soon!

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

That's good news. And very useful info. Thanks.