more fun with binoviewers

janoskiss (Steve H) · #1 24-02-2006, 02:04 AM

I got the binoviewer and the 19mm Panoptics out again tonight (Pan no longer for sale).

I got the best views of Saturn ever, even though seeing was mediocre. Two eyes show so much more for my brain it is amazing. Cassini was impossible not to see at all times. And the rings showed more structure and texture still. Banding on the planet was just as obvious, and intricate details in shadows and the gap between the ring and planet that normally require a lot of patience to see in cyclops mode, were all very easy. I was viewing through the 2" 2x barlow, which would give about 2.8x I figure, so about 175x magnification (felt like a lot more).

All this is despite the obvious degradation of the image through the binos (when viewed with one eye). There is less contrast, brightness, sharpness. In the right ocular only there is a reflection that can be distracting. I can only imagine how good top shelf binoviewers would be.

I spent longer than last time matching the focus in the left and right oculars accurately. This can be quite tedious especially when the seeing is not good, but once it's done it results in a big improvement. It is a pain when you want to change eyepieces. Maybe just one set of EPs and a range of barlows is the way to go.

Also looked at Orion, star clusters in Canis Major, and clusters and nebulae in Carina with and without DGM nebula filter. Very nice and nebulae especially have a very float-in-space feel through the BV.

Checked out the Meade 5000 14mm Plossl too, which arrived today, thanks Joe! Very sharp, up there with my 15mm Televue on axis, and the wide FOV is very nice. Definitely sharper and more contrasty than the 13mm Stratus (which I'm beginning to suspect is more like 15mm). But I don't think it will work that well in the binoviewer, because I'm not too keen on the ergonomics. The much simpler fixed rubber eyecup of the TV 15mm plossl seems much better suited. But I won't know for sure till I try a pair.

Hammerman · #2 24-02-2006, 03:24 AM

Sounds to me like you are enjoying the binoviewers, Steve. I've got a few questions for you. I am getting ready to buy a pair, but I haven't made up my mind as to what to get yet. I am looking at the Denkmeier Standard's with their "Big Easy" package, which basically is the standard, with the adaptors for newts and refracs.

Sooo..... What kind did you get? Any pros or cons you can mention to someone who is in the market to buy a pair on what you like or don't like?.... what features to look for? .... any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

acropolite (Phil) · #3 24-02-2006, 08:26 AM

Steve, interesting to see your comment on the S5000 14mm, I have one as well as the Baader hyperion 13mm. I've only used the Baader a couple of times, on the first occasion I found the detail noticeably better than the Meade and the (apparent) image scale larger. The second time around I found the 14mm Meade showed more detail. I suspect that seeing and the light pollution come in to play. I agree though, the 14mm Meade S5000 Plossl is an excellent EP for the money.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #4 24-02-2006, 08:35 AM

Gary, I'm no expert on BVs. These are the only ones I've tried: Burgess model C. I cannot say much more than what I already have. I'd expect you get what you pay for (maybe a bit more with the current line of cheap units like this one). Word on CN is that Burgess is coming out with a new model with bigger prisms and 24mm clear aperture.

Vermin (Tom) · #5 24-02-2006, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammerman

Sounds to me like you are enjoying the binoviewers, Steve. I've got a few questions for you. I am getting ready to buy a pair, but I haven't made up my mind as to what to get yet. I am looking at the Denkmeier Standard's with their "Big Easy" package, which basically is the standard, with the adaptors for newts and refracs.

Sooo..... What kind did you get? Any pros or cons you can mention to someone who is in the market to buy a pair on what you like or don't like?.... what features to look for? .... any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

If you are going with the Denks get the power X switch as well. It saves having to double up on a lot of eps and means you can change magnification at the push of a lever rather than having to put barlows in the system or change eps.

ving (David) · #6 24-02-2006, 04:58 PM

woah! sound like bino viewers are great to use

cjmarsh81 · #7 24-02-2006, 06:55 PM

Janoskiss. Sounds like you are having fun with those Binoviewers.

Can I ask a silly question? Do you need two of the same EP? Just seems like an expensive way of doing it.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #8 24-02-2006, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjmarsh81

...Do you need two of the same EP? Just seems like an expensive way of doing it.

Yep. Got a better way?

With a Newtonian, you need some sort of corrector lens (OCA) or barlow to reach focus (or you have to heavily customise the scope for binoviewing). So, you can get away with one or at most two pairs of eyepieces and two or three OCA(s) and/or barlow(s).

circumpolar (Matt) · #9 24-02-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janoskiss

Yep. Got a better way?

With a Newtonian, you need some sort of corrector lens (OCA) or barlow to reach focus (or you have to heavily customise the scope for binoviewing). So, you can get away with one or at most two pairs of eyepieces and two or three OCA(s) and/or barlow(s).

You mentioned using multiple barlows and one pair of EP's.
Do you think this would be the way to go?

janoskiss (Steve H) · #10 24-02-2006, 07:10 PM

It all depends on how much money you've got and what compromises you are willing to put up with.

Starkler (Geoff) · #11 24-02-2006, 10:36 PM

I reckon binoviewing the moon at high powers could be a trip

janoskiss (Steve H) · #12 28-02-2006, 02:01 AM

No moon tonight, but Jupiter was awesome! Seeing got really good after midnight. The 8" Dob was performing at or close to the diffraction limit. I could see well defined Airy disk stars in focus at high powers.

I saw detail on Jupiter with the binoviewers like never before. I'm absolutely stunned.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #13 28-02-2006, 10:55 PM

Bino-Viewing Saturn again tonight. I don't think I can go back to monoviewing for planets! It's like watching movies on TV after having gotten a hi-def projector and 2.5m screen. You just don't do it!

I did both bino and mono, and one interesting thing I noted is that after binoviewing, I could see more detail when switching to mono. But I found myself looking at tiny portions of the image in monoview to look for individual features, but I can "take it all" in in binoview. And you can just stare at the image for so much longer and you can be so much more relaxed.

Great fun!