To All,
We all know that we can use our binoviewers in an SCT without a corrector. Even some Refractors give us the ability to do this. My TAK FS-128 is a good example of a scope that will allow some binoviewers to focus with some EPs.
I have always thought that the Meade SN series telescopes were close to focusing a binoviewer without a corrector.
Last night I was able to do that with a number of my binoviewer EP's. It was a good night and my target was Jupiter.
I have installed a very low profile Moonlite focuser on my SN8. I was using a Burgess 24 binoviewer. Of course any of the cheaper binoviewers with their short 101mm light path would have worked in this configuration.
The first EP's I tried were the Burgess 20mm binolites that came with the binoviewer. After that I used 21mm Televue Plossls, 21mm Denks, 19mm Televue Panoptics, 18mm Televue Radians, 9mm Ortho HD's, 4.8mm Naglers, and a pair of Generic 32mm Plossls. The Generic 32mm Plossls and 21mm Denks were right on the edge, but they do focus.
The only EP's I have tried last night that have failed to focus were the 11mm UW80 EP's.
Denk binoviewers might also focus in this setup with some EP's but they do require at least another 10mm or so of light path. If you try this with Denks be sure to remove the powerswitch as it adds 8mm or so to the light path. The 19mm Televue Panoptics and 18mm Televue Radians might be a good choice to try with.
If I get another clear night soon I will try the Denks and see which EP's I can use with them.
Don Durbin
We all know that we can use our binoviewers in an SCT without a corrector. Even some Refractors give us the ability to do this. My TAK FS-128 is a good example of a scope that will allow some binoviewers to focus with some EPs.
I have always thought that the Meade SN series telescopes were close to focusing a binoviewer without a corrector.
Last night I was able to do that with a number of my binoviewer EP's. It was a good night and my target was Jupiter.
I have installed a very low profile Moonlite focuser on my SN8. I was using a Burgess 24 binoviewer. Of course any of the cheaper binoviewers with their short 101mm light path would have worked in this configuration.
The first EP's I tried were the Burgess 20mm binolites that came with the binoviewer. After that I used 21mm Televue Plossls, 21mm Denks, 19mm Televue Panoptics, 18mm Televue Radians, 9mm Ortho HD's, 4.8mm Naglers, and a pair of Generic 32mm Plossls. The Generic 32mm Plossls and 21mm Denks were right on the edge, but they do focus.
The only EP's I have tried last night that have failed to focus were the 11mm UW80 EP's.
Denk binoviewers might also focus in this setup with some EP's but they do require at least another 10mm or so of light path. If you try this with Denks be sure to remove the powerswitch as it adds 8mm or so to the light path. The 19mm Televue Panoptics and 18mm Televue Radians might be a good choice to try with.
If I get another clear night soon I will try the Denks and see which EP's I can use with them.
Don Durbin
