New Baader BV's

Started by CAG, 12/01/2005 03:34PM
Posted 12/01/2005 03:34PM Opening Post
I saw these on a CN thread:

http://www.alpineastro.com/Binoviewers/binoviewers.htm

They're Chinese-made like the BO/SV/WO units but have 23mm clear aperture and are supposedly made to the Baader specs and quality standards. For $259, they look very promising. Anyone have any hands-on experience with them?

Thanks,

Tom
Posted 12/01/2005 05:46PM #1
Yes, I have checked them out very carefully since we carry all Baader accessories at Astro-Physics. They are the same as other Chinese made binos, with some Baader touches. The prisms are not very accurate, showing astigmatism if you try to use high power eyepieces directly. This is the same with other low cost Chinese binos also, but they will work adequately if you place a Barlow before the bino and do the magnification before the light beam enters the prism path. Then, with low power eyepieces you will get a high power view that is free of major astigmatism. The overall transmission is not bad, but as expected the beam splitter does not split 50-50, but seems to be more like 30 - 70. This could be just in the unit that I have and maybe others will be different yet.

Precision it is not. Affordable and useable it is. We, at Astro-Physics have not decided yet whether to carry offer it for sale.

Roland Christen