Posts Made By: John Piper

How does the eye relief on the 26mm T5 compare to the relief on the 26mm T5 ? I've read that in general the type 4s have longer relief than the 5s but would like the opinion of someone who has actually tried both the 22 & 26.

I'm a newbie who's take the plunge and ordered a TV np 101 with Binovue. Now I'm considering the purchase of some pairs of new eyepieces for the Binovue. After reading many Binovue posts here and on other forums I'm still not sure if the Binovue can be used with its 2x barlow removed, allowing the eyepieces to be used at their normal magnification. One vendor I spoke with receommended against trying to use the Binovue with the Barlow removed, but I couldn't tell whether it can't be done, or just that it's a cludgy workaround of some sort. Anyone out there had sucsess with this ? thanks all

Hello all, some newbie questions here. I have a new TV Binovue and np 101 scope.
- Would it be fairly easy to switch back and forth between the TV 2x corrector that comes with the Binovue and the Denkmeier 1.3x OCS ?
- Can the OCS be adjusted somehow to provide different magnifications ?
- Would the 2" OCS provide much benefit over the 1.25" OCS in my 1.25" Binovue ?
Any advice much appreciated !

John Piper

Being an astro forum, the topic of terrestrial viewing with our telescopes doesn't seem to come up very often. It's only mentioned as an aside when an eyepiece is cited as being unsuitable due daytime pincushion or kidney bean effects. I have a TV 76 which is almost never used and recently acquired both a TV 45 degree (corrected image) and 60 degree (inverted image) diagonal.

Can anyone make some general recommendations on the types of eyepieces best suited for daytime viewing with a small refractor like that ? I'm thinking that my young sons may be more inclined to use a scope on the stars if they also have a chance to use one during the day.

Check out the Binoviewer forum on www.groups.yahoo.com for extensive discussion of binoviewers. There is also a good review of 5 models of binoviewer at http://www.cloudynights.com/accessories2/binoviewers.htm

Binoviewers are very nice but pricey additions to your viewing pleasure. The top rated Televue and Denkmeier offerings will run around $1000 and require dual EPs. I've seen some really deep discounts on Astromart classifieds, it's worth shopping the classifieds if you're not in a hurry.

I've been storing my reflector in a large plastic bag along with a couple of 8oz dessicant packs. This works fine if the scope is sealed while fairly dry and stored for long periods. Dessicant packs can only absorb a modest amount of moisture however and would need to be recharged (an hour in a low oven) occasionally.
A better solution would be the use of a commercial gun cabinet dehumidifier. There are several low power types available, a quick web search on 'gun cabinet dehumidifier' come up with several links, here's atypical one; http://www.kingmaker.net/mears0.htm
A device ike this is designed to prevent moisture problems with delicate and expensive items.
It's always interesting to discover that a product designed for a different niche market, like these dehumidifiers for pianos and gun cabinets, are ready made for the needs of the astro enthusiast.

I'm fairly new to this but that doesn't stop me from having an opinion ;-} I use the Nagler 3-6 zoom on a TV 76 with a Telepod mount, and I also have a TV Binovue on which I use dual 8-24 TV zooms and a few other EP sets). The bino view is vastly more satisfying for me than cyclops mode. I can 'see' things well enough using a single EP, but the image just doesn't give me a visceral impact or stick in my memory very well. The binoview give me a more natual and comfortable view so that I can ignore the equipment and focus on the seeing.

I only use my single EPs for viewing (24 & 12mm Naglers, 3-6 zoom) because 2 wouldn't fit in the binoviewer or they'd be too expensive. Some people can't get a good merge of a binoview image, especially at higher powers, so it'a always a good idea to try it before buying. I saw a TV Binovue on the classifieds yesterday for ~$800, that's a good deal, they seem to be coming up for sale used more frequently as the 2" Denkmeiers are being talked up so highly on the forums. There are a number of other good binoviewers on the market as well. In my opinion the binoviewer is the most important piece of equipment, afer the scope and good EPS, that makes viewing enjoyable.

I want to buy a UHC filter to use with my TV Binovue. This binoviewer has a 1.25" tube which requires a 2" adapter to connect to the diagonal.

There are a couple of 2" EPs in my kit which can't be used in the Binovue, so I'm already getting a 2" filter just for those.

I'm fairly new at this and confused on what filter combo I'd need to accomodate the 1.25" Binovue. Would I need to get two 1.25 filters, one for each EP, or maybe just one 1.25 for the Binovue, or can I use the 2" filter ahead of the diagonal somehow ?. I'd much $$ prefer to use the single 2" filter for both cyclops and binoviewing if possible, barring that a single 1.25 on the Binovue, even if it takes some additional connector of some kind.

Any opinion on whether a Feathertouch focuser would provide a significant improvement on a TV np 101 ? The few reviews I've read about them seem to refer mostly to their use on larger reflectors. I use a Binovue and am not sure whether that would be a consideration here.

I have a Telepod mount (about 4 years old) which I'd like to use as a light weight travel mount for my np 101 but the metal tripod isn't quite stable enough. Can you recommend a Bogen or other similar collapsible tripod which would take accept the Telepod head ? The Bogen 475 (3036) has been mentioned in some posts but it weighs 10 lbs and only folds down to 32 in, was hoping for something a bit lighter.