TeleVue Eyepieces and Telescopes. The Best Gear in Amature Astronomy???
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- Have you heard of TeleVue? Chances are if you have been in the astronomy hobby for any length of time you likely have heard of how great TeleVue gear is!
But is this fact or simply hype??? In this video I cover my thought on both TeleVue accessories and Telescopes from my 20+ years of using the products.
My thought on the TV-85 20 years ago and now: avt-astro.com/...
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My Blog full of great Astro content/reviews: www.avt-astro.com
I have Delos 6, 10 and 17.3mm and 27 and 35mm Panoptic. I like seeing the field stop. 70ish degrees is perfect for me. They are a work of art. Buy once, cry once I always say.
"Buy once, cry once I always say." Can't agree more!!!
I still have my NP101 as my main scope. Years ago I modified the focus by fitting the 10:1 Feathertouch knob assembly. It’s as smooth as silk. Lately, I’ve moved it to a new AM5 mount with ASI Air Mini, 30mm guide scope, and ASI120 guide camera. I use it this way visually and for photography with my mirrorless camera. I do plan to buy a newer astrograph scope for my photography, but I will keep the NP101. Televue actually quoted my feedback comments in one of their early ads. I said it was an “heirloom scope” worth keeping and passing on to my child.
I agree, the NP scopes are an easy lifetime scope.
I still use my TV Radians because they work well in my refractors for planetary and lunar observing. I wasn't able to complete the set before they were phased out, so I've filled in the gaps with a few Delites and Naglers. I also like the Panoptic series.
Yes I used to run Radians years ago. I don't really need the 20mm eye-relief though so usually use wider FOV eyepieces. They are good though!
I still have my 7mm Nagler type 1 after 19 years and it works just great on all my scopes.
Yup, even the type 1's are great eyepiece's!
I currently only own one TeleVue eyepiece, which just happens to be the excellent 12mm Delos I bought about a year ago from you Vlad! It's one of my favorites and best DSO EPs for sure!!
I've been planning on building out a Delos & Panoptic kit for awhile, but I've been hesitant to start it due to cost. Lately I've been debating building a TV Plössl set instead since it'll be a ton cheaper. I know I'll miss the FOV, but I'd like to have a "workhorse" EP set that I can use the crap out of and it something happens to one of them I won't be out $300+. I'd probably get all the Plössls from 8 - 32mm and add a TV 2x & 3x Barlow to round out the set. Afterwards I'd add maybe a 35mm Panoptic and one or two Delos for my most used focal lengths for wider field views.
What's your opinion on my thinking? Would a TV Plössl set be worth buying and using all the time, or would I be better off just spending the money on the Delos & Pans?? Or should I consider something different (I own several ES68 EPs and an APM 30mm UFF that I like)
BTW: I've got a bunch of different scopes, but my most used are a 102mm f/7 & 125mm f/7.8 (both FCD100 & lanthanum doublets) and an 8" f/5.9 Dob.
Thanks for the video Vlad and the awesome EP that I'm still using about every day!!!
I forgot to mention that my most used EP is a Baader MkIV 8-24 (and also w/2.25x Barlow). I know it may not be the best, but it's sooo dang handy. I know you use one quite a bit so you know what I'm saying.
If you already have the Baader zoom, honestly, I don't see what building a TeleVue Plossl set will give you. Yes, on the best nights of seeing on the planets they will be a bit better, but I would not use them as a general eyepieces. I really like eyepieces around 68* as a general use eyepieces. I feel like its wide enough and easy to use!
BTW glad your likening the Delos. They are essentially an Etos that's not as wide. I was very impressed with them. I would be 100% happy to use a set of Delos! Don't be in a rush to buy all the eyepieces in the world. You already have a couple really nice eyepieces. The next one I would get is something in the wider range 30-40mm(if sticking to ~68*).
@@AVTAstro Thanks for the answer, which was pretty much inline with what I thought you'd say. I also really like that 68 - 72 degree range which basically all my EPs are. My current eyepiece lineup (all bought used) is the Baader MkIV 8-24mm (with the Hyperion Barlow), Delos 12mm, ES68*s in 16, 20, & 24mm, and the UFF 30mm.
I may have been buying into the "minimal glass" hype that was going around awhile back, especially since I'm doing visual mainly with "Super ED" doublets. But I don't really think eyepieces with a low number of elements matters that much nowadays with modern coatings. Maybe I was just using that as an excuse to build an eyepiece set...... Actually I know that I've been looking for an excuse to piece together an entire EP lineup, so thanks for giving me a pause to think before I messed up and jumped down that rabbit hole! 😆
I do a TON of observing, basically have a scope out every night/morning that it's clear regardless of work nights, etc. You could say I've completely "committed" myself to this hobby (aka I'm an Astro Addict). Although I've got a handful of decent EPs I keep feeling like there's glaring holes in my lineup, especially on the short focal length end. But now that you mentioned it, something low power around 35 - 40 would be nice too lol.
But I'm going to slow my roll for now and put more thought into any upgrades, and not piece together an entire lineup just to have an entire lineup.
Once I purchased a few Plossl eyepieces I was hooked with Tele Vue. Love the views in Panoptics I now have and finally moving into the Nagler series. In my view, yes expensive but best quality which is a fair trade of. Besides, I certainly do not plan on ever getting ride of any.
Yes as a lifetime investment I really think they are worth the money👍
For my double star searches I've found that TV Plossls are of the same quality as my Takahashi/Baader Orthoscopics, really sharp. Expensive for "plain old Plossls", but well worth the money. I don't get 'spikiness' with smaller stars of a double at higher power with them which is why I started using Orthos in the first place. Great eyepieces, especially when used with a TV 2x Barlow.
Totally agree! Good to hear from you!
I have: a Televue plossl, Delos, and a NP-127! Deciding which eyepieces to get next, I get one at a time. I’m thinking of either a Nagler 31 or Ethos 21 next. The plossl is good for outreach, kids and inexperienced people have a hard time with wide field eyepieces.
Either the Nagler 31 or Ethos 21 would be an excellent eyepiece for that superb scope! The 31mm is a bit easier to use as far as taking in the entire FOV all at once! The 21mm is for sure more emissive if you're willing to have your eyeball .00001mm from the glass. Hope this helps, Vlad!
I own:
TeleVue NP101 with Feathertouch OAZ.
TeleVue Nagler 31, 22, 12, 5, 3,5mm
TeleVue Powemate 2x
Best gear in town 😊
If you can imagine a look to e.g. M31 or M33…under really dark sky (Emberger Alm, 1950müA) with the NP101 and the Nagler 31….definitely outstanding!
And don’t forget to take a look to Saturn, Jupiter with 2x Powermate and Fujiyama HD Ortho 18mm and 7mm 😊😊😊
Sounds like you have an excellent kit! 👌 And yes objects like m31, Vail, North American is where the NP-101 really shines under dark skies!
That’s true. Under bortle 3 or better bortle 2 e.g. 2000m above sealevel in the eastern tyrolian mountains, you get wonderful views of all this objects.
And veil nebula, for example, with several filters on the 31mm Nagler… unforgettable.
I miss my tv101 and pronto, amonng other things
Thank you! As always very interesting! What is it for a camera on the table behind you? 🙂
Glad you liked the video! The DSLR was already on the table, forgot to move it. Really did not have anything to do with the video.
Cześć! 😊
Oglądam Twoje filmy (dzięki za dobrą recenzję sprzętu do astro).
Potrzebuję Twojej porady.
Wyremontowałem stary teleskop z przed trzydziestu lat. Nowe powłoki o podwyższonej sprawności na lustrach.
Classic Cassegrain -aperture: 150mm, f2800mm, (f18,6). Mam dość budżetowych okularów.
Czy mógł byś mi polecić jeden bardzo dobry okular o ogniskowej około 10mm na maksymalne powiększenie. (Focuser 1,25"). Cena nie gra roli byle okular był dobry do planet i miał większe pole widzenia niż okulary ortho.
Jaki dokładnie 1 model okularu na maksymalne powiększenie do Classic Cassegrain 150/2800?
Merry Christmas!!😊😊
Congrats on restoring the scope! There are many great options. Really depends on how wide you want to go on the FOV and how much eye relief you need. Overall the 10mm TeleVue Delos( amzn.to/3twxePn ) is an excellent choice for an overall awesome performer. Long eye relief, and fairly wide at 72*. The Delos are some of the most comfortable, best performing eyepieces I have ever used.
Merry Christmas and happy New year!!!
Thanks a lot
Most welcome! Thanks for watching!
@AVTAstro Hey Vlad, I just thought of a question that I've had for awhile but never got around to it:
If you don't mind me asking, why do you like using Explore Scientific EPs so much?
I know they're pretty good and my ES68*s do well for me, but I also know you've got or had some other amazing EPs as well. Just wondering why you like to use 'em as opposed to others? I've thought about trying some of the shorter focal length 82*s but the Delos you sold me was actually the last EP I bought and ever since getting it I can't shake the feeling that everything in my eyepiece case needs green letters 😂
Primarily it's because I'm a bit weird... LOL. I like to have lines of eyepieces in the same brand. In the 100* eyepieces TeleVue is only available up to 21mm. In ES I have the 2" 25mm 100* and 3" 30mm 100*. This is why I also own the lower focal lengths on the ES.
Speaking about good quality stuff and also a little bit off the subject...I know you have a Meade SCT ... did you upgrade the diagonal? I got a older 12" Meade LX200 CLASSIC that has a 2" diagonal that is in good shape and the views of the moon are incredible ( so far I only had a chance to observe the moon with it)....but I was curious if upgrading will improve significantly the viewing experience....or better invest in a really good eyepiece ( something like 21mm Ethos)...that I could use also with my 14" Dobsonian?
Thank you!
If the view of the moon is to your liking, I really don't think you will see much difference with an upgrader diagonal. I think it will be 5-10% brighter though. One easy way to check is to just use your eyepiece straight through without a diagonal(yes it can be a pain in the neck). Do you see any difference? If the view is much better, then your diagonal is an issue. If you see no diffrance than your diagonal is just fine!
I'd personally get a few quality eyepieces and worry about the diagonal later.
8:35 nice hairdo....the color of your hair matches your dog's coat 😀
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Vlad! I saw a used tv85 on sale here in Sydney, but I was hesitant mostly because it was v expensive. Anyway I need some eyepiece advice, I have a 12 inch dob (1500 mm FL) and the baader zoom as my primary eyepiece, I'm looking for a wider field of view now....I had a Williams Optics 40mm SWAN eyepiece (70 degree FOV) but that gave me too much coma in the field of view. Can you plz suggest another eyepiece? Or should I go for a coma corrector and stick with the wide fov cheap eyepiece?
Well I would do something like a Nagler 22-31mm if you do not want to invest in a coma corrector. You are likely to still see some coma but it should be much better then the WO 40mm you had.
The coma corrector in most cases does not correct other abberations that show up in cheap widefield eyepieces at f5.
Also, at f5, most ultra wides are pretty good even without a paracorr. The type4 nagler needs the paracorr, but the other types don't
In all cases the paracorr does tighten the stars and make the edges better, but alot of the heavy lifting is done by the eyepiece, some needing more help than others.
If you still want a 40 (and can handle 8mm exit pupil), the explore scientific 40mm 68deg (meade 5000 SWA), does pretty well, but you might need to add a balance weight to the other end of the scope since it is quite a beast.
Or if you can afford it, the 41panoptic.
What makes the most sense is the 31 nagler, 30mm es82 or 28 UWAN (or other branded versions, I personally have the option version since I could not afford to replace my 31 nagler.
The 31 nagler is really the best max wide field EP for your scope, as well as the 25mm es100.
A 20mm Orion xwa 100deg is also the best bang for the buck version of the 21 ethos (and is available from several brands), I find it easily outperformed the 20mm es100, which is not as good at the edge as its 14mm sibling, which really gave the original 13 ethos a run for its money when it came out.
I was fortunate enough to be given a free one from the first batch, that was a much used prize possession until all was lost due to storage theives and insurance loopholes.
I have debated between the Vixen 81s and the Tele Vue 85. The Vixen won out due to the longer focal length and I heard stories about the Tele Vues coming out of collimation. Don't know if that is true though. Just recently got the Vixen 81s.
Have not heard of collimation issues with them, but possible. Honestly never had a Vixen scope, but I have heard of PLENTY of happy owners of them! Congrats on the scope!
@@AVTAstro Thanks! I would agree with those owners. Its noticeably sharper and better color corrected than their Chinese 80SF.
i find Televues hit or miss for me.. i really like their panoptics, but theres alot that i find to just have finicky eye placement and are not very comfortable.. very well corrected though
Yeah as far as the blackout effect I think that it does very from person to person. I have had people look through my wide field eyepieces and they can't see anything moat of the time. For me it's not too bothersome but I hear you.
Very good information
Glad it was helpful, thabks for the feedback 😀
panoptics
Good eyepieces!
And their predecessor the wide field. The wide field was not nearly as well corrected as the panoptic, being more similar to modern widefields, meade copied them as the series 4000 super wide, which need about f7/8 to be decent.
Panoptic was a pretty big achievement since it does not use a barlow type group like all other corrected wide-super-ultra-hyperwide types.
The only company to try to copy the panoptic was JOC with the meade series5000 super wide which is now only available as explore scientific 68deg