Ostara FF 27mm v Celestron X-Cel 25mm v Ostara ED 21mm eyepiece shootout

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Reviewer

Have just done my own little wide field eyepiece shoot-out. This was following a request from a customer looking for a good wide angle E/P for his Olivon T800 spotting scope that he purchased from us.
I tested on an Olivon T650. Eyepieces tested were the Ostara FF 27mm, Ostara ED 21mm and a Celestron X-CeL LX 25mm.
As these were different focal lengths, I did not compare on the field of view.
What I did go by was overall sharpness, contrast and edge of field quality. This may surprise some, but the winner by a mile was the Ostara FF 27mm. It showed much better edge of field sharpness over the other two + less chromatic aberration across the field (despite not being marketed as ED)
Just proves that sometimes you need to forget what it says on the tin, and simply look through them. The same applies to spotters, binoculars and telescopes.

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I can not see anything through my telescope

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Reviewer

“I can not see anything through my telescope”. This is a frequent comment I receive from unhappy budding astronomers. Usually it is after they have bought a cheap telescope from a catalogue shop, or a camera shop that may not offer the correct advice.

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We find that many cheap telescope OTAs (optical tube assemblies) are OK. The main downfall is that the eyepieces are of a low build quality , give way too much magnification, or both. Even worse, many come with the dreaded 0.96″ size eyepieces. This means your choice of accessories may be limited to second hand cast offs.

If you are struggling to buy extra eyepieces, we recommend using the eyepiece with the highest number on it. The number equates to the focal length of each eyepiece. The higher the number (focal length), the lower the power. A low power eyepiece will give you a wider view, better image quality and easier to focus. So if you have eyepieces with 25mm, 10mm and 4mm, use the 25mm one..If you have a cheap plastic barlow that came in  the box, best not use it. This will reduce the overall quality of image

If you see a low cost small telescope boasting 660x POWER !!! . If this sound too good to be true it no doubt is. A sensible set of Plossls  with magnifications of 20x , 50x  and 100x will suffice.

For further advice, contact Northern Optics . If you live locally, we may be able to visit to give you some hands on advice. Or bring your scope to our weekend outlet to try a few eyepieces out.

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Celestron piggy back mount for SCT #93609

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Reviewer

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The Celestron #93609 piggyback mount allows fitting of any camera “piggyback” to your celestron SCT OTA. The clever design allows the starpointer / finderscope to be fitted at the same time. This is very useful for wide field imaging.

Note that if use with the Skyprodigy 6″ SCT you will need to purchase longer screws for it to fit securely. Comes complete with all fittings

Available to buy from Northern Optics

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Skywatcher 2x deluxe 1.25″ barlow lens

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Reviewer

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The Skywatcher 1.25″ 2x deluxe barlow lens is a great lens for both visual and photographic use. As a barlow lens, it has a solid build quality and a multi-coated doublet lens for very good results in the mid to low price range. Complete with lens covers.

For photographic use, the clever design allows a t-ring (not included) to be fitted for prime focus photography. Depending on the telescope used, you may be able to use with or without the barlow lens screwed in. With the barlow lens unscrewed it is possible to replace with a 1.25″ filter. Ideal for deep space use, and will also help keep dust off your camera sensor

This barlow comes as standard with many Skywatcher telescopes as standard

Available to purchase from Northern Optics

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Optical Hardware budget 1.25″ 3x barlow

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Reviewer

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The Optical Hardware 3x budget barlow is designed to triple the magnification of any 1.25″ eyepiece. As the title suggests this is at the budget end. Very basic single lens gives a much softer image than multi-coated equivalents with more false colour. The body is also plastic. It does however come with lens caps

But if you are on a very limited budget, it is a good way to experiment with different eyepieces / magnifications

As always , check the maximum sensible magnification your telescope will go to without losing too much optical quality
Available from Northern Optics

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Skywatcher 1.25″ 6mm UWA 58 deg Planetary eyepiece

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Reviewer

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Sitting nicely in the mid range of the Skywatcher UWA 58 deg Planetary eyepiece range is the 6mm option. This is a sensible mid-high power eyepiece that will give 166.6x magnification on a 1000mm focal length telescope, or over 300x with many SCT / MAK type telescopes.

Just like the rest of the range, the 6mm version comes in the same body style and high build quality. Also like the rest of the set you get great internal baffling with black edges. This is essential for Planetary and Lunar/Solar work.

Do not think these eyepieces are just for Planets and the Moon. They also make great double star splitters and work great on smaller DSOs like Planetary nebulae

Image shows the 5mm option for demonstration purposes

Available to purchase from Northern Optics

 

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Will a Celestron 9×50 illuminated finderscope fit on a Celestron SkyProdigy 6″ SCT telescope

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Reviewer

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If you own a Celestron SkyProdigy 6″ SCT telescope, you can fit the Celestron #93781 9×50 erect image angled finderscope to the OTA (optical tube assembly)

The only additional items you need to purchase are longer screws to make it fit properly. The screw size is M4 x 12mm

The Celestron 9×50 illuminated finderscope is optically superb. Good enough to be a fantastic wide field scope on its own

Buy the Celestron 9×50 erect image finderscope from Northern Optics

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What t-rings fit Sony Alpha DSLR cameras

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Reviewer

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For modern Sony Alpha DSLRs the correct t-ring is the Sony Alpha or Minolta Maxx. These simply attach  between the camera body and the telescope / adapter / barlow lens with standard t-thread.

Note that with Sony alpha cameras you will need to use manual exposure

Sony Alpha and many other t-rings can be purchased from Northern Optics

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Visionary 15×50 T-15 Monocular

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Reviewer

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The Visionary T-15 (15×50) monocular is designed for long distance terrestrial use, Plane spotting or ship spotting. Superb fully multi-coated optics with BaK-4 prisms give a very bright and clear image , despite the small exit pupil.

Tough rubber body and nitrogen waterproof for use in all conditions. The eye cup does not twist out with this version due to shorter eye relief. But on testing, I found I could get a full view with glass on.

Comes complete with a carry case and lens cover (main objective only)

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East Midlands Stargazers forum

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Reviewer

The East Midlands Stargazers is a friendly forum for astronomers. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned pro , there will be a section for you. It is not just for astronomy. There are sections where you can discuss off topic subjects on anything you want.

Many on the forum are based in Lincolnshire, where most of them chose to buy from, and support their local telescope dealer Northern Optics

 

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