Eyepieces for my Burgess Binoviewer

[Dan Chieppa]

Greetings,
I'll kick off the first post to this new "general discussion" section by asking for input on selecting a pair of eyepieces to go with my Burgess binoviewer. It came with a great pair of wide angle 20mm EPs. I want a little more reach and think something in the 14-12mm range would work.
Greg Stone was kind enough to let me try a pair of his Televue 13mm Naglers. Great EPs but not in my price range right now.
Let me know what you folks are using. Please include a brand and the EP type so I'll know what works best.
Oh, I tried my 16mm, 12.5mm and 11mm EPs. The 16mm wasn't enough power and the 11mm was too dark.
Thanks for your help.
Clear skies,
Dan

[Rotorhead]

Hi, Dan, great new thread! I'm sure others will use it, too. I think Burgess offers some of his ep's in pairs specifically for the binoviewer, and I have read good reviews on them, saying that they are great, and not expensive. High Point Scientific in NC (I think) also sells Burgess stuff for binoviewers and has some alternate brands. Talk to Mark Gibson, too.

[Paul D]

Dan,

You may want to try a pair of 14mm W70s I am not sure if Mark can still get the 14's but I am sure you could find a pair on Astromart. I have one and I believe Mark probably has one and I would be willing to let you try it in your Binoviewer if you want to give it a shot..

Paul D...

[Dan Chieppa]

Hi Bob and Paul,
Thanks for the feedback. I'll look into both suggestions, High Point and the Antares 14mm EPs.
Clear skies,
Dan

[RobCos]

Dan,

You may want to try a pair of 14mm W70s I am not sure if Mark can still get the 14's but I am sure you could find a pair on Astromart. I have one and I believe Mark probably has one and I would be willing to let you try it in your Binoviewer if you want to give it a shot..

Paul D...

Yep, Pauls right. When these eyepieces first appeared Bino-users went gaga over them.

[Dan Chieppa]

Thanks for the feedback. The 14mm EPs sound interesting.
Clear skies,
Dan

[Mark G]

Dan,

The 14 mm W70 is history. It's been replaced with the 15 mm W70. I know as I got the last 14 mm W70 from Antares 2 weeks ago from Greg S.

W70-5.8** 1.25" Widefield 67degAF,MC ***** 5.7mm ***** $59.00
W70-8.6** 1.25" Widefield 67degAF,MC ***** 8.6mm ***** $59.00
W70-15** 1.25" Widefield 67degAF,MC ***** 15mm ***** $59.00
W70-19** 1.25" Widefield 67degAF,MC ***** 19mm ***** $59.00
W70-25** 1.25" Widefield 67degAF,MC ***** 25mm ***** $74.00



$53 is the ASSNE member price, and the W70 25 is $66.

Each has a bolt case supplied. I've only the W70 19 mm pair in stock ATM. I'd need to order other f.l.s to make pairs for you.

FWIW I also have several pairs of good 1.25" LER EP's. 50 degree AFOV.

O'Niel up in Canada is the only other I can find selling these. Here's what he says about them.

LE Series
These eyepieces are not perfect, but I like them. I find them comfortable on the eye, with very little eye strain. Now contrast is not as good as the Antares Japanese orthos I sell for $95 Cdn, so if you are a planetary fanatic, ask me about the orthos. But for all around use, they are quite good. Also, apparent FOV is a bit narrower than a regular plossl, but about a degree or two I find. The 2 and 5mm versions have a 45 degree FOV while the rest are 50 degree. Eye relief is a constant 20mm on all sizes. Some people have asked if these are the same as Orion Epics, and they are not. The two are very different. The Orion Epic EDs strike me as a poor man's clone of Radians while these are more of a poor man's clone of the regular Vixen lanthanums.
So how good are they really? Well, as a practical joke, late one night, I handed a friend the 2mm version to stick in his 20 inch Obsession dobsonian, without telling him what it was. At 1,250 power on M13, in a 45 degree apparent FOV, the stars wizzed by like a replay of the Indy 500. However, it did hold together. Now, I do not reccomend such a thing, but I can say, it was done at least once.
My favourite is the 9mm, followed by the 15mm. Dunno why, but the 9mm just strikes my eye in a "sweet spot". As usual, your milage will vary.
$48 US for the 2, 5, 9 or 15mm
$43 US for the 20 & 25mm

I've been selling these on eBay via auctions for about $25 - $30.00 each as I bought them all at a great price, I listed them as a low reserve. All those that have bought them are leaving great feedback for me. and bought another off-line to use in thier binoviewers.

no 2 mm LER
no 5 mm LER

I've a good amount of the 9mm LER on hand


Only 1, 15 mm LER no pairs left.


I've 3 pairs of the 20 mm LER on hand


I've 1 pair of the 25 mm LER on hand


Dan, & other ASSNE members, I can work a deal for you on several pairs if your interested, for your Binoviewer, or those like me that use "cyclops" mode.

[Dan Chieppa]

Mark,
Thanks for the info on EPs. Next time I'm out at your place I'd like to try out the 9mm LE. I can't use it for the binoviewer but I could add it to my collection if I like the view.
I'm still undecided as to which EP to go with to get higher magnification. I like the 20mm EPs that came with my binoviewer. Not sure if 16mm or 15mm would be enough of a difference. If I don't find a pair of the 14mm EPs I'll consider the 15mm.
Have a great 4th of July.
Clear skies,
Dan

[Dan Chieppa]

Hello Mark,
My search for a pair of EPs for the binoviewer is over. I picked up a pair of Antares W70 14mm EPs last week from Jim at Scopestuff. I haven't had the time to try them out yet. I'm retired and can't figure out where all my free time goes.
I'll let you and the rest of the gang know what I think about them.
Thanks to all of you that provided input.
Clear skies,
Dan

[Galactus]

Dan,

I have the Burgess Binoviewers and I use 20mm EPs that came with them as a "special offer." I didn't notice in your posts, but do you use these? I find them to be perfect for me. Just the righ mix of magnification and FOV.