7 replies to this topic

[Philip Pugh]

I wrote this book in conjunction with experts such as Nick Howes, Larry Alvarez, Cameran Ashraf and Mike Taormina:

http://www.springer....a|aboutThisBook

It gives the lowdown on how to use the Coronado product range and gives details of some competing products for comparison.

For entry level up to 60mm, there's no doubt that Coronado are the best but some options are worth considering for larger telescopes and filters.

[vargor]

Phil,

I got your book from amazon.com - overall nice effort, especially useful for beginners and those interested in imaging.  I currently have a double-stacked Maxscope 60 (after upgrading from a double-stacked Maxscope 40).  One topic you might consider giving expanded coverage to for the next edition is binoviewers.  Those are always in use at the HOTS conferences and the annual Riverside Telescope Makers Convention (usually with a Maxscope 90), and I have always been impressed with the 3-D views they give.  However, I've tried a couple different binoviewers on my Maxscope 60 and have never been able to reach focus, even when using various spacers.

Rick

[Philip Pugh]

Thnaks for your feedback, Rick. The reason we didn't include them is that neither the co-authors nor myself use them. Larry, in particular, is more interested in the photographic side of things and the restricted focus of the PST just doesn't allow their use.

One of the main objectives of the book was to make it as realistic as possible. I included a section for products that I/we considered worth trying but hadn't but I've done a lot of trials with eyepieces and accessories on the PST and quite a few on the MaxScope 70.

It might be worth contacting Marcello Lugli about the TOS, which should adjust the focussing range of your MaxScope 60.

Since I wrote the book, I have been experimenting with optical zoom on digital cameras and find it a lot easier than fiddling about with eyepiece changes.

[kanders2]

I also have binoviewers, but stopped using them with my solarmax 40 scope since I noticed I could see more detail with a single eyepiece. I speculate the reason is less glass and internal reflection (and I have the premuinm Denks).  I also had difficulty getinng the sun in both eyes with my BF5 tiny holes.  I am able to get a 3 power swithces to focus, but it requires more than the twist focus for the third power switch, plus I have to raise the eyepiece about 0.25" up from the bottom of the socket.

[jgilmore911]

Does the book address mainly the Coranado telescopes or would it also be of interest to those with a Coranado filter on a normal scope?

[Philip Pugh]

Does the book address mainly the Coranado telescopes or would it also be of interest to those with a Coranado filter on a normal scope?

It covers the use of filters, too, but I found it difficult to find anyone with much experience of them. For the smaller telescope sizes, the dedicated telescopes are cheaper. One of my big criticisms (which I mentioned in the book) was that Coronado didn't make any 80mm aperture filters. You have to buy a 60mm filter and use an adaptor. There are non-Coronado solutions and I summarized some of them in the book.

The short answer is that at 60mm and under Coronado are the best choice but over 60mm, other solutions are worth considering.

[Philip Pugh]

I also have binoviewers, but stopped using them with my solarmax 40 scope since I noticed I could see more detail with a single eyepiece. I speculate the reason is less glass and internal reflection (and I have the premuinm Denks).  I also had difficulty getinng the sun in both eyes with my BF5 tiny holes.  I am able to get a 3 power swithces to focus, but it requires more than the twist focus for the third power switch, plus I have to raise the eyepiece about 0.25" up from the bottom of the socket.

I also think that the 40mm 'scope just doesn't have enough aperture for them. I'd be interested to hear from nayone who's used it with a 60mm or 90mm 'scope.

[jgilmore911]

Does the book address mainly the Coranado telescopes or would it also be of interest to those with a Coranado filter on a normal scope?

It covers the use of filters, too, but I found it difficult to find anyone with much experience of them. For the smaller telescope sizes, the dedicated telescopes are cheaper. One of my big criticisms (which I mentioned in the book) was that Coronado didn't make any 80mm aperture filters. You have to buy a 60mm filter and use an adaptor. There are non-Coronado solutions and I summarized some of them in the book.

The short answer is that at 60mm and under Coronado are the best choice but over 60mm, other solutions are worth considering.

I'm thinking of using a 90mm filter on a Tele Vue NP-101.  Do you think this is a reasonable setup?  What sort of image quality could I expect from this?