Oculari


In genere
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# Area : ASTRO.ITA (Astrofili)
# Da: Renzo Delrosso ( 12/1/1994 14:2 )
# A: Christian Lavarian
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CL> Dovrei acquistare un oculare sui 20mm di focale per un dobsoniano da
CL> 33cm f4.5 e sono parecchio indeciso. Dapiu' parti ho letto che i
CL> migliori oculari per Newton aperti sono quelli a grande campo
CL> apparente ( Nagler,Swa,Uwa... ). Il problema e' che ce ne sono molti
CL> e con prezzi variabilissimi. Qualche fortunato ha avuto modo di
CL> osservare uno di questi oculari e puo' darmi un consiglio?

Io ho un UWA da 8.8 e un Nagler II da 16 mm.
Come forse ti ricordi uso un modestissimo Newton da 15 cm aperto a F:6.7 pero' ho potuto osservare con l'8.8 la stellina centrale di M57 (che mi dicono non e' un oggetto facilissimo da rilevare in mezzo alla nebulosita') mentre con il Nagler (che ho comprato successivamente) ho avuto la possibilita' di osservare M31 (capirai che sforzo!!! dirai) ... dal centro citta', sotto i lampioni dell'illuminazione stradale e puntando il telescopio a occhio in quanto non vedevo nemmeno la Polare per fare un puntamento sufficiente per usare i cerchi graduati. Con il binocolo non si riusciva a percepire nulla mentre con il Nagler (a 62 ingrandimenti) il nucleo era perfettamente visibile e si intravedevano anche se con difficolta' delle ombreggiature in corrispondenza delle anse dei bracci.

Ricapitolando sia la serie UWA della Meade sia i Nagler sono degli OTTIMI oculari, spesso sprecati a causa della cattiva qualita' del cielo e dei telescopi su cui vengono montati. Non ho avuto modo di provare l'UWA da 14 mm ma, se il prezzo e' un problema relativo o se, meglio ancora, puoi fare come ho fatto io (l'ha riportato un mio amico dall'America), prendi un Nagler perche' sui 20 mm l'UWA non c'e' e l'SWA e' di qualita' peggiore rispetto ai primi due, pur restando un OTTIMO oculare.

CL> Su SKy di dicembre ho letto che la University optics commercializza
CL> un tipo di oculare a 9 ( ! ) lenti con campo apparente di 80gradi a
CL> prezzi paragonabili a quelli dei SWA della Meade. Avete notizie in
CL> questo senso??

Purtroppo per questo nuovo oculare non sono in grado di darti alcuna notizia. Speriamo che il tempo migliori un po' cosi' posso dirti come funziona il Nagler osservando qualche "bellezza invernale".


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# Area : ASTRO.ITA (Astrofili)
# Da: Christian Lavarian ( 26/3/1995 17:0 )
# A: Packy Esposito
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PE> Sono entrato anche io nel fantastico mondo dell'astronomia
PE> acquistando, su consiglio di Christian, il 4500 della Meade, che mi
PE> e' arrivato solo venerdi' mentre ero a letto per l'influenza, quindi
PE> non ho potuto provarlo ancora. Ho notato pero' che l'unico oculare in
PE> dotazione fornisce un ingrandimento di 36X che, a prima vista, sembra
PE> poco. Ribadisco che ho preso questo modello di telescopio anche
PE> perche' alloggia gli oculari da 31.8.
PE> Mi date qualche spiegazione sugli oculari che mi potrebbero essere
PE> utili ad esempio per osservare i pianeti e comunque un po' di
PE> indicazioni sugli oculari in genere, magari anche qualche prezzo
PE> giusto per farmi un'idea. Ho sentito parlare di ploss, or... ma non
PE> so affatto cosa significa.

Diciamo che per osservare i pianeti vanno benone i plossl, ultimamente gli ortoscopici sono un po' in ribasso. I plossl non sono altro che ortoscopici modificati : credo che per 150000-200000 max puotrai acquistare un buon 5-6 mm.

Prova a guardare il mercato dell'usato, ci sono ottime occasioni a poco prezzo, e sugli oculari e' difficile incappare in una fregatura.Un oculare del genere ti da circa 200 ingrandimenti, ottimi per i pianeti. Un'altro acuisto potrebbe essere un plossl di 12,5 mm, per osservazioni a medio ingrandimento.Non ti consiglio in linea di principio una barlow, anche se ce ne sono di ottime, poiche' costano parecchio e dificilmente hanno le stesse prestazioni di un oculare pari focale.Eviterei poi anche oculari tipo UWA o SWA o Nagler che sono magnifici ma costano tutto il telescopio da solo.... :-(


Come pulirli
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# Area : ASTRO.ITA (Astrofili)
# Da : Plinio Camaiti, 2:334/101.4 (03-31-1997 20:41)
# A : Alessandro Freda
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AF> Secondo vuoi quale e' il metodo migliore per pulire gli oculari?

Occorrente: fazzolettini di carta tipo Kleenex, oppure (meglio) fazzolettini di carta per struccare (si trovano solo in profumeria) in confezione sigillata; vetril (quello veeeeeecchio, con la bottiglia blu), benzina AVIO, acqua distillata, una pinzetta in plastica (si compra dagli ottici, basta chiedere quella per maneggiare le lenti a contatto); una pompetta di gomma (quelle grosse, di colore arancione, che si comprano nelle farmacie). Per prima cosa si soffia via la polvere dalla lente con la pompetta. Si miscela il vetril + benzina avio + acqua distillata in parti uguali, poi si prende con la pinzetta un fazzolettino nuovo, e ne si fa un cono appuntito di carta. Si intinge la punta nella miscela detergente, poi si bagna legger- mente la lente. Si lascia agire per una decina di secondi e poi si deterge. Si ripete l'operazione 2-3 volte, cambiando ogni volta il fazzolettino. Si lascia asciugare. Infine si alita sulla lente, si cambia il fazzolettino con uno nuovo e asciutto e si termina la pulizia. Infine, si soffia via la polvere di carta residua con la pompetta.


Nagler
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# Area : ASTRO.ITA (Astrofili)
# Da : Christian Lavarian, 2:333/801.25 ( 08-07-1996 09:39)
# A : Tutti
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EQUIPMENT TALK by Todd Gross
6/24/96 - The entire NAGLER line!

The Televue Nagler is perhaps one of the most sought after eyepieces ever, and with good reason. The wide 82 degree field is nearly flat.. that is, images are sharp just about to the edge.. considering how large an 82 degree field is.. that is amazing.

Al Nagler, the creator of this line of eyepieces, calls the feeling one gets when viewing through them, a "space-walk". This is something new to visual astronomy, but it is real. The effect is this: When viewing through a Nagler, particularly from 9mm on up through 20mm, you can never really take in the whole field at one time. The result is that you have to move your eye and/or you head around to take in the whole view. While this can be disconcerting at first, when you are relaxed, and casually observing, you can really get a warm feeling of being able to "look around" at different parts of space without having to move the scope!

The disadvantages of the Nagler eyepieces are few, but they do have some drawbacks. On bright objects, there is a "some" loss of contrast between the object, and the sky. Some observers say that this loss in contrast, compared to let's say a straight Plossl, will be within the object as well, so that Jupiter for instance, may not show up quite as darkly banded. I have found this to be minimal.

The other disadvantages lie within specific eyepieces, and I will go over those below.

A huge advantage in dealing with Televue eyepieces, by the way, is that they can be returned for repair! I have sent in a useless 9mm Nagler, and had it returned in just over a week, good as new. The repair was reasonably priced considering the cost of the eyepiece.

Here is a summary of the Nagler line:

  1. The 4.8mm Nagler.
    This eyepiece exhibits short eye relief, approximately 7mm. It also does not give much of that "space-walk" feel compared to the longer focal lengths. Views are sharp though, if you can keep the lens clean. The field is very wide, but not as comfortable as viewing with the longer Naglers. The latest version includes a full eyecup rather than the "horn" type previously supplied, and I believe a grip ring.
  2. The 7mm Nagler.
    This eyepiece has a more reasonable 10mm eye relief. Also supplied with a very stiff, roll-down, full eyecup (like the 4.8mm) which is very effective, even more effective than the 9 Nagler and up. However, it doesn't roll down easily, and makes it somewhat harder to go from glasses to without glasses, and back. The view is very pleasant and wide, much more comfortable than the 4.8, and a bit more of that "space-walk" feeling. You only have to move your eye around, and not your whole head to take in the full 82 degree view. On most scopes, this is a fantastic planetary eyepiece. Both the 4.8, and the 7mm Naglers are pure 1.25" eyepieces, and are suitable for 1.25" diagonals, and/or binoviewers.
  3. The 9mm Nagler.
    This is the first in the series to exhibit the Nagler's more typical qualities. This eyepiece is a small 1.25"/2" hybrid design. It is a 1.25" eyepiece with a 2" "skirt". It fits more securely in a 2" diagonal, but works just fine in a 1.25". The eye relief is better, approximately 12mm. The "space-walk" feeling is full blown. The design of this and many of the Nagler's has changed so many times over the past few years it is mind blowing. From buying them second hand, and trying to match them for a bino-viewer, I have been driven nuts trying to keep track of the excellent alterations. The latest 9mm Nagler (and I believe all the others on up from here) features an easy to roll down eyecup, a contoured barrel (like the 7 and 4.8 versions feature too - apparently to prevent eyepiece falling accidents), a grip ring, and a new placement of the top element..right on the plane of the top of the eyepiece (not at all recessed) allowing for a more comfortable eye relief, but a higher probability of eyelash contact.
  4. The 11mm Nagler.
    No longer being produced, this eyepiece is considered a "collector's item", and draws big bucks on the second hand market. No, I have never tried one, but apparently it does not come with an eyecup. The 11mm Nagler is the Nagler 1 style, like the 4.8, 7, 9, and 13. From 9mm and up there is a slight "kidney bean blackout" effect, but it really isn't noticeable until you reach 13, which we will discuss shortly. I have not heard that this Nagler is any "better" than others despite the high price it draws. It is considerably heavier than the 9mm, and also apparently is a 1.25/2" eyepiece.
  5. The 12mm Nagler "2".
    When you get up around 13mm, the Nagler 1 design exhibits a more pronounced "kidney-bean" blackout effect discussed below. Therefore, Televue created a new design, similar to the 1st, which allowed the Naglers to go all the way up to 20mm, without any of the problems associated with the earlier design. The only trade off, is eye relief. While the relief is limited, the placement of the top element right at the plane of the eyepiece makes for very comfortable night-time viewing without glasses, even with the eyecup rolled up. However, with glasses, it is somewhat tight, and you will lose some of the f.o.v. I have sold, and re-purchased this eyepiece many times, always "missing" the huge panorama, and yet sharp planetary images. I could be mistaken, but the field of view seems even larger than 82 in this particular model. I use this eyepiece especially for observing globulars in an 8" or 10" SCT. Perfect mid-high magnification eyepiece to see the whole globular, yet break down the stars! This eyepiece is quite heavy, and also features a 1.25/2" hybrid design. I would recommend a 2" diagonal to hold it for security. I had trouble, by the way, seeing the whole field by day...for some reason it was easier to take in at night, must have something to do with pupil size.
  6. The 13mm Nagler.
    The last in the series 1 Naglers, the 13mm is perhaps one of the finest, and yet it has an infamous problem : The Kidney Bean effect. Essentially, these kidney shaped, blackout areas become prominent as you shift your view around to take in the whole view. (similar to a blackout when you get too close to a 40mm eyepiece) I have seen it claimed that if you naturally hold your eye steady, then you will not have a problem. Well, that is true, but you will also only be taking in 70 degrees and not 82 degrees, or thereabouts, and that is what you are paying for. However, this eyepiece, also quite large, exhibits a very comfortable view, and good eye relief compared to the 12mm. I believe it is rated at about 19mm relief, but I found it shorter, especially when trying to view the edge of field. This eyepiece is fantastic on deep sky, giving a real Oh-wow feeling. On jupiter, I believe the sharpness on the bands was not quite as good as on other eyepieces, but I discovered that in a pretty quick and dirty test session, so I could be wrong. In a side by side test against the 12mm Nagler, I thought I detected a bit more "life" and brightness to the image through the 13, but it could be because of the additional 1mm focal length. Note, that on this Nagler, as in many others, there is already a "built-in" barlow! This can be unscrewed, to gain a 30mm eyepiece or thereabouts, but I wouldn't recommend it. Firstly, the stars at the edge of field suffer greatly, and secondly, you risk ruining your eyepiece, especially since it isn't easy to screw and unscrew the built-in magnifier.
  7. The 16mm Nagler 2.
    Almost identical in design, size, weight, and viewing characteristics (indeed the 16 is slightly SMALLER than the 12, go figure) the 16mm Nagler 2 is an awesome deep sky and planetary eyepiece. The space-walk, eye relief, and just about everything is identical to the 12.
  8. The 20mm Nagler 2.
    This is a huge, heavy eyepiece, up there with the 35mm Panoptic in size, and weighing in in pounds, and not ounces. Some telescope owners can't afford that extra weight. Also, it is a 2" eyepiece, there is no provision at all for a 1.25" focuser/diagonal unlike the other Naglers. The wide top lens makes for a very comfortable viewing experience. However, like the 12 and 16, you shouldn't use this eyepiece with glasses, unless you are willing to sacrifice a chunk of field. Again, a similar, approximately 10mm of eye relief. The space-walk feeling is at it's maximum with this eyepiece as you have to shuttle around a lot to take in the whole picture. However, this is one of the most important eyepieces around (and expensive), as it will give you as much field size as a 32+ mm Plossl, and yet give you a substantially more magnified, intensive view (although potentially dimmer as the exit pupil is smaller, but the contrast factor often makes up for that). If you buy this eyepiece for instance, and replace your 26mm that comes with your telescope, you will gain BOTH substantial field size AND magnification all in just one eyepiece. Indeed with a fairly high powered telescope, such as an 8" f/10, I probably would choose this eyepiece if I could choose only one (and no barlowing allowed, with a barlow I would probably choose the 27mm panoptic if I was allowed just one!).
The Panoptics from Televue, in my opinion, are even sharper in view than the Naglers! Their focal lengths are generally longer, the eye relief thus is longer, and the field size is somewhat smaller. They starting at 15mm and running on up to 35mm focal length. I will go over the advantages, and disadvantages of these incredibly sharp-to-the-edge eyepieces in my next report.

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