Perhaps a Celestron Folder? (1 Viewer)

The Pentax 20mm SMC XW FS-24mm tfov-2.546* arrived yesterday. As other eyepieces this fit is taut somewhat tapered. If you push it all the way down then release, w/o tightening, it moves up a bit. It has to be all the way down to focus at infinity.

I read where another gent w/M2 100 had problem w/20mm ES 68* in that the view at the bottom of eyepiece was clipped a bit. Conventional wisdom says the prisms in TS & M2 65/80/100 would be the same size. Maybe more of potluck.

No vignetting whatsoevah in mine. Thanks to the M2 design I see some field curvature. I looked at a birdfeeder 25-30' away noting a copper emblem would become a mite soft at the edges. Cloudy today, but when clear I'll aim at a star.

I read where 27-27.5MM is the maximum field stop for 1.25 eyepiece. As previously mentioned at 6.7 oz is the 6 element X-Cel LX 25mm 60* 21.7X 2.779*. Though one FS was measured by a gent at only 25mm for a tfov 2.652*. Still, this economical offering by Celestron would be me pick to check out the integrity of the prism. Even at a measured 25mm it's still a slightly greater tfov of the Pentax.

Wider eyepieces in this range are few & far between. Here's a calculator that'll give you a close tfov of various eyepieces. I load the moon image and save the wider eyepieces starting w/Celestron 15mm 82* that has been pointed out to be somewhere around the mid 70*. Looks las a bullseye and the differing eyepiece rings are their own colour depending on order of saving I suppose.

https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/

For more accurate calculations stick w/ tfov[FS/FL(of scope)X57.286] Pentax 20mm SMC XW-----24/540X57.296=2.546*

As time marches on I would not recommend top o' line eyepieces in the higher 18-26mm range. The magnification factor is so low that you really do not have a chance to see how well they perform. And they weigh a tonne. If you have the funds more power to you though I would save high end eyepieces for the smaller MM range perhaps 6mm and lower. Which on the 100m at fl-540 is 90X & up.

As well for me 60*-65* is plenty for viewing flying targets. Any extra fov beyond that cannot be appreciated by me eyes whilst keeping pace on panning. A static target is a different tale. Also I might add that these spotters are not constructed to handle large/heavy eyepieces. The 15mm Luminos is around 12 oz, as the 20mm Pentax XW, and that's pushing the envelope of frame stiffness/integrity. The Pentax XW 20mm is nice though way too nice for a mere 27X. At that lope it never has a chance to stretch its legs. The Celestron 15mm 'wide angle' spotter eyepiece on the 100mm is 36X tfov 1.6* for around 58-60* eyepiece. Guesstamating as field stop is not listed. 20mm eye relief waterproof fully multi-coated weighing in at 6.3oz. I bought one for 36 clams TTD used, but have yet to compare it to the Luminos.

According to TeleVue eyepiece calculator a 100mm f5.4 telescope has the ability of 236X for astronomy. Under excellent conditions no doubt.

Though the TV 6-3mm zoom, w/clicks or stops at 90X, 108X, 135X 180X, does not fit inside the mount quite far enough for infinity focus, w/o modification, the M2 100 handles the power well to 180X. I've used it to read bar codes in the backyard during sunny days.

I've also used it to train on tiny blooms w/tinier insects walkin' 'bout inside the bloom.
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"24mm eyepiece ... doesn't produce a circled image. the bottom of the image is cut off. Not by much, but more than enough to be noticeable."

Celestron lightened the Regal due in part to older scopes being a mite portly. In doing so the scope has a certain amount of flexibility. Combine heavy eyepieces to that equation and there's a recipe for disaster. That honkin' hand grenade is a magnet for folks to latch on to as a handle moving the scope around.

If you snag another 20mm or 24mm eyepiece mount it and tighten the lock nut. Whilst looking through the spotter grab the eyepiece and apply small amounts of pressure forward as I recall or back if I've forgotten. If the view doesn't change, by clipping offf more or reducing the cut-off area, apply a wee bit more pressure SLOWLY.

When you have determined the proper direction and you have slowly applied enough pressure to eliminate the cut-out/clipped area stop, let off pressure and allow the eyepiece to move back to its original position once again seeing the clipped view, but leave your hand on the eyepiece.

Take a couple of breaths and shove the eyepiece in the same direction as before w/a bit more authority and quickly in a jabbing style motion. You are resetting the eyepiece mount so to speak.

We presume this optical misalignment has happened prior and as such retains an evah so slight metal memory that will go back easily enough from whence it came. So long as you push briskly and quickly from that direction. Do not be afraid and especially do not try to slowly build up pressure to move the mount frame back to position.

You want to slowly flex at first to make sure of proper direction. Howevah, if you attempt to increase that slow pressure to actual move the frame you run a very likely risk of applying too much and overshooting your target.

Might you wonder how I'm privy to these words o' wit?

As always YMMV ...
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One of these days I'll go back and read the whole thread. But, for now I'm searching for the perfect lower power, though not too low, w/wide fov.

I've come to the conclusion that I need a 125mm spotter w/2" eyepieces.

Just bought a second hanf
Celstron regal 100f - ed:t:

some questions if you please

I now need a tripod that's suitably sturdy and would work for me (im 6ft 2 ish) the scope is HEAVY!

also no stay on case....

any thoughts please?

I had a Regal 80 f-ed and used both the Velbon 200 and a Delta Carbon tripod, didn't have any issues with either. The Delta was the sturdier of the two and is sold by Infocus.co.uk. I see there is a Delta Carbon one on Gumtree, looks in good condition and only £40.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/tripods-supports/delta-carbon-fibre-tripod.velbon-head./1296457560

As for stay on case, I never used mine when on the tripod, only for transportation in the car.
I had to sell my Regal because of a worsening neck problem using an angled scope, otherwise I would still have it. I bought a straight Pentax so I could use my Baader Hyperion 1.25" wide angle fixed eyepieces, great views with them compared to the zoom. You will enjoy that 100mm scope.
Les

Lesr Thank you for your reply

Couple of other questions

It appears the easiest way to trawl this about is on peoples backs....however as I don't have a sherpa or minions and the wife isn't going to carry it would you have any recommendations as to how to go about it?
I did recently see a cleyspy mule bag on ebay.

Hi,

scopack, mulepack or similar are warmly recommended.

Joachim, who has a mulepack clone.. and loves it...

thanks for the reply jring