ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

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j.gardavsky Germany
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ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#1

Post by j.gardavsky »


Hello all,

because of my curiosity, I have added to my collection of the astronomy eyepieces this ortho,
Astro Berlin Orth comp.jpg
This orthoscopic astronomy eyepiece has a very simple lenses sequence (field stop - 1 - 1), the both lenses are narrow spaced biconvex.
The narrow field of view competes with that of the TMB Super-Monocentric.
The eye relief is not worse than that of the Abbe orthos.
The way how the lenses are mounted in an oversized drum reminds me of Stenheil in München, around 1907.


The ASTRO BERLIN has been founded in 1922 by Willy Bielicke, Astro-Gesellschaft Bielicke & Co.
The astronomy section of the company has been under H.I. Gramatzki, the designer of the first zoom eyepiece (Transfokator).




And on a side line to the Ortho, here is the Gramatzki's zoom eyepiece,

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... or.tif.jpg
Transfokator.jpg
Herewith it is likely, that the ASTRO BERLIN ORTH eyepiece has been aslo designed by Gramatzki, maybe even one of his first astronomy optics designs.

Best,
JG
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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John Baars Netherlands
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#2

Post by John Baars »


Nice find!
Have you observed with it yet?
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#3

Post by Lady Fraktor »


Very unique JG.
A nice looking addition to the collection and I look forward to your thoughts of it in use.
The Gramatzki zoom appears to be another intriguing design!
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
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Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#4

Post by j.gardavsky »


John Baars wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 12:37 pm Nice find!
Have you observed with it yet?
Hello John,

not yet, today I took just the documentary pictures.
To use it on the elescope, the lenses would require cleaning.
Otherwise, I would not expect much from a symmetric aplanatic design eyepiece. I take it as a piece of history.

Best,
JG
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#5

Post by j.gardavsky »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 4:55 pm Very unique JG.
A nice looking addition to the collection and I look forward to your thoughts of it in use.
The Gramatzki zoom appears to be another intriguing design!
Hello Gabby,

the zoom eyepiece design looks quite interesting, even if not parfocal across its zooming range.

The optics developments in the city of Berlin became somehow forgotten. And regarding the astronomy optics, it has been difficult to compete with Steinheil in München, and with Zeiss in Jena.

Best,
JG
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#6

Post by WilliamPaolini »


Nice! Just how many vintage eyepieces do you have in your collection?
-Bill

U.S.A.F. Veteran - Visual Amateur Astronomer since 1966 - Fully Retired since 2019
8" f/5 Newt - Lunt 152 f/7.9 - TSA 102 f/8 - Vixen 81S f/7.7 - P.S.T. - Pentax 65ED II - Nikon 12x50 AE
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#7

Post by The Happy Parrot »


Very interesting history, and thank you for sharing so it is not lost, JG!
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#8

Post by j.gardavsky »


WilliamPaolini wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:16 pm Nice! Just how many vintage eyepieces do you have in your collection?
Hello Bill.

some pictures from my collection are scattered around the world,
viewtopic.php?p=90079#p90079
viewtopic.php?p=90576#p90576
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/7115 ... ittenzwey/

In total, my vintage eyepieces may be about 20, but lots of them are just the same design.

Thank you for asking,
JG
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#9

Post by WilliamPaolini »


JG,

A vendor friend in UK gave me these a while back. He did not know anything about them but thought they were more than a century old. No identifying marks on them. The one on the right has a top cover on it (shown) which has an extremely dark glass. I am presuming it is a solar filter as way too dark for lunar. FL I think is fairly short though on the lenses under it.
Vintage EPs.jpg
-Bill

U.S.A.F. Veteran - Visual Amateur Astronomer since 1966 - Fully Retired since 2019
8" f/5 Newt - Lunt 152 f/7.9 - TSA 102 f/8 - Vixen 81S f/7.7 - P.S.T. - Pentax 65ED II - Nikon 12x50 AE
Pentax XWs - Baader Morpheus - Takahashi LEs - Edmund RKEs - BST Starguiders - 6ZAO-II/5XO/4Abbe
PM and Email communications always welcomed
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Re: ASTRO BERLIN ORTH, Another missing link in the Evolution Tree of Eyepieces

#10

Post by j.gardavsky »


Hello Bill,

these are very interesting eyepieces!

From outside, they are looking like from tactical optics - Flak, rifle scopes, theodolites, laboratory optics (refractometers, spectroscopes),
from the times between WWI and WWII, typically centered around 1932.
Their typical designs used to be König, symmetrical Plössl, Abbe ortho.

For sure, it would be interesting to see the optics design of these eyepiecesof yours.

Thank you for sharing,
JG

PS:
Otherwise, should you need some pics of the old eyepieces as illustrations for your new book on the eyepieces, and should I be able to help, then contact me.
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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