Well, I have gone and done it! I have bought 2 eyepieces in the last 2 weeks and to be fair the clouds were already here since the monsoons are starting up. (No rain yet.)
The first
EP I bought is an 18mm Baader Classic Ortho that was highly recommended to me by some knowledgeable members here at
TSS.
The second
EP is one that I really wasn't planning to buy, but when I stumbled across it I couldn't help but make an offer on it - a Meade 4000 series 14mm smoothie UWA. It's stated by many as a legendary
EP and a true classic, possibly one of the best ever sold or given away by Meade!
I say given away because in the photo below, it sits on an advertisement from an August 1991 issue of Sky & Telescope where Meade was giving away free both 4000 series 14mm and 8.8mm UWA eyepieces from from May 1st through July 31st, 1991 if you bought a 2080 8" or 2120 10"
SCT with smart drives. Wow! What a deal! To tell the truth, I was dirt poor back then and couldn't take advantage of it.
I haven't given these
EP's a first light (for me, anyway) but when I do I want to be thorough as can be in my report!
My first impression of the BCO is that its small and compact, seems well made, but I don't like the quality of the eyeguard as it seems inferior.
My first impression of the UWA is that it looks new and incredibly good for its age, its HUGE, quite heavy, and I wish this was the model that had the eyeguard on it that I think was introduced around 1992. Maybe I can make an eyeguard for it? I only see me using this
EP in my larger scopes at this time.
I can hardly wait to observe with these soon.
