Telescope eyepieces & accessories

Part of the Edmund RKE series.

This is a nice image of a 32mm Konig by University Optics. 1.25 inch barrel.

Close up 32mm Konig at the eye lens end.

Here are some representitives of University Optics "Super Erfles". The green lettering stands for Multi Coated.

TMB 30mm Paragon Orthoscopic with 2 inch barrel.

3omm Paragon eye lens.

This is a 28mm RKE and a 15mm RKE showing differences in the barrels. The 28mm is in a class by itself as the threads on the barrel are external in assembling the eyepiece. The 15mm however are internal to connect the upper portion of the eyepiece that contains the optics to the lower portion.

Here are aseveral University Optics Konig eyepieces. Want can be seen here are the checkerboard or zebra style. They get the name from the aluminum ring that seperates the black portion of the eyepiece from the chrome barrel. This aluminum "ring" has an alternating pattern black to silver and back again kinda like a checkerboard or zebra might have!

another picture of the "zebra herd."

University Optics Giant Konig II 2 inch 32mm eyepiece. This example is quite clean and the coloring is actually gold.

Here is a pair of recent Brandon eyepieces. 6mm and 8mm. They have an interesting story. The 6mm (left) is part of the recent 50th Anniversary set. The 8mm on the right was meant to be one of gold anodized series of Brandon sets, but the owner of Vernoscope Don Yeir as I am told had too many 1.25 barrels gold anodized as the number of eyepieces were limited to only 100. This one was gold plated by mistake. It went back to the coating company and the plating was removed and recoated the proper black. The barrel was fitted with the 8mm optics and now has a slightly duller finish to it upon close inspection. So even though it now is only a standard Brandon 8mm it once had the distinction of once being a gold plated Brandon ocular!

Long discontinued 28mm Orthoscopic eyepiece from perhaps late 1970's vintage. Might be even earlier as the eyepiece has a serial number U-2980. It is also described as a "flat top eyepiece", even though the cap in this picture clearly shows a semi volcano shape to it.

UO 28mm Orthoscopic side view showing chrome barrel.

The 16mm Konig has been one of the popular of the University Optics eyepieces ever and is the most common focal length of the Konig series. This example also a "flat head" or "flat top" is most likely from the late 1970's or newer. Early examples were also flat heads but were serial numbered on the top cap. They too were coated examples as this one, but with out the checkerboard or Zebra ring which barely is visble in this picture.

Part of the authors University Optics eyepiece collection. Upper Left is a 32mm Konig II two inch eyepiece. Below left a number of Orthoscopics. Middle right are a mix of Konig I and Super Erfles.

Another image of the same.

Series of early eyepieces. Image by E. Ramos

Image by E. Ramos.

Meade Research Grade Orthoscope eyepiece acclaimed by a strong following to be among the finest Orthoscopic eyepieces you can buy. Now of course they are discontinued. The eyepiece is a bit lighter in weight than most orthoscopics of the same size. This is due partly because the barrel is alumium and not made of brass. It is stamped "Japan". Image by M. Forster

Top view of the Meade Research Grade 7mm Orthoscopic eyepiece. It is interesting to note some of the Meade Research Orthoscopics had the words "MEADE" or "Meade" being capitalized, and not capitalized. This example is capitalized. I believe the older set is capitalized, while newer versions are not. (However, I'm still waiting to verify this.) Image by M. Forster

Two long focus eyepieces. On the left is a 42 mm Celestron Ultima. Great eyepiece but rather narrow field of view. Edge appears to be well corrected. On right is an Orion 50mm Plossl in two inch format.

Edmund Scientific 8mm Wide Field eyepiece. Consists of 5 elements in 3 groups. It is not therefore a Plossl or RKE eyepiece as per definition.

Here are Edmund Plossl eyepieces. The 8mm is a Wield field, and differs from a Plossl because of an extra element. Might be even be considered a variation of a RKE by some.

Brandon eyepieces - old style as per advertisement April 1967. This chrome barrel appearance was the original style of the entire Brandon Series for quite a number of years and was the way Chester Brandon sold them in the early 1960's, 1950's and perhaps 1940's. In 1962 Donald Yeier bought the rights to the Brandon eyepieces and sold them under the Vernonscope name. (Vernon was Don's middle name.) It is interesting to note that by September of the same year this series was now produced in black barrels. Thus 1967 was the change over year from chrome to black barrels similar to today. The information above suggests perhaps demand may have exceeded availability due to production issues.

Late 1960's Brandon "Orthoscopic" eyepieces from Vernonscope.- as per S & T ad Sept 1967, showing new style black barrel eyepieces. Earlier that same year the barrels were chromed. click on above to enlarge. Notice here too, the eyepiece focal length is written horizontaly on the barrel as in prior years.

Dakin Barlows also highly recommended are another Venonscope product. Click on above image for various sizes. Originally developed by Ralph Dakin.

Here's your full set of Brandon eyepieces and filters as of July 1968. Click on the above image for larger images. By this time the barrels had changed again. The writing now is on the eyepiece cap, rather than written horizontaly on the barrel as in the series made before.

Brandon eyepieces in the late 1960's continued to improve. By Sept 1968 they were advertised as being parafocalized, and threaded to accept "Vernonscope Filters". (In the examples I own of the prior series Brandon oculars had NO provisions for filters at all due to lack of threads on the bottom of the eyepiece barrel.)They also were individually cased in a black vinyl pouch with belt loop. It should be noted that to this day Brandon threading is unique to Vernonscope filters only!

University Optics Sept 1968- showing their variety of Orthoscopic eyepieces.

Here is an early ad for Meade Research Grade orthoscopic eyepieces and other Meade products. The old Meade Research Orthos had focal lengths in 6.6mm, 10, 16, 20 and 26.6mm. Also see the "Series 1" line of Orthoscopics too. This ad is dated July 1975 - Astronomy Magazine.

The Meade Research Grade Orthoscopic eyepieces completely changed between 1975 and 1977. Here we see the Meade Research Grade Orthos in the following focal lengths- 4mm, 7mm, 10.5mm, 16.8mm and 28mm. Substantial differences in just a short time. Also Meade apparently sold what was classified as Series 1 Orthoscopic eyepieces in barrel sizes from 0.965 which is the Japanese standard to 1.25 inch size the American standard. Hence this advertisement helps offer proof that the sought after Meade Research Grade eyepieces actuall date back into the 1970's and not 1980's as some faithful users have suggested. S & T Jan 1977.

Between 1977 and 1979 Meade had introduced a "Series 2" Orthoscopic line of eyepieces available in both the 1.25 inch barrel size or the Japanese standard barrel 0.965 inches. The "Research Grade" line of both Erfles and Orthoscopic are of course retained and were successful for many more years before production ended. Both the Series 2 Orthoscopic eyepieces and Research Grade are all described as multi-coated and parafocalized. Note that several 2 inch eyepieces are also advertised - a 60 mm Kellner and a 32mm Erfle . (They are not described under a Research or Series 2 ocular.) This is per S & T - Sept 1979.

Several examples of the Celestron Silver top Plossl eyepieces from the 1980's. Shown are the Japanese 22mm, 36mm and 26mm. Note the double dots above the "o" in the word PLoSSL on the above eyepieces.

A few different Brandon eyepieces are in this image. The oldest has the horizontal inscription and dates from probably 1967. The 12mm on the far left is also quite old possibly from the late 1960's or early 1970's. Far right is a 50th anniversity Brandon from just a few years ago. The 8mm in the middle once was a gold plated Brandon but has been brought back to the staus of a regular Brandon eyepiece due to an over run in the number of gold eyepiece barrels produced or at least this is what I've been told. In any case I have been a Brandon eyepiece user since 1970 and feel documentation and examples of the various series maybe helpful to those who collect and wish to learn about these fine eyepieces. - Al Paslow.

Watec Ultimate camera. Very tiny useful for meteor as well as occulatation recording. .