baader planetarium 2456460 Glasspath Correctors

Product Information

The product is a Glasspath Corrector designed for binoviewers. It corrects spherical aberration and removes color aberration caused by the long light path through the glass prisms in the binoviewer. The corrector is suitable for use with fast telescopes with focal ratios between f/4 and f/7. It can be inserted between T-2 screw connections and used with all telescopes, allowing for different distances for projection.

Product Usage Instructions

To use the Glasspath Corrector, follow these steps

1. Identify the version of the corrector needed for your telescope. This information can be found in the user manual or instructions specific to your telescope.
2. If using a binoviewer with a Zeiss microbayonet, insert the corrector upside down directly into the binoviewer.
3. If using a different type of binoviewer, insert the corrector between the T-2 screw connections.
4. Ensure that the corrector is securely attached to the binoviewer using the provided spanner tool.
5. If necessary, adjust the back-focus by adding the optical length of the binoviewer to the optical length of the Glasspath Corrector.

Note: The Glasspath Corrector does not come included with the product and must be purchased separately based on your telescope’s requirements. Additionally, other accessories such as eyepieces, star diagonals, and T-2 adapters may also be required depending on your telescope.

Manual
Thank you for your purchase of the Baader MaxBright® II Binoviewer! Properly used, this sophisticated optical accessory will provide you with a lifetime of amazing views. To ensure optimal performance, please read this instruction manual before using your binoviewer.

• Thanks to its large 27 mm prisms with 25.5 mm free aperture (on the telescope side even 26 mm), the MaxBright® II Binoviewer offers a significantly larger field of view than cheaper binoviewers. The free aperture is only slightly inferior to many more expensive bino-viewers like our Mark V Großfeld (Giant) binocular (with 30 mm prisms).
• Its features range from 7-layer multilayer anti-reflective coatings on all glass air surfaces through a high-performance beam splitter with dielectric splitter layer to self-centering ClickLock® quick clamps for both eyepieces, which have been spe-cially redesigned for the MaxBright® II.
• Eyepiece clamps with diopter adjustment for both eyepieces allow perfect re- focusing for each eye – this is essential for using any bino-viewer.
• Because of the 1:10 power gear ratio, a gentle, small rotation by 20° of the Click-Lock® ring is enough to securely clamp every 1¼” eyepieces – or to release it later. Such a small rotation results in a lock which is at least as tight as a single clamping screw which is tightend with much more force.

We offer several Glassport Correctors for our nonviewers, which are designed to correct spherical aberration. They are also designed to remove colour aberration which will occur because of the long light-path through the glass prisms in the nonviewer, if it is used with fast telescopes (with focal ratios between f/4 and f/7) because of the highly convergent light beams present in these instruments.
Also, as a Glassport Corrector moves the focus away from a telescope – similar to a Barlow lens – you can use the nonviewer with almost any telescope. Only if you use “slow” telescopes like Schmidt-Cassegrains (SC), you do not need a glass- path compensator, because the light beams do not converge at such a wide angle. Nevertheless, they can still be used to achieve different magnifications. The sharpness will increase even when used with SC- and HD- telescopes.
These “colourabberation correctors” are an important addition to the binoviewer. The peculiar housing of the three models with a clamping collar is designed to be inserted between T-2-screw-connections. This way, these lenses can be used with all telescopes, in different places of the light path, and you can achieve several distances for projection.
The MaxBright® II Binoviewer is made according to high quality standards. The opti-cal polish of the prisms, all coatings and last, but not least, the optical adjustment and orthogonality of the 27 mm large prisms are so precise that the image doesn’t deterio-rate even at highest magnifications.
If you you want to experience the universe relaxed with both eyes open, then the MaxBright® II Binoviewer is the right choice for you!

Scope of Delivery and Accessories

1. MaxBright® II Binoviewer
2. Rotatable T-2 Coupling Nut with
   • T- 2 finetuning ring (pre-mounted)
3. Zeiss microbayonet (dovetail ring)
4. Spanner tool to fix T-2 adapter or Zeiss-Microbayonet to the bino-viewer.
5. ABS hard-top case with compartment for a T-2 star diagonal and a nosepiece

Please note : This is only the scope of delivery of the MaxBright® II Binoviewer # 2456460. The MaxBright® II is also available in different sets which include further accessories. These accessories (and more) are also described in this manual, but the sets are not further specified here. For more information, please visit : www.baader-planetarium.com
Not included are Glasspath Correctors (which version you need depends on your telescope), eyepieces, star diagonal and T-2-adapter (these also depend on the kind of telescope which you want to use the binoviewer with).

The hard-top case of the Max-Bright® II is prepared for further accessories like a T-2 star diagonal with an attached 2″ nose-piece.

Optional Accessories

Glassspath Correctors (GPC)
A Baader Glasspath Corrector (GPC) fulfills two critical roles. Firstly, it corrects the glass path – that’s the amount of glass through which light passes on its way through the prisms and which causes chromatic aberrations (colour errors) with fast telescopes. Secondly, the GPC magnifies the focal length and moves the focal point of the main telescope. You will find more information about choosing the right compensator in the addendum starting at.
The GPCs with a Z in the part number are for use with the Zeiss microbayonet. They are inserted “upside down”, directly into the nonviewer.

Part Number Factor Focus gain

• 2456314 / # 2456314Z 1,25x ca. 20 mm

• 2456316 / # 2456316Z 1,7x ca. 35 mm

• 2456317 2,6x ca. 65 mm

• 2456300 1,7x ca. 80 mm – 2″ Glasspath Corrector for Newton,

• to attach to the Zeiss microbayonet

• 2456305 1,8x ca. 80 mm – 2″ Glasspath Corrector for Refractors

• and Schmidt-Cassegrains. Requires
• T-2 Maxbright mirror star diagonal # 2456100

1¼” and 2″ Nosepieces
A T-2 nosepiece in 1¼” (31,8mm, # 2458105) or 2″ (50,8 mm, # 2408150) is used to connect the binoviewer either through the pre-installed T-2 coupling nut or the optional TQC quick changer with a focuser/eyepiece clamp. They can also be used to use a T-2 star diagonal at 1¼” or 2″ focusers.

1¼” Star Diagonals
The optical length (that is, the necessary back-focus) must be added to the optical length of the binoviewer.

Part Number Name Optical Length

• 2456100 T-2 Maxbright mirror diagonal 43 mm

• dielectrical mirror made of Sitall glas ceramic

• 2456005 T-2 90° star diagonal (32 mm Baader Prism) 35 mm

• 2456095 T-2 90° star diagonal (36 mm Zeiss Prism) 38,5 mm

• wit BBHS® coating

• 2456130 T-2 / 90° Baader Astro-Amici-Prism with 48 mm

• BBHS® coating, for upright images

• 2456103 Baader T-2 BBHS® star diagonal (mirror) 43 mm

• 2458055 FlipMirror II star diagonal – to switch between 59 mm

• straight-through and 90° light path
• T-2 / 90° star diagonal
• (Zeiss) Prism with BBHS® coating

• 2456095

• T-2 / 90° star diagonal
• with 32 mm Prism

• 2456095

2″ Star Diagonals and Herschel Wedge
The optical length (necessary back-focus) of all com-ponents must be added to the optical length of the binoviewer. For a shorter connection, you can remove the 2″ Clicklock® clamp of our star diagonals. Then you can attach the binoviewer directly to the housing with the 2″/T-2 adapter # 1508035 as shown in the image to the right.
The following table gives the optical length without the Clicklock®-clamp.

Part Number Name Optical Length

• 2956100 Baader 2″ ClickLock® Mirror Diagonal 71,5 mm

• 2456115 Baader 2″ BBHS® Mirror Diagonal 71,5 mm

• 2456117 Baader 2″ BBHS® Prism Diagonal 59,5 mm

• 2456120 Baader 2″ Astro-Amici-Prism 85 mm

• with BBHS® coating

• 2456500P / 2″ Baader Safety Herschel Wedge 67 mm

• 2456500V (Photo/Visual) for solar observation

• See page 16 for information about removing the 2″ nosepiece.

Configurations
There are many possible ways to adapt the Baader MaxBright® II Binoviewer to your telescope. To keep the required back-focus as short as possible, you can attach it directly to the T-2-threads of matching accessories. With the optional TQC Heavy Duty T-2 Quick Changer # 2456313A, you can change the orientation easily. You can realize almost every combination with the Astro-T-2-System.

How to find the perfect Star Diagonal

• When the nonviewer is used with refractors and Cassegrainian telescopes, it is much more comfortable to use a diagonal between the telescope and the nonviewer. Unfortunately, many cheaper 1¼” star diagonals are not a good choice because they were only designed for an eyepiece which is fitted directly into the eyepiece holder. So close to the eyepiece, the optical quality of the star diagonal does not have to be very high. On the other hand, all of our star diagonals are of such a quality that they can be used up to 160 mm in front of the focal point. To achieve this, all optical surfaces have to be of a very good quality and very precisely polished.
• When choosing a star diagonal, care must be taken to ensure the safety of the bi-noviewer and eyepieces. Many cheaper 1¼” diagonals are simply not up to the task of supporting a binoviewer setup, especially with two heavy widefield eyepieces. Plastic bodies, small locking screws and a generally lightweight construction are inadequate to safely hold heavy accessories like a binoviewer. Unfortunately it’s quite common to hear about heavy and expensive eyepieces being dropped to the ground (and broken) because of the poor locking system on these budget diagonals.
• This is compounded by the extra height (and increased leverage) imparted by placing the binoviewer on top of the diagonal’s existing eyepiece clamp (which also consumes a large amount of precious back-focus). This is a large problem if you use 2″ star diag-onals. An eyepiece clamp can use approx. 60 mm of optical length. That is why the 2″ Clicklock® of our BBHS and Clicklock® star diagonals can be removed, so that you can attach the binoviewer (or a camera body) directly onto the housing of the star diagonal. You need the optional adapter T-2/2″ # 1508035 with an optical length of only 0.5 mm.

The perfect solution for this prob-lem consists of using a Baader T-2 diagonal. Our T-2 diagonals are equipped with T-2 threads allow-ing the binoviewer to be mounted directly onto the diagonal body. The result is a very sturdy connec-tion utilising the minimum amount of back-focus possible. These diagonals feature prisms or mirrors of the absolute best optical quality, incorporated into a solid one-piece precision machined metal body perfectly suited to hold the heavi-est accessories.

The MaxBright® II can be attached directly to our 2″ star diagonals with the 2″/T-2-adapter # 1508035 – as shown here with Baader Classic Orthos and the 2″ BBHS® mirror diagonal# 2456115

If your telescope is equipped with a 2″ eyepiece clamp, you can use the binoview-er with an optional 2″ nosepiece # 2408150. You can attach it either directly to the binoviewer with the TQC QuickChanger, or to an optional T-2 star diagonal.

How to find the perfect Glasspath Corrector
For telescopes with an f-ratio of about f/7 or faster, you need a Glasspath Corrector (GPC) to correct the colour aberrations introduced by the prisms at such fast tele-scopes. It also moves the focal point outwards, which is necessary to reach focus at all at some telescopes. Besides three GPCs especially for the astro T-2 system, there are also two special 2″ GPCs, one for Newtonians and one for lens telescopes and Schmidt-Cassegrains. You can find more about choosing the best GPC in the adden-dum, starting at.

How to find the perfect Eyepieces
The MaxBright® II Binoviewer features an optical window with a clear aperture of 26 mm, so you can use (almost) all standard 1¼” eyepieces.

The maximum outside body diameter of eyepieces that can be used with the nonviewer is about 58 mm. If the nonviewer is used with eyepiece having a larger diameter, for example the Pentax XW, you may have problems reaching the correct separation between the two eyepieces if the interpupillary distance between your eyes is less than 60 mm.
For observing the planets with high resolution, we recommend our Classic Ortho or even Carl-Zeiss-Abbe eyepieces. For general observations, we recommend the Hyperion 68° and the Morpheus 76° wideangle eyepieces. These provide large eye relief and are very comfortable to use.
It is extremely important to choose pairs of identical eye-pieces made by the same manufacturer in the same period of time. It is quite common to find significant differences
(optically and mechanically) in eyepieces of the same brand and type built at different periods of time. If you do not use identical eyepieces, you may experience problems merging the two images, because the brain can’t handle these different images.

Largest Field of View
Usually, eyepieces with a focal length of 32 mm provide the largest possible field of view; eyepieces with longer focal length can give you “only” a brighter image because of their lower magnification. The reason for this is that the nosepiece (with the field stop inside of it) physically limits  the part of the sky which you can see in it. That’s why a 32 mm Plössl with about 50° apparent field of view usually shows already the largest true field of view. Neverthe-less, we have two eyepieces which can show you even more. This is only possible because their field stop is not inside of the nose piece. These two eyepieces suitable for binoviewing are:

• Eudiascopic 35 mm eyepiece 1¼” # 2404105 with 45,6° field of view. This is almost as large as the field of view of 32 mm 2″ Erle eyepieces.
• Hyperion® Aspheric 2″ eyepiece 36 mm # 2454636 – 50° field of view with the included 1¼” adapter.

Both eyepieces avoid the “tunnel view” which is typical for longer focal lengths, so that they combine lower magnifications and a convenient field of view.

Using Zoom-Eyepieces
Many economically priced zoom eye-pieces only have a small field of view which decreases with higher magnifications. Furthermore, they have a low optical quality especially at higher mag-nifications.
In contrast to standard zoom-designs, our Hyperion® Universal Zoom Mark IV eyepieces are made so that they provide the best sharpness and the largest field of view at the highest magnification. Simple zoom-eyepieces are designed the other way round. That’s why we recom-mend especially the Hyperion® Zoom eyepieces for use with a binoviewer. The precise click stops at 8/12/16/20/24 mm make it easy to set both eyepieces to the same magnifications.

Using rubber eyeshields
If your eyepieces are equipped with round rubber eye shields (like e.g. our Hyperion or Morpheus eyepieces), leave them in an upright position, unless you are wearing glasses. If you need to wear glasses, fold the eye shields down to see the complete field of view. If you are using eyepieces like the Baader Classic Orthros, it is best to use the eye shields with the folding side wing.

Please note: If you are very short-sighted, you should wear the glasses for observations with the nonviewer – focusing will be easier then. This is also valid in the case of astigmatism, which is best corrected with glasses (or contact lenses) – you can’t correct for astigmatisms only with the diopter adjustment.

Setting the Interpapillary Distance
Interpapillary distance (the separation between the centers of the eyes’ pupils) varies from person to person. The nonviewer should be adjusted to match your interpapillary distance. Using both hands, hold the body of the nonviewer like a pair of binoculars. While viewing a distant object (daytime) or a bright star field, rotate the two halves of the binocular body about the central pivot until you see the field of view as a single sharp circle with both eyes.
Adjusting Left-Right Focus (Diopter Compensation)
Many people require a different focus setting for their left and right eyes. That’s why you set a different distance to the body of the binocular for each eyepiece. This diopter adjustment can be easily achieved. Adjust the focus of both eyepieces as follows

1. Set the inner rings for the diopter compensation (marked with Up/Down) to somewhere in the middle. If you rotate them, you’ll see how the upper end of the eyepiece clamp moves.

2. With the telescope aimed at an object, close the right eye and look into the left eyepiece. Using the telescope’s focus mechanism, adjust until the image is sharp.

3. Close the left eye and with the right eye look into the right eyepiece. Rotate the right eyepiece holder until you see a sharp image. If you reach the limit of the focus travel, use the telescope’s focus mechanism to adjust the image until it is sharp
   then switch back to the left eye and rotate the left eyepiece holder for a sharp image.

4. Now you can look with both eyes into the eyepieces. You can now focus for differ- ent eyepieces or addition of other components to the optical path by using just the telescope’s focus mechanism.

Please note : If the dioptric differ-ence between your eyes is very large (more than 5 – 6 diopters), you may find that even with one eyepiece holder adjusted fully in and the other fully out, you cannot bring both to focus. If so, you may want to view while wear- ing your eyeglasses. Alternatively, you may unlock the eyepiece in the fully extended holder and lift it out a few millimeters to compensate for the strong difference between your eyes.

Connecting the MaxBright® II

Binoviewer to a Telescope
There are many options to connect the binoviewer to your telescope. Depending on the back-focus and the optical design of your telescope, you can chose the option which best fits to your needs.

Assembly with T-2 Coupling Nut

• With glasspath correctors 1,25x # 2456314, 1,7x # 2456316 or 2,6x # 2456317
• When delivered, a T-2 counter nut is pre-mounted to the MaxBright® II Binoviewer.

Tip: By changing the Glasspath Corrector, you can achieve different magnifications with one pair of eyepieces.

Option 1: Assembly with a T-2 Star Diagonal
Especially with a prism diagonal, this is the most common option, because a prism allows for a very short light path. By using the T-2-thread of our star diagonals, you can remove its eyepiece clamp and save several centimetres of back-focus. The lightpath of a prism is shorter than that of a mirror.
When using the T-2-thread, you simply screw one of the GPCs # 2456314, # 2456316 or # 2456317 into the star diagonal (without the centering plastic ring which is included with the glasspath corrector). Our star diagonals provide a matching thread for this. You can find an overview of the different models and their optical lengths on page 5.
To use a T-2 star diagonal at a telescope without T-2-thread (but with a standard eye-piece clamp), you need in addition either the 1¼” nosepiece # 2458105 or the 2″ nose-piece # 2408150.

1. Remove the dust covers of your star diagonal.
2. Screw the glasspath corrector into the body of the star diagonal as shown in the picture to the right.
3. If necessary, attach a 1¼” nosepiece # 2458105 or a 2″ nosepiece # 2408150 to the other side of the star diagonal.
4. Remove the dust caps from the binoviewer and attach the star diagonal to its T-2-thread. Turn the counter nut until both parts are connected securely. Untighten the counter nut slightly to change the orientation of the binoviewer, if nec-essary.

Option 2: Assembly with a 1¼” (or 2″) Nosepiece, without Star Diagonal
If your telescope has got enough back-focus or if you want to use it for straight-through-viewing, you can attach a 1¼” or 2″ nosepiece directly to the bino-viewer.

1. Remove the dust cover from the binocular’s

   • T- thread
   • 2a. 1¼” Nosepiece
   • Screw one of the Glasspath Correctors # 2456314, # 2456316 or # 2456317 into the 1¼” nosepiece # 2458105.
   • 2b. 2″ Nosepiece

2. Put the black plastic ring which is included with the glasspath corrector over the thread of the GPC. Now place the GPC into the 2″-nosepiece # 2408150.
   Now use the T-2 counter nut of the nonviewer to fix the nose piece wit

3. h the glass path corrector to the nonviewer. Rotate the counter nut until the nosepiece holds tight.

4. Now put the binoviewer into the focuser of your telescope and secure it.

5. Remove the dust covers from the eyepiece clamps by opening the ClickLock®-clamps. Simply rotate them to open the clamps. Please note: Both clamps work in opposite directions!

6. Insert two eyepieces with the same design and focal length into the nonviewer. Clamp them by turning the Clicklock® clamps.

This image shows how the glass path corrector is inserted into the optional T-2/2″-adapter. The black plastic ring covers the thread of the GPC, so that it will be centered in the adapter.

Please note
The Zeiss glass path correctors 1,25x # 2456314Z and 1,7x # 2456316Z can be reconfigured for use with the T-2-adaptation by turning the lenses upside- down.

Once the glass path corrector is placed and centered in the 2″/T-2 nosepiece, you can screw it onto the T-2 counter nut of the nonviewer.

Assembly with Zeiss Microbayonet

• With glasspath correctors 1,25x # 2456314Z, 1,7x # 2456316Z or 2,6x # 2456317
• For this, you need the optional TQC Heavy Duty T-2 Quick Changer # 2456313A.
• To use the included dovetail ring, you need to remove the inserted T-2 finetuning ring with the help of a sharp object. Then you can unscrew the T-2 counter nut. Use the included tool 4 for this. Set it into the two holes inside of the nut to
• unscrew the T-2-adapter from the MaxBright® II Binoviewer (as shown below). Then you can easily screw the dovetail ring onto the M34-thread of the binoviewer.

Option 1: Assembly with a T-2 Star Diagonal

1. Remove the dust caps from the TQC Quickchanger. 3. a) GPC 1,25x and 1,7x

2. Screw the GPC into the chrome dovetail ring at the front end of the binoviewer (image below, to the right).

   • GPC 2,6x

3. Screw the GPC into the T-2 star diagonal. (image below, to the left)

4. Screw the TQC Quickchanger onto the T-2 star diagonal (or onto the T-2 nose- 4. Screw the TQC Quickchanger onto the T-2 star diagonalThe 2,6x glass path corrector is inserted into the T-2 star diagonals as shown here.
   The two 1,25x and 1,7x glass path correctors are mounted into the dovetail at the nonviewer

5. Attach the TQC Quick changer with star diagonal and T-2 nosepiece at the nonviewer.

6. Attach the nonviewer to your telescope and make sure that the connection is sturdy.

7. Remove the dust covers from the eyepiece clamps by opening the ClickLock®-clamps. Sim-ply rotate them to open the clamps.
   Please note : Both clamps work in opposite directions!

8. Insert two eyepieces with the same design and focal length into the nonviewer. Clamp them by turning the Clicklock® clamps.

Option 2: Assembly without Star Diagonal
You can connect the ring dovetail of binoviewer The 2,6x glasspath corrector can be directly to a nosepiece, too, if you don’t want to use a screwed into the 1,25″ nosepiece. star diagonal. Because of the necessary quickchang-
er, the optical length increases a little bit. Nevertheless, this may be useful e.g. if you want to use the binoviewer with several telescopes.
The two glasspath correctors with factor 1,25x and 1,7x can be screwed into the ring dovetail, as described for option 1. Then, you can use the TQC quickchanger

2456313A to connect the binoviewer to every T-2-thread, either directly at

the tele-scope or to a nosepiece.
The 2,6x glasspath corrector must be inserted into the 2″ nosepiece # 2408150. For this, you need the plastic spacer ring which is included with glasspath corrector (im-age below). Insert the GPC into the nosepiece and screw the TQC quickchanger onto the nosepiece. Now you can use the MaxBright II with every 2″ focuser.

This image shows how to insert a 2,6x glasspath corrector into the optional T-2/2″ adapter. The black spacer ring fits onto the thread of the glasspath corrector and centres it in the nosepiece.

Please note
The T-2 glasspath correctors 1,25x # 2456314 and 1,7x # 2456316 can be reconfigured for use with the Zeiss dovetail by turning the lenses upside- down.

Once the glasspath corrector is centered in the 2″/T-2 nosepiece, it can be screwed onto the quickchanger, which fits onto the ring dovetail of the binoviewer.

Assembly with 2″ Newtonian 1,7x Glasspath Corrector®
As described before, you need to replace the T-2 counter nut with the Zeiss microbayonet. The 1,7x glasspath corrector is then attached to the binoviewer instead of the TQC quickchang-er. The TQC is not necessary for this setup.
The 2″ Newtonian glasspath corrector # 2456300 provides you a focus gain of approx. 80 mm. It is the only chance for many Newto-nian telescopes to reach focus without moving the main mirror.

Assembly with the 2″ Glasspath Corrector 1.8x for Refractors and SC’s
As described before, attach the Zeiss micro bayonet to the MaxBright II instead of the T-2 counter nut. Attach the Glass path Corrector to one side of the T-2 Maxbright Mirror # 2456100 and the TQC Quick Changer to the other side. For the GPC to work correctly, the distances have to match exactly, which is why you must use the T-2 Maxbright Mirror and no other star diagonal.
Then put the 2″ 1.8x Glasspath Corrector # 2456305 with the attached star diagonal into the 2″ eyepiece holder of your telescope and secure it. Then you can attach
the nonviewer at the TQC Quick Changer and
insert the eyepieces.

PLEASE NOTE : This GPC is inserted deeply into the telescope, therefore it can only be used with Schmidt Cassegrains with a sufficiently large baffle, or at telescopes without correctors close to the visual back. It can not be used with Petzval, EdgeHD or some Maksutovtelescopes with corrector lenses close to the eyepiece holder.

Assembly with 2″ Star Diagonals
With Glass path Correctors 1,25x # 2456314 (Z), 1,7x # 2456316 (Z) or 2,6x # 2456317
To use a 2″ star diagonal, you first have to remove the 2″ eyepiece clamp as described on page 7, then screw the SC/T-2-adapter #1508035 into the housing.
Next place the plastic spacer ring above the thread of the glasspath corrector. Now insert the glasspath corrector into the T-2/SC-adapter. It is held safely in place as soon as you attach the quickchanger or the binoviewer.

Exception: The two glasspath correctors 1,25x # 2456314Z and 1,7x # 2456316Z for Zeiss micobayonet are mounted in the ring dovetail as described before.
The 2″ ClickLock®-clamps of our 2″ star diagonals and the Herschel Wedge (see below) can be removed. For this, you need to remove the small screws, as shown here for the BBHS® mirror diagonal # 2456115, or in the case of the Herschel, you need to

unscrew the clamp. Then you can access a female 2″-SC-thread, into which you can screw the 2″-SC/T-2-adapter # 1508035. The glasspath corrector is inserted into the 2″-SC/T-2-adapter.
Now you can attach the MaxBright® II either directly to the prism with the T-2 counter nut, or you attach the optional TQC quickchanger # 2456313A to the housing, to use the Zeiss microbayonet.

Further Adaptations
Solar Observations with the Baade Safety Herschel Wedge
Binoviewing is especially impressive when you look at the sun – you’ll see it in 3D, like a ball floating in space. Delicate surface details will be much more obvious compared to monocular viewing. The MaxBright® II Binoviewer is uniquely suited to provide outstanding views with the 2″ Baader Herschel Solar Prism, an optical accessory de-signed for refractor telescopes to permit safe, high-resolution observation and imaging of the solar photosphere. As the Herschel Solar Prism does not have T-2 threads on the top, a T-2/2″ adapter ring # 1508035 is required. Inserting the binoviewer into the 2″ eyepiece holder is not recommended as it may not be possible to reach focus on many refractors due to the long optical path length of the various components.

CAUTION: Before you start exploring the Sun it is very important to be informed about all the possible risks of solar observation. Please take a careful look at the manuals of all the equipment and filters before pointing your telescope at the Sun.

• Adapting the MaxBright® II to the Cool Ceramic Safety Herschel Wedge
• We recommend to use the Zeiss microbayonet in combination with the optional
• TQC-quickchanger # 2456313A instead of the T-2 counter nut, because you can then screw the glasspath correctors 1,25x and 1,7x directly into the binoviewer. For the 2,6x GPC, please see the note at the end of this chapter.
• You need the adapter # 1508035 to connect the binoviewer to the Herschel Wedge. The adapter changes the 2″ female thread of the Herschel wedge into a male T-2-thread. The 2″ female thread is hidden under the 2″ ClickLock®-clamp.
• Once you have removed the 2″ Clicklock®, you’ll see a 2″ inverter ring (2″ male thread), onto which the 2″ filters OD 3.0 and Solar-Continuum are screwed. Remove the filters from the inverter ring and attach them to the 2″/T-2 adapter #27.
• Then screw the adapter with the filters into the housing of the Herschel Wedge. Now you can screw the TQC QuickChanger # 2456313A onto the T-2 thread of the adapter #27. Finally, attach the binoviewer to the TQC, as usual.

The glasspath correctors 1,25 and 1,7 are to be screwed directly into the binoviewer, without the black plastic ring. The 2,6 glasspath corrector must be put into the SC/T-2-adapter # 1508035 together with the black spacer ring. It is locked in place by the quickchanger and the dovetail ring of the binoviewer. You can find a detailed description in the manual of the Herschel Wedge.

CAUTION: If you mount a glass path corrector inside the SC/T-2-adapter # 1508035, it will hit the filter which is also screwed into the adapter. This is always the case with the 2,6x GPC, but also with the other GPCs, if you do not use the Zeiss micro bayonet. If you use a GPC in the SC/T-2-adapter, you must not screw the 2″ filters completely into the adapter.
Assembly with the Universal Alan Gee II
Telecompressor for Schmidt-Cassegrains

For Schmidt-Cassegrains, the Universal Alan Gee II (UAG II) Telecompressor

2454405 offers an interesting opportunity to almost double the field of

view. It chang-es the focal ratio of a typical Schmidt-Cassegrain from f/10 to f/5.9.
It can be attached directly onto the T-2-thread of the MB II (and MB I) binoviewer.
To attach the UAG II onto the star diagonal, the included 7.5mm T-2 extension ring # 1508153 is required. Alternatively to the included 7,5mm extension, you can use the T-2 Quick-Changer System (TQC/TCR) # 2456322
The T-2 star diagonal can then either be attached to the SC-thread of the telescope with the help of the BTA-adapter # 2408160, or you can use a 2″/T-2 nose-piece # 2408150 if the telescope is equipped with a 2″ ClickLock® eyepiece clamp (# 2956220 for C8 and C925; # 2956233 for C11 and C14). The simple clamping screw of the standard 1,25″ visual back is not strong enough to keep the heavy combination of binoviewer, eye-pieces and star diagonal securely in place.

The Universal Alan Gee II

1. is connected with the help of the included 7,5mm extension ring
2. onto the T-2 star diagonal
3. The star diagonal is attached to the telescope either through the BTA-adapter for Schmidt Cass grains # 2408160 4 or a 2″/T-2 nose piece # 2408150 5 .

Shortest possible Adaptation without Glasspath Corrector
In combination with telescopes with long focal lengths (f/10 or slower), it may be interesting to screw the nonviewer directly onto the star diagonal. This gives you a very short (and theft-proof) adaptation, which is ideal for public observatories. In addition, you can screw a T-2 star diagonal directly onto our Baader Diamond Steel Track focusers with the optional T-2-adapter # 2957202 – very compact, and protected from “accidental removal”. To do so, you have to remove the T-2 counter nut or the Zeiss micro bayonet.
The shortest possible adaptation can be achieved with the prism diagonal # 2456005 (T-2 90°, with 32 mm Baader prism).
You also need the T-2 Locking Ring # 2458271 and the Slip Ring # 2458272. Screw the Locking Ring onto the male thread of the T-2-prism and put the Slip Ring between nonviewer and locking ring. The raised surface of the slip ring should face towards the nonviewer and the flat one towards the star diagonal. Now screw the nonviewer onto the prism and fix it in the desired position with the locking ring. The slip ring lets you still set the interpillar distance.

If the handle of the locking ring ends up in an uncomfortable position, you can change  its position. It is only screwed into  the ring, you can put it into any
of the three threaded holes which are all around the locking ring, each 120° apart.

Addendum

• Addendum 1: The right Glass path Corrector

Back-Focus
Sometimes referred to as “in-focus” or “in-travel”, back-focus is an important factor to consider when choosing a nonviewer or any other long accessory (cameras, Herschel Wedge, etc). Back-focus is simply the distance from a telescope’s focal point to the surface of its fully retracted focuser. Any accessory inserted into the focuser consumes some of this back-focus – star diagonals, eyepiece adapters, reducers, cameras, eye-pieces, etc. In order to reach focus, the focal plane of an eyepiece or camera must be positioned at the telescope’s focus.
To aid in determining the total path length when using various components, our list-ing of Baader Astro T-2 SystemTM includes the optical path length for each product. If the stack-up of parts is longer than the telescope’s back- focus, it will not be possible to reach focus.
Unfortunately, there is no consistency in the telescope industry for the amount of back-focus a telescope provides. Very few manufacturers provide the back-focus specifications for their scopes. Thus, the best way to determine your telescope’s back-focus is to measure it yourself. To reduce the possibility of errors, it is best to measure the back-focus using all adapters or star diagonals that will be present when using the binoviewer.
Newtonians typically have the least amount of back-focus; in order to extend the focal point well past the focuser surface, a larger secondary mirror would be required, or at least moving the primary mirror up the tube – which of course creates its own issues, too. This increases the central obstruction resulting in a loss of contrast and increased cost. For this reason, we offer a large 2″ 1,7x Glasspath Corrector that is de-signed specifically for Newtonians. This compensator also corrects the off-axis coma that affects fast Newtonians and reduces the required back-focus to 31 mm!
Most Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov telescopes provide large amounts of back- fo-cus due to their movable primary mirror. It may be possible to use a binoviewer without a compensator, though our 1,25x Glasspath Corrector is recommended for its colour correction and to keep the focal length of the telescope closer to its optimal design.
Refractors vary considerably in the amount of back-focus they provide, sometimes even within the same model line. Even if a refractor will come to focus without a compensator, it is again recommended that at least the 1,25x Glass path Corrector should be used for colour correction or to allow the use of longer focal length eyepieces while still providing higher magnifications.

How to measure the back-focus of my telescope?
The best method for finding out the back-focus of your telescope is: Do a measurement! Don’t forget to attach all the adapters you will need for the binoviewer before measuring the back-focus.
The easiest way to measure back focus is to point your scope at the Moon (with all accessories, but without an eyepiece) and project its image onto a white card. The focuser should be fully retracted. Hold the card behind the empty focuser or above the star diagonal and find the position where the image of the Moon comes to sharp focus. This position is your telescope’s focal plane. Measure the distance from the card to the end of the focuser or the top of the star diagonal. This is the amount of available back-focus for additional accessories – for example, a binoviewer plus eyepieces. Armed with this information, refer to the first row of the table below. First, subtract the recommended 5-10 mm from your back-focus value to allow for differenc-es in eyepiece design and vision. Then, find the first column with a value less then your adjusted back-focus. The heading of this column indicates the appropriate Glasspath Corrector.

Item Nr.| Configuration with various Baader Glasspath Correctors| No GPC| T-2 1,25x GPC| T-2 1,7x GPC| T-2 2,6x GPC| 2″ 1,7x

Newton GPC

| 2″ 1,8x RT/SC GPC
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
| Straight-through (only with nosepiece)| 110| 92| 77| 44| 31| n/a
# 2456005| T-2 Prism Diagonal 32 mm| 148| 131| 116| 83| n/a| n/a
# 2456095| T-2 Deluxe Zeiss Prism Diagonal| 151| 134| 119| 86| n/a| n/a
# 2456103| T-2 BBHS® Mirror Diagonal| 153| 136| 121| 88| n/a| n/a
# 2456130| T-2 Deluxe Amici-Prism, 90° (for upright images)| 158| 141| 126| 93| n/a| n/a
# 2456100| T-2 / 90° Maxbright Mirror Diagonal| 153| 135| 120| 87| n/a| 31

Table 1: Combinations of Glass path Correctors (GPC) and the MaxBright® II Binoviewer. Required back-focus in mm. n/a = not applicable

Please note : The lengths are approximate values; allow for some variation e.g. for diopter adjustment.
Some telescopes don’t have enough back-focus for any of our glasspath correctors. Try to avoid 2″ star diagonals, because they have a long optical length which requires a longer GPC and results in a higher minimum magnification. You can achieve lower magnifications (and thus a larger field of view) by using our very compact star diago-nals which were designed especially with binoviewing in mind.
Users of Newtonian telescope may get the most out of the typical short back- focus by chosing either the 2,6x glasspath corrector or, if a 2″-focusser is available, by using the even shorter 2″ GPC for Newtonians. You may also try to move the main mirror closer to the focuser by about 15 mm, so that they may use the next-smaller GPC.

Choosing a Glass path Corrector
The Baader Glass path Corrector fulfills two critical roles. First, it corrects the chromatic aberration (colour error) caused by the long light-path through the nonviewer glass prisms. Second, the corrector magnifies and extends the focal point of the main telescope.
The focal extending aspect is vital to using a binocular viewer with most telescopes. Due to the basic design of all binocular viewers, light must travel an additional 110mm or more before reaching the focal plane of the eyepieces. Many telescopes, especially Newtonian reflectors, do not have sufficient back-focus (in other words, not enough focuser in-travel) to achieve focus with such an optically long accessory. By using a Glasspath Corrector, the focal point of the telescope can be extended sufficiently to accommodate the length of the binoviewer.

It also compensates the colour aberrations which would otherwise occur beause of the huge amounts of glass inside of the binoviewer. A GPC is more than a simple Bar-low element! The optical design is from Carl Zeiss and Astro Physics – we have tested many lens systems from other sources which only extend the focal point, but which do not remove the colour aberrations.
Another benefit of the GPC is to provide additional magnification ahead of the bi-noviewer. For high magnifications (for example, planetary observation), it is preferable to magnify the image before the binoviewer, rather than to use shorter focal length eyepieces. By magnifying prior to the binoviewer, the effects of any optical tolerances and misalignments in the centering of the eyepieces are reduced. Additionally, longer focal length eyepieces tend to have longer eye relief and are more comfortable to use. In general, for binoviewing use we recommend eyepieces with focal lengths of 5 mm or longer. It is also less expensive to purchase an additional corrector to provide additional magnifications rather than to purchase additional pairs of eyepieces.
We recommend first choosing the lowest-power corrector that will allow your scope to reach focus. This will permit the widest possible field of view. In addition, one or more higher powered compensators can be added to give a greater range of magnifi-cations.
For selecting the matching Glasspath Correctors, you need to measure the back- fo-cus of your telescope first, as described in the previous chapter. Table 1 on the previous page then tells you, which compensators will work.

Please Note: The distances in the table are approximate and are measured from the front mounting flange of the binocular viewer or nosepiece to the top surface of the eyepiece holders. Many eyepieces have their focal points located ahead of or behind their shoulder. The effects of an eyepiece’s focal point location are not taken into consideration here and thus the distance required to reach focus will usually vary from these values. Additionally, those who are near or far-sighted will also find that more or less back-focus is needed. For these reasons, we recommend at least 5 – 10 mm additional back- focus.
Let’s look at an example. The Takahashi Sky90 SV Teleskop is found to have 160mm of back-focus as measured from the rear surface of its stock 2″ eyepiece clamp to its focal point. Referring to Table 1, this scope can reach focus without a Glasspath Cor-rector, even when using the Baader Deluxe Amici erecting prism. Anyway, we would recommend either the 1,7x or 2,6x corrector. This would provide the ability to use the binoviewer with no compensator for low-power wide field viewing or with the higher powered corrector for optimum image quality at higher magnification for planetary observations. Otherwise, the colour abberation would harm the image quality at high magnifications. Only for wide-field observations e.g. of the Milky Way at low power, you can work without the Glasspath Corrector.

Addendum 2: Servicing and Maintenance

Your Baader binoviewer does not require any special or periodic maintenance. If the binoviewer should need servicing please return it to the shop where you purchased it, directly to Baader Plan- etarium or to a facility recommended by the authorised distributor of Baader products in your country.

Please do not attempt to open the nonviewer. Doing so will void the warranty. The optical collimation (alignment) of the internal prisms is the most important technical aspect of a binocular viewer. Baader Planetarium has gone to great lengths to produce the most accurately collimated nonviewer possible. If your nonviewer has been accidentally dropped or otherwise physically damaged, it is possible for it to loose its optical alignment and require servicing to restore the collimation of its prisms.
If moisture should form inside of the binoviewer, never try to remove it manually! Store the binoviewer in a warm and dry place without dust caps. Wait until it is completely dry before storing it in the box.
Generally the glass surfaces of your bingo viewer will not require anything more than a burst of clean air from a blower bulb in order to remove dust. Avoid touching the optical window lens or the prisms inside the eyepiece holders with your fingers. Should you touch them, it is advisable to clean them promptly, since the natural grease of finger-prints contain weak acids which can corrode the optical coatings of the lens/prisms. Before cleaning fingerprints or other dirt spots, first remove dust with a soft brush and a burst of clean air. To achieve the best results, we suggest you use a few drops of Baader Optical Wonder Fluid on a Baader Optical Wonder Cloth. This combination does not scratch or damage optics and won’t leave a halo, film, chemical residue or tissue fibers. Additionally, unlike many cheaper microfiber cloths, Optical Wonder Cloth is antistatic, inhibiting the attraction of dust onto fresh-ly cleaned optical surfaces.

Never spray the cleaning fluid directly onto the glass surfaces! The fluid might soak into the housing and distribute dirt in such a way that the nonviewer becomes useless. Always apply the fluid only to the cloth and never to the lenses!

IMPORTANT WARNING!
Do NOT try to disassemble the nonviewer and do NOT try to clean it inside! Problems, Maintenance and Warranty
If you should happen to notice problems or defects inside your nonviewer, NEVER try to open it yourself and do not request service from personnel not authorised by Baad-er Planetarium. Doing so will void the warranty. If you have any problems or questions about the use of the nonviewer or its optional accessories, please contact Baader Planetarium or your local distributor.
www.baader-planetarium.com
© Baader Planetarium. All Rights reserved. Products or instructions may change without notice or obligation. Im-ages and illustrations may differ from the original products. We reserve the right of errors. Reproduction of this instruction manual, complete or in parts, only with written permission by

Zur Sternwarte 4 • D-82291 Mammendorf • Tel. +49 (0) 8145 / 8089-0 • Fax +49 (0) 8145 / 8089-105 www.baader-planetarium.com • kontakt@baader-planetarium.de • www.celestron.de

References

• Baader Planetarium GmbH – Alles für Astronomie
• Celestron Deutschland – Astronomie, Sportoptik, Mikroskope

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