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Posted: 2/10/2012 6:38:29 PM EST
[#1]
Now, I'm in the same boat. Got the P8079HP (actually 2) my eyepiece focus lens and Canon 1.8 lens. Gotta figure the case and arrangement. I really appreciate the work you guys put into this, I'm getting excited. Not quite as heavy/bulky as expected, but is pretty big. Now I'll go back to reading and figuring this thing out, Thanks guys
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Posted: 2/10/2012 6:44:20 PM EST
[#2]
Anchor supplies should be giving you a cut of all the tubes you sell for them David.
Great and fun project for everyone. When it is all said and done you have a very well performing scope on the cheap. Love this thread. 
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Posted: 2/10/2012 7:47:23 PM EST
[#3]
Originally Posted By Dino1130: Anchor supplies should be giving you a cut of all the tubes you sell for them David. Great and fun project for everyone. When it is all said and done you have a very well performing scope on the cheap. Love this thread. I never thought of that :) LoL! They would all laugh at me if I asked now. David |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 2/10/2012 10:57:51 PM EST
[Last Edit: benzy2]
[#4]
Assuming lens quality is the same, will a lens with an f1.4 be nearly twice as bright as a lens with an f2.0? From the earlier post it seems the f1.4 is 1/2 the light as a f1.0 and that a f2.0 is 1/4th that of a f1.0. It would seem then that a lens with an f1.4 would be allow in twice the light. I don't have much invested into the lens and there seem to be a few inexpensive f1.4 lenses out there for the M42x1 mount (which is what I'm currently set up for). It seems like there may be a lot to gain by switching to a faster lens.
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Posted: 2/10/2012 11:57:06 PM EST
[Last Edit: b_rogers]
[#5]
Saw this and thought of this thread.. 50mm 1.4 1" format with a best offer feature..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/C25011-Cosmicar-Pentax-50mm-F-1-4-1-MI-C-M-Television-Lens-/140694321852?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item20c208fabc#ht_500wt_1180 Another that looks even better, check out the glass! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cosmicar-Pentax-50mm-f-1-4-1-Industrial-Camera-Lens-C25011-/150699944163?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item23166aa8e3#ht_995wt_1398 Honk Kong, 2/3 format http://www.ebay.com/itm/50mm-f1-4-CCTV-TV-Movie-Camera-Lens-Micro-4-3-M4-3-EPL1-EP-1-GH1-NEX-3-NEX-5-/110804309017?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item19cc739419#ht_2989wt_1165 |
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Posted: 2/11/2012 7:29:49 AM EST
[#6]
There are some nice lenses around :) And while you can't say a F1.4 lens will be twice as bright as a F2.0 lens, you can say that a F1.4 lens will give an equivalent image brightness as a F2.0 lens with half the ambient light available. Regards
David |
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Posted: 2/12/2012 8:26:56 AM EST
[Last Edit: RaptorFuel]
[#7]
I temp built mine. I dont have the c-mount lens in yet so I used my canon 50mm for now. I'm still waiting for a battery holder and switch and the c-mount lens. For now its held together with duct tape and electrical tape with a toilet paper roll as a spacer for the front lens. The spacing ended up being exactly 40mm for my 35mm DSLR lens. When everything comes in I will make a housing for it and solder the wires.
Here it is with some common items for scale. It is huge. But it works great. I would take a pic through it but the lens I would do that with is part of it. 
BTW I'm hooked. Where can I find a decent second gen tube outside the US? |
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Posted: 2/12/2012 9:03:29 AM EST
[#8]
Are these sources for tubes the only ones out there that are reputable, or are there sources in the US that could be ordered from?
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Posted: 2/12/2012 9:18:26 AM EST
[#9]
Originally Posted By RyJones: Are these sources for tubes the only ones out there that are reputable, or are there sources in the US that could be ordered from? Yes, they are pretty much the best and only sites to reliably get good tubes from. These tubes are a quarter century old after all. :) Besides they are not that expensive. Regards David
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Posted: 2/12/2012 9:20:25 AM EST
[#10]
Originally Posted By RaptorFuel: BTW I'm hooked. Where can I find a decent second gen tube outside the US? Nice work - it's a good feeling when you get your first image - and the images usually get better with a better built housing.Anyway, Gen2 outside of the US? You can get photonis bit it's expensive. Mostly just watch Ebay and see what comes up. BTW, I got two of my Gen2's from Korea. There is a guy over that way who sells stuff from time to time on Ebay. But they are few and far between. Regards David
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USA
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Posted: 2/14/2012 10:10:44 AM EST
[#11]
I know this project will be within my capability in the not too distant future, but is there a prequel to this thread I missed? (I need the basics of function) It seems like this thread picked up from middle school and I need to go back to grade school for a little bit!
Thanks for all the info so far |
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Posted: 2/14/2012 10:43:47 AM EST
[Last Edit: RaptorFuel]
[#12]
Originally Posted By Justin_Sain:
I know this project will be within my capability in the not too distant future, but is there a prequel to this thread I missed? (I need the basics of function) It seems like this thread picked up from middle school and I need to go back to grade school for a little bit! Thanks for all the info so far Here are a couple links I found that helped me. Two about building this specific device: http://www.hvlabs.com/nightvis.html http://www.anchorsupplies.com/firstgenintensifiers.pdf And one with some technical info about the intensifier: http://www.anchorsupplies.com/mullardintensifiers.pdf |
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IL, USA
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Posted: 2/15/2012 6:13:03 AM EST
[#13]
I've seen one person do it already. How does one add a reticle?
Dave |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 9:26:24 AM EST
[#14]
Originally Posted By davidr2ese: I've seen one person do it already. How does one add a reticle? Dave You glue it to the tube... Or project it somewhere. But you still need to work out how you're going to move it around - not so simple and these tubes might be cheap, but they are big and heavy and not so great on rifles for that reason, even if they were originally intended for such use. Regards David |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 12:42:04 PM EST
[#15]
Originally Posted By cj7hawk:
Originally Posted By davidr2ese:
I've seen one person do it already. How does one add a reticle? Dave You glue it to the tube... Or project it somewhere. But you still need to work out how you're going to move it around - not so simple and these tubes might be cheap, but they are big and heavy and not so great on rifles for that reason, even if they were originally intended for such use. Regards David That is what I am trying to work out right now... Where does one get a reticle to glue to the tube/lens? I really don't want to have to buy a whole scope just to tear it apart and pirate the reticle plate out of it... |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 12:49:18 PM EST
[#16]
Originally Posted By atomos:
Originally Posted By cj7hawk:
Originally Posted By davidr2ese:
I've seen one person do it already. How does one add a reticle? Dave You glue it to the tube... Or project it somewhere. But you still need to work out how you're going to move it around - not so simple and these tubes might be cheap, but they are big and heavy and not so great on rifles for that reason, even if they were originally intended for such use. Regards David That is what I am trying to work out right now... Where does one get a reticle to glue to the tube/lens? I really don't want to have to buy a whole scope just to tear it apart and pirate the reticle plate out of it... have a laser printer? print one on laser slides, cut it out. $15 for 50 sheets |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 1:24:00 PM EST
[Last Edit: atomos]
[#17]
Originally Posted By RyJones:
––snip–– have a laser printer? print one on laser slides, cut it out. $15 for 50 sheets That is brillaint! Any ideas on sizing? Is there some sort of underground DIY group of reticle printers that I have missed out on? If there was a slick formula for creating a working BDC reticle, I'd be all over that. I'm pretty handy with photoshop.. :) Now to get a couple of tubes on order... |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 1:29:40 PM EST
[#18]
Originally Posted By RaptorFuel:
I temp built mine. I dont have the c-mount lens in yet so I used my canon 50mm for now. I'm still waiting for a battery holder and switch and the c-mount lens. For now its held together with duct tape and electrical tape with a toilet paper roll as a spacer for the front lens. The spacing ended up being exactly 40mm for my 35mm DSLR lens. When everything comes in I will make a housing for it and solder the wires. Here it is with some common items for scale. It is huge. But it works great. I would take a pic through it but the lens I would do that with is part of it.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/RaptorFuelVr4/IMG_7902.jpg BTW I'm hooked. Where can I find a decent second gen tube outside the US? Wow, interesting.... Like the knife btw! 
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Posted: 2/15/2012 2:56:52 PM EST
[#19]
Originally Posted By atomos:
Any ideas on sizing? Is there some sort of underground DIY group of reticle printers that I have missed out on? If there was a slick formula for creating a working BDC reticle, I'd be all over that. I'm pretty handy with photoshop.. :) Now to get a couple of tubes on order... I don't know - what I do when I'm trying to nail sizing of items down is I'll print a shitload of them on one sheet that are all, say, 1mm or 2mm up in size (also, mark them with what size they are). Then triangulate and adjust. You could determine the BDC experimentally - print a bunch of dots of slightly larger sizes, then find out which one occludes a 1MOA target exactly. Once you know that, work backwards from the ballistics charts for your round and you have your BDC |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 3:57:52 PM EST
[#20]
I would imagine a triangle or chevron would be the way to go as far as the reticle goes. Remember, at night, shooting distances aren't long.
Also, if you tell me the size you want I can very easily draw up triangles, chevrons, etc. I can even do the same reticle and just scale it up or down. |
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Posted: 2/15/2012 4:12:49 PM EST
[#21]
Originally Posted By atomos:
Originally Posted By RyJones:
––snip–– have a laser printer? print one on laser slides, cut it out. $15 for 50 sheets That is brillaint! Any ideas on sizing? Is there some sort of underground DIY group of reticle printers that I have missed out on? If there was a slick formula for creating a working BDC reticle, I'd be all over that. I'm pretty handy with photoshop.. :) Now to get a couple of tubes on order... This place has lots of glass reticles, its what i have used. You will have difficulty getting a aim point fine enough using a printer. At least I never could, even a single pixel is about 6moa. www.surplusshed.com Heres my homebrew. 
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Posted: 2/15/2012 5:59:08 PM EST
[#22]
I know these things are pretty big/heavy, has anyone tried putting one before a smallish scope (or Aimpoint) with NV settings? I imagine each optic in front is going to restrict light even more so - this may not be do-able.
I see a better NV scope in my future, but for now will play with these. I have a broken Elcan that may donate it's base for mounting. Range would probably be pretty short with any gen1. Is fun to play with, and cheap enough (so far).
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Posted: 2/16/2012 10:36:03 PM EST
[#23]
so - I contacted the two guys you listed with the tubes, the prices are fairly similar once you factor in shipping. If you want NOS, they're a little more spendy.
Starlight: P8079 £75 + £5 shipping P8079HP £80 + £5 shipping Anchor: £34.50 postage breakdown is as follows.... postage for one tube £55.00 (89.50 per tube) postage for two tubes £75.00 (72.00 per tube) Postage for three tubes £95.00 (59.50 per tube) |
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Posted: 2/16/2012 11:19:05 PM EST
[#24]
]Also, these have popped up in the last couple of days on Ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932
They are VERY good and fit straight up to the tube without any modification as they are designed for that tube. I would recommend getting one while they are available. Anyway, I will be home in two days time and can assist once again - thanks for your patience on that - :) Take some pictures too if you get stuck and email or PM them to me - :) Regards I just bought one of these on eBay, and have an email into Anchor for a quote on the tube. I've wanted NV for quite a long time, and I never dreamed I'd be assembling the first one I ever owned. |
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Posted: 2/16/2012 11:45:39 PM EST
[#25]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
]Also, these have popped up in the last couple of days on Ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932
They are VERY good and fit straight up to the tube without any modification as they are designed for that tube. I would recommend getting one while they are available. Anyway, I will be home in two days time and can assist once again - thanks for your patience on that - :) Take some pictures too if you get stuck and email or PM them to me - :) Regards I just bought one of these on eBay, and have an email into Anchor for a quote on the tube. I've wanted NV for quite a long time, and I never dreamed I'd be assembling the first one I ever owned. Its quite satisfying, I assure you. I highly suggest you guys building these to go to cj7hawks site and read every page. For that matter pretty much everyone into NV should as well. He also has instructions for modding a reflex site for NV that would work with these scopes if you had a LONG rail.
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Posted: 2/17/2012 8:42:08 AM EST
[Last Edit: AJ_Dual]
[#26]
Originally Posted By b_rogers:
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
]Also, these have popped up in the last couple of days on Ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932
They are VERY good and fit straight up to the tube without any modification as they are designed for that tube. I would recommend getting one while they are available. Anyway, I will be home in two days time and can assist once again - thanks for your patience on that - :) Take some pictures too if you get stuck and email or PM them to me - :) Regards I just bought one of these on eBay, and have an email into Anchor for a quote on the tube. I've wanted NV for quite a long time, and I never dreamed I'd be assembling the first one I ever owned. Its quite satisfying, I assure you. I highly suggest you guys building these to go to cj7hawks site and read every page. For that matter pretty much everyone into NV should as well. He also has instructions for modding a reflex site for NV that would work with these scopes if you had a LONG rail. Correction to the above. I just ordered from Starlight instead. I don't know if the shipping prices are Anchor's way of getting around the VAT there or what... I know we were warned that their shipping is high, but I prefer vendors with more honest pricing structures. For 55GBP in shipping, I'd expect it in a few days via 3-day air service. All told, Starlight was about 8GBP cheaper. Now to find an objective and figure out the best way to mount it. And has anyone found an adapter that fits a suitable low F-stop objective lens to the tube like that eyepiece does? I'd like to have this build be made with purpose built parts as much as possible. Where is cj7hawks site, I've read the thread a few times and didn't see a link to it in his sig or posted anywhere? Also, I live in a pretty urban area, in the Milwaukee metro. Lots of light pollution. Has anyone made a pinhole cover for one of these? I'm guessing that I'll be doing more "testing" with mine than actually ever "using it". save for when I get out into the country, or if there's a power outage of some sort. |
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Posted: 2/17/2012 12:30:33 PM EST
[#27]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
Originally Posted By b_rogers:
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
]Also, these have popped up in the last couple of days on Ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932
They are VERY good and fit straight up to the tube without any modification as they are designed for that tube. I would recommend getting one while they are available. Anyway, I will be home in two days time and can assist once again - thanks for your patience on that - :) Take some pictures too if you get stuck and email or PM them to me - :) Regards I just bought one of these on eBay, and have an email into Anchor for a quote on the tube. I've wanted NV for quite a long time, and I never dreamed I'd be assembling the first one I ever owned. Its quite satisfying, I assure you. I highly suggest you guys building these to go to cj7hawks site and read every page. For that matter pretty much everyone into NV should as well. He also has instructions for modding a reflex site for NV that would work with these scopes if you had a LONG rail. Correction to the above. I just ordered from Starlight instead. I don't know if the shipping prices are Anchor's way of getting around the VAT there or what... I know we were warned that their shipping is high, but I prefer vendors with more honest pricing structures. For 55GBP in shipping, I'd expect it in a few days via 3-day air service. All told, Starlight was about 8GBP cheaper. Now to find an objective and figure out the best way to mount it. And has anyone found an adapter that fits a suitable low F-stop objective lens to the tube like that eyepiece does? I'd like to have this build be made with purpose built parts as much as possible. Where is cj7hawks site, I've read the thread a few times and didn't see a link to it in his sig or posted anywhere? Also, I live in a pretty urban area, in the Milwaukee metro. Lots of light pollution. Has anyone made a pinhole cover for one of these? I'm guessing that I'll be doing more "testing" with mine than actually ever "using it". save for when I get out into the country, or if there's a power outage of some sort. If you use a c mount lens it will have a adjustable aperture that you can throttle down the incoming light. Don't have a link, on my mobile. IM him, but remember his hours are a bit different down there! |
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Posted: 2/17/2012 5:40:02 PM EST
[#28]
Originally Posted By b_rogers: Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: Originally Posted By b_rogers: Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: ]Also, these have popped up in the last couple of days on Ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932 They are VERY good and fit straight up to the tube without any modification as they are designed for that tube. I would recommend getting one while they are available. Anyway, I will be home in two days time and can assist once again - thanks for your patience on that - :) Take some pictures too if you get stuck and email or PM them to me - :) Regards I just bought one of these on eBay, and have an email into Anchor for a quote on the tube. I've wanted NV for quite a long time, and I never dreamed I'd be assembling the first one I ever owned. Its quite satisfying, I assure you. I highly suggest you guys building these to go to cj7hawks site and read every page. For that matter pretty much everyone into NV should as well. He also has instructions for modding a reflex site for NV that would work with these scopes if you had a LONG rail. Correction to the above. I just ordered from Starlight instead. I don't know if the shipping prices are Anchor's way of getting around the VAT there or what... I know we were warned that their shipping is high, but I prefer vendors with more honest pricing structures. For 55GBP in shipping, I'd expect it in a few days via 3-day air service. All told, Starlight was about 8GBP cheaper. Now to find an objective and figure out the best way to mount it. And has anyone found an adapter that fits a suitable low F-stop objective lens to the tube like that eyepiece does? I'd like to have this build be made with purpose built parts as much as possible. Where is cj7hawks site, I've read the thread a few times and didn't see a link to it in his sig or posted anywhere? Also, I live in a pretty urban area, in the Milwaukee metro. Lots of light pollution. Has anyone made a pinhole cover for one of these? I'm guessing that I'll be doing more "testing" with mine than actually ever "using it". save for when I get out into the country, or if there's a power outage of some sort. If you use a c mount lens it will have a adjustable aperture that you can throttle down the incoming light. Don't have a link, on my mobile. IM him, but remember his hours are a bit different down there! I'm about half a day and a but out. It's 7:37 am here at the moment. Anyway, yes, a good C-mount lens is easy to mount up - and I have some patters if you want to get a faceplate lathed and can get some aluminium. I know someone on a forum did that once - great guy... Made up a whole pile of them for everyone who wanted to make up a project and we all ended up with aluminium housings that looked pretty professional. That project got a little out of hand, because they were all made mountable, but they did look nice :) We all just mounted them on tripods in the end - they worked OK for rifles, but it's just too heavy when better options still exist and the scopes really are better for a spotting scope than a shooting scope. Anyway, the page on my site is: http://aunv.blackice.com.au/cgi-bin/nightvision/forum?index=projects&story=cascade The aluminium project is: http://aunv.blackice.com.au/cgi-bin/nightvision/forum?index=projects&story=cascade&chapter=0003 While it's possible to go to all that trouble, I wouldn't do it unless you have material laying around. It's a fun project to make with whatever comes to hand and in the US at least, it's not that hard to get Gen2/Gen3 tubes for other projects if you're serious about making a smaller device and even housings are quite cheap. Tubes are cheap also. Regards David
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Posted: 2/18/2012 9:25:50 PM EST
[Last Edit: AJ_Dual]
[#29]
Ah, okay. I have a few friends good with the lathe.
I guess I was wondering if there were any pre-made adapters out there I could use like the eyepiece (I hope...) I got off of eBay Australia the other night, for the front of the tube and conformed to some thread standard etc. that I might be able to locate. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932 I'll admit, I'm more in this for the cheap functionality, than the "joy of the build" etc.
And thanks for the site links. It's great info. |
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Posted: 2/18/2012 11:29:12 PM EST
[#30]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: Ah, okay. I have a few friends good with the lathe. I guess I was wondering if there were any pre-made adapters out there I could use like the eyepiece (I hope...) I got off of eBay Australia the other night, for the front of the tube and conformed to some thread standard etc. that I might be able to locate. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mil-Spec-Lens-VARO-Night-Vision-Eyepiece-Device-/140670704739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c0a09c63#ht_2175wt_932 I'll admit, I'm more in this for the cheap functionality, than the "joy of the build" etc. And thanks for the site links. It's great info. For cheap functionality it's hard to be C-mount lenses for this kind of project. I use them almost exclusively now when building these. Regards, David
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Posted: 2/19/2012 12:56:43 AM EST
[#31]
I'm looking at a 75mm f1.4 lens, so I guess whatever adapter I've got going on needs to be roughly 75mm away from the objective screen of the tube?
And ideally, it ought to have some play or adjustment to it so I can get it focused just right on the tube? |
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Posted: 2/19/2012 3:06:13 AM EST
[#32]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: I'm looking at a 75mm f1.4 lens, so I guess whatever adapter I've got going on needs to be roughly 75mm away from the objective screen of the tube? And ideally, it ought to have some play or adjustment to it so I can get it focused just right on the tube? What sort of tube is it? Different lenses will have different distances from the tube and there's no correlation between the flange focal distance ( how far the lens is from the tube ) and the tube focal length ( An approximation of lens power ) if it's C-mount, it needs to be 17.5.. from the tube. If it's CS-mount, then it needs to be 12.5mm from the tube. 35mm camera lenses need to be around 40 to 45 mm from the tube. If you're not certain what it is, then you can measure the approximate length by projecting an image from outside onto a piece of cardboard and measuring how far away it is from the lens flange when you get focus. Regards David
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Posted: 2/19/2012 10:45:10 AM EST
[Last Edit: AJ_Dual]
[#33]
Sorry, should have said it was C Mount. You were talking how you like those the best, so I guess I just left that out as an unspoken assumption.
I got a Pentax 75mm C Mount f1.4 lens off of eBay just now. I was looking for CS mount to because it seems to have a shorter mounting length and might save a bit on the size but there was nothing suitable I could find anywhere on the net. So I went with that Pentax. I probably paid a bit too much for it, $149, but I've been Googling for something fast and big, and this was the best I found. I'd post the link, but I can't bring up the completed auction. You said you've got plans for a C Mount that fits the P8079? I was thinking about getting one that's double sleeved over itself and adjustable so I don't have to get the exact length chosen when I get it made, or have to mess around with shims. Once I know, I guess I'll hit up my machinist friends and get a suitable chunk or chunks of round-stock aluminum from McMaster Carr etc. |
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Posted: 2/19/2012 5:36:52 PM EST
[#34]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: Check the links I posted earlier - One goes to a page that has more links, that go to PDF files that show the exact dimensions.Sorry, should have said it was C Mount. You were talking how you like those the best, so I guess I just left that out as an unspoken assumption. I got a Pentax 75mm C Mount f1.4 lens off of eBay just now. I was looking for CS mount to because it seems to have a shorter mounting length and might save a bit on the size but there was nothing suitable I could find anywhere on the net. So I went with that Pentax. I probably paid a bit too much for it, $149, but I've been Googling for something fast and big, and this was the best I found. I'd post the link, but I can't bring up the completed auction. You said you've got plans for a C Mount that fits the P8079? I was thinking about getting one that's double sleeved over itself and adjustable so I don't have to get the exact length chosen when I get it made, or have to mess around with shims. Once I know, I guess I'll hit up my machinist friends and get a suitable chunk or chunks of round-stock aluminum from McMaster Carr etc. But don't use the linear springs in the plans - We found round ripple-springs to be much more effective in the end and easier to make :) David
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Posted: 2/19/2012 8:34:48 PM EST
[#35]
Ah... found it. Thanks!
Since I've got the milsurp eyepiece for this tube coming, I guess I'm just interested in the front portion of these plans. http://anvf.blackice.com.au/userfiles/david-allthree.pdf What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to make it adjustable so I can just dial in the proper focus. |
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Posted: 2/19/2012 8:40:08 PM EST
[Last Edit: ricochet7]
[#36]
I picked up some of the fittings today, am getting closer to completion.
I figure 40mm spacing standoff, roughly for my lens (1.8 Canon 50mm) works out to 1.58". Will look for a C mount lens in the future and the mount mentioned to fit directly to the P8079HP. If you make these, please let me know, I'll buy 1-2. A couple (maybe dumb) questions tho, there is a thin plastic film on the outer end of this tube, looks to be a lens protector. Should this peel off, or be left on? And, trying to figure the best way to attach the neg (-) lead to the ring, is there an easy way that works well? I tried reading up all the info from here and your Australian site, missed those things I guess. Thanks for your patience and help.
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Posted: 2/19/2012 8:52:24 PM EST
[#37]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
Ah... found it. Thanks! Since I've got the milsurp eyepiece for this tube coming, I guess I'm just interested in the front portion of these plans. http://anvf.blackice.com.au/userfiles/david-allthree.pdf What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to make it adjustable so I can just dial in the proper focus. The eyepiece has focus built in, so your set. IIRC, sometimes those tubes have a thin plastic cover on the screens to protect them from scratches and dust. |
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Posted: 2/19/2012 9:16:56 PM EST
[Last Edit: AJ_Dual]
[#38]
Originally Posted By b_rogers:
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
Ah... found it. Thanks! Since I've got the milsurp eyepiece for this tube coming, I guess I'm just interested in the front portion of these plans. http://anvf.blackice.com.au/userfiles/david-allthree.pdf What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to make it adjustable so I can just dial in the proper focus. The eyepiece has focus built in, so your set. IIRC, sometimes those tubes have a thin plastic cover on the screens to protect them from scratches and dust. Yeah, I know the eyepiece is adjustable so I should be able to just dial in the focus of the phosphor screen. Will the focus of the objective lens do me any good? Or is that all backing the lens in and out of the front adapter in front of the photocathode? My one weak spot in all of this is optics. My only real experience is messing about with laser lenses. And those, it's just a matter of twisting it in and out until you're happy with the dot the beam is making.
Do the plans cj7hawk has above on his site, do the threads for a C-mount have enough adjustment, while keeping the lens supported to get the right focus? |
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Posted: 2/20/2012 9:12:52 AM EST
[#39]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: Originally Posted By b_rogers: Originally Posted By AJ_Dual: Ah... found it. Thanks! Since I've got the milsurp eyepiece for this tube coming, I guess I'm just interested in the front portion of these plans. http://anvf.blackice.com.au/userfiles/david-allthree.pdf What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to make it adjustable so I can just dial in the proper focus. The eyepiece has focus built in, so your set. IIRC, sometimes those tubes have a thin plastic cover on the screens to protect them from scratches and dust. Yeah, I know the eyepiece is adjustable so I should be able to just dial in the focus of the phosphor screen. Will the focus of the objective lens do me any good? Or is that all backing the lens in and out of the front adapter in front of the photocathode? My one weak spot in all of this is optics. My only real experience is messing about with laser lenses. And those, it's just a matter of twisting it in and out until you're happy with the dot the beam is making. Do the plans cj7hawk has above on his site, do the threads for a C-mount have enough adjustment, while keeping the lens supported to get the right focus? The protective film peels off - Clean with a little alcohol afterwards to remove any remaining glue. C-mount lenses should all have focal adjustment - most will also have aperture adjustment. The flange distance is usually accurate enough that you can dial the focus in for a specific distance if the front mount is set up correctly. Regards David
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Posted: 2/20/2012 5:48:55 PM EST
[#40]
That thin film (over the glass) looked like it would peel easily, was loosening at one edge. Jeez, I'd just hate to ruin the thing by doing something stoopid
On the website, there is mention of making the electrical connection, but that link is dead. The + pos is a no-brainer, but just haven't figured a good way for the - neg connection. I bought 2 of these, in case I screw one up. We have no 80mm PVC, only 2.5" (too small) and 3" (almost too big). Thought about just using the cardboard shipping tube to get the size right, then a buddy can help me go aluminum like yours. I have solder and flux, guess I can solder a wire to the ring. Is this what you guys mostly do? |
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IL, USA
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Posted: 2/22/2012 12:40:25 PM EST
[#41]
Just wondering if Richard still has any of the aluminum kits available. That would save me much time and scrounging.
Dave |
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Posted: 2/23/2012 8:42:28 AM EST
[#42]
The objective lens arrived. |
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Posted: 2/23/2012 9:24:54 AM EST
[#43]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t33/AJ_Dual/IMG_20120222_220110.jpg The objective lens arrived. That's a nice lens. Should work really well for you. |
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Posted: 2/23/2012 9:48:52 AM EST
[Last Edit: AJ_Dual]
[#44]
I should hope so. Mrs. Dual knew about the eyepiece and the tube, but I forgot to mention that I also needed an objective lens. This was the only low f-stop 75mm c-mount on eBay at the time, and I wanted to snatch it up.
I kind of blew the budget on this one. But it is nice. I can dial down the iris to nothing, or just a pinhole so I should be able to carefully do daylight testing with it, and also just keep the f-stop dialed up for urban use in light polluted areas.
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Posted: 2/23/2012 11:34:28 AM EST
[#45]
Originally Posted By AJ_Dual:
I should hope so. Mrs. Dual knew about the eyepiece and the tube, but I forgot to mention that I also needed an objective lens. This was the only low f-stop 75mm c-mount on eBay at the time, and I wanted to snatch it up. I kind of blew the budget on this one. But it is nice. I can dial down the iris to nothing, or just a pinhole so I should be able to carefully do daylight testing with it, and also just keep the f-stop dialed up for urban use in light polluted areas.Yep, it helps around street lamps etc. I wouldn't go daylight testing personally. Lol |
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Posted: 2/23/2012 1:54:25 PM EST
[#46]
Yeah, by "daylight" I guess I mean ambient daylight in a dim room with no direct exposure to the sun.
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Posted: 2/24/2012 7:14:00 PM EST
[#47]
Wow - that's a nice lens. You will not have any trouble reselling it and recovering your investment if you have to - though I suspect it will remain a part of your NV kit for a long time :) BTW, if you ever get a micro housing and Gen3, that lens will go straight into it - :) Makes for an excellent 3x viewer. And yes, the aperture adjustment on those lenses makes them really useful. I have one very similar. I usually just dial up the F-number if brighter areas and the image improves a lot. These tubes don't like high light levels very much. Also if there's a streetlight in view, it can help a lot. At this point, you have everything you need to make a very nice scope - :) The question about the Aluminium scopes? Sorry, they all went some time ago. Very popular and very nice. Worked exceptionally well too. They sit very nicely on a tripod which was probably their biggest "feature". They also mounted up to an AR15 style handle or similar rail grabber. But Richard worked out that the labour value on each housing was about $500 each. And we were giving them away for $100 at the time as "material costs" :) LoL! everyone who signed up that week got a very nice scope :) We made about 10 at the time. Anyway, it's possible to simplify the design a little over what I posted. If you want to have some machined up, it might be worth seeing who else wants one and looking for someone who can do it at minimum cost. We made some changes to the design to accommodate low-tolerance cheap aluminium tubing as well. We also created our own ripple-springs for the ground contact to the tube - initially from a circle of brass crimped and bent with needlenose pliers - and later pressed by a hydraulic press into a ballbearing race. That worked very well :) But if you do start making them from the plans on the website, you'll find that if you use the plans as a guide and learn from the ripple-spring idea that you can simplify it very easily - Regards David |
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IL, USA
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Posted: 2/24/2012 11:16:00 PM EST
[#48]
David,
I'd be happy for whatever info you can send my way. Looks like I have access to some CNC equip which will make short work of it once programmed. The nice thing is, once programmed, multiple parts are a breeze. Any chance there is a CNC program floating around? Perhaps the most difficult part will be finding tubing the right dia. Dave |
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Posted: 2/25/2012 10:20:25 PM EST
[#49]
Do we suppose one of these tubes would fit in a Zeiss Orion 80 housing to replace a dead tube?
I don't have an Orion 80 or one of these cascade tubes to compare the two, but that seems like it might work... Right? |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:06:11 AM EST
[#50]
Has anyone mounted one of these home built scopes to a rail for use behind say an aimpoint or other NV compatible device? Is something like this possible to do?? Would the image get screwed up?
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