for Meade LX400ACF, RCX-400, LX200ACF, LX200R, LX200GPS, LX-90GPS, LX90 & LX200 Classic
An EyeOpener enhances the performance of long focal length 2" eyepieces on Meade 10”, 12" and 14” Schmidt-Cassegrain and Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes by increasing the eyepiece optical path size as much as 65%. 2" eyepieces are "where it's at". Get all of the eyepiece aperture that you paid for while enjoying the full benefit of 2" eyepieces.
NOTE THAT THERE ARE INEXPENSIVE SCHMIDT THREAD TO 2" TUBE ADAPTERS BEING MARKETED THAT MAY USE THE PHRASE EYE-OPENER. THEY DO NOT INCREASE LIGHT THROUGHPUT AS THE PROBLEM IS THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE SCHMIDT THREAD ITSELF.
As Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes (SCTs) evolved from 8-inch models to larger-aperture scopes, and as eyepieces evolved from 1¼" to 2", the "Schmidt-thread" couplings used for securing 1¼- inch diagonals and eyepieces to telescope backplates remained unchanged. This "Schmidt visual back" supplied with your RCX or LX200 scope has an internal diameter of 1½", and it functions as a 1½ inch-diameter field stop. This field stop effectively limits the performance of your costly 2" optics to the equivalent of 1½" optics. When using the 1½" visual back with Meade's 2" 56mm Plossel (an eyepiece with a full 2" of glass in the nose) you loose 65% of the light to your eye!
Low profile. Adds no additional back focus over the height of the original Meade visual back.
Do you think that the large diameter front lens (the "field lens") on your long focal length 2" eyepiece is there for decorative purposes? That's about what happens when you restrict the size of the optical path to that lens with a 1½ inch-diameter field stop. Without the EyeOpener® you're getting the equivalent of 1½" optics. You might as well take a piece of 1/4" wide masking tape and cover up the outside 1/4" of glass on the nose of your eyepiece.
How does it mount? The EyeOpener threads onto a 3-1/4" male thread found on the backplate of 10", 12" and 14" Meade SCT & RC scopes, providing a full 2" unrestricted optical path. The microfocuser attaches directly to the EyeOpener. Unscrew your 1-1/2"visual back and check it out for yourself. To use the EyeOpener on RCX400 or LX90GPS scopes and on the older "Classic" Meade SCTs, or to shorten the optical path by eliminating the Microfocuser you will need the EyeOpener 2" Tube Adapter. As an alternative, the EyeOpener will also allow LX90 and LX200 Classic SCT owners to retrofit a Meade #1209 Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser or JMI's NGF-S electric focuser.