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The 100-degree Series Nitrogen-Purged Waterproof eyepiece from Explore Scientific is designed to provide awesome views with an ultra-wide field of view that will blow you away. And it is waterproof. It is designed to offer panoramic views but leave the eye relaxed in order to enjoy the experience. And it is waterproof. Explore Scientific stands behind this eyepiece with a 5-year warranty. And it is waterproof.
Did we mention it is waterproof? Though you are not likely to drop the 14mm 100-degree N2 into a lake that’s still a pretty cool feature. The practical application is that the lenses are protected from internal fogging and fungus growth. That means something when you are investing a fair amount of money in an eyepiece.
The 14mm 100-degree N2 is a little pricey but it compares well to other telescope eyepieces on the market today in many ways because it is built to last. You will be able to use this eyepiece for years to come.
The impetus behind Explore Scientific’s 14mm N2 eyepiece was getting into the 100-degree field of view game at a lower price point than some others on the market. With a price tag of about $500 we think they accomplished their mission. They also added a wonderful innovation along the way – waterproofing.
What waterproofing means in terms of viewing experiences is that there will likely be many of them. You can clean this eyepiece without worrying that solution will seep into the wrong places and cause problems. It is designed to inhibit dust, water or fungus from collecting on interior lenses.
The eye relief is relatively long with this eyepiece, which should lead to some comfortable viewing. The eyecup folds up or down to block ambient light and is crafted of rubber.
The view itself has been described as “a gorgeous 100 degrees” by one Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews contributor. Indeed, adding this much field of view is likely to make it seem like you have a brand new telescope. The 14mm 100-degree N2 is the price of some new telescopes but it still costs much less than the Ethos eyepieces and we think most users will enjoy it enough to justify its price.
Explore Scientific’s 100-degree Series Nitrogen-Purged Waterproof eyepiece includes features to control astigmatism, field curvature and lateral color.
Its features will lend themselves to work particularly well with reflectors, especially Dobsonians, for viewing nebulas.
Judging by the Explore Scientific website these telescope eyepieces go through a Navy Seals-like preparation before they reach your telescope.
It’s an elite group out of the gate because it takes 9 optical elements – a mix of dense crown, light crown, dense flint and lanthanum optical glass lenses – to even begin to form this eyepiece and its resulting ultra-wide view.
Technicians toughen them up quite a bit too. They clean and align all optical elements before installing them in machined lens barrels. The elements of each eyepiece are internally sealed and purged with inert, dry nitrogen gas, meant to maximize the life of all the multi-layer lens coatings.
The lens coatings are blackened at the edges to prevent the scattering of light and to encourage image contrast. Internal baffles should help to fight the effects of stray light.
Each eyepiece must prove itself to be waterproof by being plunged into a meter of water for 30 minutes. They are inspected twice for assembly integrity, cleanliness and optical performance.
Putting the potential for human error aside, they should arrive at your telescope’s focuser in peak condition.
Each eyepiece is given a unique serial number so Explore Scientific can track when a product was made and the owner can have warranty and insurance information.
This is a fairly heavy piece of equipment, weighing in at about 2 pounds. The weight could potentially throw off the balance of certain telescopes so beware. It is big but this gentle giant is ergonomically designed so you won’t likely lose your grip.
Standard hardware includes front and rear dust covers to help protect your investment.
The 14mm 100-degree N2 comes with machined grooves in the chrome barrel, which will keep the eyepiece from falling if the thumbscrew comes loose.
It is not quite as versatile as some of the other telescope eyepieces in our lineup. The 14mm 100-degree N2 is designed to work only with 2-inch barrels. Many great scopes fall into that category, however, and you will easily find 2-inch filters to accessorize your eyepiece and add to your viewing experience.
The support offered by Explore Scientific is truly commendable. The 14mm 100-degree N2 is backed by a 5-year warranty, a transferrable one. If you ever want to pass this eyepiece on to someone else – we doubt you will – the warranty goes with it.
Warranties always inspire confidence. You know Explore Scientific is proud of this product and will stand by it.
Technical support is easy to find on Explore Scientific’s site through FAQs pages, email and phone contacts. There’s even a blog, newsletters and an events calendar. It is obvious this company and its people love astronomy, not just making money.
The 100-degree Series Nitrogen-Purged Waterproof eyepiece is one of a growing field of 100-degree field of view eyepieces that are a great boon to astronomers everywhere. They will make you feel more like you are walking in the stars than casually observing them.
It would be difficult to overstate the wow factor you are likely to get with this eyepiece. You will be able to leave the stresses of the day behind for a spacewalk-like viewing session.
The care taken in designing this eyepiece to be waterproof makes it especially durable and unique. Its price point is fairly high but we think for most people it will be worth the investment.
