The Lake County Astronomical Society

"Pushcart Operation"

Jack Kramer

If you're in the market for some eyepieces and can't afford to spend much, you may be tempted by the ads run in the astronomy press by Paul Rini. He sells 11/4-inch and 2-inch "modified Plossl" eyepieces for only $17.50 and $39.50, respectively. That's super cheap! You will find, however, that the eyepieces have a sort of homemade look to them and exhibit more than the normal amount of distortion at the edge of the field. The story is that Paul isn't in the business for the money. (For the fun of it then?) He bought a large supply of surplus lenses with which he assembles the eyepieces. His supply of lenses is large enough to last for a couple of years. When he runs out of lenses, he plans to go out of business. So if you want one, you had better get with it. If you'd like more information about these inexpensive oculars and have Internet access, check the Scope Review web site: