Baader 2" Clicklock BBHS Dielectric Mirror Star Diagonal # MAX-2S 2456115

Product Review: Check out Bill Paolini's excellent review of this diagonal at AstronomyConnect.com here.

Baader Planetarium has worked hard to make the finest and most precisely-engineered star diagonals on the market today. The Baader 2” BBHS Mirror Diagonal with 2” ClickLock Clamp is ideal for high-power planetary viewing and general deep-sky observation. The diagonal comes ready to use and includes the diagonal body, BBHS-coated Sitall mirror, 2” nosepiece, and 2” ClickLock Clamp. It can also be threaded directly onto the back of Meade and Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain scopes with an optional Baader SCT LockRing.

Baader BBHS Technology for Ultra-High Reflectivity and Superior Color and Contrast

This diagonal uses a silver-coated mirror made with Baader’s Broadband Hard-Coated Silver (BBHS) coating process on a low-thermal-expansion Sitall ceramic substrate. In the past, silver coatings fell out of favor because they exhibited inferior durability to aluminum. That’s why Baader uses a new and proprietary hard dielectric coating process to seal and protect the silver layer to give vastly improved durability that rivals that of aluminum.

Compared to aluminum coatings, even 'enhanced' aluminum, silver has very high and uniform reflectivity across the visual spectrum and beyond into the infrared and ultraviolet. Baader's BBHS and dielectric coatings also deliver high reflectivity across a wider visual spectrum, resulting in improved color visibility, saturation, and contrast when compared to aluminum and all-dielectric mirrors. BBHS coatings also deliver noticeably less scatter than all-dielectrics, resulting in improved contrast and reduced haze and stray light.

The brilliance and color rendition of Baader’s BBHS-coated mirror diagonals, are simply breathtaking, especially when observing with outstanding telescope and eyepiece optics. Experienced observers can distinguish richer colors on Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the Moon, as well as in bright stars, especially when the diagonal is used with apochromatic and ED refractors. The Baader BBHS coating intensifies visual color perception across the spectrum, especially at the red end, to a degree not possible with dielectric-only or multilayer aluminum reflective coatings.

Experienced visual observers also note that Baader’s BBHS silver coating enhances the views of faint stars and other celestial objects compared to dielectric and prism diagonals.

ClickLock Eyepiece Holder

The 2" ClickLock non-marring eyepiece holder delivers the same acclaimed simplicity and security as its smaller 1.25" ClickLock cousin. With a quick 20 degree twist of the rubber knurled ring using a convenient fingertip lever, the ClickLock holder clamps 2" eyepieces so securely that you can lift your scope with them. The unique action utilizes 3-point clamping which positively and accurately locks 2" eyepieces without any of the wobbling and misalignment that can occur with single point clamps. With a clear aperture of 47.5mm, this mirror diagonal can handle all 2” eyepieces without vignetting.

Flexibility and Configurability

The Baader 2" BBHS Mirror Star Diagonal incorporates another unique feature. The 2" Clicklock Holder and 2" nosepiece can both be removed to expose 2"x24tpi SCT threads, permitting integration of the diagonal into additional configurations through the use of the Baader Astro T-2 System components.

For SCT Users: The diagonal body's input 2" threading is compatible with the standard Celestron/Meade 2" rear cell threads, enabling you to directly thread it onto the rear cell your SCT. NexStar 8 or 8i users will find that this diagonal couples close enough to swing through zenith without hitting the RA base! Please note that a Baader SCT LockRing # 2458270 (sold separately) is required for direct attachment to SCTs.

The nosepiece of this diagonal accepts all standard 2" filters with M48 thread.

The diagonal body weighs 15.9 oz (451g) and the effective optical length is 112mm.

NOTE: This diagonal gives images that are upright but left-right reversed.

Manufacturer part number: MAX-2S or 2456115.