8" XLT Focal reducer?

[Smithfire]

Hi

Would a 2"0.5x focal reducer be a good buy to get he most out of wide angle eyepeices. I have a Celestron "8 SCT XLT.

Really want to maximise my veiws of M31, M51, M42 etc. Thinking about investing is some midrange 2" WA ep's.

Many thanks

Clive

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

In my experience with my C8 (getting on for its 20th birthday), using a 2" wide-field EP is better than using a focal reducer and 1.25" EPs. A focal reducer can only grab the full image circle of the C8, and project it onto the 27mm image circle of a 1.25" EP. The 0.63x reducer I used in the past did exactly that. I now use a 2" visual back, 2" diagonal, and a Nagler 31mm Type 5, a.k.a. "Panzerfaust", which gives much nicer results.

[Smithfire]

Thanks Supernova....are there any similar eyepeices in the £100 price bracket?

Clive

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Absolutely. An F/10 scope is not that picky. Try the MaxVision 68° series. Many cheap wide-field (like the Moonfish 30mm) work well.

[Smithfire]

So for the best deep sky results with a 8" SCT you suggest i go for the 2 inch visual back and decent 2 inch diagonal instead of going down the reducer road?

Clive

[alan potts]

I went down the road of buying a reducer (.63 type) when I bought my SC Meade, I wrongly thought bung this on the back and a 40mm SWA eyepiece and I would see my feet. Wrong bigtime, even with 2 inch fittings through the whole system you can only use about a 27/8mm eyepiece before you get blacking around the edges and you get basically the same FOV  without the reducer and a 40mm SWA. I think the Maxvision 40mm SWA would do great on your scope but it is heavy at 1.2KGs, I bought this with a Meade dress and matching handbag and it cost me 269 quid, The MV version is the same and a lot less.

The other eyepiece that I have used that will not cost TeleVue money is the Sky-Watcher Aero 40mm, that is pretty good as well.

Alan

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

So for the best deep sky results with a 8" SCT you suggest i go for the 2 inch visual back and decent 2 inch diagonal instead of going down the reducer road?

Clive

Absolutely. The SW-Aero 40mm is apparently a clone of the TMB Paragon 40mm I regret selling (got a Vixen LVW 42mm but the Paragon 40mm was more comfortable). I have heard good reports of the Aero 40mm, so it appears to be a good clone (also worked well in my F/6 refractor)

[Smithfire]

Very interesting comments guys. Very much appreciated.

Clive

[John]

Another suggestion to consider another scope at some point such as a low cost 8" F/6 dobsonian.

I know that sounds a bit mad but by the time you have added up the cost of a decent 2" diagonal and a 2" eyepiece you will be getting well on towards the cost of an 8" dob which at F/5.9 will show much wider fields than the SCT can.

I appreciate that the above is not necessarily practical though

When I just had an 8" SCT though I did try the reducer route and then realized that 2" accessories were a better way to do it. It's never going to fit the full extent of M31 in though. M51 is actually rather small so really wide fields are not needed for that one. M42 fits into a degree true field quite easily I think.

[Smithfire]

Thanks John. I had considered getting a SW 120mm f5 frac seeing as they're so cheap. ...may do that in yhe future.

Clive