MarkTownsend

Thank you so much for the excellent advice, 

2 minutes ago, badhex said:

Agreed, it looks like this one but modified with a different eyecup and some o-rings (maybe as spacers), so 8-24mm fits. 

If this is true, at the highest setting it will be an 8mm eyepiece, so take the focal length of your scope, divide that by 8 and you will have the true magnification you are getting.

Do the same for 22mm and that's the true magnification you are getting at the lowest setting. You should also be able to then figure out the stops in between if you wish. 

What is the scope that you have out of interest? 

Thank you.

It’s a Skywatcher 250p

Thank you all for your responses. Super valuable advice. With regard to my expectations re. Jupiter, I’m aware that the stuff you see in magazines (and bad adverts) are well out of my scope, but I would hope to be able to see some of the markings on Jupiter. I can see the moons but the planet itself is a small bright circle with no definition. Obviously if this is a field scope lens then it’s not going to have the necessary coatings for skywatching so I think I’ll invest in a couple of Starguider eyepieces, maybe an 8 and a 25.

Really grateful to you all!

Mark

Thank you,

Re. the zoom eyepiece, if it is a field scope, can it be of any use to me?

I think a skywatcher 8” will give me 150x 

Hi all,

lovely to find this brilliant forum. I’m new to sky gazing - not in terms of interest but practise, having just bought a second hand 10” Dobsonian.

The guy who sold me it very kindly gave me a zoom eyepiece. Can anyone help me identify it please? Or give me any advice on what it might be in terms of its range of magnifications? Photo added. 

I have been looking at Jupiter but it is incredibly small, even at the highest magnification.

I would like to be able to see the larger planets clearly and some DSOs.

I am thinking of investing in a set of StarGuider eyepieces.

Thank you so much in anticipation.

Mark