Atomic_

I'm thinking the math/formular I found was wrong then, from what you said I'm guessing it was meant to use Diameter instead of focal length for the calculations, which gives more reasonable answers being; 29x, 290x, and 406x for the minimum, optimum and maximum magnifications. I'll have to have a look at some 5 or 7mm eyepieces for planetary details. thanks

I've just recently bought my first telescope, skywatcher 8 inch dobson with 20mm and 12.5mm 70degree wide angle eyepieces, and haven't had a chance to use it due to bad weather, so I'm just trying to learn about it. From what I've read about magnification mine should be something like: Telescope Focal Length (mm) Diameter (mm) Focal/Ratio Finder Scope Eyepiece 1 Eyepiece 2 Minimum Magnification Optimum Magnification Maximum Magnification Skywatcher 8" Dobsonian 1200 203 5.9 8 x 50 70° Wide Angle 20mm 70° Wide Angle 12.5mm 29 290 406 Eyepiece Magnification Eyepiece Magnification 60 96 However I'm confused about the Minimum/Optimum and Maximum Magnification, the minimum magnification for the telescope being 171x and the eyepieces magnification being 60x and 96x for the 20mm and 12.5mm. What does it mean to have a eyepiece magnification lower than the minimum magnification of the telescope? I'm assuming it just means the minimum 'useful' magnification for details. At the moment I'm wanting just to see the planets and moon. would the 20mm and 12.5mm eyepiece be enough or should I look at other eyepieces? from reading This Post, it suggests the 5mm, 10mm, 16mm, and 25mm eyepieces for a 8inch dobson, but what would the practical applications be for the other eyepieces be? What would they be used to see? Thanks for the help!

the Skywatcher comes with: - Super 25mm and Super 10mm Eyepieces - 2" to 1.25" Eyepiece Adapter with M42 Thread - 6x30 Finderscope What eyepieces/focusers should I be looking at? I'm assuming it would be different for what you use it for, but is there any general eyepieces/focusers to look for?

I've looked at some 8" Dobsonians but going from the 6 to the 8, the price pretty much doubles (from ~$600 to ~$1300), this is from FLO. From Bintel, OpticsCentral, and OzScopes this goes to around $800-$900. I was planning to spend around $600, but I am willing to go to the 8", however as a teenager I do not have a good source of income and will have to wait a couple more months. Currently I am using a 10x50 pair of handheld binoculars that are like 20yrs old and broken, so really anything is an improvement. If the difference is that significant between the 6" and 8" I might wait a couple months and go for the 8" instead.

I am new to the hobby and are planning to get a 6INCH Dobsonian. However, I am stuck between choosing a brand, at the moment these are what I'm choosing from: https://www.opticscentral.com.au/saxon-6-dobsonian-telescope-6-inch.html - Saxon 6 Dobsonian Telescope -6 inch https://www.opticscentral.com.au/skywatcher-6-dobsonian-telescope.html?___SID=U#.XqOynv0zbIU - Skywatcher 6-inch Dobsonian Telescope https://www.ozscopes.com.au/dobsonian-telescope-saxon-6inch.html - Saxon DeepSky 6" Dobsonian Telescope From what I got from a a thread I posted on reddit (Here), they are fundamentally the same. But apparently the quality of the eyepieces & finders may be slightly different, and the availability of upgrades and accessories may be harder to find for the Saxon's as they are apparently an Australian brand. I am wondering if the quality is that different between the eyepieces, and finders. and if the upgrade kits are compatible between brands, e.g. can I use a Skywatcher upgrade kit on the Saxon.