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Stevewats
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Posts posted by Stevewats
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On 27/12/2020 at 09:55, Ricochet said:
Without knowing your budget, the 4mm Nirvana gets good reviews without being massively expensive. There is also a 4.7mm ES82 currently available in the classifieds section of this forum if you are happy buying a second hand item. The 5mm BST Starguider or Celestron X-Cel LX would be other good alternatives, or the Vixen SLV is available in 4 and 5mm options. Alternatively, other users on this forum have reported good results by using the 7.2-21.5mm Hyperflex Zoom with a decent 2X barlow.
Having said that, you should be aware that Jupiter and Saturn are very close to the horizon and only visible for perhaps an hour at the moment which will limit your ability to view these objects at the moment. This leaves you with the Moon and Mars (which is now moving away from us and appearing smaller and less interesting). As such you may be better off looking at eyepiece focal lengths more suitable for viewing DSOs as a first purchase or in addition to a short planetary option.
Hi, Would you say a BAADER MORPHEUS 4.5MM EYEPIECE would be a good buy for me? I know it's expensive but they seem like very good quality eyepieces? Any advice on these?
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24 minutes ago, Grumpy Martian said:
Hello John. It was the 6.7 mm that they bought. The 4.7 mm is still available.
Hi there, is this still available?
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8 hours ago, Ricochet said:
Without knowing your budget, the 4mm Nirvana gets good reviews without being massively expensive. There is also a 4.7mm ES82 currently available in the classifieds section of this forum if you are happy buying a second hand item. The 5mm BST Starguider or Celestron X-Cel LX would be other good alternatives, or the Vixen SLV is available in 4 and 5mm options. Alternatively, other users on this forum have reported good results by using the 7.2-21.5mm Hyperflex Zoom with a decent 2X barlow.
Having said that, you should be aware that Jupiter and Saturn are very close to the horizon and only visible for perhaps an hour at the moment which will limit your ability to view these objects at the moment. This leaves you with the Moon and Mars (which is now moving away from us and appearing smaller and less interesting). As such you may be better off looking at eyepiece focal lengths more suitable for viewing DSOs as a first purchase or in addition to a short planetary option.
Great, thank you for all of the information. I have tried to find the classified ad for the 4.7mm ES82 bit cannot seem to find it. Do you have a link for this please? Many thanks, Steve
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52 minutes ago, Ricochet said:
Magnification is telescope focal length divided by eyepiece focal length so the smaller eyepiece will give more magnification. However, as John says, there is an optimum. Different objects respond differently and for planets 4-5 might be the optimum with your scope. For DSOs you will probably be looking at 10mm and longer, depending on the field of view required to see the object. With regards to "clarity" you will also find that the quality of the eyepiece also plays a part and more expensive eyepieces may yield better results. This will probably require some experience on your part to spot though.
So in essence for me to view the planets with my telescope it might be worth me buying a good quality 4mm eyepiece and leave the barlow for now. Could you recommend a good 4mm eyepiece?
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1 hour ago, johninderby said:
There is an optimum magnification. Going to a higher magnification can show more detail but use too much magnification and the views get worse. A zoom is useful for experimenting with magnification as you can find the magnification that gives the best views.
Seeing affects the magnification you can use as you will find some nights you can use more magnification and other nights much less.
Thanks John, makes sense.
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Thank you for your reply Ricochet.
As I am very new to all this, just to clarify, the smaller the eyepiece the better the clarity or the more than magnification it gives?
I was to go down to a 5mm eyepiece i wouldn't need a barlow or could I still use a barlow to gain even more magnification?
Many thanks
Steve
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Hi all,
Seasons greetings to all.
I have been gifted a Celestron astromaster 130eq md for Christmas and I am very happy with it as I've always been fascinated with the cosmos and I look forward to using it. I am comllete newbie though.
The question I have is regarding additional equipment I can purchase for it.
The telescope came with a 20mm and 10mm eyepiece, which believe is standard? I have had a look online and watched YouTube videos and there is lots of information which I am finding quite confusing to be honest.
If I wanted to get the best possible viewing of the moon and the planets what eyepiece should I purchase? I have seen a lot of talk about barlows, I believe there are many different versions? Is a barlow a brand? Which would be the best for me? How are lenses and barlows used together? How does this work? I've seen some videos on fake equipment and to be carful? I'd rather spend more money and buy from a reputable company.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Steve
Best buys for increased magnification
in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
Posted · Edited by Stevewats
Hi Ricochet,
Unfortunately the 4.7mm ES82 was sold before I could buy it, so after more research I still find myself undecided. I am more than willing to spend a decent amount of money so I am trying to make sure I get the best possible viewing for my money.
I have had a look on the Celestron website and they state this regarding my particular telescope:
''For this article, we’ll use the AstroMaster 130EQ as an example. This telescope’s focal length is 650mm. (To find the focal length of your telescope, look at the telescope’s nameplate or retaining ring.) The aperture is 130mm. The scope’s highest useful magnification is 307x and the lowest is roughly 19x.
For the AstroMaster 130EQ, the highest useful magnification is achieved with a 2.1mm focal length eyepiece. The lowest useful magnification is achieved with a 34mm focal length eyepiece. Celestron offers several options for eyepieces that fall within these limits.
A 2.3mm X-Cel LX eyepiece will give you 282x, which is close to the highest useful magnification of the optics. An Omni 4mm eyepiece with a 2x Barlow lens will exceed your highest useful magnification at 325x. It’s unlikely that any eyepiece will be a perfect match, but with the right combinations of eyepieces and Barlows, you can achieve numbers that are very close.''
So, should I be considering a smaller eyepiece size such as a 2-3mm? Instead of a 4-5mm?
Any advice appreciated. Many thanks. Steve