cajen2
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Posts posted by cajen2
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The 20mil LER/UWA is a real gem: mine is sharp, flat to the EOF and almost a 3D image. A friend of mine also has the 14mm and says it's just as good. HOWEVER, I don't think this is true right across the range. I also got the 4mm for planetary views and find the image much softer and less detailed than my Morpheus 4.5mil.
So two of them highly recommended but one not.
Edit: I also own a Celestron Ultima Edge 30mm (same as the UFF range) and it's excellent. The SL 20 is as good imo.
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Oh, I've just thought about it: the 30mm SL is a 2" and I don't suppose you want the expense and trouble of getting a 2" diagonal.
My other recommendation would be a Vixen NPL 30 or 40 mm. 1.25" but a narrower FOV than the SL. I use a 30mm when I can't be bothered to change my diagonal and it's excellent for its price.
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Ah, ok, got you.
I'd go initially for something like the 5mm for planets, the Moon, double stars, etc. Then perhaps a mid-range one, say a 15mil for medium- sized targets. I would urge you, though to consider a low mag, widefield EP: something like a StellaLyra 30mm UFF. I realise this is a lot more money but it's dual function: for stuff like the Pleiades and Andromeda Galaxy, plus it acts as a great finder EP - makes finding a target and star hopping much easier. Cheaper 30-40mm EPs are available but have much narrower fields of view, so not much improvement on your 25.
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Absolutely. I paid full price for mine (don't ask!) but it's worth every penny. Last night, I looked at the Trapezium through it, set at 3mm (238x mag), which is way over the theoretical limit of my scope, plus in poorish seeing, but it showed stars sharp and clear. If only it had a 100° FOV....😛 It'd be worth £500 of anyone's money then.
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As usual, the answer lies in how much you're looking to spend....or you'll get people recommending TV Ethos at £6-800 a pop!
BSTs are certainly excellent value for money but spending more gets you better views....😈
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6 minutes ago, Gfamily said:
Unfortunately, we'll miss seeing you, as we're in France again this spring. Hope to see you at the end of September for the Autumn Astrocamp.
That's very bad planning!😛
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A 12" truss dob AND living in Co. Wicklow? Does it get any better than that? Also envious of @Captain Scarlet who's on the West Coast.
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I'll be there: pitch 26 as usual. I've got a friend, @Richard N ,coming for the first time so let's hope we get at least one good night!
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Just now, Beardy30 said:
Good to hear but I’m not sure a 30mm would be a good buy for me personally with having a 25mm
Let's put it this way: I'm convinced that any EP in that range would outperform the ones that came with the scope.
Like everything else, it all depends how much you're willing to pay for them.
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One, the 30mil, has an excellent reputation both for its views and value for money. I have its equivalent under a different name: the Celestron Ultima Edge and I think it's superb. The others in the range don't have quite the same reputation but I'm reluctant to comment as I haven't used them.
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If asked my hobbies, I always answer 'astronomy' because that's what I think I do. However, I've never once described myself as an astronomer.....that suggests someone who knows what he's doing.....😂
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@ApprenticeTo be honest, I rarely use the AZGTiX any more. I bought a Sightron Japan manual mount just for grab & go and I'm so impressed by it that it stays on permanently. No go-to but nice manual slo-mo controls.
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I like the way people keep saying, "You can always sell it on." I've been trying to sell my Heritage 150p and innumerable EPs for ages and nobody's interested (and it isn't the price, which is lower than most!).
Fewest regrets: my Starfield 102ED - beautiful scope. My Sightron Japan mount - bought it just for grab & go but it has become my main mount, with its good payload and slo-mo controls.
Most regrets: buying "budget" EPs at first and then realising I can do so much better with a few more £. The budget ones aren't worth reselling. Buying an 8" SL dob. Great, well-equipped scope giving beautiful views but awkward to get out of the door and down steps. I found myself not wanting to go out on clear nights....
Not living in a country which has decent astro weather is the biggest problem! 🤣
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2 hours ago, John said:
There is a 17.5mm Morph on e.bay currently priced at a touch below 75% of retail.
That's a very good EP - supposed to be the best of the Morphs (not that there's a bad one!).
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In my case, it was the 8mm Delos v. the 9 and 6.5mm Morphs.
I've found Morphs will forgive slightly off-axis eye angles better than the Delos.
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1 hour ago, LondonNeil said:
Yes that's a comment I'd agree with, at rrp Hyperion are £120 ish and that's a whack. As I said though, Hunt and they are £40-60 used though which isn't so bad.... where as a used Morpheus is still 3 or 4 times that and I wouldn't consider as mid range (although I know its far from top range!)
For completeness, astrobuysell has a set of used Morpheus...s (Morpheii?) Listed, £160 each.
I think a Morph compares extremely well with some "top range" EPs. I recently bought myself a TV Delos and it's as good an image as my Morphs, but no better, despite being £160+ more. The Morphs are more forgiving on eye placement too.
You can do better on price too:
£229.
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32 minutes ago, LondonNeil said:
No love for Hyperions? Look around for used and these aren't hard on the wallet, particularly given the versatility if used with tuning rings
A Hyperion is a good EP but less so in shorter f/l scopes. I think the Morpheus range is so much better that people go for those and pay a bit extra. I adore all my Morpheus and have no wish to 'upgrade' them.
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3 hours ago, Bugdozer said:
I was going to joke that one of the Dob Squad will imminently be along to say "an 8 inch Dob is good at everything" but the post immediately after yours beat me to it!
The ironic thing is that I used to have exactly that dob.....and I sold it. 😆
I found myself not going out some nights because the scope was heavy and awkward, and I'm not, shall we say, in my first flush of youth....😉
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1 hour ago, PeterStudz said:
I’m 6ft tall and my 8 yr old daughter (no 12) is somewhat shorter.
You have 12 daughters? 😱
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They are really quite different scopes with very different strengths and weaknesses.
The Mak has a long focal length and is thus easy to use at high magnifications, so it's great on the planets, Moon, etc. The issues are with its narrow field of view which means larger deep sky objects are difficult, plus finding stuff in the first place can be hard. It can also suffer with dew problems and long cool-down times.
The 130PS will give you a wider FOV and thus may be better for the DSOs. It will not be as good on planets unless you invest in some small focal length eyepieces or a good quality Barlow. Its cool- down time is better and is a little less likely to dew up quickly.
IMHO, the 130 is your best bet for a scope that can do most things well enough. If the planetary stuff is your priority, go for the Mak.
No scope is good at everything....
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6 hours ago, engstrom said:
I bought this for my 6yr old this Christmas.
It’s easy to set up and align and light enough to be carried around assembled.
The app is very easy to use.
He’s loving his first steps into Astro after seeing Jupiter, the moon and various messier objects.
I think this set up will keep him going for a few years.
As a bonus it’s also rekindled my interest and I’ve dusted off my 200pds and bought an SW 80ED.
That looks a nice little scope, E. Wouldn't mind one of those myself!
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1 minute ago, mikeDnight said:
As deep sky is your friends passion, may be he would appreciate a NP101 with a 35mm Panoptic under a dark sky, as it will show him views of deep sky he could never achieve with his big Dob.
Not in his view. There is no substitute for aperture in his universe. His 16" will gather in far more light than the 101, making distant galaxies visible which no hobbiest frac could detect. It's a reasonable view if that's what you want from your scope.
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I have this argument with a friend on a daily basis. He owns two dobs: a 10" and a 16". He likes making out faint fuzzies. Good luck to him....I can't do it because of light pollution, both in the sky and nearby street lights, etc. So I spend most of my time on planets, the Moon and double/multiple stars.
I've had two dobs (6" and 8") and now use a Starfield 102ED frac. I love the SF for what it can do for me. It'd be useless to my mate with his fuzzies but excels on stars, clusters, doubles and does a good job on the planets. He's just bought a similar frac to mine (Astrotech) but doesn't like or use it much because he's not into planets, doubles etc.
It's a waste of my time saying how beautiful the views are through a frac - it doesn't do what he wants as well as his giant dobs. Horses for courses.
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Nice write up. And you're right - the scope really does look the business! I would really like to buy one but not enough money or room to store it....😥
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Top notch new eyepieces up to £150.
in Discussions - Eyepieces
Posted
Right at the budget end of the price range, the Vixen NPLs (I can only recommend the longer f/l ones as they have reasonable eye relief). I bought a 30mm back when all I had was budget EPs but it's a brilliant bit of kit for the price. Another Plossl but with a slightly wider FOV at 50°. I've never wanted to replace it and always use it as a finder EP for when I'm using my 1.25" diagonal. Sharp, clear views.