lunar obsession

[redgiantjohn]

Looking to buy my first EP next month I've got a skywatcher 150p dob amd I'm slightly obsessed with the moon so I was looking for an eyepiece that will give me the best views I can possibly get with my scope I'd like to see extreme close ups so I can possibly spot individual craters and areas on the lunar surface(if this is possible)not sure what make to go withfor,also would a 2x or 3x barlow help me and if so which ones? Any advice is greatly appreciated thx john:)

[Nova]

as with everything its really going to depend on how much you have to spend. keep in mind that the max practicle magnification on the 150p is 300x. I did read somewhere on here however that you start to lose detail above 200x but that might not apply to the moon

[GazofCorra]

As you have a dobsonian scope you want a eyepiece with a wide fov, so you are not constantly nudging the scope about, take a look at televue naglers as they have a 82 degree fov and are known as one of the best EP's money can buy, they cost a few quid but unlike changing scopes along the way, your EP collection can stay with you throughout your hobby.

[redgiantjohn]

As you have a dobsonian scope you want a eyepiece with a wide fov, so you are not constantly nudging the scope about, take a look at televue naglers as they have a 82 degree fov and are known as one of the best EP's money can buy, they cost a few quid but unlike changing scopes along the way, your EP collection can stay with you throughout your hobby.

I've just checked them out and they are way out of my price range am thinking about £50 max I know they won't be top of the range but really just looking for an improvement on the EP that came with the scope

[great_bear]

Personally, I don't think there's much point in Barlows these days unless there's a particular (often expensive) eyepiece that you own, which you wish you had in a shorter focal length.

I spend a lot of time looking at the moon....

I'd recommend (if you've got a 150P rather than a 150PL) a 5mm "TMB Planetary" or the slightly cheaper "TMB Designed" from Sky's The Limit <here> - pretty much bang on budget too.

That will give you the moon at 150x in your scope, which is a nice magnification for the moon - not the most "extreme" - but a good match for cross-referencing against a moon atlas whilst still keeping a satifyingly crisp view.

[TheThing]

A good Barlow will double your EP collection at a stroke. You don't have to spend a fortune. A Tal x2 would be a good addition.

As for EPs, there is this popular misconception that you have to spend a fortune on Naglers, TelSue. panoptics etc. Rubbish!

Try the BST range, which can be picked up for £35 - 40 brand new.

A good ortho would serve you well too. Something like a Japanese Circle T - brilliant for lunar work.

[GazofCorra]

A good Barlow will double your EP collection at a stroke. You don't have to spend a fortune. A Tal x2 would be a good addition.

As for EPs, there is this popular misconception that you have to spend a fortune on Naglers, TelSue. panoptics etc. Rubbish!

Try the BST range, which can be picked up for £35 - 40 brand new.

A good ortho would serve you well too. Something like a Japanese Circle T - brilliant for lunar work.

It is not a popular misconception that you have to spend a fortune on EP's...You get what you pay for, you should all of realised that by now.

[Damo636]

Have a look at these

Meade Series 5000 Eyepieces[/url

They usually are around £65-£70 but now reduced to £49.99 . The 60 degree fov will be perfect with your Dob and i think a step up in quality from either the BST or TMB

[TheThing]

The 5000 are expensive for what they are.

BSTs represent good value for money and punch well above their weight in terms of quality!

[Damo636]

The 5000 are expensive for what they are.

BSTs represent good value for money and punch well above their weight in terms of quality!

Agree they are expensive at their normal price but at £49.99 i thought they would be worth consideration. I have never used the BST Explorer range but have had a few TMB's at different times. I thought they were good for the money but sold them on when i got the orthos as i found the orthoscopic a lot sharper. Of course the trade off is tight eye relief and narrow fov but worth it imo for the clean sharp views they give.

[Damo636]

There is a post in the sale section at the minute for a couple of circle T orthos, a 5mm University Optics branded version and a 9mm.

[great_bear]

You get what you pay for, you should all of realised that by now.

That's not how the market works unfortunately. In reality, you get what's left over, after an arbitrary number of people in the revenue stream have taken their cut.

Here's a classic example.

Orion MegaView, 28mm - £388

SkyWatcher Nirvana 28mm - £245

Exact same eyepiece, different route-to-market.

[redgiantjohn]

Cheers guys went for the meade 5000 series super plossl 5.5mm