That first scope question

[anuvid]

I'm looking at EPs and much as I'm tempted by the Hyperion Zoom Brantuk recommends, some of the reviews for my scope suggest that a Barlow should be my first purchase. I also noticed that FLO have a special price on another EP. So what do you think about me buying a Celestron Ultima x2 Barlow and a Celestron Excel ED 8mm ? The 8mm I believe takes my 127 SLT to close to its max useful magnification, and the Barlow might make Jupiter look a little larger :-) Im' such a simpleton.

[pvaz]

The ultima is one of the best barlows, but the TeleVue ones are know as the best and the 2x 1.25" is actually cheaper then the Ultima at the moment.

TeleVue 2x Barlow 1.25"

Besides Televue stuff is so well rated that it never drops under 75% of the new price, if you ever decide to sell.

Regarding magnification, try not to go above 250x or 300x at most. Things do get bigger but they also get fuzzier. I often find I see more detail in Jupiter at 171x, then 240x.

[anuvid]

Paulo that's a good spot, thanks. What do you think of the 8mm celestron ED for £41 from FLO ?

[pvaz]

Can't really say as I never used the celestron ED EPs.

Based on reviews I usually recommend the TMB planetary EPs as a good budget option. They are often compared to Televue Naglers and come up as almost as good for a small fraction of the price. Though I never used them as well, many experienced people, which own some of the most expensive EPs available, speak highly of them. I would probably take their advice and get one.

[anuvid]

Thanks as ever for your advice. I've found the Televue Barlow a few pounds cheaper on a buy it now on the auction site, but minded to buy from a reputable supplier using the link you provided as the service is worth something too.

[brantuk]

Hi Anuvid - I just caught up with this thread. You've got some great advice there from Paulo. All I'd add is the eyepieces are largely a personal thing cos we all see slightly differently (eg I'm older and wear glasses than a younger person who doesn't).

A useful thing you could do is join a local astro soc and go to an obs meeting. People will be hapy to let you try eyepieces. Doing this gave me a very informed idea of what I wanted to get.

Just fyi - the Baader Zoom will give magnifications from 62x to 188x in your scope so well within it's range. A barlow is also a good idea to double the mags of all your current ep's - but get a good one - Celestron Ultima, TV of course, or Orion Shorty Plus (the Tal is also very good vfm at the cheaper end).

If you're anywhere near me you'd be welcome to come over and see the difference between a zoom and an ep set

[anuvid]

You're very kind Brantuk. Unfortunately Leicester and Kent are a little far apart. I will look into who the local groups or enthusiasts are. But I'm conscious of not taking full advantage of how gloriously clear the odd night is currently and Jupiter being so prominents, so I'll decide Televue Barlow or Baader Zoom over the weekend. And after that it'll have to be based on trying other people's EPs. I'm already eyeing up my next scope because I really want to get into astrophotography, so a good EQ mount will be necessary, and i have to decide if the scope I have is worth mounting on an EQ mount or whether I have to get a second instrument. I feel life becoming expensive already :-)

[NHM]

I have been looking at the Celestron PS 675 Reflector as a first scope. Can anyone give me a heads up on any possible problems I may encounter. Many thanks,

NHM

[anuvid]

NHM, I'm still a newbie myself and as such don't think it fair to offer any advice directly. However what may help these fine people to advise you is an understanding of:

1. What you hope to view ?

2. Whether you hope to view from a single location or go mobile ?

3. Do you have any SLR photography aspirations ?

4. What's your budget ?

5. Do you want to get involved in things like collimation in a first scope ?

6. What kind of viewing conditions are there where you are ?

I believe that these kinds of questions will help people to focus their advice more effectively.