Looking for a looker?

[paulhutch]

Hi all,

I took delivery of my new scope, it's a sky-watcher 300 truss auto. I'm absolutely made up with it but now one or two questions have come to mind.

Firstly the offer from OVL for the lens's (2,5,15,20 with various filters for £79). As the 300 came with Super Plossl 10 and 25 is it worth taking advantage of this offer? Are the lens's in fact any good?

I was thinking of going down the line of a good quality 2 x Barlow to maximise the ones that came with the scope and indeed if this is a good idea....any recommendations?

Thanks in advance Paul

[faulksy]

probably be quite good quality and the price is good but you probably wont use the 2mm much if at all so thats a no no.for the money good choice would be a panaview 2" 38mm. but get to no your scope first and see which way you want to go you might enjoy wide field views or you might want small fov for planets, get to grips with your scope first, hope this helps

[damnut]

Hi Paul,

As above, yet for £79 I think I would avoid that set!. Get a decent barlow and use your scope with the super plossl's and see how you get on. Join local astro group and have a look through as many ep's as you can to form an objective judgement before spending your cash.

Thats a nice big scope you have so the ep's you want are ones that will last a journey.

Enjoy your scope, also plenty of advice on ep's in the stickys on the lounge.

Cheers

[NGC 1502]

Hi Paul, some good advice already given.

If it were me, I'd avoid the set you mention.

I would far sooner have one excellent eyepiece than a box full of cheaper ones.

I'm not an eyepiece snob either, it's just I have been the route that you are on,

hoping to save money buying modest eyepieces. A scope like yours (very nice !)

is quite demanding on eyepieces. When I tried clubmates eyepieces I realised what

I was missing. In the end it cost me more, buying modest eyepiecs, then upgrading.

HTH, Ed.

[paulhutch]

Hi Paul, some good advice already given.

If it were me, I'd avoid the set you mention.

I would far sooner have one excellent eyepiece than a box full of cheaper ones.

I'm not an eyepiece snob either, it's just I have been the route that you are on,

hoping to save money buying modest eyepieces. A scope like yours (very nice !)

is quite demanding on eyepieces. When I tried clubmates eyepieces I realised what

I was missing. In the end it cost me more, buying modest eyepiecs, then upgrading.

HTH, Ed.

Great advice from all, thanks. I quoted this because it's the exact thing I did with the scope (or didn't do?). The last thing I wanted was to spend money on a scope, ditch it and buy another, then ditch that and buy another, that would be an expensive lesson. So I sat tight and listened to everyone on here and ended up with the 300 12 inch Dob, (alarmingly way above budget). Now I have a scope that will last me and the kids a lifetime, and although it was expensive at least I am safe in the knowledge that I never need to upgrade (for the time being at least.....APP FEVER has set in). So I've decided to stick with the 2 eyepieces it came with and spent £26.99 on a 1 x Antares Antares Deluxe 1.25" 2x (and 1.5x) Barlow lens, effectively giving me a 6 lens choice. Thanks again guys. Loving being a member of the most useful site on the web.

[Nexus 6]

agree with the above comments Paul, your better off spending that £80 on an alternative eyepiece or barlow, which I see you are thinking of anyway.

Obvious to say, you will see some great options on the buy/sell section here on SGL.

that's some scope you have bought! congratulations

[Steve]

The Skywatcher eyepiece set would be a mistake. Ask your supplier to recommend a 30-33mm 2-inch widefield eyepiece. You won't regret it

[faulksy]

The Skywatcher eyepiece set would be a mistake. Ask your supplier to recommend a 30-33mm 2-inch widefield eyepiece. You won't regret it

like the sw panaview:)

[halo1234]

I would assume that the exit pupil on a panaview 2" 38mm would be too large. N.A.A. Telescope Math Calculator. For me I think the limit would be 33mm. I could be wrong, so the more experianced will advise better,

[ronin]

Firstly the offer from OVL for the lens's (2,5,15,20 with various filters for £79).

Do I read this correctly?

Someone makes a 2mm eyepiece?

What earthly use is it?

[newman]

Do I read this correctly?

Someone makes a 2mm eyepiece?

What earthly use is it?

Some people tend to use such eyepieces on small but quality short focal length refractors. Someone with a short focal length 80mm apo might find a use for one, for splitting double stars or on planets, when the seeing conditions permit.

Or, it could make a rather nice paperweight

[paulhutch]

I was thinking the same thing as my 10 is troublesome when coming to view so a 2 would be nigh on impossible

[Matthew]

Ive got a 300p truss tube also paul.What i use at the moment are Baader Hyperions.Ive got the 17mm and 8mm.Ive also purchased the 28mm and 14mm fine tuning rings,the added spacing decreases the focal length (increase magnification) so these 2 e/p's give me many choices.You can also use them without the first group of lenses (the effective focal length is about 22mm i beleive).I wouldnt buy cheap e/p's paul ,better too have a few good un's than lots of poor ones.I have used the supplied e/p's with a 2 x barlow and the views are ok.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Some people tend to use such eyepieces on small but quality short focal length refractors. Someone with a short focal length 80mm apo might find a use for one, for splitting double stars or on planets, when the seeing conditions permit.

Or, it could make a rather nice paperweight

In a fairly fast F/6 triplet APO such as I have, 3mm would be the shortest useful EP focal length, as a good rule of thumb states that the maximum useful magnification is obtained with an EP with a focal length (in mm) equal to the f-number divided by 2. Thus, If you have an F/4 Newtonian, a 2mm might be usable in outstanding seeing. Only in imaging scopes like Boren's F/2.8 astrographs would a 2mm EP perhaps be useful.

[paulhutch]

Has anyone used the 2 inch Baader EP's?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have looked through the 36mm Aspherical in the 16" RC of our university. At F/8 it is not a huge test of quality, but it was a comfortable EP to look through. I think my 40mm Paragon may have had a slight edge at the edges, but that might be me wanting to prefer my own kit .