Question about eyepiece quality and power.

[M4lcs67]

I am considering getting a couple of better ep's for my scope. I realise that the ones that came supplied with the scope will have certain limitation due to the fact that the manufacturer has to hit a particular price point.

I would like to have a slightly better view of the planets and nebular (if possible). Don't know if the limitations of the scope are whats holding things back and by getting more powerful ep's I would be able to see slightly more. If I got something with a 6 element then would it potentially have the ability to have a larger image?

Being a newbie I am still finding my feet, but I still know that the more powerful an ep the smaller the FOV. With my current 9mm eyepiece I sometimes struggle as the amount of physical sky that you can see is very limited.

Also when using the tour function on my scope alot of the time when I look through the ep once the telescope has finished slewing to a particular object there is nothing there.

You would have thought that if objects in the hand controllers database are beyond the capability of the scope that they are attached to then it is pointless in the first place. Or perhaps it could be due to the light pollution where I live or it could be a combination of all these things.

[pvaz]

Given the focal ratio on your scope the EPs you have should behave alright, without much if any imperfections.

About not seeing objects that's probably a combination of light pollution and the aperture of the scope. 5" is not much when it comes to deep sky objects. To detect all the controller objects you would need a 12"+ scope in a dark location.

The biggest improvement you could get would be by observing in a dak site and increasing aperture. Before you spend money it would be great if you could go to a close by astronomy club, take the chance to try some gear see whats possible with different combinations.

[MjrTom]

Hi Malc

You have similar light grasp to what I have with my scopes. I find that local seeing conditions and light pollution play a huge part in what I can see with my telescope.

For faint fuzzies like galaxies and diffuse nebula then you really need a dark sky to see them in any detail.

Also worth considering is your dark adaption. If your location is dark enough allow your eyes a good half hour to adjust to the local light levels and you should find things easier to see. Almost everything we look at in a scope is at the limit of what our eyes can see.

Is there any Astro Societies in your area?

The reason I ask is they can be a great way to try out other kit and share viewing experiences which helps train the eye on what to look for.

[faulksy]

as said above light polution plays a big part in what you can see. as an example if the full moon was out you would struggle to see most dso due to the background not being dark, but you would see planets due to them being bright

[hemihaggis]

hi malc, the 127 is an exellent scope , as long as your alignment is good you should be able to put most of the easier/brighter objects in the fov with the low power ep , ie hercules cluster , m31 , m45 most of it !! , m51 , m42 , ect , i found the supplied 26mm was quite good quality but the 9mm and barlow were poor ,

a really good budget but great quality ep set are the revalations , you can get different sets with 3,4,and 5 eps in them in a nice box, the photo visual kit is exellent , check out thier reviews online

[Capricorn]

For the scope you have I would revert to the BST's and say the 8mm, 12mm and 25mm.

Know you have a 25mm so if that is OK get the BST equivilent last, if you decide to.

The 8mm will give 187x, the 12mm will give 125x. The BST's have a 60 degree field so a little wider then plossl's.

If you want more in the view then go for the 12mm and the 15mm. Still 125x nd 100x. That would be my preferance and lower the magnification expectations.

Unfortunately without spending money you get either magnification or wider views, not both.

Antares did a W70 eyepiece, 70 degree eyepiece, but they were about £65 last I knew, BST are £41. It starts getting more expensive.

[M4lcs67]

Hi Fellas,

Thanks to you all for your advice. Some great info there. Much appreciated.