Thoroughly confused about which Vixen NPL to get...

[Grunthos]

Been reading and researching and have ended up becoming thoroughly confused with all the choices available.

Here's the story.

1) Have just bought a new Skywatcher 250PX Dobo GOTO SynScan f/10

2) Already own a Celestron 6SE GOTO SCT f/10

3) Bit the bullet and have already sold my old Celestron eyepiece and filter kit (you know the one ). Have retained my Baader Hyperion Zoom Eyepiece (8-24mm)

4) Will be buying a new set of EPs. Hoping to optimise purchase for use on both scopes (although priority will be the dobo which will see most use).

5) Sticking with 1.25" for the moment

So....have narrowed the choice down to Vixen NPL range.

Main question are the sizes of EP to buy.

Had initially thought that a 4mm, 10mm and 20mm would suffice (and a decent 2x Barlow)?

After doing all my reading am now suffering from EP "paralysis by analysis".

Help!

[DOBBY]

just my opinion...but looking through the pin-***** in the 4mm...you'll be constantly nudging the dob to keep anything in view

[John]

If you are keeping your Hyperion 8mm - 24mm the 10mm and 20mm NPL's would be duplicating focal lengths that the zoom covers, with no gain in performance as far as I can see.

4mm NPL will be too much power for the 250PX or the 6" SCT but the 6mm NPL would give you a useful 200x with the 250PX though and 250x with the SCT which would be OK on nights of good seeing. The 30mm NPL would give you a nice low power eyepiece showing almost the max sky for a 1.25" eyepiece in both scopes.

So, for me, it would be the 6mm and 30mm NPL's and the Hyperion 8mm - 24mm as your eyepiece set for both scopes.

[Grunthos]

Thanks chaps.

I had actually considered a 6mm (and I had thought that I'd miss my old Celestron 32mm!).

Good stuff, I'll maybe just try the 2 NPLs then .

Barlow of any use or not?

PS Dobby - pin-what? (pinwheel? - not overly familiar with the vagaries of EP terminology).

[Grunthos]

Barlow of any use or not?

Think I just found the Zoom Barlow I'd like.

[nicnac]

Thanks chaps.

PS Dobby - pin-what? (pinwheel? - not overly familiar with the vagaries of EP terminology).

think he is on about the eye relief 2.3 mm is a bit on the tidgey side, like looking through a pin hole.

one of the reasons i was looking at radians and the Xcel LX, they have uniform eye relief

[John]

If you go for the 30mm and 6mm NPL's I'm not sure you would ever need a barlow to be honest.

[Moonshane]

agree with the comments above. another option is a good quality Barlow like the Televue 2x plus what you already have (keep the zoom and the 32mm from the eyepiece set).

[Grunthos]

Thanks again for advice. Good to get some reinforcement on my thought processes.

I had considered a Televue Barlowx2 (vs a Celestron Ultima) but ended up considering the Hyperion Zoom Barlow due to the potential future use with DSLR.

Having said all that I've also been thinking about whether I really "need" a barlow or not.

Decisions, decisions.

Got to admit I'm trending more and more into a philosophy of keep it simple (but that's for another thread!).

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have an 8mm,15mm and 30mm NPL. That just about covers the family (low,medium and high). No need for a barlow with this collection.