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Eyepiece confirmation, and other goodies :)

Spec-Chum

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Spec-Chum

Spec-Chum

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Well, since the weather is not playing fair I thought I'd do a bit of reseach into "extras" for my f/6 200p Dob. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, I've not even seen a star with the thing yet!

Eyepieces (all Vixen NPL which seem to be one of the best "bang for buck" from what I can tell) - Budget £30 - £50 - but I like a bargain!

I'm considering a TAL 2 x Barlow and the following eyepieces:

6 or 8? (I'm interested in viewing planets, but not sure which to go for?)

15

40

Which will all go with the stock 10 and 25 I got with the scope. I understand these are "usable but not fantastic". I'm sure they'll do for now...

Low on my list would be a right-angled, correcting finderscope, I'm not really keen on the supplied straight, upside down and back to front one, but again, I might get used to it...

Would you also recommend a Telrad, perhaps?

Also, I bought a cheap (£10) moon filter, but I'm also considering a UHC filter, as I've read they're good for nebulae, and that very interets me! Are they worth the £50 - £60 in your opinion?

Phew! All that money and only 1 me!

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Pete Presland

Pete Presland

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i would always recommend a 40m eyepiece its makes a good "finder" eyepiece.if you are getting a Barlow it effectively doubles your eyepiece collection, by enabling you to use for example, the 40mm @ 20mm when used with the Barlow.

40mm = 20mm (with Barlow) X30 & X60 magnification

15mm = 7.5mm (with Barlow) X80 & X160 magnification

8mm = 4mm (with Barlow) X150 & X300 magnification

i would probably say though, get some observing time before parting with too much cash first.

as for the telrad they are very highly regarded, i use a cheaper RDF myself though.

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Marki

Marki

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Basically agree with Bunnygod. Get to know your scope and its capabilities a little first. However, I found I did't get on with a red dot finder on my first scope so I got a right angled correcting image finder. I do hear that Telrads are very highly regarded though.

As for filters, although I bought a moon filter, I find I never use it now, my eye seems to adjust to the full moon pretty well. The UHC is also well regarded, and certainly can help with some nebula observation. As its narrow band it doesn't cut too much light, whereas the OIII seems to make the background stars very dim. Is it worth it? Well, I guess that depends on your budget and how much time you spend with it... .

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Timboy

Timboy

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Hi all

Hey Spec-Chum you've just promted me to join SGL after a good few weeks browsing, this afternoon ive secured the sale of the very same scope but will prob not be viewing till the darker evenings arrive in the mean time i too am getting my facts n figures in order so will be following this thread thru with the view to buying a few extra goodies

Telrad seems to be top of my list . . . as it is very well respected on here . . . but i actually wanna look thru one to see what it does

Think i'm gonna need various filters too as its Galaxies and Nebula that i'm seeking the most

Good thread

Tim

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Quick question. I've heard the sock ep's are ok but not great, which ep would you compare their quality too. So i've got a comparison on reviews etc

Well they are on par with the stock EP's that come with Celestron scopes. Maybe they are even slightly better.

The Vixen NPL's are well above the stock EP's in performance.

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Naemeth

Naemeth

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Get to know your scope first. "Low Quality" EPs to you will seem amazingly clear and detailed to your eyes, it's only when you move up in quality that you realise that the stock EPs are lower quality.

For instance, I have a pair of Low Quality binoculars that I thought were great, once I moved up in optical quality to my stock EPs, the optics of my binoculars looked a lot worse. It's better to start slowly, so you don't get so spoiled by better views you can't use the stock EPs.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Get to know your scope first. "Low Quality" EPs to you will seem amazingly clear and detailed to your eyes, it's only when you move up in quality that you realise that the stock EPs are lower quality.

For instance, I have a pair of Low Quality binoculars that I thought were great, once I moved up in optical quality to my stock EPs, the optics of my binoculars looked a lot worse. It's better to start slowly, so you don't get so spoiled by better views you can't use the stock EPs.

I agree. Stock EP's are FINE and work VERY well. It is only when you move up the ladder that you will notice the difference. However, dont be in any rush to upgrade just because you read that the upgrade will be better. Get to know your scope and EP's first. You will be VERY happy with the EP's.

If nothing else it will give you more time to save up more money and maybe then buy better quality EP's. The NPL are top notch EP but they are on the lower end of the scale compared to others. I mean why spend £30-40 on an EP with a 50 degree AFOV when for a few £££ more you can buy one with an 82 degree AFOV.

Buying the scope is actually the easy part of this hobby. Its buying the EP's etc that really is the tricky part.

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Paulus17

Paulus17

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I have had the BST Explorer EPs recommended to me SC by a forum member i go out gazing with,and to be honest i hadn't really taken any notice of them when looking through his scope,but wil be in the future.

I have read also that the suppiled EPs are pretty good so i will be using those fro the time been.

I did have the Telrad with my 200 when i bought,but up until now haven't had a chance to use that nore the scope,but it does look a good bit of kit to have and was told by the previous owner that it was worth every penny. :smiley:

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stevetynant

stevetynant

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one of the best things I got for my dob was an observing chair just an ironing stool from amazon for about 26 quid really saves the strain on your back and makes observing much more relaxed.congratulations both on your new kit you are going to have some great views when the dark nights return.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

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Spec-Chum

Spec-Chum

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OK, so after much deliberation and repetative questions on here (sorry!) I have decided on the following wishlist:

TAL 2x Barlow, so I can effectivley have a 5mm and 12.5mm EP without buying anything else

Telrad, when I can finally find a place that has 1 in stock! lol

32mm 2" SkyWatcher PanaView for DSO and general "searching" (really looking forward to this!)

8mm and 15mm BST's to complement the supplied 10mm and 25mm ep's

RACI FinderScope (this is quite low down on my priority list)

Looks OK?

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Spec-Chum

Spec-Chum

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Cheers Paul.

I must say, however, I am quite impressed with the 25mm ep that was supplied, so I'm in no rush whatsoever to replace that one.

Not that i've got anything to compare it too, but I'm happy with it and that's all that matters lol

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brantuk

brantuk

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Imho the 10mm and 25mm are workable for first eyepieces, but there are much better to be had (especially in the case of the 10mm).

My advice would be to join a local astronomy club or observing group and go out and get some experience of different eyepieces to know what you'd like. There's no rush - the stars aren't going anywhere in our lifetime - but eyepiece choice is very much a personal thing and what suits one person doesn't necessarilly suit another.

Also read reviews in the popular astro press - although the ratings are sometimes inconclusive - you would learn a lot about what to look for when choosing eyepieces. There are also some great primers and tutorials on here offering sound advice :)

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Andymarrison

Andymarrison

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Hi Spec-chum! I took delivery of a 15mm BST yesterday and (incredibly enough) had the opportunity to use it to take a look at Saturn last night. On this first and brief viewing I found it a very impressive eyepiece for the price. Enjoy yours when it arrives!

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Spec-Chum

Spec-Chum

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It just so happens there is a doncaster astronomy club which I'll be frequenting in the very near future.

Can't wait, it does get a bit lonely when you're the only one of your mates interested in this kinda thing. Be good to meet like minded people.

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Spec-Chum

Spec-Chum

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Nice one Andy, Saturn really is something, isn't it?

Saying that, I'm also looking forward to seeing Jupiter and the Orion nebula and about a 1000 other things lol

I'm so glad I finally bought a telescope. It's like winning the lottery.

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