Please tell me which eyepieces to buy (I need help, again)

[barbusg60]

I need help, in more ways than one!

I've got a Heritage 130p which I like and am hopefully getting an AZ4 to mount it on as I find using the supplied base on a table a bit of a pain.

However I am in need of some eyepieces to use.

I have been messing around trying loads of different types and have totally confused myself, nearly to the point of not bothering any more.

However, I dont want to do that so am asking for help (again)

I want to view our solar system and would like to keep things simple and have had the idea of a zoom eyepiece but now am not sure due to their size and them not being as good as individual eyepieces?

I have a Tal 2x Barlow and on Orion Shorty Plus which I think is about 2.25x already.

If not a zoom, would I be able to cover my needs for the moon and planets with only a few eyepieces? I only pop out to view for half an hour or so at a time so am not a serious astronomer!

Thanks in advance,

Rob.

[Capricorn]

Budget is the big question, seems little point is getting costly eyepieces for a scope the cost of the heritage. If you expect one day to go bigger then what you get now can be used later.

With this in mind:

5mm, 8mm and 18mm BST/Starguiders from Sky the Limit. If your barlow is OK then it can form a pair with the 18mm and the 8mm. Catch is cost, at £47 a piece that means £141.

Next are the planetary eyepieces again Skys the Limit, perhaps the 6mm, 8mm and 20mm at £36 a piece so £108. With the barlow on the 8mm and 20mm that adds a 4mm and 10mm to the options.

After that I think the cost is prohibitive for the cost of scope.

I have preseumed 3 eyepieces, if just 2 then 8mm and 12mm BST/Starguider, and the barlows you have. It ignores the wider field but hopefully you have something longer already and the 12mm would still be not too bad.

[cotterless45]

The focal length is 650 mm, divide this by the eyepiece mm and you'll get your magnification. A 10mm ep will get you x65.

I use this scope for lunar and wide views.

You'll be able to see the bands on Jupiter and details of Saturn using an 8mm EP, but given that this is an f5 scope , I wouldn't push beyond that. With higher mags you'll be tracking manually.

I'd go for a 25mm plossl, a x2 Barlow and an 8mm plossl. If you like wide views of clusters , get a 32mm.

GSO do some reasonable EPs for starting off.

Try wrapping some pfte plumbers tape around the helical focusser thread. This'll give you better control. Try mounting on a tripod;

[Eigen]

Hello,

Since you are not quite serious enough (at the moment ), to justify spending the big bucks. I would highly recommend the Vixen NPL series for the longer FL, with a TMB or BST from Skiesthelimit for the higher mag planetary work, they will work great with your barlow.

Vixen NPL plossl series is very high value for the money, if it weren't for the bad eye relief of plossls at short FL's I would recommend all NPL tbh, there is not much between them and Televue plossls, I have done quite a bit of testing and I would only give an edge to the TV in terms of contrast...on all but the best of nights they are dead even.

TMB or BST from Skiesthelimit, great EP's for your shorter range, wide FOV very reasonably sharp, again great value.

Going barebones minimum, I would suggest:

6mm X BST or TMB 108X, barlowed 216X *or 8mm depending on the general seeing conditions you find.

9mm or 10mm NPL (optional, would really complete the set imo, eye relief could be a little tight, negates need for 8mm)

25mm NPL 26X, barlowed 52X

Regards,

Eigen

[barbusg60]

Thanks guys, I have just been over toy local astro shop today and picked up some Vixen NPL's in 15mm, 10mm and 8mm. They were all new and I got them for a bargain £70!

I have a Tal and Orion Shorty Plus Barlow so will probably only keep one of them so I should nearly be sorted now.

All the constant thinking and wondering was getting to me so I needed to take a step back and keep things simple for a while.

Thanks again,

Ron.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Three NPL's for £70?

Good deal. They really are great EP's.

Congrats.

[Mr Moff]

You got yourself a bargain there mate. Well done.

[barbusg60]

I was well chuffed with the deal, I had a play with them yesterday looking at the local Cathederal and they seem very nice. No problem with eye relief on the 8mm which should give me about 180x (ish) with my shorty plus barlow, not sure if a 6mm barlowed would push the Heritage too far?

I might go for a 20mm next.

Thanks for the replys,

Rob.

[LukeSkywatcher]

A 6mm EP barlowed might just be pushing it too far. It all depends on the conditions. I have used a 4mm EP with my Heritage, ONCE and that was only to observe the Moon. Conditions were perfect that night.

[geoffers1]

Does your local Astro shop have a website? That's £20 cheaper for the 3 than I've been able to find :-(