5x Barlows?

[Naemeth]

John that helps alot- very gateful for your too. The more your knowledge I read, you chaps, the more I get the bug ready set to go.

So which would you go for of these: a 6mm or an 8mm Vixen NPL plossl? I am likely to stick to this and a 32mm plossl (unbranded) and the 2x barlow. The not vg/ came-with 10mm will become redundent I guess.

Id like to use it to get a better view of a planet, primarily Jupiter say: bigger prefarable, with the not VG 10mm + 2x barlow is a bit too small really.

Your advice Is really appreciated. BJiLM

The 8mm, especially with a Barlow will probably get more use than the 6mm, so that would be a better bet. High magnification will often only make things slightly bigger, but it will also mean that what you are viewing will move out of view faster.

You probably won't be able to get the planets or Moon looking any bigger really, not without loosing a lot of detail, images you see over the internet of planets aren't really realistic for what you can see with your scope. Saturn and Jupiter are often the size of a pea in the eyepiece, and if you push the magnification to something like 325x (2mm eyepiece or 4mm with a 2x barlow) then you will loose a lot of detail, and the view will be much less clear than it will be with a 4mm.

Hope that helps!

[BiG JiLM]

Naemeth that answers all of my pesky Qs perfectly- you're a gentleman for explaining. Im sure this will be useful to other clueless eejets like me to stir their potato-like brains to life.

Im off to order an 8mm Vixen NPL plossl.. hope wont be clobbered with import duty! (£24 posted from US so Ive found/ so in that grey-area).

Terrific stuff- cheers JiLm.

[Naemeth]

Naemeth that answers all of my pesky Qs perfectly- you're a gentleman for explaining. Im sure this will be useful to other clueless eejets like me to stir their potato-like brains to life.

Im off to order an 8mm Vixen NPL plossl.. hope wont be clobbered with import duty! (£24 posted from US so Ive found/ so in that grey-area).

Terrific stuff- cheers JiLm.

Before you do that, you can get one from First Light Optics for £30, and you won't get clobbered with import duty. But you have to pay a little more, I suppose it's up to you .

[BiG JiLM]

IIrc its goods over £25-£30 from US, so EP £21 should be ok.