best "budget" eyepieces ?

[Smeghead]

looking to replace my rather dodgy eyepieces !

don't have a huge amount of cash to spend (say £50-60 tops) and want to get the best value i can.

heard that plossl & super plossl are good, but is there anything else i should consider ?

also, what ones should i go for ?

got a 25mm super plossl and a 2x barlow, but prefer not to use the barlow much as i only have a small 'scope.

thanks for your help

[Qualia]

I really, really don't want to sound rude here! And I think this is the first time I've ever written something like I'm going to write but please, please believe me when I say I give you my words with the utmost respect to you and your person. Here goes: I don't think it is worth upgrading eyepieces for your telescope. I've heard a little about the Optus 76mm (which seems to be an Aldi or Lidl supermarket scope) and everything I have heard to date says that it is essentially an awful telescope. Sky at Night's forum, for example, did a little on this gem and the overriding consensus was - stay clear.

Okay, I've said it.

So, if I were you, I'd put that money you've got saved for some new eyepieces into a new telescope and mount. For the price of just over a decent mid-range EP like an X-Cel or Hyperion or two or three decent BSTs, you've got yourself a lovely Heritage 130p, just a little more and you've got the Explorer 130.

I'm sorry that I've had to say this and perhaps others will put me wrong. I hate doing this but this is not a snob thing. Seriously. I just think you'll be throwing good hard-earnt money after bad.

[knobby]

Brave words , but a good point , well made

[hes not well again]

Actually the above may be a little harsh, poor as it is, its still better than nothing. I had one briefly away back and I found the eyepieces awful but by far the worst thing about it was the mount. Sticky plastic bearings meant that it would go anywhere but where you wanted it to. So regretfully I have to agree with the previous. Might I suggest the much underrated Tal 1 if you are after a cheap scope? If you by one second hand make sure it was made after 1996.

[cantharis]

But money spent on upgrading eyepieces is never wasted. I spent a few bucks on some GSO eyepieces that I got from OWL - an American company - that I still have. When you sell a scope and get a better one you keep the extra eyepieces you have bought.

[ismangil]

The best way is to bring your scope to a local astronomy club meeting. There you can probably try a few eyepieces to see if it performs better, or maybe it's something else like collimation, focuser, or mount problems.

On mobile (excuse the strange predictive words...)

[Smeghead]

to be fair, given a half decent sky the optus performs quite well (and it was a gift anyway). gives a decent image (for a 76mm anyway) of the ring nebula.

one of my friends has just (last night) given me a 114mm 'scope on the condition that i let another budding astronomer with no 'scope have the one i'm using.

trouble is this will leave me with only the 25mm eyepiece and the barlow. better than nothing, but will still need a bit of investment.

[cs1cjc]

I can recommend the Vixen NPL range at £30, see:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-npl-eyepieces.html

[Qualia]

Okay, as mentioned above, the BST Explorers come highly recommended. I haven't ever used them but in all the reviews I've read everyone seems to be very content. Have a look at this site which sells them in the UK. I think they're just under £50 a piece. Another EP series which has had great feedback and reviews are the Celestron X-Cel LX series. These I can recommend. They are a little more expensive than the BSTs but the quality, sharpness and contrast given in my forgiving f/10 is wonderful. You can find them very reasonably priced here. On the Plossl front, I've read some good stuff about GSOs which can be found here and what I think amounts to a very similar EP is the Revelation series which can be found here[7url]. Vixens also have very favourable reviews - many considering them a better buy than say the GSO or Revelation series - and once again can be found at First Light Optics at a very reasonable price.

I'm sure others will also give you some great advice, but at least this little line up will start the ball rolling.

I'm glad you're cool with me, Smeghead and didn't take my words in a bad way. A big salute and thank you to you

[Moonshane]

My advice would be a 15mm plossl and basic barlow. you could get both these for £30 total. I do agree that you'd be better to spend perhaps £100 on a used 6" newt and make a dob base yourself for peanuts.

[Qualia]

Links didn't seem to work:

BST Explorers

Vixen

GSO

Revelation

[Smeghead]

thanks

what sizes would i be best to get ?

thinking 30 or 40mm, 15mm and maybe a 9mm?

[nightfisher]

A 32mm, an 18-20mm and a 10mm would be good range, on a budget the skywatcher super plossl`s from flo are a half decent ep

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces/skywatcher-sp-plossl-eyepieces.html

[LukeSkywatcher]

I can recommend the Vixen NPL range at £30, see:

http://www.firstligh...-eyepieces.html

I second this. I have a 70mm (refractor),90mm(refractor),130mm(Dob),200mm(SCT) scope and to be honest the Vixen NPL's work very well with every scope.

[breezy]

Bst are excellent value mate at just under £50 . I got a 15 mm on tuesday but due to work/weather only managed to try it out last night .

All I can say is wow what a difference !!