Advice needed on on my Christmas list

[Special K]

Hi, I'm working on a list of what enhancements I want for the 130P and would value some advice!

Easiest first: I am thinking of getting a high mag EP, say a 5mm, and I like my 12mm BST. I thought I'd get another BST because of the large FOV. However, would some recommend a different type of EP for a high mag like a plössl or something else?

DSO filter: I'm really interested in improving my pleasure with the Nebula's and thought I would settle on a UHC given my 5" aperture. Would I see much difference between the Baader and Skywatcher versions? £12 difference but I'm interested in quality. However, would a Baader Neodymium be a smart choice here? If I'm really going after a nebula will that do as good as UHC?

Finally, I'm interested in improving my planetary views and considering a set of color filters. There is a decent set by TAL having red, green, blue, yellow, and Lunar. But in relation to the Neodymium, would this do most of the job? I've seen comments to the effect that the Neo so good for these purposes such as seeing the GRS. I have not used a color filter before and unsure how much they change the color of objects? Do you think they distort the colors of planets or is it a nice effect?

Appreciate comments and realize this is fairly subjective. Thanks!

[wookie1965]

Ive got the 8mm BST and looking at Jupiter was a joy the other night except i could have done with more magnification, guess what im buying yes the 5mm BST because i know they are very good in fast scopes and because the two i have are brilliant. I also want a UHC filter (not sure which one yet wait for feed back) not sure about the colour filters maybe i will test them at at astro meet and if i think there useful i will get some.

[VigdisVZ]

I'm a bit inexperienced but my high mag Plössls that came with a kit have a super small view opening and the eye relief is so bad I have to press my eyeball to the EP. So I'd avoid those and see if there are some more "ergonomic" ones.

[Astro Imp]

I'm a bit inexperienced but my high mag Plössls that came with a kit have a super small view opening and the eye relief is so bad I have to press my eyeball to the EP. So I'd avoid those and see if there are some more "ergonomic" ones.

That is a design problem with Plossls the shorter the focal length the less the eye relief.

Going back to the OP as you are happy with your BST I would add to the collection.

I would think that with anything less than 8" the use of UHC filters will dim the view too much.

[rwilkey]

I agree, you can't go wrong with a BST/StarGuider, get the 5mm. UHC filter should be OK in your scope, yes, it will dim the view, but will still make nebula pop, I have the SW one, but not compared it to the Baader, so cannot say which is best, the SW has a slightly broader bandwidth and in my opinion this would suit your scope better. Don't consider colour filters for planets, I have never found them satisfactory. The Neodimiun filter is your best bet in this regard, it does help with contrast on bright planets like Jupiter.

[M4lcs67]

Got mine already sorted. My wife (bless her) said go and get what you want, so I have.

Baader Hyperion 17mm ep

Astrozap Heater Controller

Astrozap Heatertape

Celestron CG5 Polarscope.

That should do for starters.

[jabberwocky]

I got a bit carried away with my list, it has everything from FLO vouchers to naglers on it, but seeing as I'm buying her a £430 food mixer a nagler or 2 isn't asking too much is it?

Slight issue is she doesn't know she is getting this mixer so her reaction to seeing the price of a nagler wasn't positive, and I've just realised she is now fully aware that eyepieces with televue or ethos or nagler written on them aren't in fact the budget eyepieces I'd lead her to believe they were.

More realistic items are a new tripod for my grab and go ST102, a 2" diagonal, and a semi apo filter, oh and after 18 months owning a newt I may be finally getting a Cheshire collimator

[Qualia]

I am thinking of getting a high mag EP, say a 5mm...I thought I'd get another BST because of the large FOV. However, would some recommend a different type of EP for a high mag like a plössl or something else?

You'll probably find that on a decent night your sweet spot is around 140x to 160x on viewing Jupiter. For Saturn you will probably be able to push 200x plus on the most excellent of nights, so a nice high mag will be nice to own. BSTs come highly recommended, but as another option - which isn't that much pricier - I can also recommend the Celestron X-Cel LX series.

DSO filter: I'm really interested in improving my pleasure with the Nebula's and thought I would settle on a UHC given my 5" aperture. Would I see much difference between the Baader and Skywatcher versions? £12 difference but I'm interested in quality. However, would a Baader Neodymium be a smart choice here? If I'm really going after a nebula will that do as good as UHC?

I can't make any comment on the Neodymium filter but I do own a Baader UHC-S. With the 4" frac (which is probably performing like a 5 or 6 inch newt) it does sometimes help tweak out a little more detail on planetary nebula but only in my really dark desert site. Viewing from a LP area just cripples light gathering potential too much to be of any use. To be honest, I think this kind of filter would be most useful with 8"+ aperture, but might be a little too aggressive with lower aperture. Seeing that these filters don't come cheap, maybe it is better to wait for an OTA upgrade

Finally, I'm interested in improving my planetary views and considering a set of color filters....I have not used a color filter before and unsure how much they change the color of objects? Do you think they distort the colors of planets or is it a nice effect?

I use a light blue filter (80A) for Jupiter and I really like it. Sometimes it really does make all the difference - in my eyes. I've also read that a Wratten 11 or 12 can do the business. I guess using filters is a very subjective thing but I picked my blue one up brand new for about €10, so I can't see any harm with experimenting cheaply with colour filters to see if they work for you or not.

Hope this helped.

[Special K]

OK so it is cheating a little bit to call this my Christmas list because I might have had more than a peek at the new goodies, but thought I should at least finish this topic by saying what I went for!

5mm BST is defo the right choice! Lovely wide FOV and first use was a shadow transit on Jupiter plain as day and the black dot just sharp as a needle. Good thing with this EP for my scope is I can max the mag using the Barlow when conditions permit.

Ive gone for the SkyWatcher UHC filter but not used it yet. (Maybe this will find its way under the tree after all!) However I've had a look at it and held it up to peer at a streetlight and can see how it blocks most of the visible spectrum. Given the smaller aperture of my instrument, I chose the SW over the more aggressive Baader as I don't want things to be too dark. I have tracked down the Eskimo Nebula recently so that will be a likely first candidate to examine the differences.

Not bought anything for planetary yet but I think I will go Neo because it serves multiple purposes. An LP filter that also adds contrast to planets should come in handy. Can always get some colors later if I'm still curious but hoping the Neo will boost the contrast I need on Jupiter.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Some of this just boils down to individual tastes. Happy Holidays!

[JamesM]

On the neodymium filter question, I would (...if budget permits) get the Baader brand as it has a hardened coating that facilitates cleaning without fear of scratching its surface, rather like a dielectic coating on a diagonal. You can read about its specifications here. It is more expensive, particularly if you opt for the 2" size but like a lot of kit in astronomy, some of your purchases are of the type that will stay with you irrespective of any future upgrades, so buying well at the beginning can prove a profitable investment in the longer term.

Clear skies

James