Can you recommend a 6mm EP for a BST fan?

[KevUU]

Wow, I'd entirely forgotten this forum exists! I setup the forums I'm interested in as 'followed' a year ago and never thought to take a fresh look, until someone cross-posted into here from Observing...

I'm a new convert to the BST StarGuider eps - I recently bought the 12mm for my 200p dob and have ordered the 8mm to replace my Vixen NPL too.

I'd really like a 6mm too - but of course they don't do one, and 5mm seems a bad idea in the 200p. (I prefer not to use a barlow, and would need to upgrade to a 'real' one by which time I may as well get a dedicated ep.)

Does anyone have a recommendation for a 6mm?

Thanks

edit: typo

[bingevader]

WO SPL 6mm!

I dunno how many times I've posted that now, but it's a few!

It's very good indeed in mine.

Cheers

[John]

I'd go with bingevader's suggestion too - just about all the feedback I've read on the William Optics SPL's has been positive.

[Stargazer_00]

I'd say get a decent Barlow for the 12mm bst :)or get the 5mm b st. I have one and it's great in a 1200mm fl.

[KevUU]

WO SPL 6mm!

I dunno how many times I've posted that now, but it's a few!

Sorry bingevader, I did have a quiick scan through the last few pages but didn't spot anything obvious

I'd go with bingevader's suggestion too - just about all the feedback I've read on the William Optics SPL's has been positive.

Can't say fairer than that! I haven't actually come across these before when I've posted questions elsewhere, but it looks nice from the FLO descriptions. 50% more expensive than a BST and slightly less tfov, I take it from your shared enthusiasm you feel that's justified and worth it?!?

Thanks guys

[KevUU]

I'd say get a decent Barlow for the 12mm bst

Ah, just when I thought a consensus was forming

I sort of feel like I should do as you suggest, but I do prefer not to use a barlow. I just find it detracts from the experience for me...

[Stargazer_00]

decent being the expensive word

[John]

Well it won't be 50% better but it's quite difficult to find alternatives at the BST sort of pricing.

Maybe the barlow approach would be better but you would need a decent barlow and those can cost more than the BST's too.

[russ.will]

I've had the BSTs and have had a couple of peeks through the WO SPLs and was very impressed by them. You may also be surpised how much narrower the 55deg of the WO isn't, when compared to the BSTs too - I suspect that a healthy amount of convenient rounding of FOV figures goes on...

As I presume this 6mm purchase would be mostly for planetary work, dare I suggest the humble Plossl as a great value alternative? The Plossls from all of the main manufacturers are surprisingly good and staggeringly cheap. You really don't miss the extra FOV when looking at planets, but you do gain clarity from the reduced amount of glass and glass/air surfaces. Vixen NPL or GSO Super Plossl spring to mind.

Russell

[Stargazer_00]

bst 5mm for planets certainly that was what I bought and it didn't disappoint me

[rory]

i would look at the " tmb planetary II" eyepieces. alan at skies the limit does them at about the same price as bst's kev. i had the 5mm and found it comfortable to use.like the bst's they have large lenses and good eye relief. they also have a similar f.o.v with 58 degrees .

they come along second hand now and then at good prices. i paid £25 delivered for the tmb i had last year.

[moffer]

I'd go with bingevader's suggestion too - just about all the feedback I've read on the William Optics SPL's has been positive.

Same here. That's why I've decided to go for the WO SPL 6mm....it will be my birthday present on May 1st. I have the BST 8mm and very nice it is too, and did consider getting the 5mm BST, but like the OP thought it would not be a good idea for my 200p dob.

[Stargazer_00]

6mm in 200p will give that 1mm exit pupil sweet spot (which to date i've formly held as my lowest personal preference).

I'm starting to think that 0.8mm is actually quite acceptable. I only start to see floaters as intrisive below 0.7mm exit pupil. 1mm is a good standard to set though you can squeeze a bit more juice if you wanted. A 5mm BST is that extra juice on a 200p giving 0.83mm exit pupil. A 4mm wouldn't look good (0.6667 exit pupil)

[rory]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TMB-OPTICAL-1-25-58-Degree-Planetary-Eyepiece-for-Telescope-High-Quality-BNB-/140939004222?pt=UK_Photography_Telescopes&hash=item20d09e893e#ht_5390wt_1061

heres a good price new for tmb planetary II .

[cs1cjc]

Be aware that TMB Planetary clones vary in quality. I did a review of 4mm versions here:

[KevUU]

Thanks all for your thoughts, it's good to have some options

As I presume this 6mm purchase would be mostly for planetary work, dare I suggest the humble Plossl as a great value alternative? The Plossls from all of the main manufacturers are surprisingly good and staggeringly cheap.

Cheers Russell. I would use it for planets, but also for DSOs - M3 seemed like it would take it for example but my stock barlow with the BST 12mm wasn't great. I'd just like to have the option in the toolbox so to speak (or ep case, I suppose!). But I already find my 8mm Vixen NPL awkward with the small lens and tight eye relief, so I'm not so keen on trying a shorter plossl

i would look at the " tmb planetary II" eyepieces. alan at skies the limit does them at about the same price as bst's kev. i had the 5mm and found it comfortable to use.like the bst's they have large lenses and good eye relief. they also have a similar f.o.v with 58 degrees .

they come along second hand now and then at good prices. i paid £25 delivered for the tmb i had last year.

Thanks rory, will take a look. Especially at your later ebay link - with Chris' advice in mind of course!

6mm in 200p will give that 1mm exit pupil sweet spot (which to date i've formly held as my lowest personal preference).

I'm starting to think that 0.8mm is actually quite acceptable. I only start to see floaters as intrisive below 0.7mm exit pupil. 1mm is a good standard to set though you can squeeze a bit more juice if you wanted. A 5mm BST is that extra juice on a 200p giving 0.83mm exit pupil. A 4mm wouldn't look good (0.6667 exit pupil)

Thanks for that. I rarely get into these details so thanks for the distilled version TBH I already find the 8mm npl to be noticeably less pleasant, I'll be interested to see what a 6mm is like but wouldn't want to push beyond that...

[Stargazer_00]

it's all about the exit pupil Kev. It's very much worth getting to grips with what it means so you can make sensible informed purchases

[bingevader]

But I already find my 8mm Vixen NPL awkward with the small lens and tight eye relief, so I'm not so keen on trying a shorter plossl

TBH I already find the 8mm npl to be noticeably less pleasant, I'll be interested to see what a 6mm is like but wouldn't want to push beyond that...

Then you'll love the WO SPL 6mm, completely different design of cause!

I know what you mean, I have a 9.7mm and an 11mm plossl that are great, but tight enough for me.

The WO is a comparatively bigger beasty and much more comfortable.

Cheers

[Jules Tohpipi]

I've recently purchased the WO SPL 6mm and am delighted with it in my Skyliner 200p. All I have to compare is the supplied EPs and by Baader Zoom. The WO is very sharp in comparison and stays sharp to the edge, so far less DOB nudging which is very welcome indeed. Last weekend Saturn looked great, could see banding and Cassini division easily. The moon was amazing and the extra mag reduced the brightness nicely. Even used it for M51 from the back garden. Very happy camper indeed.

[KevUU]

Then you'll love the WO SPL 6mm, completely different design of cause!

I know what you mean, I have a 9.7mm and an 11mm plossl that are great, but tight enough for me.

The WO is a comparatively bigger beasty and much more comfortable.

I've recently purchased the WO SPL 6mm and am delighted with it in my Skyliner 200p. All I have to compare is the supplied EPs and by Baader Zoom. The WO is very sharp in comparison and stays sharp to the edge, so far less DOB nudging which is very welcome indeed. (...) Very happy camper indeed.

Thanks guys, good to know.

The only hesitation (and this applies to the TMB too) is the lack of screw-up eye cup, there's a rubber fold up cup but surely without glasses I'll need to hover my eye above the ep?

I now have my 8mm BST, so I need a clear night with that to see if I still want a 6mm too once I've used that, then I'll have to make a decision. Nevermind, we all know the deciding and the buying is part of the fun

[Jules Tohpipi]

My experience is limited across different EPs, but the fold-up eye cup worked perfectly for me. I flipped it up and gently pressed against it (with contact lenses in). I could see the entire FOV. My eyelashes did not touch the eye lens. The eye lens was completely clean after the end of two long sessions. And that's in the context of lady friends regularly commenting with jealousy that I have long eyelashes for a bloke!

If I have my glasses on, then I flip the eye cup to the down position. I noticed that the eye lens is a little recessed on the WO. This allows my spectacles' lens to contact the eye-lens' plastic surround without ever contacting the EP's eye lens itself.

It all works better than the eye cup on my Baader Zoom.

[John]

Thanks guys, good to know.

The only hesitation (and this applies to the TMB too) is the lack of screw-up eye cup, there's a rubber fold up cup but surely without glasses I'll need to hover my eye above the ep?

I now have my 8mm BST, so I need a clear night with that to see if I still want a 6mm too once I've used that, then I'll have to make a decision. Nevermind, we all know the deciding and the buying is part of the fun

On the TMB planetaries I've used, the whole top of the eyepiece can be twisted up around a couple of cm. Thats the whole of the metal part with the rubber eye cup attached. So no hovering needed, you can set the top of the eyepeice and the eye cup to match the eye relief.

[KevUU]

Thanks John and Jules.

Am waiting patiently (not) for a chance to try the 8mm BST, then will try to decide.

(You'd think £40 vs £70 would be an easy choice, but I learned that lesson with npl vs BSTs )

[Stargazer_00]

bsts could easily be 70 pound eyepieces in my view

[rwilkey]

+1 for the WO SPL 6mm, great in both my scopes, a superb ep!