First Eyepiece Purchase - Advice Please!

[SpaceDawg]

I've decided it's time for my first kit upgrade. I've had much more success so far viewing planets so I'm looking to get something around 7mm (am I right in saying anything lower than 6mm would be pointless with my scope?)

I've been trawling various threads in the forums and have narrowed my choice down to these three (unless someone has a 7mm Nagler they are desperate to give away!)

Celestron X-Cel LX 7mm (£65)

William Optics SPL 6mm (£69)

BST Starguider 8mm (£43)

Those are the best prices I've found for each (just in case anyone knows of somewhere cheaper I can go). The first two are from FLO and the last is through Sky's the Limit on eBay.

is there one that stands out over the others? One to avoid? Thanks for reading!

[alan potts]

For your first change from what came with the scope, everyone seem to love the BST. I have never used one myself but people seem well pleased with what they get for their 45 pounds. I believe it is also the widest FOV, so that would be my choice.

Alan.

[mdstuart]

I would also go BST or perhaps a TMB style one. Check this out

http://www.skysthelimit.org.uk/telescope%20eyepieces.html

Mark

[ronin]

In terms of performance there appears very little, if any, between the BST and the Celestron. About an equal number rate one a bit better then the other.

One thing to look at is the focal lengths available, the Celestrons have 5mm, 7mm and 9mm at the lower end, the BST have 5mm and 8mm. To my thinking the Celestrons have a slightly better selection, they also have the 2.3mm but that is I think too small for just about any sensible use.

The drawback is that the Celestrons cost a good bit more. You can get more or less 3 BST's for the cost of 2 Celestrons.

No experience of the WO but many recommended it so someone here that has the BST's and wanted a good but not overly expensive 6mm to compliment the BST 5mm.

You could mix BST's and Celestrons but that means you lose whatever approximation to parfocal that it present and refocusing a scope can get to be a nusience if the change is a fair amount, at least with ones of the same set this should be minimal.

[ronl]

The BST Starguider are £47 the BST Wide Angle are £43,

the wide angle are made for planetary where as the starguider

are for general observing, if you read the description on the site

it tells you the difference, but both are very good and value for money.

Clear Sky's

[Adrian Condon]

I've decided it's time for my first kit upgrade. I've had much more success so far viewing planets so I'm looking to get something around 7mm (am I right in saying anything lower than 6mm would be pointless with my scope?)

I've been trawling various threads in the forums

and have narrowed my choice down to these three (unless someone has a 7mm Nagler they are desperate to give away!)

Hi,

I have a Televue 7mm Nagler, I find it brilliant and use it on very session.

Don't expect one to come your way too easily!

Cheers

Adrian

[Qualia]

I found the X-Cel X 7mm a lovely EP and both in the f/10 and f/5 gave spectacular views of Jupiter, for example.

[rwilkey]

All three choices are good ones in my view, but for value for money, the BST Explorers/StarGuiders stand out, I would recommend the 8mm for planetary use, and if you go for this one, always use it with the eyecup fully extended as they are more comfortable to use in this way. The WO SPL 6mm is the commomest one I use for higher power, a great ep and 150x in my C100ED refractor, just right for Saturn, though transit time about 80 secs, but very good.

[faulksy]

I have tried the bst and found them good but they gave a yellow tint which I didn't like, I found the ts hrs were a lot better, modern Astronomy sell them £45 each

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk 2

[Wolfgangwand]

IMO the X-Cel has the slight edge , kept two when I upgraded my ep's and use them with my Solarmax.