Should I get something more powerful?????

[M4lcs67]

Hello Peeps,

I have a question and hopefully some of you should be able to help me out. I have a C9.25 on a CG5 mount and I have quite a varied selection of Baader Hyperion eyepieces along with the two fine tuning rings. My smallest eyepiece is the 10mm and when combined with the 14mm ftr it gives a focal length of 8.4mm. with the 28mm it gives 7.1 and combined 6.1.

My question is therefore, going on the size of scope I have and the range of focal lengths I have at my disposal with the various fine tuning rings, would I benefit from investing in another eyepiece, but something more powerful still or would I just be totally overdoing it and all I will be doing is magnifying any potential blur still further?

I have tried putting both ftr's on my 10mm and the results were not particularly great. In my limited experience I have found that you do get greater clarity by backing off the magnification, but then your chosen object does become smaller (obviously). Blimey. Saturn is over 700 million miles away on a good day and a billion miles away at it's furthest point, so you have to be realistic.

I was mearly enquiring if by getting a more powerful eyepiece it might help matters a little, or would I be wasting my time and my money? As I mentioned, I can get down to 6.1mm with both my ftr's. Realistically is that the maximum I am going to get????

Thanks alot.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I tend to go no further than my XW7 on Saturn. On Mars, I have used 5mm, but only then on nights of exceptional seeing

[alan potts]

Not a fan of over cooking the the magnification, I myself would not go lower than you are at the moment. If I were going to spend and would do one thing it would be get an eyepiece that was designed to be used at your top limit, i.e. a 6mm or 7mm. I have never liked these eyepieces with tuning rings, just seems a good way of getting dirt and dust inside an eyepiece to me.

Alan

[Dunkster]

Size isn't everything, Malc I've found the best views aren't always the biggest, but the crispest (correction: the views I've personally been happiest with)

Given a focal length of 2350 for the C9.25, anything shorter than the 10 probably won't get used much, unless you happen to pick nights of exceptional seeing. It does happen from time to time though, so never say never, but it might not be money best spent.

My best views of the gas giants to date were at 165x for Jupiter (C11, 17mm) and 200x for Saturn (C8, 10mm). Luck of the draw really

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Size isn't everything, Malc I've found the best views aren't always the biggest, but the crispest (correction: the views I've personally been happiest with)

Given a focal length of 2350 for the C9.25, anything shorter than the 10 probably won't get used much, unless you happen to pick nights of exceptional seeing. It does happen from time to time though, so never say never, but it might not be money best spent.

My best views of the gas giants to date were at 165x for Jupiter (C11, 17mm) and 200x for Saturn (C8, 10mm). Luck of the draw really

There are clearly big differences in personal favourite magnification. I use 200x regularly on Jupiter with my C8, and have stretched to 290x on good nights. You do have to wait for moments of extra special seeing even on those nights. For Saturn I use much the same. Mars and the moon allow more, on good nights.

[M4lcs67]

Thanks for your great advice guys. You have made me realise what I secretly knew already. I really needed someone to just confirm it.

Hey Dunk. What you doing in Oz??????

Thanks muchly.

[Dunkster]

Trying to escape the clouds Malc, they'd better not try following me...

[Mark in Macc]

I have the same set-up and don't use lower than 15 mm eps in a binoviewer. This does however increase the focal length and subsequent magnification. I estimate 15 mm eps in my binoviewer equates to a 12 mm single ep. So to answer your question, I wouldn't go any lower. 200 x for me is usually my limit.

[bingevader]

Hi Malc, sounds like the observing is going well after your op if you're considering additional EP purchases!

200x is also the EP I use most for planets, but I would like a 5mm for the moon!

Cheers

[Naemeth]

You all use far more magnification that I do. I tend to use 81x .

[bomberbaz]

There are clearly big differences in personal favourite magnification. I use 200x regularly on Jupiter with my C8, and have stretched to 290x on good nights. You do have to wait for moments of extra special seeing even on those nights. For Saturn I use much the same. Mars and the moon allow more, on good nights.

With you on this. I manage 150 on most nights and then 200 is common and taking it further is not uncommon. Of course it does depend on what you are viewing of course. I really enjoy Globulars which seem to allow that little extra.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Planetaries often allow a lot. I have viewed many at 203x with the XW10, and some even at 290x with the XW7.

[Luke]

+1 for the max amount of magnification you are happy with differing from person to person!

My top mag is 300x when the conditions are good, whereas my other half is happier closer to 200x.