EPs - possibly a full house?

[Bart]

Hello all

I'd like your general opinion

I have a 10" f5 and a 16" f4.5 Dob

I think I have all the EPs I really need, but would welcome any comments.

I have the following EPs

ES 30, 20, 14, 11mm and an 8.5mm XF on the way. I feel this is pretty much all I need, certainly from 20mm down (also have an 8 &5mm BST) I have a GSO ED 2" Barlow also that I use, especially with the 14mm to give me 7mm on nights when seeing is bang on.

The thing that's bugging me is whether a 24mm might add to it (thinking Maxvision here at that value) or maybe even a 34mm despite the exit pupil being too big. My skies are 5.6-5.7 and so not sure if that affects the decision on the 34mm

I suppose what I'm asking is whether I should just stop buying EPs for a while? I do actually think I have call I need, the addition(s) would be nice to haves, but really.......would i actually use it/them? Just wondered if anyone can convince me to stop!!

Thanks

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The MaxVision 24m 68 or 82 deg? Assuming the ES are 82 deg types, the 24mm 82 would sit nicely in between the 20 and the 30. I feel even for DSOs I like to carefully match the exit pupil to conditions and surface brightness of the object. the 24mm sits too close to my 22, but the gap between 24 and 20 is comparable to to that between my 17T4 and 22T4. In my case I am even thinking of getting an EP between the 17T4 and 12T4, as I feel that gap is sometimes a bit large.

[haitch]

I can't see a gap there. 20mm to 30mm is only 1.5x (remember you are dividing the f/l) there would actually be a bigger magnification difference between the 14 & 20mm.

[haitch]

Btw my line up looks not too dissimilar (14" f4.5 dob) 30mm es82 20mm Nag, 12mm Nag, 7mm Nag. If anything I want something between the 7 & 12 for shifting magnification to match seeing conditions.

[rwilkey]

With the 30mm you already have on order, I feel the 24mm may not get much use. Judging on my recent experience where I use the PanaView 32mm, I bought a Meade 68 degree 28mm 5000 Series and to be honest I haven't used it because the PanaView so meets my needs at this low power. I think you would find the same with the 24mm, especially if the 30mm is good and already meets your needs. I also have a Badder Hyperion 24mm that I no longer use as a result of the 32mm.

[Moonshane]

I have a 12" f4 and a 16" f4 (and a 6" f11) so my scopes are not too dissimilar in focal length to yours. A couple of years or so ago I embarked on a 'journey' to have what I considered the perfect eyepiece set. The fact I have not sold one for at least two years says a lot. to my eyes, the difference in eyepiece focal length gets increasingly important as you get to higher magnifications. therefore I believe you need more eyepieces at the shorter end. here's my logic for my own set (just in case I ever have to justify why I have so many to 'anyone').

32mm TV Plossl - mainly used as my widest field on the 6" and for solar and lunar full disk observing

26mm Nagler - my main eyepiece with my 16" dob and keeps exit pupil manageable

25mm TV Plossl - gives a little more magnification on the sun when seeing allows - quite a specific purpose

20mm TV Plossl - this will be my final ever eyepiece purchase..........yes........honestly........again a specific purpose to give as close to 5mm exit pupil with my bigger dobs and Hb filter

16mm T2 Nagler - my main eyepiece with the 12" dob and provides a little less magnification with the 16" when seeing not great - cf 13mm Ethos - same field but lower mag (115x cf 142x)

15mm TV Plossl - Nice mid-range eyepiece - will never sell as it was a birthday gift from my girls

13mm Ethos - just superb in whatever you point it at - but see 16mm Nagler re 16" dob

12.5mm BGO - brilliant clarity especially for lunar

11mm TV Plossl - hits a sweet spot with all my scopes for planetary - Jupiter is great at about 150x

10mm Radian - nice wide field and great on globs

9mm BGO - same as 12.5mm

8mm Radian - max power on many occasions on 12" and 6"

7mm BGO - same as 12.5mm

6-3mm Nagler zoom - mainly a double star eyepiece but great on moon and planets too.

The above may seem very extravagant but in reality the bulk of the eyepieces were well under £100 and some as little as £50 each. The 26mm Nagler, 13mm Ethos and 6-3mm Nagler zoom were the most expensive and are the backbone of the collecion and would possibly be the last to sell. The 16mm T2 is fabulous for the money and well worth looking out for. The stated 10mm eye relief feels a lot more and it's about as comfortable and very similar in looks to the 22mm Panoptic I had previously.

I genuinely use all of the eyepieces on a regular basis, and often work my way up and down ranges through the night as seeing changes.

Sure, many will not agree with my philisophy but for me it feeds three scopes and I could easily have them all out for a mega session and not run out of eyepiece options. It also takes away the almost constant nagging in the mind of what should you buy next - although with that I am probably dreaming.

[Moonshane]

ps I also see an eyepiece collection as money in the bank - but a lot more fun. buy used and good quality and you can always 'cash in' at any point relatively quickly. another justification for you (me) right there

[rowan46]

If you want it and can afford it life's too short

[John]

FWIW my set, which I use with the 3 scopes in my signature, comprises:

31mm Nagler

20mm ES 100

13mm Ethos

8mm Ethos

6mm Ethos + 6mm Baader GO for certain targets

5mm Pentax XW

4mm Radian

3.5mm Pentax XW

When I got my 12" F/5.3 I thought I'd not use eyepieces shorter than 6mm focal length but in practice I quite often use the 5mm and 4mm's with it.

I'm actually feeling quite settled with this lot now, I've got to know their "little ways" and I feel confident with them

[alan potts]

I agree with Rowan, go for it 34mm and 24mm, this is a one off, when they are gone that's it! Both are very good indeed and I still have the 24mm UWA, now worth nothing thanks to Maxvision.

Alan.

[Naemeth]

In some respects I'm similar to Shane and John who like (or certainly seem to like ) having a close spread of eyepieces in terms of focal length at the higher power end. I really do think our constantly changing skies and seeing conditions necessitate always having an eyepiece that makes the most of the seeing at that moment - in other words, an eyepiece for nights' of great seeing and awful seeing. As you can probably see by my signature though, my eyepiece collection is far from complete .

I feel you may well benefit from 6, 8 & 9mm eyepieces. It is of course up to you, but it is just what I would do.

[avtaram]

I have the baader hyperion zoom mklll 8 to 24 with a baader 2.25 barlow, it's excellent.

Avtar

[cs1cjc]

My main set is now:

36 Hyperion Aspheric

24 and 16 ES68

11, 8.8, 6.7 and 4.7 ES82

Arguably the 8.8 is now redundant being too close to the 6.7 and 11, but on some nights with the 14", the 6.7 is a step too far. None is too heavy, but I also have a minimum glass set of NPL 30, 20, Antares ortho 12.5, 9 and 6. I also use the NPL 30 with an XF8.5 and a TMB 4 as a travel set. I also have a few eyepieces for my own evaluation and some that I must get around to selling, sometime...

[russ.will]

For the price of an 2x ES Focal Extender/ TV Powermate/etc, which is a lot less than another EP, you could double the number of available focal lengths from your existing EPs, without altering the the physical viewing experience the way a Barlow does. I've never really got on with Barlows, but ES FE simply acts like it isn't there.

Russell

[RikM]

I'm another that has focal lengths stacked at the small end but I use a 2.5x Barlow in the mix. I end up with: 28, 20, 14, 10, 8, 7, 5.6, & 4mm. This is mainly with a 10" f/4.7 Dob. Even then, I often skip the 20mm.

I compared the 20mm XW to a 24mm Pan a little while ago to see if it might be a useful addition but it just didn't do it for me.

[Bart]

Mmmm, thanks all. Maybe the 24mm wouldn't be used much. But might have to look for something at 7mm ish

Thanks All for views / thoughts

Barry

[alan potts]

Barry.

The old Meade 6.7mm or the new ExSc is a nice eyepiece in that area, unless you what to go Pentax XW or Nagler and for my me the former is just a tiny bit better.

Alan

[Bart]

Alan

You're probably right about the Pentax or TV , but for the amount of use at x260 I probably couldn't justify the cost. Maybe the Meade/ES is the answer. Thanks all again

Barry

[Dunkster]

Barry, your 20mm is the ES100 isn't it? The FOV of that and a 24mm 82 degree would be very close and the 20 would render it better....

However, if you feel like you have enough eyepieces, you clearly don't have enough scopes isn't that right, Alan?

[Bart]

Barry, your 20mm is the ES100 isn't it? The FOV of that and a 24mm 82 degree would be very close and the 20 would render it better....

However, if you feel like you have enough eyepieces, you clearly don't have enough scopes isn't that right, Alan?

Dunkster

You're right, I was doing the sums last night and the TFOV are almost identical and the mag changes from x76 to x91, probably not worth it.

"Clearly not enough scopes" lol ! Don't say that anywhere within earshot of my wife!!! It is Fathers Day on Sunday, I'll have to say the Pentax XF on the way is the kids present to me!

Barry

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Barry, your 20mm is the ES100 isn't it? The FOV of that and a 24mm 82 degree would be very close and the 20 would render it better....

However, if you feel like you have enough eyepieces, you clearly don't have enough scopes isn't that right, Alan?

As you get more scopes, you also need more EPs

[Bart]

How much of this is kit collection, justified by better views? Or is this something that no one dare speak of? Have I crossed the rubicon here, never to be replied to and banished to a cloudy place for eternity???????

[Dunkster]

Yoooooouuuu shall not paaaasssssss!

[Dunkster]

I think it depends on your scopes. The C11 for example, likes a diet of long focal length eyepieces and appreciates quality ones (or maybe its owner does ). Then there is some overlap between what is useful for the C11 and C8, before a few others that are C8 or smaller scope specific. Then there's the loading... I'm a bit more conscious (now) about what I load up on the nexstar mount vs the EQ. Then there's my little travel scope....focal length 1/7 that of the C11 and sits on a lightweight aluminium mount... likes a diet of only small light-ish EPs with at small barlow...but thrives on its diet no less!

For a session, I typically take a handful of EPs out with the scope, but normally end up using only 2 or 3, but it really depends on my targets for the night and more if I take a backup scope...like the other night, I took the little 'frac as well as the C8... so I had the 40, 20, 14, 11, 10, 8.8 and a barlow

I'll get my coat...

[Bart]

I think it depends on your scopes. The C11 for example, likes a diet of long focal length eyepieces and appreciates quality ones (or maybe its owner does ). Then there is some overlap between what is useful for the C11 and C8, before a few others that are C8 or smaller scope specific. Then there's the loading... I'm a bit more conscious (now) about what I load up on the nexstar mount vs the EQ. Then there's my little travel scope....focal length 1/7 that of the C11 and sits on a lightweight aluminium mount... likes a diet of only small light-ish EPs with at small barlow...but thrives on its diet no less!

For a session, I typically take a handful of EPs out with the scope, but normally end up using only 2 or 3, but it really depends on my targets for the night and more if I take a backup scope...like the other night, I took the little 'frac as well as the C8... so I had the 40, 20, 14, 11, 10, 8.8 and a barlow

I'll get my coat...

Ok, so, what you're saying is.........that you have loads of EPs, you like expensive ones and you bring them all with you every time. Check

Gotcha!!