Wide angle eyepiece

[pragmatist]

Can anyone recommend a really cheap wide angle eyepiece for my C11? It's to help with finding stars during alignment as the finder scope is the biggest heap of rubbish i have had the misfortune to use.

Thanks,

Matt

[John]

The Revelation 2" eyepieces that Telescope House sell are about as cheap as 2" eyepieces come. The 42mm has a 65 degree apparent field of view apparently so will show about as wide a field as a 2" eyepiece can, ie: about a 1 degree true field in your C11:

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_42mm_Eyepiece_2__.html

It should work OK in an F/10 scope as a "finder" eyepiece. 

[jambouk]

I use a 32mm meade 4000 superplossl on my f/15 mak as the initial eye piece. I got it second hand off abs or ebay.

James

[pragmatist]

Many thanks John and James.

[Alfian]

Hi, by my calculations a 42mm/65 degree EP is still only give you about one degree fov - why not replace the finder/?  A telrad or rigel would certainly make life a lot easier.

[Tinker1947]

I have a 30mm XW which is good, but not cheap, i also have 31mm and 36mm Hyperion which to my eyes aren't much different to the XW but a good deal cheaper, i nothing but round stars, the Finder is consigned to the spares box and a Telrad does its job very well, a further improvement is a Starlight Feathertouch really makes a difference, around £200 from FLO that's  not a dollar/pound straight conversion like other sites i checked....

[pragmatist]

I have a 30mm XW which is good, but not cheap, i also have 31mm and 36mm Hyperion which to my eyes aren't much different to the XW but a good deal cheaper, i nothing but round stars, the Finder is consigned to the spares box and a Telrad does its job very well, a further improvement is a Starlight Feathertouch really makes a difference, around £200 from FLO that's  not a dollar/pound straight conversion like other sites i checked....

Do you find the Telrad finderscope stays in adjustment even if you remove it from the scope and re attach? It does look to be a lot sturdier than the supplied one which moves about too much in it's rubber o ring even when tightened down. This is the problem i am having. 

[Tinker1947]

The Telrad when attached via its sticky base pads, is very firm, i don't remove it but it does stay aligned my Newt has 2 bases there either side of the focuser and more luck than judgement the bases were both aligned so i could swap the Telrad from one base to the other and it was aligned in either base requiring no adjusting.....

[Tinker1947]

I noticed your mount is a AZ EQ6 GT, is this a better mount than the NEQ6 i will require a 2nd mount some time soon, i have been thinking about a EQ8 but reviews are pretty thin on the ground

[pragmatist]

I noticed your mount is a AZ EQ6 GT, is this a better mount than the NEQ6 i will require a 2nd mount some time soon, i have been thinking about a EQ8 but reviews are pretty thin on the ground

It's an incredible mount. I don't have much experience of others as i am new to the hobby so to speak but i wouldn't swap it for the world. Tracks so smoothly.

Not sure about the Telrad now if it attaches with stickies as i have to detach my gear when finished and my scope goes in a bag bought from Teleskop services, not sure the finder would go in as well so that could be a slight problem for me, [removed word]!

[Tinker1947]

It's an incredible mount. I don't have much experience of others as i am new to the hobby so to speak but i wouldn't swap it for the world. Tracks so smoothly.

Not sure about the Telrad now if it attaches with stickies as i have to detach my gear when finished and my scope goes in a bag bought from Teleskop services, not sure the finder would go in as well so that could be a slight problem for me, [removed word]!

Take the telrad off its base and leave the base, it doesn't stick out very much...

[pragmatist]

Souds good, will get one ordered from FLO then. Cheers!

[Tinker1947]

Souds good, will get one ordered from FLO then. Cheers!

You won't be sorry there a good bit of kit....the AA batteries never die, well mine have be in there a couple of years,,,

There are telrad maps to download there free ..Stellarium, Cartes du Ciel, has a the Telrad circles built in....

[Naemeth]

The Revelation 2" eyepieces that Telescope House sell are about as cheap as 2" eyepieces come. The 42mm has a 65 degree apparent field of view apparently so will show about as wide a field as a 2" eyepiece can, ie: about a 1 degree true field in your C11:

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_42mm_Eyepiece_2__.html

It should work OK in an F/10 scope as a "finder" eyepiece. 

I'd go with this, a Panaview would be mid-budget and an XW would be high end.