Celestron Eyepiece and filter set

[Skooby]

Hi fellow star gazers I've been looking for a new set of eyepieces and I can across this celestron eyepiece and filter set on amazon they have very good reviews and is on offer at the moment. They will be used on a skywatcher skyliner 250px solid tube. I'd just like some of your time on if anybody has used them or if they are worth the money or if they are any good thanks for your time it will be much appreciated. Kevin. Here's the link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00006RH5I/ref=ox_sc_act_image_4?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

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[Peter Drew]

The general opinion seems to be that it is better value to buy fewer specific better quality eyepieces which would be more suitable for your telescope.

[Uplooker]

The link shows the original cost of the set to be £199 reduced to £130. The normal price of these sets is £130!!! So no real saving there.

I would go with Peter's advice.

Ian

[Avocette]

I have the kit and a 250px Dob and they do work well together. But I paid £80 delivered for mine when someone bought a Celestron scope in a 'comes with free eyepiece kit' bundle (eyepiece kit was subsequently advertised on AstroBuySell UK).

[Skooby]

Thanks guys for the replays I will look into other but Avocette what is the quality like on them and as your using them on the exact same scope as me what are they like with nebulae galaxies etc? Thanks

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[Avocette]

I forgot to mention that my 250px (second hand) came with SW Plössl 10mm and 25mm eye pieces whereas new ones seem to come with SW 'SMA' (Super Multi Achromat) eye pieces of the same focal lengths. This means with the kit lenses I have a full range of Plossls (6, 8, 10, 13, 17, 25 and 32mm) plus the 2x Barlow. So I have been able to try out various magnifications for various objects and also experience the better eye relief and, in theory, slightly reduced image quality of Barlow/eyepiece combinations like Barlow plus 13mm = 6.5mm. The edge performance of Plossls is what suffers with the f4.7 250px, but does not bother me on typical nights when the seeing is the major limitation. The AFOV is consistent at 52 degrees, but as I get more experienced I can understand why others are keen on the better designs of wider angle eyepieces (60/68/82/100 degrees) since they tend to have consistent performance right to the edge and reduce the amount of Dob nudging you have to do to follow an object.

If I may quote from January 2014 S@N magazine and Steve Richards in his Scope Doctor role "consider .... these kits as part of the learning curve: they will be a good step up from your present eyepieces but they'll also help you identify the focal lengths you use the most ...." He is referring to use in conjunction with the SW Heritage 130p but I think these words apply more generally.

[rwilkey]

Hi Skooby, always go to a reputable telescope/optics supplier for your astronomy goods, such as FLO, the forum's sponsor.  Suprisingly you will usually get a good deal, FLO are very competitive and always give great advice and service, without fail.  The Plossl's in the set are quite good, though the colour filters will not get used, and the so-called Moon filter is housed in a cheap plastic frame, I say avoid this set and buy individual ep'e according to your needs.

[Avocette]

The Celestron kit has moved on a bit from some of its no-doubt warranted earlier reputation when it had extremely short focal length Plossls and the much commented plastic mounted moon filter. The moon filter these days is in a metal frame and is a neutral density ND 0.9 type which works fine if you like to use such. I haven't used the coloured filters so far but find the space they freed up in the very practical case takes a collimation eyepiece rather well. The eyepieces appear to be nicely made with recessed aluminium alloy focusing tubes and blackening on the inner surfaces and lens edges. The Barlow seems reasonable but if not required, could always be usefully modified with a white paper ring for use in conjunction with a laser collimator. If these kits are so regularly badly reviewed in SGL posts, there should be loads going cheap second hand! Those of us who have tried them and bought them probably feel they're worth hanging on to for the money spent. My guess is that not many have actually tried them out or even had their hands on a set to look at, although I'm sure that this is not the case with Robin.

[Skooby]

Well Avocette I really appreciate your comments and views on this set and everybody else's thanks but as avocette has this set and my scope I think If I can find a cheaper 2nd hand set I will most definitely try them and The ep's I use more for my needs I will then try and find 2nd hand but better quality like televue. Thanks though everybody you have really helped :-) Kevin.

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[rwilkey]

Hi Avocette and Kevin, I have the older Celestron set which I found a bit querky, hence my negative comments.  Appreciate the update on the newer sets, which sound much better Avocette!