Cheers santa!

[philipw]

I got a new 8mm, 18mm and x3 Barlow BST Starguider EPs. Chuffed! Oh yes indeed!

I've been out the last 2 nights with rather lovely cold clear nights in South Devon. 

Both eyepieces are such an improvement on the bog standards I got with the scope. Sure the magnification is better but what I can see just feels crisper. Orion through the 8mm is just beautiful.  The moon through both EPs again so clear and detailed. I think I got Neptune too! A tiny but very blue disc. 

Very happy indeed. I am quite new to this but I am already thinking of upgrading my scope to the 250. 

I am not entirely sure what I can use the Barlow for and would really value some guidance.

Also is 8mm the limit for my scope, could I get a 6mm? would it make any difference to what I can see through the 8mm?

Think I will be out for a while now, Jupiter should be coming up soon, never get bored of looking at that.

P

[Northern Soul man]

Nice 1 Phil, great stuff mate.  Not actually used any of the star guiders, but from the reviews on here they are a fantastic EP. Wonder how much light pollution you have in South Devon - the scope will perform really well under nice skies - as will any other scope - its just the skies we have to put up with - you mention about the x3 Barlow - probably a little too strong for the EP's you have mentioned, but a nice low power EP around 30+ mm will give you an effective focal length of using a 10mm EP but with the added eye relief - so just think of getting it onto Jupiter when it rises - Jupiter is going to be nice and high in the sky this apparition - so we are going to be looking through a lot less atmosphere making the views very nice and steady - the longer we spend looking at each Planet - the more detail we can pick out - so get yourself locked into a bit of Jupiter watching over the next month or 2 as she will be at the closest point to the Earth at Opposition.  I think we have to make the most of her this time around.

Sounds like your really enjoying the hobby mate, with that Skyliner your going to pick out some nice detail and it sounds like Aperture Fever has set in!! - we all suffer from this - no matter how many Anti Biotics we take, its never going to cure it!!

I was out the other night - not so cold as the last few nights - I was trying the new zoom EP I had in the Binoviewer - first night wasn't so good - had a few issues with double images - and not a drink in sight!!! - but got that sorted now, I let the scope track Uranus for a while - I know that Saturn and Jupiter have the detail to offer - but just looking at Uranus, you see that its not actually a point of light like a star image shows - but a very small disk, when focused right i just had to look for a while and realise that its not a star - its another world - and all this from my light polluted back garden in the Midlands!!

Nice to know your enjoying your Astronomy Phil and see if you can get rid of that Aperture Fever!!

Paul.

[bomberbaz]

you should manage 6mm/x200 but with a 18mm + 3x barlow you alredy have it. Get yourself a 32mm plossl and you have a pretty good range of ep's there. Where B indicates barlow in use you have 32mm x38, 18mm x70ish, B10.7mm x118, 8mm x150 and the B6mm x200. 

[philipw]

Thanks chaps.

I've just bought a 3.2 and 32mm Skywatcher Plossl lense from FLO, they're 20 quid each! Probably the lower end of the quality spectrum but will be a welcome addition to my expanding lense kit!

Just realised FLO are actually up the road from me too. 

[philipw]

Actually before I hit the 'buy' button, can anyone recommend plossl lenses, there's a lot to choose from!

[bomberbaz]

skywatcher plossl's are good at the budget end of the market

[Charic]

.......very very  short eye relief with a Plossl below 10mm about 6mm at best,  I tried the TeleVue 8mm, not at all comfortable ( for me )  compared to the BSTs, your lashes may brush the eyepiece?

If I were to upgrade scopes now' I would opt for the  bigger 300mm. This keeps the focal ratio down in the hope of possibly still using my BSTs. Failing that  two Delos and a Panoptic, plus the jump from 8" to 12"  (200-300mm is more substantial)

I'm still considering the 3,2mm ED for 375x Lunar observations. but the exit pupil is so small, therefore the EP that matches my focal ratio, giving me 1mm exit is the 6mm WO SPL.  A very fine EP, although  (maybe into three Months now ) still not had a perfect viewing session presented to me!  The only issue I have with the 200P Skyliner, I just wish the images were bigger at the focal plane!

I received my 8mm BST first and therefore declare that its my favourite, but it truly is one good EP, compared to the Skywatcher supplied Modified kellner 10mm.

I like the 5mm and 8mm , they both work well for me on the lunar surface, but I calculate  from my focal ratio, and BST  don't provide a 6mm (yet?) so I opted for the WO SPL. They say you need three EP's Low, Med and High power. I understand that theory, but the more EPs in my armoury, the better.  I  'frame' my subject for the best visual appearance. 

[philipw]

Charic I see you have the same scope as me, I did wonder about the 5mm BST but wondered if that was stretching the scopes abilities a bit, I thought 6mm was the max I could go for. Am I wrong? If so I'll get the BST 5mm. 

[Charic]

If you take the aperture of ANY telescope and use that as your magnification limit, you wont go far  wrong under UK skies. That gives us 200x. In theory, double the aperture and we get 400X, but tracking at 400X takes time to learn and achieve for some folk ( I find tracking easy [not specifically at 400x ] especially when  satellites  enter the view, track them, and everything else goes into warp factor????) Not only that, but the UK weather and atmospheric conditions just wont allow 400x for general observations ( The Moon excluded, because its so big,  bright and close, its not a problem)  The 5mm BST will give you 240x, which is still great, and within limits. I'm contemplating getting the 3.2mm, still within limits, but possibly  'Part of a Set' syndrome has set in?

I'm trying to capture Jupiter, in the same position of the sky as earlier in my Year. I had such a terriffic view that night. The WO SPL is supposed to be my Planetary EP, but the 5 & 8 still work very well, even the 12mm alone or Barlowed works just as well. The 3.2 will be  limited in its use, but usable no less.

[philipw]

Ok I've gone a bit off track and bought a used William Optic 6mm SPL (good comments about it on here), they're £69 on FLO and I've got it for £40. It's in unused condition so the chap says.

I just need to get a 32mm and then I'll put my credit card away...  

[tjr]

I've got a 32mm GSO plossl that I rate. The Vixen NPL's are also very nice plossl eyepieces and worth looking at/ through.

[Charic]

Good price for the WO SPL. £80 should get you a nice 32mm Panaview?

[bomberbaz]

I've got a 32mm GSO plossl that I rate. The Vixen NPL's are also very nice plossl eyepieces and worth looking at/ through.

+1 for the Vixen NPL, lot of good ep for your money, however if yu want a 2" eyepiece then the panaview is supposed to be good for the price.

[philhas]

+1 for the GSO plossls, very good and you can get them at £15 an eyepiece at the moment

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[philipw]

+1 for the GSO plossls, very good and you can get them at £15 an eyepiece at the moment

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Hi Phil, where from?