Lenes set for the Dobson 8inch

[Bugfly]

Can any one tell me wich lenes set be ok for the Dobson 8inch telescope

[elrico]

Hi, I have 8" Dob, maybe I can help, what exactly are you wanting to know plz.

[Bugfly]

Hi, I have 8" Dob, maybe I can help, what exactly are you wanting to know plz.

what lenes set I can buy for around 50.00

[Tinker1947]

I would think low power around 30mm in a 2" barrel, and then work down to a 8mm much lower than 8mm won't get used a lot, as for quality generally you get what you pay for, so will leave it to others to recommend what brands......

[Bugfly]

I would think low power around 30mm in a 2" barrel, and then work down to a 8mm much lower than 8mm won't get used a lot, as for quality generally you get what you pay for, so will leave it to others to recommend what brands......

thanks for your help

[bingevader]

No!

Get to know your 'scope a bit first.

Find out the things you like observing and others that you hope to observe in the future.

Work out where the gaps are and then we'll help you fill them.

There are some great deals on eye piece kits that work out cheap per item, but you may find out that you never use all the kit or end up doubling up on focal lengths that you already have.

These days, neither of the included eye pieces are shockers, the 25mm in particular is fine and with most of the kits you'll struggle to see any difference with what you already have.

[phoobar]

Hi Bugfly

You may be better off buying a good quality 2x barlow which you can use with your existing eyepieces, and one or two nice good quality eyepieces to fill in the gaps between your 25mm and 10mm.  The barlow on its own will then give you 25mm x2 = 12.5 and 10mm x2 = 5mm.

Honestly dont be in a rush to choose eyepieces as there are so many things to consider, you want to plan ahead and try get it right first time, keep asking questions and reading. There is a dedicated eyepiece forum here and lots of excellent experienced advisor's to help you.

It would be an idea to put your list of equipment in your sig. MySettings from the drop down menu at top of page. Will help others not having to ask the same stuff   .

[bingevader]

Ah, for 50 quid you're unlikely to get a major improvement on what you have.

Was there something that you'd seen?

You'd be better off saving a few more pounds and getting a couple of Vixen NPLs.

[phoobar]

Forgot to say try cheap secodhand barlow's on http://www.astroboot.co.uk/AstroBoot  wont be the best by any stretch but will give you an idea and wont cost the earth.

[Bugfly]

No!

Get to know your 'scope a bit first.

Find out the things you like observing and others that you hope to observe in the future.

Work out where the gaps are and then we'll help you fill them.

There are some great deals on eye piece kits that work out cheap per item, but you may find out that you never use all the kit or end up doubling up on focal lengths that you already have.

These days, neither of the included eye pieces are shockers, the 25mm in particular is fine and with most of the kits you'll struggle to see any difference with what you already have.

I had telescopes before and just wanted know wich will be ok for the Dobson I know I got to get Barlow lenes first and some filters as well glad to be back in telescopeing

[phoobar]

I had telescopes before and just wanted know wich will be ok for the Dobson I know I got to get Barlow lenes first and some filters as well glad to be back in telescopeing

I would'nt bother with filters yet, better spending that money on a descent EP in my opinion.

A lot of people on SGL like the BST starguiders from http://www.skysthelimit.org.uk/ for around £50 a pop very good value.

I went for the explorer scientific maxvisions at £59 and am very happy with them, also good value. Consider a wide field of view when deciding.

[ronin]

You will not get a reasonable set for around £50.

Individual eyepieces are usually a better option.

The 2 options mentioned are good, Vixen NPL's (£35) and Starguiders (£49).

Next up are the Celestron X-Cel's at £65 (I think). These seem to perfom much the same as the Starguiders, but they have a slightly better selection at the lower focal lengths. Those extra focal lengths may be useful.

There was another brand/model mentioned but I cannot recall anything. Bit annoying.

A barlow is your choice, I never bother with one. Just seems too much trouble for what I would get out of them.

[Bugfly]

Thanks for your help people.

[Qualia]

This:

Get to know your 'scope a bit first.

And this:

Honestly dont be in a rush to choose eyepieces as there are so many things to consider, you want to plan ahead and try get it right first time, keep asking questions and reading. There is a dedicated eyepiece forum here and lots of excellent experienced advisor's to help you.

Other than that, buy once and make it count.

Although initially expensive, premium eyepieces will turn out to be the cheaper option and are never going to be a waste of money.

Many astronomers - myself included - have followed quite a predictable path when it comes to buying EPs. We generally started out buying new and cheapish stuff but if we stuck at this hobby, soon enough arrives a day when we wanted to upgrade or check out one of the premium eyepieces and so we found ourselves in a curious situation. 

We have this one quality EP and a case full of relatively cheap EPs that on the secondhand market have lost a considerable amount of value. Little by little we start upgrading but each time we upgrade, we're not only forking out more cash on eyepieces, but we're also losing cash on that cheaper eyepiece we're now selling on. So with hindsight it would have been better just to buy premium and be done with it. When buying premium you only cry once. Or again, paradoxically speaking, "a poor man cannot afford not to buy premium."

Generally speaking, eyepieces like those from Tele Vue become lifers, so you never have to upgrade again or you can always re-sell them without losing much money, especially if you have bought them already secondhand. Premium eyepieces, simply hold their value more than cheaper ones. They also offer a very important psychological benefit. After a session, you are not left with any nagging feeling of 'what if...', for you know that this end of your optical system is about as good as it is going to get. If the view was poor, if you didn't get the expected detail, it will not be due to the eyepiece itself.

For general DSO viewing, you don't need more than three decent eyepieces.

For your 8" f5, I'd be working towards a preference of wide field (65º +) offering around 50x, 90x and 125x. Buy a decent Barlow and you're sorted. You'll have, 50x, 90x, 100x, 125x, 180x and 250x which should suffice for most clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and general lunar and planetary work. For white light solar viewing, your 50x will be ideal and all you'll need is Baader's Visual Solar Film from First Light Optics which is extremely effective and cheap.

If you decide later to really get into planetary and lunar observation, you might need a good run of high power eyepieces. Even the difference of just 1mm in focal length - about 10% to 15% difference of magnification - can be surprising. But the good news is the eyepieces themselves do not need to be widefields, so you can buy cheaper Orthos and there's no hurry to build the collection all at once.

Depending on the cash available, you really cannot go wrong with any of the current Tele Vue eyepieces.

If we start with the TV Plossl as the benchmark of the Tele Vue brand itself, these will offer sharp, flat fields and excellent edge performance. They are superbly executed eyepieces and the only reason they are not quite premium-premium is simply because they lack the important and expensive features of premium EPs, viz, wide fields and better eye-relief. TV Plossl can be start at around £50 secondhand.

Although the plossls are first class, for the main 3 eyepiece set up, I'd suggest you go for a wider field to frame the object in an easier and more aesthetically pleasing manner and with better eye-relief so you're more comfortable at the eyepiece. If you can hang on, look out for Radians on the secondhand market. You should be able to find them for about £110 to £120. If you can save a little more you can't go wrong with Delos or Naglers. 

Again, buy once and make it count

[Bugfly]

This:

 Thanks for you help I we be buying the Barlow first and looking to buy a good set of lenes soon and looking at filters as well

And this:

Other than that, buy once and make it count.

Although initially expensive, premium eyepieces will turn out to be the cheaper option and are never going to be a waste of money.

Many astronomers - myself included - have followed quite a predictable path when it comes to buying EPs. We generally started out buying new and cheapish stuff but if we stuck at this hobby, soon enough arrives a day when we wanted to upgrade or check out one of the premium eyepieces and so we found ourselves in a curious situation. 

We have this one quality EP and a case full of relatively cheap EPs that on the secondhand market have lost a considerable amount of value. Little by little we start upgrading but each time we upgrade, we're not only forking out more cash on eyepieces, but we're also losing cash on that cheaper eyepiece we're now selling on. So with hindsight it would have been better just to buy premium and be done with it. When buying premium you only cry once. Or again, paradoxically speaking, "a poor man cannot afford not to buy premium."

Generally speaking, eyepieces like those from Tele Vue become lifers, so you never have to upgrade again or you can always re-sell them without losing much money, especially if you have bought them already secondhand. Premium eyepieces, simply hold their value more than cheaper ones. They also offer a very important psychological benefit. After a session, you are not left with any nagging feeling of 'what if...', for you know that this end of your optical system is about as good as it is going to get. If the view was poor, if you didn't get the expected detail, it will not be due to the eyepiece itself.

For general DSO viewing, you don't need more than three decent eyepieces.

For your 8" f5, I'd be working towards a preference of wide field (65º +) offering around 50x, 90x and 125x. Buy a decent Barlow and you're sorted. You'll have, 50x, 90x, 100x, 125x, 180x and 250x which should suffice for most clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and general lunar and planetary work. For white light solar viewing, your 50x will be ideal and all you'll need is Baader's Visual Solar Film from First Light Optics which is extremely effective and cheap.

If you decide later to really get into planetary and lunar observation, you might need a good run of high power eyepieces. Even the difference of just 1mm in focal length - about 10% to 15% difference of magnification - can be surprising. But the good news is the eyepieces themselves do not need to be widefields, so you can buy cheaper Orthos and there's no hurry to build the collection all at once.

Depending on the cash available, you really cannot go wrong with any of the current Tele Vue eyepieces.

If we start with the TV Plossl as the benchmark of the Tele Vue brand itself, these will offer sharp, flat fields and excellent edge performance. They are superbly executed eyepieces and the only reason they are not quite premium-premium is simply because they lack the important and expensive features of premium EPs, viz, wide fields and better eye-relief. TV Plossl can be start at around £50 secondhand.

Although the plossls are first class, for the main 3 eyepiece set up, I'd suggest you go for a wider field to frame the object in an easier and more aesthetically pleasing manner and with better eye-relief so you're more comfortable at the eyepiece. If you can hang on, look out for Radians on the secondhand market. You should be able to find them for about £110 to £120. If you can save a little more you can't go wrong with Delos or Naglers. 

Again, buy once and make it count

[phoobar]

The only thing with 3mm or 4mm is that the object you are observing moves across the FOV so quickly tracking it with my 8" dob can be tedious, especially when its so cold. For me a wide FOV at this mag is beneficial as you will have a little bit more time for the scope to settle after you nudge it.

I know its only a small detail but it can make a nice difference. 

[Bugfly]

The only thing with 3mm or 4mm is that the object you are observing moves across the FOV so quickly tracking it with my 8" dob can be tedious, especially when its so cold. For me a wide FOV at this mag is beneficial as you will have a little bit more time for the scope to settle after you nudge it.

I know its only a small detail but it can make a nice difference.

thanks phoobar I be buying a Barlow lenes first I sit in the garden a scan the sky very slowly

[ollypenrice]

I have a very large Dobsonian and my eyepiece set consists of two eyepieces. They're good ones and they allow me to do everything I want to do with this scope. Simple and good is better than complicated and bad.

Olly

[Charic]

I get good results with the eyepieces in my signature block below. My telescope has an f/6 ratio, which is middle ground, not too fast, not to slow, and accepts these eyepieces with no real issues. The BSTs are £49 each, but you don't need them all, and you don't have to buy a set straight away. Take your time to build. You can buy the best that each eyepiece offers, and from each brand,  as they are not all the same. Their designs differ internally, this makes for different qualities  and  performance properties inherent in each eyepiece,  and  their prices reflect this performance. You can get Planetary, wide field, Orthoscopic  eyepieces, the list goes on.

Buying what you believe to be the best and what works for you, is all you need. I'm very happy with my eyepieces, and the whole set costs a lot less then a single TeleVue branded eyepiece. You pay your money, you make your choice, but don't ever drop a £300+ Televue in the dark!

[Bugfly]

I get good results with the eyepieces in my signature block below. My telescope has an f/6 ratio, which is middle ground, not too fast, not to slow, and accepts these eyepieces with no real issues. The BSTs are £49 each, but you don't need them all, and you don't have to buy a set straight away. Take your time to build. You can buy the best that each eyepiece offers, and from each brand,  as they are not all the same. Their designs differ internally, this makes for different qualities  and  performance properties inherent in each eyepiece,  and  their prices reflect this performance. You can get Planetary, wide field, Orthoscopic  eyepieces, the list goes on.

Buying what you believe to be the best and what works for you, is all you need. I'm very happy with my eyepieces, and the whole set costs a lot less then a single TeleVue branded eyepiece. You pay your money, you make your choice, but don't ever drop a £300+ Televue in the dark!

thank you I buying my lenes one at a time

[John]

.... the whole set costs a lot less then a single TeleVue branded eyepiece. You pay your money, you make your choice, but don't ever drop a £300+ Televue in the dark!

Slight exaggeration I think. Your eyepieces seem to add up to around £430 based on new prices. You can get a set of 3 Tele Vue plossls plus a 2.5x Tele Vue Powermate for that budget giving you 38x, 60x, 80x, 95x, 150x and 200x in the 8" F/6 dob. A pretty good set IMHO

[Charic]

John........not an exaggeration with intent, the OP refers to buying a set?  When I wrote the article I was merely referring to the BSTs alone,  however, this is  not evident, having re-read the article, and I never  even mentioned the  ' Ethos ', to which I was comparing in my mind. Sorry  for any  misunderstanding, and thank you for noticing. (It seemed  ok when I submitted, but must have had my head in the clouds?) The highlighting  hopefully shows what my my line of thought was supposed to represent.

I get good results with the eyepieces in my signature block below. My telescope has an f/6 ratio, which is middle ground, not too fast, not to slow, and accepts these eyepieces with no real issues. The BSTs are £49 each, but you don't need them all, and you don't have to buy a set straight away. Take your time to build. You can buy the best that each eyepiece offers, and from each brand,  as they are not all the same. Their designs differ internally, this makes for different qualities  and  performance properties inherent in each eyepiece,  and  their prices reflect this performance. You can get Planetary, wide field, Orthoscopic  eyepieces, the list goes on.

 

Buying what you believe to be the best and what works for you, is all you need. I'm very happy with my eyepieces, and the whole set costs a lot less then a single TeleVue branded eyepiece. You pay your money, you make your choice, but don't ever drop a £300+ Televue in the dark!