High end eyepiece for AstroMaster 114 EQ

[Neurotripsicks]

I just got a Celestron AstroMaster and it came with a 10mm and a 20MM. I ordered a Barlow lens but I haven't received it yet.

Just curious if it would be a waste of money getting good eyepieces for this scope. I want to use it for planetary and the moon mostly.

Thanks

[Roy Challen]

By all means get a decent eyepiece, but unless you upgrade the scope, I would consider it a waste of money to buy a 'high end' ep

You can get very good EPs without spending hundreds

[Charic]

My BSTs are a great upgrade to my Skyliner. The Plossl's too.  I've tried the BSTs on my  Celestron 127EQ? They don't help/improve the scope in anyway!  I would agree with the above comment,  don't pay premium or TeleVue prices for your upgrades?

[alan potts]

I would get what you can out of the eyepieces that you have first then you will see the upgrades better optical quality. I don't know the scope but a few seem to have them and eyepieces are always a sort of first on the upgrade list.

Again I have never used them but the BST seems to get good press on this site and has already been put forward, you can see them from time to time on Astro B&S as well along with many other S/H offerings, Maxvision which was a re-badge of Meades series 5000 ranges will also do you well and maybe even a bit better than the BST's. I would say though take your time to get used to the scope if the clouds let you.

alan.

[Neurotripsicks]

Okay thanks everyone. I have a decent view of jupiter with the 10mm. What lens can anyone recommend to me for planetary view? I would like to see saturn and jupiter really fill the eyepiece if possible.

Thanks for the help

[ronin]

Jupiter and Saturn will never fill the eyepiece.

You just will never get the magnification required and still have anything recognisable in the view.

Geting better eyepieces depends if you intend to one day get a better scope.

If sticking with the 114 for some time then do not go mad, plossl's will have to do especially as you will get.need about 4 to give a fair selection of magnifications.

For Jupiter 60x to 100x will do but Saturn will need 120x to 150x.

Do not assume that 150x will be better, it will be "bigger" but less distinct, and it takes a good image to see the rings not necessarily a big image.

A good big image is preferred but not always possible.

[Rocket_the_Raccoon]

Hi! Based on the listed focal length and tube length, I think the Astromaster 114EQ has a built-in barlow. So, I am not sure how an additional barlow will work in such optical system and how much it will affect the optical quality. Your 10mm eyepiece is giving you 100x. I would suggest you get a 6~7mm eyepiece of basic Plossl design such as the Celestron Omni. This will get you to around 140~160x. Beyond this, you would need better than average atmospheric seeing, a very stable mount, precisely collimated optics...etc.

Just a few tips from my limited experience:

- keep the object (mostly a planet) at the centre for the best optical quality, even a basic Kellner/Modified Achromatic should perform quite well at the centre.

- you need to be patient to obtain the focus at high magnification especially when you have a less-then-perfect focuser.

- even they might be manufactured from the same factory, the same eyepiece branded under Celestron/Orion seems to have better quality-control then the brand-x one.

[Neurotripsicks]

So the 7mm Celestron Luminos would be a good buy? Thanks all

[John]

So the 7mm Celestron Luminos would be a good buy? Thanks all

Judging by the posts in this thread, not really.

[Ally8446]

So the 7mm Celestron Luminos would be a good buy? Thanks all

Sorry Neurotripsicks but that calibre of eyepiece would be wasted on your scope. Stick with standard plossls until you can upgrade your equipment. GSO/Celestron Omni plossls will provide you with decent views for the scope you have.

[Neurotripsicks]

Okay thank you

[Neurotripsicks]

Just one more thing. I should be good using the Barlow with the 10mm right? Maybe I should get a 32mm for wide viewing? Thoughts?

[DRT]

The Celestron Omni 32mm (or 40mm) would be great as a finder/wider field eyepiece with that scope. I used them with the 130P Flextube and they were excellent.

The BSTs get a very good write-up on this site but I have never used them. The best views I have had from a scope of that size was from the Celestron X-Cell LS eyepieces which you can pick up for £40-£50 second hand. I would recommend not going lower than the 7mm in your scope.

As others have said, don't spend lots on eyepieces yet if you plan on upgrading your scope.

[Neurotripsicks]

I just bought a 32mm and an 8mm for under $20 a piece. I still haven't received my Barlow yet. It's on backorder

[Roy Challen]

Okay thanks everyone. I have a decent view of jupiter with the 10mm. What lens can anyone recommend to me for planetary view? I would like to see saturn and jupiter really fill the eyepiece if possible.

Thanks for the help

I have decent eyepieces, it took me 10 years of observing with the stock eyepieces that came with the meade etx70 before deciding to buy a new scope and with it, new eyepieces. I only do lunar/planetary now because of light pollution

I have, among others, a 5mm and an 11mm ep, both by well known mnufacturers and 99 times out of 100 the better view will be provided by the 11mm ep. Jupiter doesn't come anywhere near to filling the eyepiece but I can clearly see many details on it. That 1 time out of a hundred that I can use the 5mm does improve the view to a certain extent but it won't blow your socks off.

You say you have a decent view with your 10mm. I recommend using that for Saturn as well then.

[happy-kat]

Have you read this post? Will help with expectations on what you will see.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/?fromsearch=1

[rwilkey]

So the 7mm Celestron Luminos would be a good buy? Thanks all

It woukd be a bit on the heavy side for the scope, also, much too good for it (if you don't mind me saying so, the optical quality will be wasted), you will need a bigger scope and better optics to appreciate what this ep can do.  The BST's already suggested would be a good start.