Lenses on a budget.

[Shaddex]

So I'm looking for a few lenses for my 130eq celestron. Only have a budget of £150.

Ive seen the celestron lens kit on eBay for 1 30ish but not sure if it's better to buy singles.

Any advise appreciated.

[Shaddex]

Just as a note, I don't have any lenses or a barlow yet, apart from an erecting lens that came with the scope.

[orley]

You could get 3 decent BSTs at that price. Well worth the money.

[jambouk]

Do you mean "eyepieces"? Eyepieces (EPs) do act as a lens, but the ones you look through are referred to as eyepieces (i'm never sure if it's one word or two). I'm not sure what category barlows or powermates technically fall into, but are usually called barlows; the opposite of barlows is a focal reducer. Then there are star diagonals which project the image at usually 45-90 degrees away from the original ligth path (not used iften with reflecting telescopes as they make focus trucky); then there are various forms of image correcting lenses which are mostly for refractor telescopes when looking at things on land rather than in the sky. Then a whole host of other bits and bibs like coma correctors, field flatteners, things to reduce chromatic aberration...

But i think you mean eyepieces.

Did you get any with the scope? What make and what number is on them? Can you see with them on the scope?

There is a good website called 12-string or something (srarch google for "field of view calculator" and it will be one of the first hits (probably the second after the sky at night one). Plug the info about your scope in there and if you seitch to visual you can try different eyepieces and see how they alter bother the field of view and the magnification for your scope.

[Joseki]

If you don't have any at all I'd get two or three plossl eyepieces (lenses).  20mm and 10mm, or 20mm, 15mm and a 2x barlow lens.  With your focal length (650mm I think) you only really need one high magnification eyepiece and one lower one.  (650/20 = x 32.5 magnification).  I find I usually only use two eyepieces usually.

Plossl eyepieces:

 http://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces/skywatcher-sp-plossl-eyepieces.html

or

http://www.365astronomy.com/GSO-Super-Plossl-Eyepieces/

(I don't think the 'super' in the GSO super plossl means anything but I like my 32mm GSO plossl)

and a barlow like:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-eyepieces/celestron-2x-universal-125-barlow.html

which doubles the magnification of any eyepiece you use it with (so the 20mm would give the same magnification as the 10mm if you combine it with the 2x barlow, so with the 20mm and 15mm you'd have equivalent to 20mm, 15mm, 10mm and 7.5mm)

but you should read this post:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/43171-eyepieces-the-very-least-you-need/?hl=%20eyepieces%20%20minimum

which is brilliant. 

but I reckon you could get two plossl eyepieces for £40 in total and be okay.  Alternatively the Seben 8mm-24mm zoom lens (has to be 8mm-24mm not the cheaper 7-21 zoom) gets good reviews on here as a decent quality zoom eyepiece (about £45).  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seben-Super-Zoom-Plossl-Telescopio-Ocular-8-24mm-31-7mm-/330492641843?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_186&hash=item4cf2e58233

[jambouk]

Don't spend a fortune on eyes pieces just yet.

Find outif you have a local astronomy club near by and you may have people living very near you who have a selection of eye pieces you could try and then make your mund up what to buy.

James

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Eyepiece (EP) kits are usually not such a good idea. They are usually fairly cheap Plossl EPs (which can provide pretty decent view) with relatively little spacing between in terms of focal length, and you end up using just a few. What is also important is whether you wear glasses or not while observing. Most people (even ones with glasses) can do without, and then the Plossl design is fine. If you have astigmatism in your eyes (like cylindrical astigmatism), like me, you need eyepieces with long eye relief (16mm minimum in my experience) for an EP to be comfortable. Plossl and orthoscopic EPs 

I trust you have read this:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/43171-eyepieces-the-very-least-you-need/

If not, read it! Very sound advice there.

[ronl]

Try this link http://www.swindonstargazers.com/beginners/eyepieces.htm it gives you

all you need to know about eyepieces, it's a very good beginners guide,

and also shows how much they are, Robin is a member of S G L and

always gives excellent advice.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Eyepiece (EP) kits are usually not such a good idea.

I must agree. Out of a whole kit, you may use 2-3 EP's on a regular basis. Dont be in a rush to spend money. Get to know your scope and use it. Join a club, gain knowlege and experience.

[ronin]

The second post says you do not have any, so you are going to need some. It is difficult to get used to using the scope without an eyepiece or two.

130EQ says 130mm dia and 650mm focal length, I assume it is parabolic.

Plossl's are an option and generally a bit less cost, but they tend to be at their limit in f/5 scopes.

Reasonable ones tend to be the GSO or Vixen plossl's.

The Vixen ones (NPL's) are £35 each from FLO, not exactly sure where the GSO ones are available from.

Search "gso plossl" in google.

Short plossl's have shorter eye relief, about 2/3 of the focal length.

The BST's are a good option, for £150 it means 3, over time, perhaps the 25mm and the 8mm to get going.

They also have about 15mm eye relief if this is required.

Celestron X-Cels are a match to the BST's, slightly more options at the shorter focal lengths, but cost £59 each.

The more choices at the shorter end make them worth thinking of if you do a lot of planetary observing.

I have a small f/5 refractor and the half set I use on that are the 5mm, 8mm and 25mm BST's.

BST's are from STL and X-Cels you can get at FLO and others.

You will need 2, one for wide fields and one to get in a bit closer once you have found whatever in the wode one.

[djpaul]

Another vote here for the BST's

Great value IMHO

Paul

[alro]

Another recommend from me for bst starguiders here, i have 4. Slightly larger fov than plossl.

i got the meade ep set and do not regret it, however ive been informed the revalation astro set is better and is half the price at telescope house at 100£. I think it has 5 eps 5 filters and a x2 barlow. If you do go for that select bargains on left hand side of page.

al

[alro]

However if you go for bst starguiders, i reckon you will be able to get 3 for a little less than your budget. Pm me if you need details.

al

[mikeskor]

I bought a cheap celestron 8-24 mm zoom, made in china with a 3x celestron barlow as my first eyepiece  and I never regretted the purchase. There was ample contrast and I liked the convenience of the zoom.

[Tommohawk]

BSTs get my vote too - also the BST 3x apochromatic Barlow is very good.