Mixing eyepieces

[LukeSkywatcher]

Ive got a mixture of EP's. Some are Celestron which ive kept from the original EP kit i bought many moons ago. I have a couple of Skywatcher EP's. I also have a Baader 8-24mm zoom. I own 4 Vixen EP's also (three NPL's and a NLV). Vixen are my main choice when buying. I only buy what i can really afford/justify the cost. Thats why i love the Vixen NPL's. They are 30-40 each and are excellent quality and performance.

I did buy a 4mm Celestron Omni a few yrs back, which sadly hasnt gotten much use due to less than perfect conditions. Cost me a fair bit more then i'd normally pay,also.

[LukeSkywatcher]

22 hours ago, Moonshane said:

Generally it's it's the atmosphere that restricts the magnification not the scope. between 100-250 X is the usual max range for any scope depending on conditions.

Very true. Thats why my 4mm Omni hardly ever gets used. We just dont get the perfect conditions for it to be used in this part of the world.

[Gary170782]

@LukeSkywatcher where are you getting the NPL's for £30-40 from? Cheapest I've seen so far is £50. 

 

Gary

[Mr Spock]

NPL's are £44 from FLO

[LukeSkywatcher]

1 hour ago, Gary170782 said:

@LukeSkywatcher where are you getting the NPL's for £30-40 from? Cheapest I've seen so far is £50. 

 

Gary

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-npl-eyepieces.html

OK, not far off 50 quid. Worth every penny. Im sure they used to be cheaper from FLO. 

[dannybgoode]

I decide on what focal length I want then have a hunt around for an EP that I like so I have a complete hodgepodge of pieces. 

That said I do like the Explore Scientific Maxvision range of which there's a few left in stock (they made a load for another EP brand to brand up and sell but that firm went bust so they were left with a load of EP's to sell which they did at much reduced prices) in various focal lengths. 

I have a beautiful Antares for higher magnifications and then everything in between. 

I think as a very general rule of thumb the higher the magnification the more it is worth spending on quality optics. 

[Gary170782]

Would there be much difference if i bought a  13mm Baader Hyperion 68 Degree Eyepiece instead of a 12-14mm bst - and by difference I mean quality of viewing etc 

sorry to keep asking stuff but I'd rather get clued up on this now rather than later down the line. 

[rockystar]

No experience of he Hyperion's (or the BSTs for that matter), I have read that they aren't great at F/5 not sure how they cope at F/6 though.

[Louis D]

58 minutes ago, Gary170782 said:

Would there be much difference if i bought a  13mm Baader Hyperion 68 Degree Eyepiece instead of a 12-14mm bst - and by difference I mean quality of viewing etc 

sorry to keep asking stuff but I'd rather get clued up on this now rather than later down the line. 

I don't know about the Hyperion line, but I do have a 13mm Astro Tech AF70 which has 20mm of eye relief and a 70 degree field.  While it's no Delos or XW, it does quite well in the center 70% of the field at f/6.  Even better if you have a coma corrector.  In the outer field, there are astigmatism and chromatic aberrations, though not nearly as bad as that found in simpler 70 degree eyepieces.  This eyepiece is discontinued, but it is still sold under the Olivon 70 label and several others.  In the past, it was also sold as the Celestron Ultima LX among other names.  I'm not sure if the Celestron Ultima Duo is the same eyepiece or not.  If you see them come up on the used market for $60 to $75, they're a good deal at that price.

[Ben the Ignorant]

I own the Hyperion 13mm (plus the 10mm and 24mm); its pros are excellent transparency, unbeatable coatings, very comfortable eye relief, very little crescent distortion, acceptable edge sharpness, and excellent blackening. The cons are: only good but not great center sharpness, a little bit fat and heavy (nothing scandalous, and it contributes to handling). Mates f/7.5 (achro) and f/10 (Schmidt-Cass) scopes pretty well, but a little less so f/6 (apo) and f/5 (newtonian) scopes.

They were a good value when they were issued but now you can have 82° Nagler-inspired eyepieces for one or two dozen euros/pounds/dollars more. So I'd say take the less expensive 60° BST's, or save more money and buy the 82° clones, they're all great across the whole field.