Best upgrade options?

[PaulUns]

I received a Celestron 114LCM at Christmas which I believe is a jones bird type of scope. For all the bad reviews on various websites i have found it to be pretty good and exceeding my expectations for views of the moon and Jupiter. It has served its purpose as a beginner scope well and has me hooked and wanting more. 

I plan to trade in the scope for a better one but that will have to wait until enough time has passed as not to seem ungrateful for the generous gift I received. 

So I’m looking for advice on the best upgrade options that would also serve me well in future with a different scope

I’m thinking high quality eyepieces and maybe a quality 2 x Barlow?

 

[Stargazer33]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Good quality eyepieces are a very good place to start your upgrades. As you say, they will serve you well in the future too. You might want to also think about a light pollution filter and possibly some form of dew protection. I use an SCT so I am not sure what you would need for a Newtonian 'scope.

BST eyepieces always get a good report on the forum and there are WAY more expensive manufacturers out there too with very high quality optics, such as Teleview.

I would look at a tele-extender rather than a straight Barlow lens, like the ones from Explorer Scientific.

Good luck with what ever you choose.

[Red Dwarfer]

I think a Skywatcher 150P or 200P Dobsonian would be the best route ...

+1 for the BSTs mentioned above ?

[Waldemar]

I think you are exactly on the right track, PaulUns ? 

Very important to show gratitude and respect!

[rwilkey]

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum.  I agree with the above, BST StarGuider ep's are very good for their reasonable price, found here:
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html
The suggestion of a Explore Scientific focal extender rather than a Barlow is also sound advice, found here:
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/explore-scientific-eyepieces/explore-scientific-2x-barlow-focal-extender-125.html

[LukeSkywatcher]

On 26/06/2018 at 14:42, PaulUns said:

I received a Celestron 114LCM at Christmas which I believe is a jones bird type of scope. For all the bad reviews on various websites i have found it to be pretty good and exceeding my expectations for views of the moon and Jupiter. It has served its purpose as a beginner scope well and has me hooked and wanting more. 

I plan to trade in the scope for a better one but that will have to wait until enough time has passed as not to seem ungrateful for the generous gift I received. 

So I’m looking for advice on the best upgrade options that would also serve me well in future with a different scope

I’m thinking high quality eyepieces and maybe a quality 2 x Barlow?

 

You don't need a 2x barlow if you buy good EP's. You don't need 2x if you buy the right Eps, I personally love Vixen NPL, but a lot of people don't like the eye relief. BST, compare well and have more eye relief, I believe. Roughly the same price. 

[PaulUns]

Thanks for all the advice, I’ve decided to go with the BST EPs 

[LukeSkywatcher]

22 minutes ago, PaulUns said:

Thanks for all the advice, I’ve decided to go with the BST EPs 

They are held in high regard.

[PaulUns]

I’ve managed to pick up one for £20 second hand (it’s in the post) hoping to bag a few others second hand. If not I’ll buy new

[Charic]

I bought my  first scope the Celestron 127EQ, without any advice which was a pity because I could/should have avoided it?
However, maybe 10 Days later my Skywatcher Skyliner arrived, and I have no regrets, except one maybe! you can buy bigger apertures, therefore 10" 12" the list goes on.

I'm poorly sited in my garden to see much up in the Sky, but although only the size of a small pea, Jupiter was stunning the first time I saw  Io's moon transit across the face of the planet, simply stunning for the few seconds it lasted, due to atmospheric conditions.
Under those conditions, the only way I could have had a better image is probably by having  had a larger aperture, allowing me to see more detail.

Someone suggested to me to try a BST Starguider  some years back ( rwilky ) the rest is history. Given what I've sold and what remains in my signature, for my present eyesight, an f/6 scope and  conditions, what I have left runs perfectly well on this scope, with the Starguiders first and foremost my favourite eyepieces.

Since you've already made your mind on the BST's, you just need a Skyliner, or any Newtonian scope of 8" (200mm) and above for that wow factor!

Lastly, there are maybe 6 or 7 incarnations of what we know as the BST Starguider, (think the first was the Astro-Tech paradigm)but effectively inside their the same! The different names and colours are for copyright protection. The ebay purchased star guiders, where I first bought mine were/are reputed to always be the cheapest, but look around, there are deals elsewhere too, and you can get them second hand too as their not for everyone, whereas some folk may see me as foolish giving up my World famous TeleVue branded Delos eyepieces in favour of my Starguiders? but that's just me and my preference, and even now, our site sponsor has them too with deals on offer, so to be honest, they must be  fairly good, otherwise would FLO sell them?.

Its your choice of vendor for the eyepieces, you just need a scope to go with them, and don't feel any hurt moving on the Celestron.
Tip! knock it over in the dark , pretty much useless once it hits the concrete VERY hard, then you trip over it looking for your torch ?.

You can/could still be very grateful and have the Celestron permanently on display, as a reminder to the person that gifted, and everyone else, that this was the first telescope that got you into astronomy, but due to progression  and your need to expand your horizons read that "see further and better into space" your need of the larger scope was required sooner than later.

Always here to help ?

[Charic]

14 minutes ago, PaulUns said:

I’ve managed to pick up one for £20 second hand (it’s in the post) hoping to bag a few others second hand. If not I’ll buy new

Thats a good price. 

I have the full set, I just wished they had (for reason that my scope is an f/6) a 6mm version. However, they don't, so I chose another brand on  good advice, the 6mm William Optics.

The 3.2mm and 5mm BST Starguiders get used on the Moon on my scope, but little else as their just too powerful, too much magnification. The 8 and 12mm get the most use. 

With a 2x Barlow lens, that could effectively provide you with a 4mm and  6mm  from combining the Barlow with the 8mm and 12mm eyepieces. Likewise,  my 12mm BST can provide me the 200x magnification on my scope used in conjunction with a 2x Barlow. 

I really could manage with the Starguiders alone and one on my Barlows, possibly the Meade one!

Whatever you decide/choose, good luck.

[PaulUns]

Just been informed that my BST 18mm EP has been delivered. Fingers crossed for good conditions this evening!