Which eyepiece have you had the longest

[djpaul]

Thought this would be a fun thread to start.

Which eyepiece have you had the longest and will probably be a keeper?

Paul

[DirkSteele]

I think my oldest eyepiece is Nagler 17mm Type 4.  Bought around 2003 if I recall.  And yes it is a keeper!  And not just because it is now 15 years old. ?

[iPeace]

Nagler 3-6 Zoom. It's officially the eyepiece I've had longest and will stay. There are plenty of other keepers as well, but this one was in the first batch I bought and is still in the fold.

[GavStar]

22mm vixen lvw - second eyepiece I bought closely followed by Pentax 30mm xw. They are keepers since I’d struggle to replace them now as they rarely come up second hand. Both bought in 2013.

[John]

Nagler T5 31mm. I don't use it all that much (Ethos 21 usually gets preference) but I know that I'd miss it if it was gone.

I can't recall how long I've had the N31 - maybe 6-7 years ?

It's definitely a keeper - I didn't pay all that much for it compared to what it would cost today.

[Stu]

Either my Nag 3 to 6 Zoom or the 24mm Panoptic, neither are going anywhere

[R26 oldtimer]

My sw super 10.... It's not going anywhere!

(Nobody wants it, not even for free)

?

[nightfisher]

Easy.....skywatcher silvertop 20mm plossl, got it with a New Evostar 120 F8 blue tube when they came out, maybe 1998, still got it and still use it from time to time

[martinl]

Not an eyepiece, per se, but my Celestron Ultima barlow was the first piece of separate astro equipment I ever bought after getting my first scope in 2000. Still with me and not going anywhere.

Ironically, the two eyepieces in my current stable that I’ve had the longest are the 10mm and 6mm Ethos - both of which I’m considering letting go. Times and preferences change...

[Charic]

To be honest, the longest so far are the two supplied with the scope, but having said that, of the subsequent eyepieces I've purchased, my 8mm Starguider has been the longest, and is just one of my keepers.

 

[Louis D]

9mm Vixen LV bought in 1997.  Great eyepiece that struggles a bit with throughput.  I bought it before my first telescope to try using a 500mm telephoto lens I already had as a telescope.  It wasn't too bad, though it had practically no back focus, so straight through viewing was the only option.  That success when viewing the Trapezium through it convinced me to get my first telescope.

[happy-kat]

Excluding the included two the first eyepiece bought was a maxvision 16mm and still have it.

[Pete Presland]

I wish I could say I have got a long serving eye piece, but I made so "dud" purchases when I got back into astronomy. My oldest now is a 26mm smooth side Televue plossl, only around 4-5 years.

[Captain Scarlet]

Leaving aside the OEM EPs that came with my Mak180 which don’t count, I’ve had my TV Panoptic 35mm for, ooooooh?, a good 13 months now ?...

Magnus

[Moonshane]

6-3mm Nagler zoom for me too

 

[Paz]

My oldest is the 25mm plossl that came with my ST120 but the one I would keep the longest is a tough question... I like my 22mm Nagler most but it's only used with my vx14, probably the 17.3mm or 12mm or 10mm Delos as they all go with any scope.

[Peter Drew]

A 28mm Vixen Kellner, probably keep it the longest as I'm not quite sure where it is currently.    ?

[chiltonstar]

A generic Ortho 9 mm bought from Telescope House in 1983...

Still as good as ever.

Chris

[Mr Spock]

A couple of 24.5mm Kellners from the '70s 

[JTEC]

22mm Nagler, bought from Telescope House when they were still in Faringdon Road ... those were the days - along with my 12.5 inch Starfinder ‘Sonotube’ Dob. The Dob’s long gone to the big toilet roll factory in the sky but I still have the eyepiece and it performs very well. Actually, apart from the  rudimentary cell and focuser and crude mechanics generally, that scope wasn’t at all bad optically - the mirror was good and it gave me some great viewing once it had settled down. Telescope House loaned me the Nag and a 24mm Panoptic to compare. I chose the Nag. Can’t remember why but, despite the excellence of the Pans, can’t say I regret the decision.

[djpaul]

Great replies so far.

The eyepiece I have had longest is a nagler 3 to 6mm zoom. ( 3 years ) out of 3 and half years into astronomy. 

But most used is 17mm ethos.

Paul 

[JTEC]

Just to explain the reference in my previous post to where my old Meade tube ended up - for anyone not familiar with the white paper clad  ‘sonotube’ used in the early Starfinders, it was made of wound paper. I think it was also used for concrete formers. Judging by the weight of the 12.5 inch OTA, they might have left some concrete inside mine. Its glossy, white paper livery was described by Meade as ‘inspiring a real pride in ownership’ ?, or similar wording. Actually the tube material performed well and had good thermal characteristics, but its significant girth combined with its weight and slippery finish made it awkward to lug around. 

[dweller25]

A Celestron 26mm silver top Plossl bought from Astro Systems in 1985 - 33 years ago - to watch the return of Halleys comet in 1986.

[Ags]

A Speer WALER 9.4 mm I got as a second hand bargain because an internal lens is rattling. It doesn't seem to spoil the views... Must have had it 8 years or more.

[Paul M]

The 6, 10 and 20mm eyepieces that I bought along with Ye Olde Fullerscope circa 1984.