Lenses?

[ruchbah]

I'm getting my first telescope (a Skywatcher Heritage 130p) and I was hoping to get some separate lenses. I was planning on getting the 2x and 3x Barlow lenses, but I need to know if the telescope comes with either of these, and what size should they have to be to fit on the telescope itself? Are they 1.25 inches?

[bingevader]

The 130p Heritage comes with 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, no barlow.

It is a1.25" fitting.

The long held and sound advice, given here on the SGL forum, is that if you haven't owned a telescope before, spend a while getting used to it and the eyepieces provided before making any additional purchases.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @ruchbah and welcome to SGL. 

I was just going to say the same as @bingevader.

[rwilkey]

3 hours ago, ruchbah said:

I was planning on getting the 2x and 3x Barlow lenses

The telescope does not come with a Barlow, however, why do you need two?  You will find this is not necessary and if you want a Barlow, I would suggest the 2x.  After a while many experienced astronomers stop using Barlows, preferring to use more powerful eyepieces.  However, before you purchase any extra ep's I suggest you try the ones that come with the scope first, this will give you a pretty good idea of what focal lengths (magnifications) you may require in future, depending on what you want to see in the night sky.  Good luck with your first telescope. 

[mark81]

Good advice already given.  Taking time before you buy an EP is essential really, you get to know what type of viewing you do most of.  Planetary and lunar or DSOs.  I think it's a common mistake when you first get a scope you want to get an EP that will give you huge mag - like I did - But soon realised that DSOs were my main interest and best for my scope, so a low power wide field EP would have been the best move...

In the meantime .. enjoy

[Unklewhale]

I would agree with all the above comments. Be patient. Once you have a feel for your observing preferences then use the forums to help select eyepiece makes and powers. I found it invaluable in making a few choices, then searched for deals on the preferred options. Got some second hand from members on this site and 'Astro Buy And Sell'. Also 'First Light Optics' sometimes do deals.

[cletrac1922]

Celestron make a nice lens set

Comes also with 2 X Barlow,  and filters

https://www.celestron.com/products/125in-eyepiece-and-filter-kit  

John

 

[pregulla]

I wouldn't buy a kit unless you can get it cheap used. It may seem like a good deal but you end up paying for stuff in that kit you won't use.

32mm plossl or 24mm 68 degrees eyepiece will give widest field possible in 1.25" format. You may also consider a zoom eyepiece and a barlow. For some people it covers most of their observing needs, some people prefer fixed focal length eyepieces to zoom.

[JOC]

If I hadn't got my x2 Barlow for silly cheap cash from ebay <£20 I don't think I'd have missed it.  I much prefer individual EP's.

[Louis D]

Since the 10mm that comes with that scope is commonly reported as being pretty poor in quality, I'd suggest an 8mm BST Starguider as a replacement.  The 25mm is generally regarded as decent, so I'd fill in the gap with a 12mm to 17mm eyepiece as funds become available and as your tastes in observing become more defined.

[Alan64]

You will enjoy the 130mm aperture of that kit.  It has a short focal-length however: 650mm.  A 2x-barlow will effectively extend that to 1300mm; a 3x to 1950mm.  That way, you won't have to resort to eyepieces of short focal-lengths, with tiny eye-lenses and rather short eye-relief, like this 4mm...

Instead, you can place a 12mm into a 3x-barlow...

...which will simulate a 4mm, and at a power of 163x with the Sky-Watcher "Heritage".  A 130mm aperture is actually capable of up to 250x, especially when observing the Moon.  Let's see what that would take...

650mm ÷ 250x = a 2.6mm eyepiece

Here's one of those... https://www.365astronomy.com/2.5mm-the-planetary-uwa-eyepiece-58-degrees-1.25.html

...and another... https://agenaastro.com/bst-1-25-uwa-planetary-eyepiece-2-5mm.html

Now, those types of eyepieces are known as "planetaries", and are quite powerful.  They also have a barlow built in to them, so you wouldn't need to combine a separate barlow with those.  Also, note how my eyepiece/barlow combination illustrated above appears remarkably similar to those planetary eyepieces.  They have larger lenses through which to look, too, and rather generous eye-relief.

If you're unable to acquire those types of eyepieces in your locale, then you can certainly consider a 3x-barlow in addition.  You can combine a 9mm Plossl with the 3x, for a simulated 3mm, and for a power of 217x.  Where there's a will there's a way.

When considering barlows, don't get the least expensive ones you can find.  They don't have to be the most expensive either.  Look for your barlows among the brandings "GSO", "Antares", and "Meade" perhaps.  Here are the Meade 2x and 3x barlows available in the U.S....

2x... https://agenaastro.com/meade-series-4000-126-1-25-2x-short-focus-barlow-lens.html

3x... https://agenaastro.com/meade-128-3x-barlow-07278.html

Agena Astro ships to Indonesia, and for half the price of one of those barlows.  I do realise that there may be other costs incurred, of course; customs, duties, et al.  Plossls are the minimum standard in performance eyepieces, and they would play nice with your f/5 Newtonian.  Look for GSO Plossls.  Keep in mind that a telescope must work harder as you go higher in power, and the collimation of the Newtonian must be precise for sharp and pleasing images at those powers.  The atmosphere will play its part as well in that.

[cletrac1922]

13 hours ago, Louis D said:

Since the 10mm that comes with that scope is commonly reported as being pretty poor in quality, I'd suggest an 8mm BST Starguider as a replacement.  The 25mm is generally regarded as decent, so I'd fill in the gap with a 12mm to 17mm eyepiece as funds become available and as your tastes in observing become more defined.

I use a 15mm and 17mm wide-angle when doing presentation for joeys, cubs, scouting movement, and primary school presentation with my club

 

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

On 26/02/2019 at 02:07, cletrac1922 said:

Celestron make a nice lens set

Comes also with 2 X Barlow,  and filters

https://www.celestron.com/products/125in-eyepiece-and-filter-kit  

John

 

This kit really isn't a very good investment. Quite quickly as you begin to get used to your scope, most of the contents of the kit become unused. The gem in the kit is the 32mm EP.

[rwilkey]

8 hours ago, Alan64 said:

with tiny eye-lenses and rather short eye-relief, like this 4mm...

Fortunately there are plenty more choices out there with large eye-lenses and 60º AFoV (apparent field of view).  The BST StarGuider is a good choice if you can get them in your country, however, FLO (the forum's sponsors) do post abroad, found here:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html

The GSO Superview eyepieces (68º AFoV) are good alternatives, available in Jakarta for around $42.00, found here:

https://telescopes.id/en/21-eyepiece?page=2

Don't forget to try out the eyepieces that come with the scope first, this is essential and will save you money in the long run.  Good luck!

[JOC]

12 minutes ago, rwilkey said:

Fortunately there are plenty more choices out there

I totally agree,  I have lots of EPs from a number of manufacturers and none of my high mag. EPs look like those in the pictures above.   Also the BST starguiders would indeed be a good investment and have wide nice viewing Lenses and plenty of eye relief.  

[Alan64]

10 minutes ago, rwilkey said:

Fortunately there are plenty more choices out there...

Yes, like these wonderful barlows...

https://telescopes.id/en/50-barlow

However, that GSO 3x-barlow listed within is a bit long, and unsuitable for a small Newtonian.  The Meade 3x mentioned previously is a "shorty", and a better choice in that regard.

[JOC]

Ok, in the interests of balance I'll bite. 

@Alan64 You are clearly a fan, so if we take as given that with one Barlow you potentially get the effect of two EPs from 2 bits of kit, 4 eps  from 3 bits of kit, 6 eps from 4 bits of kit etc (where one bit of kit is the Barlow) i.e. ownership may be slightly cost effective.  Why else does a Barlow outperform something like a stand alone BST EP at any given magnification?  I only use mine for attaching yhe camera and then very rarely as I have better attachment mechanisms.

[bingevader]

Not necessarily out perform.

I take mine on holiday with the ETX90, saves space.

[Louis D]

35 minutes ago, bingevader said:

Not necessary out perform.

I take mine on holiday with the ETX90, saves space.

I took a 32mm GSO Plossl and an 8-24mm Celestron Regal zoom to Nebraska with my ST80 for the 2017 solar eclipse.  I thought about bringing a barlow, but I couldn't come up with a good use case for it.

[bingevader]

 Even better!

Sadly, I don't own a zoom!

[Alan64]

I have this Meade 8-24mm.  It's bigger than a bread bin...

I got my own last year for less than USD$65.  The views are not bad, not at all, but I haven't used it much, like once.  Some do barlow zooms.  I suppose they get some benefit from so doing.

Incidentally, whether one uses a Plossl and a barlow, or a BST planetary or "Starguider", no matter, as a barlow is being employed, whether separately, or integrated.

[John]

I barlow a 7.2 - 21.5mm zoom and the results are good