Show us your budget e/p's for grab & go

[RT65CB-SWL]

My budget e/p's for grab & go...

I use this 7-21mm zoom-->  and two of this 18mm-->  via AstroBoot.co.uk 

...also this 28mm-->   via UKAB&S and these two 6mm-->  via ebay.co.uk

The 7-21mm and 18mm are OK for terrestrial and white-light solar viewing too... (with the exception of the 28mm for solar as it is a 2"). One of the 18mm e/p's I keep in my 1.25" Herschel/solar wedge case, along with the solar contiuum & single polarising filters). 

[mikeDnight]

My budget set consists of five element pseudo Masuyama's. Each one is a jewel! 

35mm, 2X 25mm, 2x 18mm, 2x 12.5mm, 2X 7.5mm and a 2X Ultima barlow (all but the 35mm are pairs for my binoviewer, but are superb on their owm)!

 

[rwilkey]

Hi, not exactly budget, but close.  I use the BST Explorers/StarGuiders simply because they are easy to view with and lighter to carry than my other ep cases (being partially disabled I find it difficult to carry heavy stuff), they are also good for outreach as they are easy to use for both kids and adults.

[John]

This pair did not cost that much (around £80 I think) but cover from 21.5mm to 3.2mm. I usually take a 30mm SWA (Aero ED) along as well for low / wide observing.

 

[bingevader]

Compared to some on here, I tend to think all mine are budget!

I usually take some plossls and a barlow, just because they take up less space.

The plossls are Meade and TV!

I did think about this when we started observing at school.

I left the big boys at home but we used all of the others.

I had to in the end, we had 3 'scopes and not enough EPs to go round!

We ended up using the bog standard SW plossls that come with the SW 'scopes too!

No one complained!

[Piero]

1 hour ago, John said:

This pair did not cost that much (around £80 I think) but cover from 21.5mm to 3.2mm. I usually take a 30mm SWA (Aero ED) along as well for low / wide observing.

 

I used something similar with my Nikon mc1 zoom plus Zeiss Barlow 2x. I sold the Barlow last year, but the combo zoom+Barlow really works. I'm planning to get a baader turret 2.25x to use with this zoom as in your photo, in order to cover a bit the gap between 9mm and 3.4mm in my 1.25" ep set. 

[John]

My society has an 18 inch F/4.5 newtonian at the observatory. One of the JMI made NGT 18's. I was giving it a clean a few months back (it gets a bit cobwebby) and I noticed that the eyepiece stuck in the focuser was a simple 25mm kellner - basically the same eyepiece that you get supplied with scopes. And thats the only eyepiece they use with the scope as far as I know.

Seems a bit of a waste to me but it's not my scope. I might sneak my 21mm Ethos up there and give that 18 inch mirror a chance to shine a bit.

[Piero]

3 minutes ago, John said:

My society has an 18 inch F/4.5 newtonian at the observatory. One of the JMI made NGT 18's. I was giving it a clean a few months back (it gets a bit cobwebby) and I noticed that the eyepiece stuck in the focuser was a simple 25mm kellner - basically the same eyepiece that you get supplied with scopes. And thats the only eyepiece they use with the scope I believe !

Seems a bit of a waste to me but it's not my scope. I might sneak my 21mm Ethos up there and give that 18 inch mirror a chance to shine a bit.

Sounds a great idea. I'd also take the 24 Pan, as this will show much less coma. Do you have a pic of that scope?

[Piero]

Oops, I believe we are a bit off topic...

[Louis D]

For the 2017 eclipse, I took along my Celestron Regal 8-24mm zoom and 32mm GSO Plossl with my ST80 and solar filter.

[bingevader]

1 hour ago, John said:

Seems a bit of a waste to me but it's not my scope. I might sneak my 21mm Ethos up there and give that 18 inch mirror a chance to shine a bit.

That's cheating! An Ethos definitely does not qualify as a budget EP and at a kilo, it's hardly grab and go!

[Saganite]

On 15/03/2019 at 23:54, mikeDnight said:

My budget set consists of five element pseudo Masuyama's. Each one is a jewel! 

35mm, 2X 25mm, 2x 18mm, 2x 12.5mm, 2X 7.5mm and a 2X Ultima barlow (all but the 35mm are pairs for my binoviewer, but are superb on their owm)!

 

Budget in terms of cost ,but premium in terms of performance .

I have the 18's , in addition to a  pair of 30mm Ultima's and  the 35mm Eudiascopics.

[John]

43 minutes ago, bingevader said:

.... it's hardly grab and go!

Nor is the 18 inch NGT newtonian !

To keep the thread on topic (sort of), here is the eyepiece that they use in the scope with a pic of the scope below that. The eyepiece is on topic, the scope certainly is not !

[Piero]

The two Huygens to the left. 22 years old!

The one to the right is a microscope eyepiece by Leica.

[mikeDnight]

All Budget and cheap as chips, but together they give premium performance!

16.8mm Super Abbe Orthoscopics and Revelation binoviewer, with SW 2X Delux barlow lens.

 

Also budget, but with premium performance is my (surplus to requirements) 4mm 82° Nirvana. Sharp to the very edge and high contrast, will give any Nagler a run for its money!!

 

[F15Rules]

On 15/03/2019 at 23:54, mikeDnight said:

My budget set consists of five element pseudo Masuyama's. Each one is a jewel! 

35mm, 2X 25mm, 2x 18mm, 2x 12.5mm, 2X 7.5mm and a 2X Ultima barlow (all but the 35mm are pairs for my binoviewer, but are superb on their owm)!

 

Lovely set Mike..And a couple of those look quite familiar! ?

My budget set is now: 5mm Astro Hutech ortho, pair of 12.5mm Fujiyama orthos (binoviewing) and Parks Gold Pseudo Masuyama 30mm (a total gem of an eyepiece) and a WO 1.6x nosepiece Barlow?

As stated above, these are relatively low on cost, but most definitely top drawer on performance!

Dave

[John]

The funny thing is ...... when I spend an evening observing with my low cost eyepieces, I do sometimes wonder why I have a couple of cases full of rather expensive ones

 

[F15Rules]

40 minutes ago, John said:

The funny thing is ...... when I spend an evening observing with my low cost eyepieces, I do sometimes wonder why I have a couple of cases full of rather expensive ones

 

I totally get that, John..

The main feature that differentiates many of the more modern eyepieces is simply the much wider field of view.

If you can live with the 40 to 52 degree fov of these older eps (and to be honest, on doubles, lunar and planetary, I don't feel the need for the wider fields), I really don't think you are missing out much, if at all, in terms of sharpness, contrast and transmission. And, in fact, many of these Japanese eyepieces were themselves very expensive back in the 80s - often well over  £100 each then, so the equivalent of double that or more in today's money.

There is something rather satisfying in spending a good session with just 3 older Japanese  eyepieces ☺?

Dave

[Stu]

I have a small eyepiece case with a set of BGOs, a 24mm Panoptic and a 3 to 6mm Nagler zoom. Often I could get away with just the Pan, the zoom and the 12.5mm BGO when using my Tak. Perfect grab and go setup. A Vixen 2.5mm LV seems to have crept in there too now, plus the 2.4mm HR, need a bit of a re think perhaps.

[Piero]

1 hour ago, John said:

The funny thing is ...... when I spend an evening observing with my low cost eyepieces, I do sometimes wonder why I have a couple of cases full of rather expensive ones

Mm.. the time I tried my Huygens with my 8 dob, I saw aberrations all over the place! let's not even mention the absent eye relief! No wonder why I spent some quid more!

[John]

10 minutes ago, Piero said:

Mm.. the time I tried my Huygens with my 8 dob, I saw aberrations all over the place! let's not even mention the absent eye relief! No wonder why I spent some quid more!

I do have some Huygens eyepieces somewhere but I'm going to let sleeping dogs lie with those

 

  

[Paul73]

Until an eyepiece clearout. Mine were:

Baader MkIII(or IV) zoom with Baader 2.2x Barlow and a 24mm Panoptic for a wider view. Or, a handful of TV Plossls depending on the type of observing.

Now, only the Plossls remain, having binned the Panoptic for the wider, and much much heavier, ES 82° 24mm. Both zooms have gone to finance Wide angle Dob viewing.?

I’m loving the interpretation of “low cost” and “grab n go” in these posts! It goes to show that us stargazers are a dedicated bunch; willing to risk a hernia whilst “grab n going” with a couple of kilo plus monsters. Or, are so distracted from financial reality in the name of stargazing, that they dismiss 100° exotica as “low cost”!

Keep then coming.

Paul

[bingevader]

11 hours ago, John said:

Nor is the 18 inch NGT newtonian !

To keep the thread on topic (sort of), here is the eyepiece that they use in the scope with a pic of the scope below that. The eyepiece is on topic, the scope certainly is not !

Definitely worth a go with the ethos, just slip it your pocket. On second thoughts, better not, it might draw comment!

That bottom section does look a bit like a plant pot though.

[Paul73]

2 hours ago, bingevader said:

That bottom section does look a bit like a plant pot though.

Steady on there! Isn’t that the great thing about the overal Dob concept? There are many ways of skinning the proverbial cat. Box, cylinder, octagonal, spherical, open, closed, even collapsing! All perfectly valid if it works.

@John got anymore pictures? Sorry. A bit off thread. Posted on other threads?

Paul

[Louis D]

7 hours ago, Paul73 said:

I’m loving the interpretation of “low cost” and “grab n go” in these posts!

I truly went low cost when traveling to the eclipse because I had to stay in motels along the interstates which are notorious for car breakins by roving bands of professional car thieves.  I always take my photo equipment into the room overnight, but I didn't feel like lugging my telescope equipment inside as well.  They've been so bold in the past as to hitch up entire trailers and drive them away.  I make an effort to stay at least 10 miles away from an interstate when possible because of this and the road noise.  Sometimes, in small towns, there are no other options for hundreds of miles, though.  Once I'm at a remote dark sky site, security has never been an issue.