1st Scope - Present for wife.

[jgs001]

Mmm. Nice package.

[themos]

The 8mm will give you 75x on the planets which I think is on the weak side. How about you throw in a bargain-priced TAL 2x Barlow lens, at £29. That would give you 150x which is a great power for planets.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/products.php?cat=44

[Empgamer]

Someone has suggested that 150 is OTT for an 80mm refractor?

[dweller25]

A good rule of thumb for max magnification of a scope is approx 50/inch or twicw the objective diameter in mm.

50/inch gives x157

Twice the diameter in mm is x160

I would think x150 is ok, so the idea of a barlow with the 8mm eyepiece is sound.

[russ]

The 80 has no problems with 150x on Saturn or Jupiter. And will push a bit further on the moon.

That's a mighty setup you just ordered. Glad you didn't flaff about with the eyepieces and got some nice ones straight off. They will show off the quality optics in the 80. And that's a great diagonal too. And some very nice binos too. Hmm your budget was slightly higher than i thought.

Russ

[Empgamer]

And me!!! Now you'll tell me that for that budget you could have got X??? Think I might just add that 2 x Barlow.

[FLO]

Your eyepiece focal lengths were chosen so that they don't duplicate when you add a barlow: 8, 24 & 35mm becomes 4, 8, 12, 17.5, 24 & 35mm giving 150x, 75x, 50x, 34x, 25x and 17x magnifications.

HTH

[themos]

The TAL x2 Barlow will not accept a 2" eyepiece (I think) like the Skywatcher Aero ED 35mm. Maybe you should consider this, at £48

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=SW2inchEDbarlow&cat=121

[themos]

giving 150x, 75x, 50x, 34x, 25x and 17x magnifications.

That's a great range, from powerful-binocular class to planetary.

[Empgamer]

Ordered the Barlow too. Mount should also come soon I hope. Ordered from Orion Optics.

[themos]

would you like a second wife?