Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P EP's...

[Guest]

Does anyone know the type of EP's supplied with the Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P? Are they MA, Plossls, etc? 

[John]

Usually they are modified achromats which are similar to kellners. 3 elements in 2 groups. Occasionally the scopes are shipped with plossls but they are marked as such.

 

 

 

[joe aguiar]

Ya they are 3 elements 50 degree fov ep called super set here in north America not sure its same name there but they r still much better the 2 element 25 degree fov hygens 

joejaguar 

[Guest]

They're only marked as super, but not Plossls or MA. 

[joe aguiar]

If u add duper after super it becomes 

Super duper eps and they wont need to be upgraded 😁

joejaguar 

[John]

28 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

They're only marked as super, but not Plossls or MA. 

Those are 3 element eyepieces. They get you started and the 25mm is better than the 10mm.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info, folks. I think they'll be getting upgraded in the near future.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, merlin100 said:

Thanks for the info, folks. I think they'll be getting upgraded in the near future.

Talking of upgrading, any recommendations? I've already got a Meade 4000 15mm Super Plossl in 1.25 inch.  I would certainly like a small selection of new Plossl EP's for it in 1.25 inch. For wider field of view generally, would any 2 inch EP be of any use?  Sorry if I'm already asking what I've asked before...

[banjaxed]

I have a few Celestron Super Plossl eyepieces and they are fine in my  200P dob.

[fiestazetecmk2]

Bst are a good choice. Lots of people on here use them.

Just depends how deep your pockets are.

Good luck 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, merlin100 said:

Talking of upgrading, any recommendations? I've already got a Meade 4000 15mm Super Plossl in 1.25 inch.  I would certainly like a small selection of new Plossl EP's for it in 1.25 inch. For wider field of view generally, would any 2 inch EP be of any use?  Sorry if I'm already asking what I've asked before...

I love wide field, 2" eyepieces for scanning star fields and for initial centering of objects.  They're also useful for observing large objects like the Pleiades, Hyades, Collinder 70, etc.  For your scope and budget, I'd recommend the 35mm Aero ED.

[joe aguiar]

4 hours ago, merlin100 said:

Talking of upgrading, any recommendations? I've already got a Meade 4000 15mm Super Plossl in 1.25 inch.  I would certainly like a small selection of new Plossl EP's for it in 1.25 inch. For wider field of view generally, would any 2 inch EP be of any use?  Sorry if I'm already asking what I've asked before...

The meade 4k sp ep is fine u dont need to upgrade this one unless u want a bigger fov from the 52 fov

Yes I would get at least 1 2 inch ep for lower powers wide field views

Joejaguar 

Edited March 21, 2020 by joe aguiar

[John]

The BST Starguiders make a good upgrade over the stock eyepieces. They have a good reputation on this forum

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

Personally I think a 2 inch eyepiece with a focal length of 30 mm or so is worth having as well but they do tend to cost a bit more to get decent performance.

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

I have probably gone a bit over board and purchased all of the BST range except the 3.2 (which I still may add to the collection 😁)

They are excellent eye pieces for the money, Perform well and are comfortable to use.  I will be sticking with these for now as I feel they complement the 200p well. Other than these I only have a skywatcher 4mm planetary eye piece which gives magnification of X300,  the 200p still gives a great view at this level of magnification.

I feel that Johns advice of having a 2" wide field 30-32mm piece in the arsenal will be my next purchase.

 

Baz

 

[fiestazetecmk2]

Yeah me to.they are very good eyepieces. 

Edited March 21, 2020 by fiestazetecmk2
More info

[Barry-W-Fenner]

25 minutes ago, fiestazetecmk2 said:

Yeah me to.they are very good eyepieces. 

Very nice collection of eye pieces.

[Louis D]

20 hours ago, John said:

The BST Starguiders make a good upgrade over the stock eyepieces. They have a good reputation on this forum

I did a daytime, photographic comparison of the BST Starguiders to the Meade HD-60s last year .  I also posted some impressions of using them under the stars further down in that same thread.

[Guest]

I'm getting information overload looking at all the different types of EP, at the moment.  I know that MA's are the bottom spec that you'd want to go for, then up to Plossls, (avoiding SR and H like the plague), but some of the manufacturer designations have confused the hell out of me! I get UWA=ultra wide angle, SP=super Plossls, etc, but some take the biscuit for a beginner like me.  I've read the EP Guide sticky on the forum, but I'm still confused as hell... 

I think unless you're an optical expert, many of the less well known manufacturer designations mean nothing.  I wish there was a key to what designation falls into what type and category (apart from those obvious examples I mention above).

Edited March 29, 2020 by Guest
typo

[John]

19 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

I'm getting information overload looking at all the different types of EP, at the moment.  I know that MA's are the bottom spec that you'd want to go for, then up to Plossls, (avoiding SR and H like the plague), but some of the manufacturer designations have confused the hell out of me! I get UWA=ultra wide angle, SP=super Plossls, etc, but some take the biscuit for a beginner like me.  I've read the EP Guide sticky on the forum, but I'm still confused as hell... 

I think unless you're an optical expert, many of the less well known manufacturer designations mean nothing.  I wish their was a key to what designation falls into what type and category (apart from those obvious examples I mention above).

Choosing eyepieces can be more confusing that choosing a telescope

There are a wide range of optical designs and then you have the manufacturers names for their ranges which don't tell you what optical design they use.

A term such as SWA or UWA refers to the characteristics of an eyepiece (ie: super wide angle and ultra wide angle) but there are no official designations of what those terms mean and a number of optical designs can deliver such views but with varying quality depending on the scope they are used with.

No wonder you get confused !

One safe way to go is to find out what others who have the scope you have use and what they think of them. The BST Starguiders have proved very popular on this forum and, having used them myself, they do work pretty well in a scope such as yours.

This piece by Robin Wilkey (a member here) is a pretty good overview if you have not read it already:

http://www.swindonstargazers.com/beginners/eyepieces.htm

 

 

[banjaxed]

21 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

I'm getting information overload looking at all the different types of EP, at the moment.  I know that MA's are the bottom spec that you'd want to go for, then up to Plossls, (avoiding SR and H like the plague), but some of the manufacturer designations have confused the hell out of me! I get UWA=ultra wide angle, SP=super Plossls, etc, but some take the biscuit for a beginner like me.  I've read the EP Guide sticky on the forum, but I'm still confused as hell... 

I think unless you're an optical expert, many of the less well known manufacturer designations mean nothing.  I wish their was a key to what designation falls into what type and category (apart from those obvious examples I mention above).

There is one thing this hobby teaches us and that is patience. I am fairly new to this hobby myself and have just taken my time with all aspects because IMO you can not learn everything in a short space of time, in fact you NEVER stop learning.

My eyepiece set does not contain any very expensive ones but the ones I have bought over time are as good as I need for the limited time we get to use them. My advice is just take your time to learn and research before you go and spend your hard earned cash on something you might (and probably will) regret.

[Guest]

Thanks for everyone's patience in this matter...

[Guest]

Would it be fair to say that most of the larger manufacturer's branded Plossls come out of the same Chinese factory? For example, Meade, Celestron, Sky-Watcher, etc? 

[John]

12 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

Would it be fair to say that most of the larger manufacturer's branded Plossls come out of the same Chinese factory? For example, Meade, Celestron, Sky-Watcher, etc? 

Not all those brands but certainly some probably do come from the same manufacturer. Most stuff comes from China or Taiwan these days.

The plossls branded "Revelation" are decent quality for a low cost. They are made by a manufacturer called GSO which is based in Taiwan.

 

 

[jetstream]

The SW "Super 25" can be good, ours is surprisingly good. The 10mm MA got tossed into the circular file cabinet....

@John is right about a 2" 28mm-30mm eyepiece being a huge asset to you IMHO. BST's are well regarded upgrades and the Vixen SLV's another step up. 3 nicely good eyepieces and a barlow will serve you well. Its hard to go wrong with a Baader10 BCO and their "Q-Barlow".

[fiestazetecmk2]

Bst are a good match for the 200p. I have them and think they are very good value for money. There are better eyepieces out there. Good luck with whatever you choose.