Growing BST StarGuider EP Collection...

[John]

28 minutes ago, KeithP22 said:

Would these eyepieces be ok to use with my 8 inch dobsonian as I need to upgrade the supplied eyepieces. Thanks in advance. 

Yes. They are very often recommended on here as a good upgrade to the stock eyepieces.

 

[Coco]

Anyone use these on a 127 Mak?   they do look great value for money, I was looking at plossl's but I'm wondering about these as I'll get a frac also shortly.

Guy

[KeithP22]

38 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

I use them with my Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P 8" Dobsonian.😉

Exactly the same as mine merlin. Have you used the 3.2mm eyepiece. 

[KeithP22]

20 minutes ago, John said:

Yes. They are very often recommended on here as a good upgrade to the stock eyepieces.

 

Thanks John 

[John]

20 minutes ago, Coco said:

Anyone use these on a 127 Mak?   they do look great value for money, I was looking at plossl's but I'm wondering about these as I'll get a frac also shortly.

Guy

Should be even better in a mak - slower scope, less challenging for eyepieces.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, KeithP22 said:

Exactly the same as mine merlin. Have you used the 3.2mm eyepiece. 

Oh yes. 👍

[Guest]

2 hours ago, KeithP22 said:

Exactly the same as mine merlin. Have you used the 3.2mm eyepiece. 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/355702-first-quarter-moon-29th-may-2020/

[Franklin]

I have the 25mm, 12mm, 8mm and 5mm BST's. As a first upgrade from stock eyepieces they are great performers, especially at the price. The 25,12 & 8mm are used the most giving me x48, x100 & x150 in my 1200fl refractor. Sensible powers for the poor skies around here. The 5mm gives x240 which is really pushing my 127mm to its limit. Seeing permitting the 5mm gets used on the Moon. I did think about getting the 18 or 15mm but for me its just overkill. Too many eyepieces at the scope and I just spend my time swapping eyepieces instead of observing. Three's enough, low, medium and high, that works for me. Keep it simple.  

[Guest]

A line up of the usual suspects! 🤣

[IB20]

Having now got the full set I’m very glad I do. I really enjoy dropping through the mags after starting with the 25mm in my 200P. On the few occasions the weather has been kind since getting them, I’ve found I’m certainly loving the 15mm and although I didn’t think I’d use the 3.2mm too much, it’s given me some stunning lunar views. 

[Guest]

I find that my SW 25mm MA that is supplied with the 200P gives chromatic aberration.  Thankfully, the BST 25mm is CA free and gives a wider FOV.😉

[John]

19 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

A line up of the usual suspects! 🤣

Gosh - you can get all those for a bit less the cost of just one Tele Vue Delos 

It's great that good quality eyepieces at an affordable price are available 

[IB20]

I found the stock 25mm OK but the Starguider is so much better. The stock 10mm is absolutely honking however 😂.

I’d have liked 9mm & 6mm BSTs I think rather than the 8 & 5mm, although with the planets being so low I haven’t really spent a lot of time with them so far. 

I’m just about getting the hang of getting a phone adapter onto them too!

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, John said:

Gosh - you can get all those for a bit less the cost of just one Tele Vue Delos 

It's great that good quality eyepieces at an affordable price are available 

On a cosmetic note, I do like the colour anodised rings.😉

[IB20]

5 minutes ago, John said:

Gosh - you can get all those for a bit less the cost of just one Tele Vue Delos 

It's great that good quality eyepieces at an affordable price are available 

I’m not sure I’ll ever get to see through a TV unless I went to a gathering. Would you say the margins in performance are worth the increase in price through a cheaper scope or are we talking £3-5000 fracs to notice?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, IB20 said:

I found the stock 25mm OK but the Starguider is so much better. The stock 10mm is absolutely honking however 😂.

Those, plus a 15mm Meade 4000 Super Plossl were the only eyepieces I had at the time I got the scope.  I used them to observe Venus, Betelgeuse and M42 and M43 back in March, just before the lockdown started. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, IB20 said:

I’m not sure I’ll ever get to see through a TV unless I went to a gathering. Would you say the margins in performance are worth the increase in price through a cheaper scope or are we talking £3-5000 fracs to notice?

I saw through a TV once, at the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory a few years ago.  I didn't know anything about eyepieces at the time, but I kinda remembered the name and colour of the writing on this one I was looking through.  The telescope is a 20” Corrected Dall Kirkham type, according to their website...

https://scottishdarkskyobservatory.co.uk/the-observatory/

[heliumstar]

34 minutes ago, IB20 said:

I’m not sure I’ll ever get to see through a TV unless I went to a gathering. Would you say the margins in performance are worth the increase in price through a cheaper scope or are we talking £3-5000 fracs to notice?

I had TV Nagler 13mm and Panoptic 24mm. Panoptic is ok but not suitable for my style of observing (too low mag for what I observe with my scopes) and I use simpler eyepieces as 'finders'. Nagler was good. I liked the 'wideness' of it but had kind of ring around Moon and Sun which I didn't see in other eyepieces. It was quite intrusive to be honest. On the other hand Naglers are very light in weight for what they offer so that is a big plus from me. I didn't own but looked through Delite 9mm. It was no better than Vixen SLV 9mm apart from wider of course. Not one TV amazed me like Pentax XW did for example. Pentax XW for me is the ultimate eyepiece - I never looked through anything better. It's on par with all orthos I tried as well - showing same number of stars and all that in a comfortable and wide way - if only it was not almost 400g

I don't think you are mising anything by not getting anything TV. This might not be a popular opinion but it's my experience.

Edited August 8, 2020 by heliumstar
typos

[John]

28 minutes ago, IB20 said:

 Would you say the margins in performance are worth the increase in price through a cheaper scope....

This is probably a question better answered by someone who has recently changed from BST Starguiders to Tele Vue or comparable quality ones

 

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

50 minutes ago, IB20 said:

I’ve found I’m certainly loving the 15mm

The 15 is a really underrated eye piece in the BST range, often over looked by the 12 & 18mm it's my 2nd favourite behind the 8mm

 

 

37 minutes ago, IB20 said:

6mm BSTs I think rather than the 8 & 5mm,

They definitely have a gap in the range that needs filling between the 5 & 8mm - 6mm would give a nice x200 in the 200p

[IB20]

1 minute ago, John said:

This is probably a question better answered by someone who has recently changed from BST Starguiders to Tele Vue or comparable quality ones

 

 

I’m in no rush to upgrade right now, too many filters to buy and I’d like some good 15x binos next. I would probably look at the Morpheus range if I did fancy an upgrade in the future. I just look at the price of the TVs and feel my pockets getting longer and my arms shortening. 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

1 hour ago, IB20 said:

I’m in no rush to upgrade right now, too many filters to buy and I’d like some good 15x binos next. I would probably look at the Morpheus range if I did fancy an upgrade in the future. I just look at the price of the TVs and feel my pockets getting longer and my arms shortening. 

I have just ordered my 2nd Morpheus, the 6.5mm. Not had a huge amount of time with the 14mm yet but it is a stunning eye piece with a very good wide field.

I am looking to have a mixture of the BST range and Morpheus,  along with my 30mm 2" Aero ed.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Barry-W-Fenner

[Geoff Barnes]

Good move Barry! I hope you are as impressed with how sharp and bright the views through the 6.5mm are as I am. 😁

[KeithP22]

On 05/08/2020 at 12:15, merlin100 said:

From Auntie @FLOthis morning. That completes my BST StarGuider ED eyepiece collection... 

Merlin I ordered a bst starguider barlow lens  an 8mm ep and an 18mm ep. They were also branded as astro essentials. Are they the same as i'm a bit concerned. 

[fozzybear]

7 minutes ago, KeithP22 said:

Merlin I ordered a bst starguider barlow lens  an 8mm ep and an 18mm ep. They were also branded as astro essentials. Are they the same as i'm a bit concerned. 

If you look on FLO website they quote https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces/bst-starguider-60-8mm-ed-eyepiece.html  "in about product"

"Please note BST StarGuider ED eyepieces are occasionally branded 'Astro Essentials'. "

hope this helps