Inexpensive Eyepieces

[Aryan]

Hello everyone!

I have come back yet again to this amazing platform of SGL in hopes of finding some help, and I'm sure I'll be able to find some because whenever I come here, the people of this platform always give me prompt and very helpful responses that truly help increase my knowledge (and the solve the problem ofc!) 

 

The last few weeks has been quite the blunder for me... After finally finishing shifting to our new house and everything is settled into it's new places, I pull out my telescope to get a better view of the setting, red cresent moon right outside my balcony....... and my eyepieces are missing! Searched the entire house in the last 2 weeks, but sadly to no avail. I had the standard 20mm and 10mm that came with my Celestron Astromaster 130EQ, and a 6mm, 15mm and a 2x Barlow that I got in a set that costed about 6,000 rupees (80 USD), and even though I took the most care of it while shifting, I seem to have lost it 😭 

 

But the real question is, what do I do now? I want to get back to using my telescope as soon as possible, but without having to spend the same amount as I did last time. I was considering the option of second-hand eyepieces, but is the worth it, and is it safe? Because of the fact that you can never guarantee getting working eyepieces while buying second hand ones, I feel a bit insecure about that option, which is why I'm here for another opinion. Should I be looking at second hand eyepieces? If yes, then where is the best place  for buying them? If not, then do I have any other options on my side or should I just stick to buying first hand ones?

Thanks in advance!

Edited April 26, 2021 by Aryan

[Robindonne]

I bought once (with a used scope purchase) a case with all sorts of eyepieces.  Some were good and well known.  Some were quit good, cheap and not that known.  
These cheap wide angles are often with me outside at night. 
 

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Robindonne

[Roy Challen]

6 hours ago, Robindonne said:

I bought once (with a used scope purchase) a case with all sorts of eyepieces.  Some were good and well known.  Some were quit good, cheap and not that known.  
These cheap wide angles are often with me outside at night. 
 

 

I have the exact same set, bought s/h from SGL, for £20. Quite good in a slow scope, but probably not so good in a fast one.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Roy Challen

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @Aryan.

I have the 6mm version of the 6mm as shown above. 

Though mine has a of black tapered nosepiece, rather than the safety undercut
and shown inserted my TeleVue Ranger's star diagonal. (click image to enlarge).

Depending on your budget you may wish to consider these... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-npl-eyepieces.html
or these... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html - though I am not sure whether these two brands are available
in Indian astronomy shops and dealerships or price. The BST series are popular budget e/p's here in by some SGL’ers here in GB/UK.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Philip R

[Aryan]

7 hours ago, Roy Challen said:

I have the exact same set, bought s/h from SGL, for £20. Quite good in a slow scope, but probably not so good in a fast one.

Hey, that sounds like a good deal, set of eyepieces for £20 is not bad. The only problem is that my Celestron Astromaster 130EQ (f/5) is  a fast scope, so like you mentioned, it wouldn't suit me too well. Can you suggest any alternative in the same price range perhaps?

 

7 hours ago, Philip R said:

Hi @Aryan.

I have the 6mm version of the 6mm as shown above. 

Though mine has a of black tapered nosepiece, rather than the safety undercut
and shown inserted my TeleVue Ranger's star diagonal. (click image to enlarge).

Depending on your budget you may wish to consider these... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-npl-eyepieces.html
or these... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html - though I am not sure whether these two brands are available
in Indian astronomy shops and dealerships or price. The BST series are popular budget e/p's here in by some SGL’ers here in GB/UK.

As for this one, I checked the links and they look like quite good eyepieces, but as per the first link, one costs £41, thats close to how much I paid for 3 eyepieces though 😅.  It's quite a bit off my budget.  Is there anything else that you can suggest at lower price range?  

[Louis D]

There's the new 8-24mm Svbony zoom on ebay/aliexpress that's been getting good reviews on CN for about $60 from China.

There's also a set of Plossls on aliexpress for $81 with a 2x Barlow that is similar in quality to the Celestron Omni Plossls.

[Roy Challen]

41 minutes ago, Aryan said:

Hey, that sounds like a good deal, set of eyepieces for £20 is not bad. The only problem is that my Celestron Astromaster 130EQ (f/5) is  a fast scope, so like you mentioned, it wouldn't suit me too well. Can you suggest any alternative in the same price range perhaps?

I don't think you'll get anything new at this price point. If that's your budget then second hand will be your only realistic option. I'd probably go for the zoom Louis D mentioned above. It'll cover what a set of eyepieces will in one unit.

[Aryan]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

There's the new 8-24mm Svbony zoom on ebay/aliexpress that's been getting good reviews on CN for about $60 from China.

Oh wow, this zoom eyepiece is quite new to me, I never knew zoom eyepieces existed for such a wide range. Like @Roy Challen said, it'll unite all my previous eyepieces into one, and even the hassle of having to frequently switch eyepieces is cleared off! Even though this is slightly off my budget too, I'm highly considering this one and also it's younger sibling, the 7-21mm zoom eyepiece, they look quite the bang for the buck.

 

Thank you all for the help, much appreciated! If anyone is able to find other zoom eyepieces at a cheaper price, please post it here, I'm open to suggestions! 😃

[Zermelo]

1 hour ago, Aryan said:

Thank you all for the help, much appreciated! If anyone is able to find other zoom eyepieces at a cheaper price, please post it here, I'm open to suggestions!

I'm not aware of any cheaper models that have been recommended here. The Svbony are decent budget zooms.
Do check the weights of the different focal lengths - they vary quite a bit!

You might also be interested in this recent thread - there's mention of zooms half way down.

[Aryan]

6 hours ago, Zermelo said:

You might also be interested in this recent thread - there's mention of zooms half way down.

Thanks for this thread, it gave me more insight as to how zooms work. The concepts of zoom eyepieces is still quite new to me, wish I'd known earlier!

Thanks for all the help again guys, this is why I love this platform, it's so useful for beginners like me!