What BST starguiders to upgrade Heritage 150p

[jamesc96]

Hi,

I recently purchased the skywatcher heritage 150p and would like some help choosing new EP sizes.

I have only tested in daylight so far at distant objects due to weather. The stock 25 seems fine, but the 10mm seems very difficult to use. It is impossible for me to get close enough without my eyelashes touching the glass (even though it says long eye relief on the eyepiece?).

Since they are affordable and well thought of here I'd like to try the starguiders.

Should I just buy a 10mm to replace the stock, or buy an 8mm and/or 12mm due to their great reviews. I'm asking here because I have no clue about what eyepiece models/sizes work well with a particular telescope.

EDIT: I already have the 5mm BST ordered for planetary, it just hasn't arrived yet.

Thanks!

Edited July 27, 2022 by jamesc96

[cajen2]

Remember as EP focal lengths shorten, the effect on magnification increases. Thus, a 12mm BST gives you 62.5x mag and an 8mm one gives you 94x, while a 5mm gives you 150x. So in your shoes, I'd start with the 5mm and 12mm, filling in the other focal lengths later.

You might well end up doing what I did with my 150p and start going for higher-end glass. The scope is good enough to see the difference.  My three Baader Morpheus  and two Pentax XWs give gorgeous views through it, as well as in my 8" dob.

Edited July 27, 2022 by cajen2

[Zermelo]

The Starguider range has 8mm and 12mm but not 10mm. You're right that the stock 10mm is the weaker of the two supplied, but there's no reason to replace it with another 10mm; but if you did want to, then this is one that is similar quality to the Starguiders and has the same 60° field (and is smaller and lighter, too).

As @cajen2 says, the mirror on the Heritage is decent enough to benefit from eyepieces more expensive than the Starguiders, but that depends on your budget and how quickly you want to spend it. The Morpheus range have gone up significantly (like much else), though they still compete well against more expensive competitors. There are several options under £200, like some of the Explore Scientific ranges, which will perform a bit better than the Starguiders.

Another option would be perhaps a 12mm Starguider and a x2 Barlow, which will give you a new focal length with every eyepiece you buy. Another again is a zoom, which costs more than a single eyepiece but gives you a whole range of focal lengths.

For some advice on how to decide on focal lengths when building a set, there are some discussions here:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/43171-eyepieces-the-very-least-you-need

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/251506-a-guide-for-choosing-a-sensible-eyepiece-collection-using-the-exit-pupil

 

 

[wulfrun]

Just to throw in another idea...OVL Nirvana 16mm plus a 2x Barlow. Not much more money than two BSTs.

It'd give you your 25mm, 16mm, 12.5mm (effectively, with 25mm + Barlow), 8mm (effectively, with 16mm + Barlow) and the 5mm BST you have on its way. The Nirvana will work pretty well with the Heritage 150P and has a useful 82-degree view, better than the BSTs, meaning less nudging.

Edited July 27, 2022 by wulfrun

[Xgaze]

Hi James,

Welcome to SGL!
I bought the same scope as you just over 12 months ago. I've found it an excellent starter scope. Shortly after buying I upgraded the EP's to the following:

8mm BST Starguider  -  which I find really good and the most used particularly for viewing planets. I got it from the forum sponsers First Light Optics - excellent service and advice.

32mm Plossl  - a great quality EP for the money. It gives me amazing wide views of the sky, I'm lucky enough to live in Bortle 4 , it shows fantastic views of clusters like Pleiades

X2 Barlow (shorty) Starguider - have to be honest, I hardly ever use this as it looses so much detail although, it does enhance DSO's like globular clusters and galaxies.

If you can afford it, go for the best quality!
Good luck and keep us posted.

Tony
 

 

[NGC 1502]

I’ve owned all focal lengths of BST Starguiders except the 25mm.

I found the best of the bunch are the 5mm, 8mm, 12mm and for the price are exceptional. The 15mm and 18mm were not as good with my f4.8 Dob but still not too bad considering the price.  The 3.2mm was a disaster and perhaps a faulty unit. I realise the 3.2mm produces very high power, but compared with my 2.5mm and 4mm Vixen LVs the BST 3.2mm Starguider was only sharp in centre field and very fuzzy off axis.  

[Louis D]

19 hours ago, NGC 1502 said:

I’ve owned all focal lengths of BST Starguiders except the 25mm.

I found the best of the bunch are the 5mm, 8mm, 12mm and for the price are exceptional. The 15mm and 18mm were not as good with my f4.8 Dob but still not too bad considering the price.  The 3.2mm was a disaster and perhaps a faulty unit. I realise the 3.2mm produces very high power, but compared with my 2.5mm and 4mm Vixen LVs the BST 3.2mm Starguider was only sharp in centre field and very fuzzy off axis.  

I agree with your experiences.  The 25mm is a slight improvement from the 15mm and 18mm units, but it is certainly no 24mm APM UFF.  See my write-up versus the Meade HD-60s:

I recall someone on CN also commenting that the 3.2mm has off-axis issues.  I didn't pick one up because it wasn't part of the used package I bought, and I saw no reason to complete the set based on these shaky reviews.  Besides, I rarely use my 3.5mm Pentax XW, so the 3.2mm BST/Paradigm would have just about zero utility for me.

[jamesc96]

Hi All,

It seems clear that the 8mm is the most worthy of the lot and that a larger 32mm plossl is worth it too.

If I had my way, based on what's been said I would buy a 8mm, 12mm and a 18mm (the very helpful @Tiny Clanger messaged  and recommend the 18 for the heritage & DSOs) and also a 32mm plossl.

However, I've found an online sale of the the 8, 15 and 18 together for a very good price so I am going to snap it up and see how I get on! 

I was extremely tempted by the Nirvana's after the suggestion of @wulfrun . But unfortunately can't justify the cost right now and would like to steer clear of Barlows for the moment. Maybe next year.

 

Thanks everyone!

[jamesc96]

37 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I agree with your experiences.  The 25mm is a slight improvement from the 15mm and 18mm units, but it is certainly no 24mm APM UFF.  See my write-up versus the Meade HD-60s:

I recall someone on CN also commenting that the 3.2mm has off-axis issues.  I didn't pick one up because it wasn't part of the used package I bought, and I saw no reason to complete the set based on these shaky reviews.  Besides, I rarely use my 3.5mm Pentax XW, so the 3.2mm BST/Paradigm would have just about zero utility for me.

 

38 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I agree with your experiences.  The 25mm is a slight improvement from the 15mm and 18mm units, but it is certainly no 24mm APM UFF.  See my write-up versus the Meade HD-60s:

I recall someone on CN also commenting that the 3.2mm has off-axis issues.  I didn't pick one up because it wasn't part of the used package I bought, and I saw no reason to complete the set based on these shaky reviews.  Besides, I rarely use my 3.5mm Pentax XW, so the 3.2mm BST/Paradigm would have just about zero utility for me.

Are there any other alternate brandings for the Starguiders? I'm located in Ireland so would like to know of alternatives that are easier to ship here than the BSTs.

[Zermelo]

45 minutes ago, jamesc96 said:

Are there any other alternate brandings for the Starguiders? I'm located in Ireland so would like to know of alternatives that are easier to ship here than the BSTs

Astrotech Paradigms (dual ED) is the one I see most often, but there are several others.

[EDIT: sorry, I see LouisD already mentioned that]

Edited July 28, 2022 by Zermelo

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, jamesc96 said:

Are there any other alternate brandings for the Starguiders? I'm located in Ireland so would like to know of alternatives that are easier to ship here than the BSTs.

I've also seen them sold as just Dual ED along with the aforementioned Paradigm branding.

[ONIKKINEN]

5 hours ago, jamesc96 said:

 

Are there any other alternate brandings for the Starguiders? I'm located in Ireland so would like to know of alternatives that are easier to ship here than the BSTs.

I wonder if these "ED eyepiece" models from TS are the same ones as the BST starguiders? Sure look similar.

8mm as an example: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4934_TS-Optics-1-25--ED--eyepiece-8-mm---60--flat-field--long-eye-relief.html

[jamesc96]

4 minutes ago, ONIKKINEN said:

I wonder if these "ED eyepiece" models from TS are the same ones as the BST starguiders? Sure look similar.

8mm as an example: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4934_TS-Optics-1-25--ED--eyepiece-8-mm---60--flat-field--long-eye-relief.html

It looks like the key word is ED. Searching "ED Eyepiece 8mm" for example shows up a few different brands like TS and also Artesky which looks identical too. Thanks!

[Zeta Reticulan]

They were originally made by Barsta. They have been marketed with several brand names. I'm not sure who actually manufactures them now. The Barsta site has disappeared. 

[Louis D]

2 minutes ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

They were originally made by Barsta. They have been marketed with several brand names. I'm not sure who actually manufactures them now. The Barsta site has disappeared. 

Barsta appeared to be an aggregator/wholesaler of stuff made by a multitude of unnamed companies.  I never got the impression they had their own factories like KUO, JOC, Ningbo Sunny, GSO, Long Perng, etc.  Barsta seemed more similar to today's Svbony except that Barsta didn't seem to sell directly to the public.

[Zeta Reticulan]

1 minute ago, Louis D said:

Barsta appeared to be an aggregator/wholesaler of stuff made by a multitude of unnamed companies.  I never got the impression they had their own factories like KUO, JOC, Ningbo Sunny, GSO, Long Perng, etc.  Barsta seemed more similar to today's Svbony except that Barsta didn't seem to sell directly to the public.

I think you're probably correct in this. I believe they were two companies based in the ROC who sourced primarily from the PRC. I'm not totally sure but 'Barsta' (BST) was probably a portmanteau of the names of the two major distributors.