Which Telvue EP should I get?

[bazza]

I'm going to SGL4 - I'll be taking my WO Zenithstar ED80, which'll just be sitting on a camera tripod for observing only.

None of my other kit is portable from the Obs.

I sold all my Meade series 4000 eyepieces ages ago and I'm afraid to admit that I haven't done any pure observing for a few years!

Another reason I'm looking forward to SGL4.

Now to the point, I've decided I want to buy a televue e/p to use generally and take with me to the event....but which one?

Discounting the Ethos for the moment, as that's probably out of budget, the Naglers look good, but I'd welcome any advice on which size, type to get.

I can only afford the one E/P though!

Thanks everyone.

Barry.

[Helen]

Hi Barry,

My favourite eyepiece with my WO Megrez 90 is the WO 16mm UWAN, its not quite a Nagler, but very very nearly, and for a much better price! Russ actually sold his Nagler because he prefered the UWAN. The 16mm is quite light too and so wouldn't cause a problem with your photo tripod. You could use the difference to get a nice barlow/powermate too and then you'd be sorted!

If you really want a TV though others will have to advise. I've got the 3-6mm zoom which is very nice for planets etc and tuning the magnification to the seeing, but it would be restrictive as your only eyepiece! The 8mm Ethos works well too, but then you'd expect that! and you're welcome to give it a go in your scope at SGL4.

Helen

[bazza]

Thanks Helen, very kind of you.

I will look at the WO UWAN range - the 16mm sounds a good choice.

Something I hadn't considered.

Barry.

[Helen]

Hi Barry,

These threads might help too!

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussion/67621-william-optics-uwan-16mm.html

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-help/73211-help-me-spend-300-eyepieces.html

Helen

PS I'm not on commission!!

[John]

It's difficult to pick out a single TV eyepiece because there are many good ones !.

One of the very nicest and most popular is the Panoptic 24mm which offers the widest view possible in the 1.25 inch format and superb views - it's viewed by many as one of the finest 1.25" eyepieces made.

An alternative might be a Nagler 13mm Type 6. OK it's not got the 100 degree views of the Ethos but it's a lovely eyepiece nonetheless and 13mm is a very useful focal length in many scopes - it's no accident that the 1st Ethos that appeared was in that focal length.

John

[roundycat]

19mm Panoptic for my money, my most used eyepiece.

Dennis

[acey]

If you were happy with your Meade 4000s then TeleVue plossls will do fine - they're all I ever use. But if their 52 degree apparent field isn't wide enough for your needs then go for the more expensive models. Certainly an 80mm scope lends itself well to low-power, wide-field work, especially if you're mounting it on a camera tripod, which might be too shaky for medium to high power.

The best ep focal length for a scope tends to be around 2 to 3 times the F-number, which I believe is F6 in your case, equating to 12mm to 18mm. But you should be able to go up to 5 or maybe 6 times F-number without trouble.

Andrew

[John]

The great thing about Tele Vue stuff (and the other premium brands like Pentax to be fair) is that it holds it's value. If you buy a decent condition Nagler 2nd hand you can almost always recoup most of what you paid it you do decide that it's not for you.

John

[FLO]

I used to own a number of Televues but sold them all when raising funds to launch FLO. I now use mostly Pentax eyepieces.

If I were to re-buy just one Televue it would be the 24mm Panoptic. The ultrawide Naglers were fun but they cost considerably more and your eye can only take in about 65-70 degrees without tilting your neck (to see the extra field-of-view). They are useful however if you have a Dobsonian as the target stays in the eyepiece FOV longer so there is less shuffling of the telescope as you chase it across the sky.

I'm going to SGL4...

There will no doubt be plenty of opportunity to compare eyepieces at SGL4 so why not leave your decision til after the event.

HTH

[Viking]

Barry,

A shameless plug for Televue eyepieces I am selling.

http://stargazerslounge.com/sale/77456-televue-eyepieces-diagonal-powermates.html

John

[bazza]

Thanks for the advice everyone - I am still mulling it over.

I think I ought to turn up at SGL4 with one eyepiece at least!

Barry.

[ollypenrice]

Barry, think again about the Ethos. I am a TeleVue nut and have never looked through better EPs in my life. (Some nice ones come this way, believe me.) I have 4 of them down here and love them. However, last year I twice had guests appear with 13 mm Ethos devices and my peace of mind was gone forever. I want one! The field of view is boggling, the sharpness pristine, the contrast exquisite and ...this did not come over for me in reviews...all sense of looking through glass disappears. You are just THERE in space.

Just do it. Buy one!

Olly.

[John]

If you can run to an Ethos you will not regret it I promise. I was using my 13mm Ethos last night with my 102mm ED refractor and it was wonderful - one minute I was sweeping up the Leo Triplet galaxies and the next counting faint moons of Saturn and seeing the planets equatorial cloud belts - they are SUPERB eyepieces

John