A cheap but good eyepiece collection

[part timer]

Well,

after who knows how long, I finally have a collection with which I am happy!

I don't have the budget for the nagler/ethos jobby's but I find that this lot give excellent views in all my scopes.

For low to medium power, I find decent plossls to be better than the cheaper widefield eyepieces. I have learned that Image quality and comfort are more important to me than sheer field of view.

At high power Plossls and ortho's are just too tight on eye relief for me.

The TS planetary's are fantastic however, and are very comfortable in use.

The only 'wild card is the 11mm ultrawide. I cope with the eye relief by not using the eyeguard and deliberatly not using the whole field. Optical quality is much better than expected. I bought it as the only alternative in this focal length was the Teleview Plossl, which is good, but just too overpriced.

I use TAL colour filters for planetary viewng and Baader oIII and UHC for some deep sky work. The Variable polariser is used on the moon and venus with one filter used singly on the PST to make significant contrast improvements.

and the cast are.....

a 32mm Celestron Nexstar Plossl, a 17mm Celestron Nexstar plossl, a 12.5 Celestron Plossl, an 11mm Ultrawide, a 9mm planetary and an 8mm planetary.

It's the first time in ages I don't feel like buying any new eyepieces!

Now if I could just find a nice mount .

[John]

Thats a nice collection ! - what scope do you use them with ?.

I've tried a few of those Planetary HR eyepieces and I found them very good. Nice to see an older Celestron Plossl 12.5mm in there as well - I used to have the 10mm version which was a good sharp eyepiece and a bargain.

If you ever come across any of the old Japanese Meade 3000 series plossls (with green writing on them like Tele Vue !) they are well worth considering as well - I sold a couple a a while back and I could hardly give them away but they are fine examples of Japan made plossls IMHO.

John

[part timer]

Thanks!

I use them in my TAL 2m and in my PST (this uses the 17, 12, 9 and 8)

They worked very well in my 90mm Maksutov until I dropped it.

I have also been using them in my old tasco to find that it was a good scope after all!

The Celestron plossls are all good and are noticeably better than the current omni range (which I have used also). The planetary's are really nice and I can't fault them, especially for fifty quid new (the 8mm was less than 30 second hand).

I know what you mean about selling. Most peolple now insist on large fields of view and don't consider that a decent plossl will give a much better image and still be quite wide field.

It's only the eyerelief below about 10mm plossls that I can't stand. It's like wereing a contact lense!

[The Warthog]

That is a nice collection. I'll have to look into those planetaries, so to speak.

[Doc]

Thats a really collection of eyepieces. This reminds me I must invest in some colour filters

[part timer]

I'll have to look into those planetaries, so to speak.

You should! They really are something that is quite a bit better than everything else in the price range.

(I don't work for the firm or anything )

This reminds me I must invest in some colour filters

I'm a dedicated filter user! I think in your big scope they would make a big impact. Also I suggest trying the UHC filter next time Mars comes around. I honestly see more detail and less turbulence with it. It does make the planet a groovy colour though .