EP Selection?

[steve_bham]

Ive not brought any more EP's yet as im still confused which ones to buy

I have a rought budget of £100ish (per EP) what would you peeps recommend for a long focal length scope?

Been looking at Hyperions, TS Planetary, Orthos, and plossl's

Steve

[Moonshane]

hi Steve

how many eyepieces were you thinking of (now and over time?).

I have just got a used 13mm Ethos which effectively covers three 'mortal' eyepieces (maybe 12mm, 15mm and 18mm) and would cost approx the same as you want to spend based on £100 per eyepiece. I have reached the conclusion that I should have no more than 5 eyepieces - 3-6mm zoom, 8mm, 13mm, 24mm, 35mm.

I bought a cheapie 8mm to cover the current 'Ethos space' for now until I can afford an 8mm E.

with the 100 degree field it would be ideally suited for longer FLs.

as you'd expect I heartily recommend them

[Ags]

I have TS Planetary 6 & 9 mm for my 100mm mak. They are quite good - they seem to be sharp accross a wide field, but I did notice some internal reflections in the 6mm when looking at unfiltered Jupiter. Have not had that problem on other bright targets like the moon or Saturn or bright stars. They do not have enough eye-relief for me to keep my glasses on though - a problem if I want to share the view with someone else.

My plan for the wide-field EP is the 24mm hyperion, currently saving up for it.

[Ben Ritchie]

Both the Hyperions and TS planetaries are good, but i'd maybe go for top-quality Plossls (TeleVue or similar) - they're a good, relatively cheap option for a longer focal length 'scope, as you can get high powers while eye relief is still fairly comfortable.

For more cash, I reckon the current 3-for-2 Radian offer is pretty good if you're looking at £100 per eyepiece (ok, it's slightly more than that, but not much).

[Astro_Baby]

Depends also on how much eye relief you want. Hyperions - I have two. The 13mm works well in most things down to F5. The 5mm one is really only happy in my TAL at F9.

I have been searching for the perfect high power eyepiece for some time myself.

[steve_bham]

Thanks for replies, i do like the look of the tmb / ts ones and the hyperions.

Id love an ethos but dont think the little old ETX would cope with that weight! So would it be worth getting hyperions of tmb's?

[Ben Ritchie]

I have been searching for the perfect high power eyepiece for some time myself.

Have you tried the Radians? They're a pretty good combination of quality, reasonable weight/size, comfort/eye-relief and are not ultra-expensive. The XWs are a touch better, but are big, heavy eyepieces and cost a packet.

[Moonshane]

Thanks for replies, i do like the look of the tmb / ts ones and the hyperions.

Id love an ethos but dont think the little old ETX would cope with that weight! So would it be worth getting hyperions of tmb's?

oops sorry - didn't check what scope you had!

I reckon that any of the ones you mention would be great in your scope although for sure the Radians will also serve a dual purpose and do better in eg a faster scope if you go for a wider field jobbie. The other option of course is the SW Nirvana / WO UWANs which are not cheap but also apparently highly regarded.

[steve_bham]

Depends also on how much eye relief you want. Hyperions - I have two. The 13mm works well in most things down to F5. The 5mm one is really only happy in my TAL at F9.

I have been searching for the perfect high power eyepiece for some time myself.

Dont mind getting close(ish) to EP but i wouldnt be over keen on getting mega close.

How did your Hyperions perform in your Nexstar 4se?

[Capricorn]

TV plossl's should be good, and they have a reasonable selection, if 8mm is as small as you want for magnification.

Others that are sub £100 would be some of the Vixen ranges from FLO (Think it is Vixen they do) and the Orion ED2.

Think all the Orions are advertised as 20mm eye relief, so if that is a consideration they may be better suited.

Think that the Astronomica range is unbadged Orions, well they look like that and the spec seems the same. They are £50 a piece.

[Moonshane]

we're not helping are we?

there's sooo much choice though.

[steve_bham]

we're not helping are we?

there's sooo much choice though.

LOL i know thats my problem!! lucky its a fast scope and i can go for the cheaper end ones

Im sort of toying with the idea of getting some plossls for eveyday use (possibly GSO) and the hyperions when i know weathers good for an all night session.

Reason being i travel to a dark site to observe so plossls can be but in telescope case, but the hyperions would be in a dedicated EP case.

What do you think?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Have you tried the Radians? They're a pretty good combination of quality, reasonable weight/size, comfort/eye-relief and are not ultra-expensive. The XWs are a touch better, but are big, heavy eyepieces and cost a packet.

I love my Radian 8mm. With the 3 for 2 deal they are excellent value for money (the deal does not seem to apply here or I would certainly have added a 6mm and 10mm to my set, and easily found someone to buy the third). For deep sky you should look at wider angle options if you can afford it, but the radians are simply great for planets, especially if you wear glasses.

[Moonshane]

LOL i know thats my problem!! lucky its a fast scope and i can go for the cheaper end ones

Im sort of toying with the idea of getting some plossls for eveyday use (possibly GSO) and the hyperions when i know weathers good for an all night session.

Reason being i travel to a dark site to observe so plossls can be but in telescope case, but the hyperions would be in a dedicated EP case.

What do you think?

this seems a perfectly reasonable approach and would certainly work well. my only comments would be that:

• I used the consider that more eyepiece choice was a good thing but found that if I had too much choice I tended to be constantly swapping eyepieces rather than observing.
  
• Also, I get to observe so infrequently with weather and family commitments that I wanted to make the most of each session and use the best I could afford.
  

I use the Maplins flights cases with pick and pluck foam - as Tony the Tiger says they're GRRREAT.

[Moonshane]

I love my Radian 8mm. With the 3 for 2 deal they are excellent value for money (the deal does not seem to apply here or I would certainly have added a 6mm and 10mm to my set, and easily found someone to buy the third). For deep sky you should look at wider angle options if you can afford it, but the radians are simply great for planets, especially if you wear glasses.

Hi Michael I think Green Witch have the offer?

they have run out of 12mm's last time I checked (as have TV the offer has been so popular).

[steve_bham]

Just been doing a bit of google searching looks like the Hyperion has brought out a 10mm. Bet that would be a sweet spot EP.

[steve_bham]

this seems a perfectly reasonable approach and would certainly work well. my only comments would be that:

• I used the consider that more eyepiece choice was a good thing but found that if I had too much choice I tended to be constantly swapping eyepieces rather than observing.
  
• Also, I get to observe so infrequently with weather and family commitments that I wanted to make the most of each session and use the best I could afford.
  

I use the Maplins flights cases with pick and pluck foam - as Tony the Tiger says they're GRRREAT.

Agreed ive got a Jessops case (only so it matches my camera case! sad i know) but if its just a quick hour or so rather than lugging cases up and down my appartment i can keep the plossls in telescope case (a stanley tool box).

Then again Televues look great but can i justify the cost ...

[Moonshane]

I'd team up with Michael and get a Radian at about £100. Try it out and when you're hooked buy some more

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Hi Michael I think Green Witch have the offer?

they have run out of 12mm's last time I checked (as have TV the offer has been so popular).

Living in the Netherlands means extra costs for postage and packaging as a rule (plus exchange rate costs). Furthermore, several UK on-line retailers do not accept credit card payment from outside the UK (what is with these people) so I have given up on importing from the UK.

[Moonshane]

AHH sorry Michael I assumed you were in UK. what a shame (the offer - not living in the Netherlands!).

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

AHH sorry Michael I assumed you were in UK. what a shame (the offer - not living in the Netherlands!).

Shame indeed

Living in the Netherlands is fun otherwise, especially when they want to correct my English:rolleyes:

[Astro_Baby]

Well I have used the Hyperions (5mm and 13mm) in my Nexstar 4SE and they worked quite well. The Orion nebula last year was rather good in the 13mm for sure. 5mm pushes the mag a bit too hard.

I have also tried the 13mm in my Skymax 180 and found it to be good but a 5mm eyepieces in a scope with a focal length of 2700mm produces some way over the top magnification to the tune of x540

On the whole I rather I like the 13mm Hyperion - its nice is all of my scopes. The 5mm less so - the TAL likes it but the F5 Reflectyor aways produces mushy views with it. That might just be the nights its been used havent had particularly great seeing or it may be the 5mm is a duffer. SOme people say the 5mm is a bit of a weak sister in the Hyperion range and the 7mm is sweeter.

[johninderby]

Shame indeed

Living in the Netherlands is fun otherwise, especially when they want to correct my English:rolleyes:

StayFoused has the Radian offer in their eBay shop and they ship to Europe.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TeleVue-Radian-Eyepiece-Promotion-3-price-2-/280546453478?pt=UK_Telescopes

John

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

StayFoused has the Radian offer in their eBay shop and they ship to Europe.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TeleVue-Radian-Eyepiece-Promotion-3-price-2-/280546453478?pt=UK_Telescopes

John

Very tempting indeed, but I have already bought 15x70 binos, and have put a compact comet-hunter at the top of my priority list, to take to South Africa when I go there later this year. There is just so much I can spend on astronomy each year before I get awkward looks from the missus .

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

......

On the whole I rather I like the 13mm Hyperion - its nice is all of my scopes. The 5mm less so - the TAL likes it but the F5 Reflectyor aways produces mushy views with it. That might just be the nights its been used havent had particularly great seeing or it may be the 5mm is a duffer. SOme people say the 5mm is a bit of a weak sister in the Hyperion range and the 7mm is sweeter.

It may just be the speed of the scope. F5 puts more strain on the EP quality than slower scopes.