The most useful UW magnification combinations

[Nick P]

I am thinking of buying a high end ultra wide EP plus barlow to complement my plossls, and am wondering which magnification combination's everyone finds to be the most useful.

I intend using this in my 900mm scope for viewing globulars and other viewable DSO's from my light polluted home (will probably get some planetary use but not the main purpose for the purchase).

I was thinking of an 11mm Nagler which will give me 82x and 1 degree field plus barlowed 164x and 0.5 degree field, (the equvalent FOV's would equate to my 15mm and 8mm plossls, but much higher magnification).

Which ultra wide eyepiece magnification combinations would be the most useful?

Any thoughts gratefully received

Best

Nick

[John]

If you have some light pollution then it's best to avoid really low powers - a bit more magnfication darkens the background sky which helps pick out DSO's.

My scopes are 663mm and 1200mm focal length and I find my most used eyepieces for DSO's range from 20mm to 10mm with the 13mm being a real workhorse. I've just got an 8mm Ethos though which I'm anticipating will be a great higher power DSO eyepiece.

The Nagler T6 13mm (1.25") or the Nagler T4 12mm (2" / 1.25") are very good eyepieces.

[Nick P]

Hi John, thanks for your input

Interesting that your 13mm workhorse gives around 92x in your 1200 and the Ethos 150x this is the magnification range I was aiming at.

I used to own a 12mm nagler and agree that it was a great eyepiece and would give me 75x and 150x barlowed, unfortunately my current scope only has a 1.25" focuser so have had to discount it.

[Ben Ritchie]

I'd agree with John, 13mm is ideal for me too (focal lengths of 1040mm and 1200mm), so I think the 11mm or 13mm T6 would be money well spent. The 16mm Nirvana is good too for considerably less money, although I think slightly longer focal length than ideal - wish they did something between the 7 and 16.

I love the 12T4 but agree that even though it has the dual 1.25"/2" barrel it's really a 2" eyepiece (like the 13E) - never felt secure in a 1.25" focuser to me.

[Nick P]

Hi Ben, thanks for your thoughts, the magnifcations from the Nagler 11 appear to be about right especially with the extra FoV, the 13mm may be a little light on mag at 70x and 140x barlowed.

The problem with the nagler 12 is really evident on a newtonian where the 2"skirt sits on the outside of the drawtube and would hit the focusser body!

Best

Nick

[Chris H]

It was no coincidence that when TeleVue brought out the first Ethos ep it was the 13mm, something delivering around x100 mag is excellent for DSO work. Personally I use the Nagler 12T4 and whilst it is quite a large ep when compared to the 13T6 I really love it. If you are thinking of the 12T4 see if you can get to a star party and try before you buy because it requires spot on eye positioning or you get kidney beaning and it also has the instadjust eye guard that some people don't like.

The 2" should not hit the focusser body I used to use it in 1.25" form with my Orion(USA) focuser without any problems. I now have a Moonlite and use it only in 2" form.

[pbyrne]

I find that my 13mm Nagler is my most used ep, in my 12" dob it gives a magnification of 115. It would be the ep that I would select.