New eyepiece for 150p dob f-8

[Perryellis]

Hello again. Sorry to keep asking stupid questions but I am getting overwhelmed by the choice.

I plan to buy one eyepiece per month to upgrade my new scope. I currently find searching for Messier objects slightly more interesting than planetary viewing and I would definately like something suited for that and maybe with a better fov than the two supplied with my scope-10mm and 25mm. I have been recommended a 32mm for this.

The next ep I plan to go for would be high mag for planets. at the moment I can see Jupiter but not much detail, all four moons (if they are visible) and maybe one band but the planet looks like a bright white disc-almost blinding! would a better quality ep improve this very much or is this as good as I will see with the scope? I have been told that the ep's supplied with my scope are not great. Dont get me wrong though, I still think jupiter and the moons look great but from what I have been reading from others with the similar size/type scopes it seems I should be seeing slightly more detail...

My budget would be about £50 per eyepiece to start with. Are any that you would recommend/suited to the scope? I have been told by a nice chap on these forums that televue are good

thanks for any advice given:)

[Moonshane]

I am completely biased to Televue (TV) and look at everything through green and black glasses. there are lots of EPs out there and I understand your being overwhelmed by choice. first off, your scope is a great scope and you'll see a lot with it. of course, you'll always see more DSOs with a larger aperture but as an all rounder the 6" f8 dob is great. you'll get excellent views of moon and planets, double stars and also many dsos including open clusters, globular clusters and to some extent galaxies. when it's up a little earlier - look at the Orion Nebula and tell me it's not a great scope - I dare you! make sure it's cool and collimated before use too.

anyway, back to EPs, your approach of buy something every month is like mine and a good one. being TV biased I'd recommend them. the reasons are that you can buy second hand and they hold their value as well if not better than any, the build / quality control is superb and optically, they are hard to beat - but some of them - the wider field ones - are very expensive. BUT you can get plossls for maybe £50 used and also Radians for maybe £100 used. I'd recommend initially a 32mm TV Plossl and a then over time a couple of Radians or possibly more TV plossls. a 10mm Radian (11mm Plossl) and maybe a 12mm Radian (15mm Plossl) would both serve you well especially with a good quality barlow.

I am sure you'll get lots of other opinions which are all obviously totally valid; EP choice is such a personal thing. I have never regretted buying Televue EPs.

[wulfrunian]

A better eyepiece won't necessarily make the details on Jupiter suddenly jump out at you. When I first started, I was disappointed with the amount of detail I could see, but I realised that you need to spend time on it. Steadiness of the air affects things a good deal, and by carefully observing it over a while you gradually see more features, sometimes they'll appear and disappear as the air steadies.

You'll also find you see more with more experience; you're rewarded by time and effort. If the disc is blinding, you may also find that coloured filters help - there's a good primer on the beginners' section of the forum which discusses what filters are best for different objects.

That's not to put you off any of the excellent eyepieces that have been recommended just to warn you that the view you see is a combination of optics and the experience of the eye that's observing.

[Moonshane]

very good point by Michael. This particularly relates to planets but all objects in space.

[asteria]

The quality of the sky is critical - seeing (steadiness) and transparency make all the difference. More and more magnification can actually make things worse without good skies. I usually try and use less magnification, but spend plenty of time looking. Often around 120x is optimal. I've never really seen anything worth looking at with a magnification of over 200x, at least in a moderate size scope.

[twotter]

My favourite EP is a GSO Revelation 32mm. It cost me £35 and I use it every time I'm observing.

[Perryellis]

Thanks for all of your advice guys. I will have a read of that primer you mentioned shortly

[ronin]

Having looked round and read various post here, this is the list that I have of EP's:

TV plossls, around the £75 mark, start at 8mm and go up from there.

WO SWANS, £60 at FLO, set of 3 so easy to get the set. Start at 9mm.

Orion ED2's, SCS Astro and Widescreen, Start at around 2.8mm and go up, around £75.

SCS used to do TMB planetaries, but not seen any advertised recently.

What seems to be ED2 clones at Astronomica, £50 a piece.

That seems to be the lower end but not the cheapest.

Each set are parfocal with others in the range.

There are others just these are the ones that have caught my attention. Heard of one other make just forget who, price I think was around the £70 mark.

Next thing is look, think, spend.

[Perryellis]

Thanks Ronin. I am leaning heavily towards the 32mm TV plossl

[Space Beagle]

These guys do the TMB's

Sky's the Limit

Ive just ordered a 6mm Planetary II, so will let people know how I get on with it in due course..!!

Doc

[Perryellis]

Sorry to ask a couple more questions.....Would I be able to see the same amount of dso objects through a 32mm TV plossl compared to the standard 25mm provided with the scope or would the tv just give a wider and more clear view?

Would the reduced amount of magnification on the 32mm impact what I would be able to find, or would the quality of the tv plossl compensate or better this?

Not sure wether to go for a 32mm as planned or just replace my 25mm with a same size tv plossl and maybe get a 32mm at a later date?

All advice appreciated:)

[Moonshane]

the 32mm would provide a wider field and therefore it will in theory be easier to find things. the disadvantage of the 32 over a 25mm is that the 25mm has more contrast so the e.g. galaxy will have a little more contrast in the darker sky (due to more magnification) than the 32mm. BUT the 25mm will have a narrower field (ad infinitum!).

I doubt that anything will be easier to find in a TV compared with say a standard plossl (unless it's really bad) but once you find the thing, the detail should in principle be a little sharper and more defied (if indeed any detail is possible with the object and prevailing conditions). although I love 'em TV (or any make of) eyepieces are not (unfortunately for us all!) a wonder cure for cannotfindititis