Which Eyepiece?

[Panzer]

I'm about to fork out on a new eyepiece (or two, if I'm feeling crazy). Question is, what are the recommended Eps for a SW Explorer 130p?

I'd like a high power one to look at planets in as much detail as possible, and a low power for DSOs. Is there a particular brand/series that anyone would say performs well for under £100?

Also, what is the Revelation EP set like? it looks quite a bargain at £130 having that many EPs, barlow, filters etc and a carry case! Any short reviews of this from any owners?

Cheers!

[brantuk]

At that price point the Revelation set represents best flexibility and value for money - the ep's are fairly decent and it's photo friendly. Imho the Celestron set (which I have) isn't what it says on the box and I'd avoid it.

But I'm not too convinced by the cheaper ep sets. I reckon you're better off with one or two decent "selected" ep's. I.e. selected specificlaly for your scope and requirements.

There are one or two very nice Meade wide angle ep's in the £60-£80 bracket, Hyperions are around £90 new (£60-£70 s/h) and TV Radians around £100 s/h for higher power work. I have a fondness for the Hyperion Zoom - probably the most used ep in my kit - great all rounder and like 5 good ep's in one (I have examples of all the above).

There are alternatives in the £30 to £60 bracket - TMB's are frequently mentioned though I never tried them myself. Hope that helps

[Panzer]

Cheers! Yeah Meade 4000s have been catching my eye quite a bit... What has tempted me most about the Revelation is the array of eps, filters and a barlow (which is presumably better than my bog-standard Skywatcher one!) all in a carry case.

Would you recommend any specific apertures? I was thinking 5mm for high power, 35mm for low.In terms of planetary viewing, is it recommended to go for something like a 5mm? I've heard some people complain that its like looking through a pinhole and quite eye-straining, but I thought surely that magnification would give the best view of planets?