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Post by karmca on Aug 10, 2013 19:21:31 GMT
Hi everybody, I have a Skywatcher 8" dob and a Skymax 127. The eyepieces I have are the ones that came with the scopes. Should I upgrade them and if so, what should I get? I get great craic out of my telescopes and want to see as much as I can.
Thankyou.
PS Hope the BBQ that isnt happening goes well tonight!!
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Post by stevie on Aug 10, 2013 23:47:56 GMT
Hi Karen Eyepieces are very personal things, everyone has their own favourites. They range in price from £30 up to £500. Since you currently own a 25mm and a 10mm plossl eyepiece, there is no point in getting eyepieces of the same size. You will probably, like most people, want something for a wide field of view for general scanning of the sky and searching for objects like galaxies and nebulae in your dob, a medium field for most Messier objects and star clusters, and a high power eyepiece for planets, the Moon, globular clusters and planetary nebulae. So you would need something in the region of a 27-35mm, a 15-17mm, and a 6-8mm. You really only need 3 good eyepieces, although most observers would end up with 5 or 6 (some have a lot more, no names mentioned) The eyepiece which most of the regular observers in the society own is the Baader Hyperion 17mm. This eyepiece gives a 68 degree field of view, which, for many, is more than wide enough. It really is a jack of all trades, and suits all telescopes. You can also buy extension rings for the Baader eyepieces. A 14mm ring added to the 17mm will make it into a 13mm. The rings cost around £12. Most of the people I know who own this eyepiece usually quickly end up buying the 8mm as well, another first class eyepiece, and again, the 14mm ring will turn it into a 6mm. So, you actually end up with 4 good eyepieces for the price of 2, plus £12 for a 14mm ring. Other good eyepieces include Celestron Ultima LX, although these may be a bit heavy for your Skymax, the Explore Scientific 82 degree range, which are outstanding eyepieces, but now difficult to get in the UK. The Explore Scientific 70 degree range are also reputed to be quite good, although I have not seen through one. Meade plossls and ultrawides (UWA's) are excellent. If you are happy to spend serious money, all Televue eyepieces are worth considering, especially the Panoptic's, the Radian's and the high power plossls. Skywatcher make some nice eyepieces, especially the Panaview range. Skywatcher also produce a series of 66 degree eyepieces which are amazingly good value at around £30. Blacks and Lizars in Wellington Place in Belfast usually have them in stock. The 6mm is a very nice little eyepiece. So, you can see, there is a wide choice out there, including others that I have not mentioned. You really pays your money and takes your pick. There are very few outright bad eyepieces nowadays, manufacturers cannot afford to end up with a dud, as word quickly gets around. But, I can guarantee that if you invest in any of the eyepieces I have mentioned, you will never use your current eyepieces again. So, I would advise you to invest in the Baader 17mm as a start, and then go on from there. One other thing. Eyepieces comes in two sizes, 1.25 inch and 2 inch. A 2inch eyepiece will fit in your dob, if you remove the ring in the eyepiece holder, but will not fit in your Skymax. So, if you use your Skymax a lot, it would probably be better to stick to 1.25 inch eyepieces. Maybe you could eventually invest in one 2 inch in the 27-35 range, for use with the dob, at a later date. Be careful where you buy from, some companies have better reputations than other. Rother Valley Optics, First Light Optics and Telescope House are probably the best. Stay away from ebay. www.firstlightoptics.com/baader-planetarium/baader-hyperion-68-degree-eyepiece.htmlwww.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Meade-Series-5000-Ultra-Wide-Angle-Eyepieces.htmlwww.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces.htmlwww.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/eyepieces_t5_s4.html
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Post by karmca on Aug 11, 2013 19:34:47 GMT
Stevie, yet again thank you for your advice. I'm going to have a look on the sites you recommend. I'm really hoping to get to some of the observing nights this coming autumn/winter....if the clouds ever lift!!!
Thanks again.
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