I got about $500 saved to spend on eyepieces and I have been researching my self silly. I have read so many pros and cons that I am not sure what to spend my money on. So my question is if you had $500 to spend, what eyepieces would you get? I have an 10" Dob f/5 and 5" f/12.1 Mak. I know there are good deals on astromart but I would like to buy a new set of EPs. Thanks
$500 EP Advice
Started by adrenx, 01/22/2005 08:53PM
Posted 01/22/2005 08:53PM
Opening Post
Posted 01/22/2005 09:15PM
#1
30mm, 20mm, 15mm Ultrascopics, 2.5x Televue Powermate.
This would give you from about 42x-212x on the Dob with pretty good spacing. With the just the Mak, you could probably skip the 15mm. You could work out similar schemes with the celestron Ultimas or Televue Plossls for a similar price.
Widefield eyepieces that work well with an f5 dob will blow your budget, so I'd stick with high-quality plossl-class ep's.
This would give you from about 42x-212x on the Dob with pretty good spacing. With the just the Mak, you could probably skip the 15mm. You could work out similar schemes with the celestron Ultimas or Televue Plossls for a similar price.
Widefield eyepieces that work well with an f5 dob will blow your budget, so I'd stick with high-quality plossl-class ep's.
Posted 01/22/2005 11:47PM
#2
That's some good money. I would want to end up with a premium eyepiece or two for that kind of cash. The 24 Panoptic is a must: widest true field with the most magnification in a 1.25" barrel and works wonderfully in fast scopes.
Then, if you get them on sale, you have enough left for a Nagler. Probably a 9mm for your high power Deep Sky eyepiece, which yields 140-170x in your scopes (nice for resolving globulars and planetary nebulae).
If Planets are more your thing than Deep Sky, a 5mm Radian might be the ticket.
Hugh Bartlett
Oakland, CA
Then, if you get them on sale, you have enough left for a Nagler. Probably a 9mm for your high power Deep Sky eyepiece, which yields 140-170x in your scopes (nice for resolving globulars and planetary nebulae).
If Planets are more your thing than Deep Sky, a 5mm Radian might be the ticket.
Hugh Bartlett
Oakland, CA
"Praise the Lord for the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations." 2007 Reform Siddur
Posted 01/23/2005 07:45AM
#3
Justin,
The widefields are IMHO a much better experience then the plossls.
There is alot of great advice here. The radians and Meade UWA's are very nice but both addictive and expensive.
The Panoptics and Meade SWA's are probably an excellent middle ground. I have seen some reports that put the SWA's a little sharper then the Pans. I have never stacked them up next to each other, but my 24.5 SWA gives a very nice view for 50-60% the price of the Panoptic.
There are some other lower end widefields that I have seen excellent notes on, but I will have to leave others for these recommendations.
I have bought plenty of EP's here used and have yet to get a bad one. The beauty is, if you don't like it or you change your jumps, you can usually sell it and the experience costs you the price of shipping.
Ed
The widefields are IMHO a much better experience then the plossls.
There is alot of great advice here. The radians and Meade UWA's are very nice but both addictive and expensive.
The Panoptics and Meade SWA's are probably an excellent middle ground. I have seen some reports that put the SWA's a little sharper then the Pans. I have never stacked them up next to each other, but my 24.5 SWA gives a very nice view for 50-60% the price of the Panoptic.
There are some other lower end widefields that I have seen excellent notes on, but I will have to leave others for these recommendations.
I have bought plenty of EP's here used and have yet to get a bad one. The beauty is, if you don't like it or you change your jumps, you can usually sell it and the experience costs you the price of shipping.
Ed
Posted 01/23/2005 10:09PM
| Edited 01/23/2005 10:11PM
#4
Obviously lots of people here want you to spring for the premium glass! I evntually did myself, but accepting your terms I stand by my advice that a good set of plossl/ultrascopic eyepieces will serve you very, very well.
But, the alternative is buying one or two premium eyepieces now, getting by with your other eyepieces until you again have room in your budget. Since one of your scopes is 1.25" only (I'm guessing the Mak is 1.25" only), the 24mm Panoptic is a sweet eyepiece and will serve nicely as your low power eyepiece for both scopes.
Yes, it's several times more expensive than a 30mm Ultrascopic or similar eyepiece, but it all depends on what you want...but remember, eyepieces last forever! I have both a 30mm Ultrascopic and the 24 pan, yes the 30mm is a great eyepiece, but the 24 Pan is definitely a different experience.
But, the alternative is buying one or two premium eyepieces now, getting by with your other eyepieces until you again have room in your budget. Since one of your scopes is 1.25" only (I'm guessing the Mak is 1.25" only), the 24mm Panoptic is a sweet eyepiece and will serve nicely as your low power eyepiece for both scopes.
Yes, it's several times more expensive than a 30mm Ultrascopic or similar eyepiece, but it all depends on what you want...but remember, eyepieces last forever! I have both a 30mm Ultrascopic and the 24 pan, yes the 30mm is a great eyepiece, but the 24 Pan is definitely a different experience.
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