Posts Made By: Kirk Pederson

I'm using a Nexstar 102GT and the stock 10mm and 25 mm EPs. I'm most interested in planetary viewing and during the summer will be at a dark, rural location. I've heard good things about the Orion Shorty Plus barlow, but they seem hard to come by used. What other brands would people recommend for a barlow?

Also, I want to get one or two other EPs for planets and DSOs. Using the max magnification formulas, I think 200x is my max for this scope. My question is this - is that a firm rule, and do I push the scope too far by getting a lense that will get me to 200? Or will something that will get me in the 180x range give me better results even though I lose a little magnification?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Kirk

I have a Celestron 102GT, and the 25mm and 10mm lenses that came with it. I bought a Orion Shorty Plus 2x barlow, which was a great investment. Now, I'm looking for a little more power for planetary and nebula viewing. I'm thinking in the 5mm - 7mm range, which would about max out the magnification levels for my scope.

I recently saw some good deals on used Orion plossls in the size range that I'm looking for. I'm a little concerned about the short focal length since I wear glasses, but for the price and the number of times I actually get to use my scope, it might be worth it.

Can anyone tell me if the short length Orion (or Celestron) plossls are any good? If not, what would you recommend without breaking the bank (under $50).

Thanks.
Kirk
Minneapolis