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JeffB
member
Reged: 06/05/07
Posts: 20
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Can anyone recommend a low power wide field eyepiece specifically for the 66ED refractors.
I have WO Zoom II eyepiece, which works really well, but at the lowest setting, 22.5mm, provides only about a 2.4 degree FOV.
I’m thinking of the following, but would like to know of any other recommendations in the medium price bracket, (I can not afford not Naglar, Pentax etc)
Orion 30mm Ultrscopic
Orion or Smart Astronomy Edge on 27mm Flat Field
Hyperion 24mm
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RAKing
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 803
Loc: Virginia
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I like the 24mm Hyperion in your price range. (16x/4.21 degree FOV in my ZS66).
Enjoy,
Ron
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Time spent looking at the stars is added to your life.
"Hi Def" TV-102
C925-CF SCT "Time Machine II"
Orion XT10i / Moonlite CR2
GM-8 GEM / A-P Portable Pier
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14598
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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For the widest possible field in this scope, you'll want a 2" diagonal and 2" eyepiece. For example, with a 2" 30mm GSO Superview will yield about 13x and show a TFOV of 5°+.
A budget 2" ultra-wide, like the Moonfish/1RPD (30mm), will give the same magnification as the 30mm Superview, but will show a whopping 6° of sky.
With true fields that enormous, one doesn't need a seperate finderscope or RDF. Just drop in that lowest power ep, find your target, and then start working up the power and eyepieces.
If you want to stay in a 1.25" format, then your maximum TFOV is going to be a little over four degrees.
The 30mm Orion Ultrascopic is not really a widefield and has a Plossl-like 52° apparent field. So it will yield about 13x and a TFOV of 4°.
I don't have any experience with the new Flat Field type eyepieces, so I can only go by what Google tells me - It quotes the Edge-On/Flat-Field ep's as having a 53° AFOV. So, that would yield about 14x and a 3.7° TFOV.
About the Hyperion/Stratus - I didn't like the Stratus in my AT66ED. It was soft off-axis and introduced a good bit of false color into the view. I traded it away pretty quick. It would yield about 16x and a 4.25° TFOV.
As you can see, the 1.25" barrel format tops out at just over 4 degrees in this scope. Using 2" format, you can squeeze another 1.5° to 2°+ out of this scope - depending on eyepiece choice. 
(All of this is assuming your ZS66SD has the same 400mm focal length my AT66ED does. If not, adjust the above calculations accordingly)
Good luck and clear skies!
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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BillP
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/26/06
Posts: 2207
Loc: Vienna, VA
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My 24 Hyperion works fine in this scope (actually the WO Z66SD). However, I more often use a 32mm or 40mm Plossl when using the scope as a finder since there is a lot less effort looking across a smaller afov. So for the "finder" purpose I prefer smaller AFOVs. If I'm going for aesthetics then the Hyperion might get more use.
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250mm f/4.7 Orion XT10i Dobsonian
102mm f/8.0 Tak TSA Super-APO
66mm f/5.9 WO ZenithStar SD APO
40mm f/10 Coronado P.S.T.
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JeffB
member
Reged: 06/05/07
Posts: 20
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Thanks all for your replies.
It looks like the 24 Hyperion would be the best option in my price range, although MikeG did not it.
Thanks again
Jeff
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14598
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Hi Jeff,
Take my advice with a grain of salt - others' mileage may vary with the Stratus/Hyperion. I've owned only one Stratus, and I think it was a 19mm. (I got rid of it so quick that I can't remember the focal length!)
Another part of the reason I jettisoned it was because the eye relief was several millimeters shorter than the advertised 20mm. I wear big clunky glasses, so I need every millimeter of that 20.
Good luck and clear skies,
MikeG
--------------------
Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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