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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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So, I'm planning to get an 8" dob in the next few weeks, and I'm curious, what magnifications you use most often.
- <100x
- 100x-200x
- 200x-300x
- 300x-400x
- >400x
I'm guessing that below 100x is popular and 100x-200x is popular with just a little 200x-300x and not much over 300x or 400x, but that's just a guess.
How often can/do you go higher than 200x or 300x or even 400x? I assume that due to seeing, LP, and lack of tracking, that dobsonian people especially don't often go over 300x.
I'm thinking about buying a couple of EP and a barlow or maybe a Meade Telextender.
Last night I was thinking I'd add 8mm and 21mm hyperions to the 9mm and 25mm that come with the scope, but now I'm thinking it might be better to add a 21 and something like a 15mm SWAN or 17mm hyperion instead of the 8mm. With the 2x and possibly 3x, I could get some of the higher mag stuff without having to purchase the extra EPs.
The decisions are killing me.
Thanks
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Steve
Houston (Friendswood), TX
 Space Center Houston
8" Zhumell Dob - Woo Hoo!!
Celestron C102 f/5 - Thanks Tim!
21mm, 13mm Hyperion
2.5x TV Powermate
Canon Rebel XT
Nikon 7x35
Bushnell 10x50
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Brooklyn
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 870
Loc: Central New Jersey
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50x each inch of aperture?
so for a 8" thats 400x, but sky conditions matter and will determine the real max useful mag.
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Meade 8.25"(209.55mm) LX-90 EMC (SCT)
Albert Einstein =>
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.”
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PianoPaul
sage
Reged: 02/07/07
Posts: 218
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8"f/6 dob: 48x, Nagler 26, 100x, Nagler12, 170x, Nagler7. Sometimes barlow the 7 for 340x. 3-6Nagler Zoom for 200x-400x, mainly for planets and Luna. On rare occaisons, 3x barlow the 7Nagler for 510x(!) when the seeing permits, on planets mainly, or the moon. Floored me what Mars revealed on those few 500+ nights last winter.....
My advice: get 2 or 3 'intermediate' eyepieces now, 'cause you can't wait - but
don't spend a lot of time making sideways moves and tradeoffs looking for that magic but inexpensive eyepiece. Start getting Naglers, or Ethos, as soon as you can, you'll never regret it, and eyepieces are forever.
Disclaimer - Be sure to look thru some Naglers first, they may not be what your heart desires.
But, mine give me wonder every time, like it was the first time.......
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saxmaneagle
super member
Reged: 08/21/07
Posts: 174
Loc: Saint Francis, MN
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Quote:
I'm curious, what magnifications you use most often.
To answer that question honestly ? 37x . I have a 50mm Optilux that in my F/4.5, 1829mm 16" scope yields about 37x. I'd say 60-70% of my time at the eyepiece is spent at that magnification. Then, the remainder of my time is generally spent with 2 jumps. First jump is to 100x (18mm Meade UWA) then if it is exceptionally clear, or dark skies, 457x (4mm Meade UWA).
Bottom line is I use 3 EP's 37x, 101x and 457x. Now I own like 20 eyepieces, multiple barlows, etc... While it is really nice to have all those options ? In all honesty, I now use just those 3 EP's 80-90% of my sessions.
Basically low power to gaze at large groups of stars, or use as a 'finder' EP. (Center my target then replace with highpower EP). It is wonderful to me to just drift around with so much sky in one gulp, it takes up most of my time 
Then 100x to dial in a target, get a good look..and also decide if the sky is clear enough to really go High Power.
Yes, there have also been times I've gone as high as 1500x looking at the moon, giggling like a child as the craters fly by ..
Hopes this helps,
-scott
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Meade 16" Lightbridge
TV Paracorr
Glatter BLUG
2" Infinity XL & TeleCAT XL
10x50 Meade binos
20x80 standard Oberwerk binos
---------------------------------
"Inside us all are such Wonders. Search yourself, find them...share them...and Dream, of a better tomorrow"
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2062
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
So, I'm planning to get an 8" dob in the next few weeks, and I'm curious, what magnifications you use most often.
My 7-inch Dob has a 960-mm focal length. My standard low-power eyepiece is a 40-mm widefield, yielding 24X. I do use the scope at that magnification quite a lot, but mostly for star-hopping and/or to get a sense of an object in its broader context. The only objects that looks best and/or show most detail at such a low magnification are a handful of big, coarse open clusters like the Pleiades or M44.
The lowest power that I ever use "for real" is 40X. That's appropriate for a few big, vague nebulae, especially when using filters. But when using aggressive filters like my O III and H-beta, 60X is usually more appropriate. 60X is also nice for the fair number of deep-sky objects that need a genuinely wide true field of view.
My all-around workhorse magnification is 120X. That turns out to be nearly ideal for most deep-sky objects, and it's also great for planetary observing when the seeing is poor. My scope probably spends more than 50% of its time at this magnification.
Another very useful magnification is 160X. This is ideal for globular clusters, small planetary nebulae, and for planets when the seeing is about average for my area.
I routinely use 240X for planetary viewing in good seeing. But in my part of the world, it's a rare night when the atmosphere doesn't degrade the image significantly at that magnification. This magnification seems just about ideal for Jupiter, my favorite planetary target.
On very rare occasions, I push my scope to 300X or higher. These magnifications are rarely useful even in superb seeing, but they're sometimes nice for tight double stars, for viewing the Moon, and for Mars near opposition.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
Edited by Tony Flanders (08/07/08 08:52 AM)
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Lamb0
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/25/07
Posts: 668
Loc: Fairbury, Nebraska
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 I spend most of my time between 32X and 117X using my 2" eyepieces, the 32mm Burgess (my ~70° AFoV finder eyepiece), and 20mm Type5 Nagler (my favorite), usually with the Paracorr, swapping the 2X Powermate in/out as desired. 
 OTOH, my high power eyepiece, a 5-8 Speers-WALER is mounted in it's own recessed 1.25"/2" adapter threaded for 48mm filters. It allows power ranges from 127X to 238X and 254X to 477X. The ~80° AFoV is a big plus in my Dob, it's quality of field and contrast is superior to popular $120 eyepieces, (<cough> Hyperion <cough>), and the focal range allows replacing at least 2 eyepieces with the ability to vary anywhere in between with only a slight refocus. 
 According to David Knisely's Useful Magnification Ranges for Visual Observing I spend most of time in the Low to mid Middle Power Ranges. 
John 
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John "Have eyepiece - will travel!"
8" f/5 Dob w/2.14" sec in a 12" alum tube 'The Mortar' - w/PCorr 2° TFoV @ 36.5X ~70% illum *NICE*
Typical eyepieces: 32 Burg, 24 Pan, 20T5, 5-8 SW, Others ALL 2": Pcorr, 2X PwrMt, Ast H-b, Lum UHC + OIII
60mm $50 Walmart Special in training - aka "Backpack Observatory"
Minolta Activa 12x50 , Steiner 15X80
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Wobrak
super member
Reged: 04/18/08
Posts: 186
Loc: SC, USA
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Most of my viewing is at 96x and 156x.
If you are getting a 25mm and 9mm with the scope I would not suggest getting a 21mm. It's too close to the 25mm in magnification to be useful.
I would suggest something in the 17mm-13mm range to fill the void between the 25mm and 9mm. It will give you a descent jump in magnification helping to bridge that gap.
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Karl
Zhumell 20x80 Binos
Zhumell 10" Dob
WO 28mm UWAN
TV 13mm Ethos
TV 8mm Ethos
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xfile101
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/08/07
Posts: 738
Loc: Ocean Gate, NJ
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I use my 17mm (70x) EP pretty much 80-90% of the time. I use lower powers (25mm,48x) to center the object in question and run the gambit of EP's but tend to almost always wind up back at the 17mm EP.
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Orion XT8I
Celestron 114EQ Firstscope
Meade 70mm
Astroscan
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 6140
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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Unless you're fortunate enough to live somewhere like southern Florida, you may find that the seeing will limit you to about 25x per inch most of the time.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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stefanj
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/15/07
Posts: 1289
Loc: Western New York State
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My 32mm (~39X) is my most used EP- Mainly because of the wider FOV in searching for objects. Once i'm on target I jump around- but a 15mm (~84x)is probably my next most used EP
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Life is a circus- and I'm stuck in the FREAK TENT
If these are blue- it means the moon is full!
Meade ETX 90RA w/ tripod
Meade AZ 70
Meade DS 2130 AT
Zhumell 10" Dob
Zhumell Plossel EP and Filter set
Simmons 10x50 Binoculars
GLPx6
LPI
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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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Thanks all, this is sort of what I thought. With my current C102 w/500mm fl, I really like the view that I get through my 25mm at 20x. The wide view is really nice.
Thanks for the replies.
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Steve
Houston (Friendswood), TX
Space Center Houston
8" Zhumell Dob - Woo Hoo!!
Celestron C102 f/5 - Thanks Tim!
21mm, 13mm Hyperion
2.5x TV Powermate
Canon Rebel XT
Nikon 7x35
Bushnell 10x50
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maureenford
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/27/05
Posts: 756
Loc: New Paltz, NY
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Most used magnification in my scope is 122x and 198x
Maureen
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Discovery 12.5" TD on Scopebuggy
with Argo Navis and Feathertouch focuser
27mmPan, 13mm & 8mmEthos, 6mm Radian
Howie Glatter laser and Blug
Coronado PST
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tedbnh
super member
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 196
Loc: New Hampshire
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8" Orion XT.
My 24mm Pan gets a lot of use, but my 13mm Hyperion is the most used. A 9mm UO ortho gives me high power on some nights. Sometimes my 5mm Hyperion gets thrown in, but seeing in New England keeps me below 200X in summer most of the time. Winter is another story (in many ways) but seeing last winter was quite good.
Thanks for starting this thread, I am taking notes! :-)
Ted
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Ted
Hampton Beach, NH:
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WO Zenithstar 80 ED 545/6.8
Orion XT8i with COL 1200/5.9
Celestron C9.25 2350/10
Vixen GPD2
Hyperion 13mm, 5mm
TV 24mm Pan, 35mm Pan
Celestron XL 21mm, 40mm
Oberwerk 20x80
Stardust observing chair
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1080
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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In my xt10i: My ep's give:
35mm Stratus 34.29x
27mm Panoptic 44.44x (most used finding)
17mm Nagler 70.59x
12mm Nagler 100x (most used)
7mm Pentax XW 171.43x
I seldom barlow, soo these are probley the most used magnifications in a 10" Dob, without barlowing or higher power ep's!  Shawn
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xt10i with Telrad on 4" risers & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
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Mike B
Starstruck
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 4443
Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA
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Steve-
I'm lazy. So my Denk BVer is equipped with the awesome 'Power-x-Switch' mechanism that provides THREE magnifications for each set of EPs used.
In my 15" Dob, my most-used pair are 17mm Vixen LVWs, which run at 149x (0.44*, 2.6mm ex-p), 209x (0.31*, 1.9mm ex-p), and 251x (0.26*, 1.5mm ex-p). While not hot-glued into the BVer, i have thot about it
For widest-field viewing i have 24mm Panoptics for the BVer at 105x (0.64*), as well as a 2" EP (36mm 70* EP) for mono-views at 55x (1.26* TFoV).
Higher-mag viewing (beyond 250x) probably comprises 25% of my viewing time, and most often on planets (tho not always )... where i'll range b/t 340x (1.13mm ex-p) & 450x (0.84mm ex-p), as the seeing/atmo permits.
The recommend (previous poster) on the Speers-Waler 82* EPs is an excellent one! These are pretty amazing EPs, and should be stunning for deepsky viewing in your Dob! I'd look seriously at the 13mm (~2mm ex-p) or the 17mm (~3mm ex-p) units... and a hot-glue gun 
Cheers,
mike b
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Just for giggles- Next time when the money comes out the ATM, scream "I Won!, I Won!"
* * 15" F4.55 Starsplitter Dob * *
 Pacheco State Park
 Fremont Peak
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2981
Loc: Bolton, MA
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In my XT10i, my range looks like this - with my Paracorr:
31T5 - 44X with a TFOV of 1.8 degrees - very seldom dark enough for this unless i'm open clustering
22T4 - 62X with a TFOV of 1.3 degrees - I use this as FIRST on most targets
13Ethos - 106X with TFOV of .93 degrees - I use this most of the time, nebula, galaxies, globs, etc...
8Ethos - 172X with TFOV of .58 degrees - use for planets, globs, moon...
My seeing almost never allows more than this...
When it does; I'll use my 3-6 Zoom (once it arrives today that is!)... I seldom could use my 6 Radian due to crummy New England seeing...
HTH
clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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Lard Greystoke
super member
Reged: 07/27/08
Posts: 185
Loc: Ohio
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I have a 10" f4.5, which should have a similar focal length.
36X: very wide field, but sky often looks "washed out".
64X: often better. Fairly wide field, usually darker background. Objects often "pop out" at this power and 82X. This and 82x good powers for galaxies and most objects.
103x-153x: useful for resolving globulars. Planetaries also can use high power.
197x-253x: my fast, old, cheap 10" isn't always happy with these powers. Usually I use them only on planetaries, sometimes on globulars.
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Lard Greystoke
10" Odyssey Compact
"With Tantor, the elephant, he made friends. How? Ask me not."
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bsim
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/04/08
Posts: 679
Loc: New York City
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Quote:
Most used magnification in my scope is 122x and 198x
Maureen
13mm and 8mm Ethos?
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Teeter's 10" F/6 Truss Dob / Sky Commander DSC / Round Table Platform
Celestron C80ED / MoonLite CF Tri-Knob
William Optics ZS66, Orion XT8i, Orion XT4.5
Garrett Signature 15x70, Canon 10x30 IS, Constellation View 2.3x40 Bino
Astro-Tech Voyager, Bogen 3011 & 3036, UA MicroStar Deluxe
Howie Glatter Laser & tuBlug
13 & 8 Ethos, 35 & 24 Panoptic, Nagler 3-6 Zoom, TV 8-24 Zoom
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4stargazers
member
Reged: 07/13/08
Posts: 32
Loc: colorado
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my two favorite eyepieces are 40mm(30x)and 26mm(46x)i would reccomend if you want alot of magnification getting an eyepiece with a wide field of view this is just personal preference. right now in colorado i can barely reach 100x due to the monsoon seaon(with the eps i have) but i usually stay between 30x-120x no matter how transparent the skies are.
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meade 4.5'' reflector
etx 60
orion XT8'' dobs
Sirius 40 mm plossl
Sirius 26 mm plossl
Sirius 10 mm plossl
Orion Ultrascopic 2x FMC
3-Element Barlow Lens
Telrad with dewshield plus
and the pulsing light
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turndalightsoff
super member
Reged: 06/24/08
Posts: 172
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On planets I could go 266x(9mm + 2x Barlow) on good nights. On bad nights I'll probably stick with 133x-160x(7.5 & 9mm). For Large Dso's I'll probably stick with 30-50 X(32 or 25mm), for smaller ones I might go up to 133X(9mm).
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The names M, Mr. M
Proud Owner of a 6 Inch Hardin Deep Space Hunter Dobsonian Telescope
32mm, 25mm, 9mm, 7.5mm, 4mm plossls
Meade 4000 series 2X Barlow
Edited by turndalightsoff (08/07/08 06:19 PM)
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