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PlayUgly
member
Reged: 12/22/07
Posts: 29
Loc: Midwest
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I've got a new telescope on the way soon - a 6" f/8 dob from Stargaze Steve. Now I'm shopping for eyepieces
I was planning to get a variety of focal lengths: maybe the 5 through 21 mm Hyperions and no barlow, or maybe the Hyperion zoom with a barlow. I saw in the very interesting thread on magnifications used with dobs that most people use two or three magnifications, and some use only one. Now I'm seriously thinking about getting a 13mm Nagler and a Televue 2X barlow. If I like the 13mm I'll get the 9mm later.
I'll probably spend most of my time with planetary and lunar observation. If I like this new hobby, I'll get a 10" dob next spring. If I love this new hobby, I may get a nice medium-sized SCT.
Am I on the right track with the eyepieces? Should I consider orthos or some design that may be better suited for my type of viewing?
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Victor
Stargazer Steve 6" F/8 Dob
8mm, 13mm, 21mm Hyperions
Nikon 10x50 Bincular
Zhumell 20X80 Binocular
Jason 50X50 Refractor
(purchased by my grandmother's boyfriend for "2 bits" at a garage sale 30 years ago)
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dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13930
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
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I assume you will be receiving it with NO eyepieces.
If so, I'd suggest just getting two: one for wider angle/low magnification ~40x (30mm) and one for higher magnification ~120x (10mm) and a good 2x barlow to double you available powers... 40x 80x 120x 240x. That would keep you pretty busy for quite a while and let you get a firm grasp on what type objects you actually prefer. Many of us start out thinking we want to observe a particular type of object, and later find that we actually prefer something else altogether. Once you've driven it for a while with those magnifications, you'll have a much better idea of what you 'need' next. 
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- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down Sears Refractor (Discoverer) 60mm×900mm
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike
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PlayUgly
member
Reged: 12/22/07
Posts: 29
Loc: Midwest
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I forgot to mention the new scope will arrive with a 32mm plossl.
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Victor
Stargazer Steve 6" F/8 Dob
8mm, 13mm, 21mm Hyperions
Nikon 10x50 Bincular
Zhumell 20X80 Binocular
Jason 50X50 Refractor
(purchased by my grandmother's boyfriend for "2 bits" at a garage sale 30 years ago)
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Brooklyn
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 870
Loc: Central New Jersey
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I would get a SCT as your next scope, you don't have to collimate them anywhere as often as you do reflectors like what you have.
I think a beginner should start out with less "do it yourself" telescope design. Reflectors are good, but they require some maintenance on the owners part, and if that person has no idea what they're doing they aren't going to get everything out of the scope that they should.
The reason reflectors are so cheap in terms of price per aperture is because their mirrors and glass are not as expensive to make as SCTS or other compound telescopes.
My first telescope was a 8" Meade lx-90 SCT, which i still use to this day. SCTs are called the best all around telescopes, that's why i think they're great for beginners. They also require almost no maintenence, aside from an occasional collimation which even then....3 screws is all it takes.
Also, reflector telescopes like your Dob aren't as good at viewing planetary detail like compounds or refractors are. They do however work well for Deep sky objects. For this of course you need considerably more aperture.
I would have suggested the 12" orion dob, which is only like 900 bucks now...an insane deal.
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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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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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Well, I don't think that you can go wrong with a Nagler anything. It might not be bad to have just one EP and a barlow, but I really think that there might be times when you'd want a third or fourth. I think I'd go with 2 EP and a Barlow.
I just bought 2 EP for my scope that Fed Ex dropped off today. I got a Hyperion 21mm and 13mm as well as a Televue 2.5x Powermate (like a Barlow but better). But not only do I have the 21 and 13, but I have the tuning rings for the hyperions, so each hyperion can give me a choice of 5 different focal lengths. Some of them over lap, but I think my 21 has a range from 32mm-14.5mm and I think the 13mm has a range from 23mm-8.1mm. I figure that between 32, 21, 13, 8, and then what I can do with the 2.5x, I should be covered. I suspect that most of my viewing will be done with the 21 and 13, but I'm sure I'll occasionally want the 8.1 and 2.5x when viewing luna, planets, etc....
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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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Mike B
Starstruck
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 4464
Loc: shake, rattle, & roll, CA
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Hi Victor-
You've picked a good time to jump in! There's some really good gear out there for better-than-normal pricing!
As an example, on another thread in the eyepiece (EP) forum, these were shown to be on sale- at least in *some* FLs... namely the 22mm & 5mm. Perhaps i'm getting ahead of the gameplan here- but these EPs normally retail for quite a bit more, and are even better quality than the Hyperion line (the Hyperions were, arguably, based on these LVWs for design ).
The 22mm LVW and a good Barlow like Celestron's 'Ultima' (same as Orion's 'Ultra-plus'), which usually work at about 2.2x, would give your new scope (1220mm FL) 38x with the supplied Ploessl, 55x with the LVW, 84x with the Ploessl Barlow'd, and 122x with the LVW Barlow'd.
The 5mm LVW would push the scope near its limits (244x), and would be waay overdone Barlow'd- so might not be as functional a choice... but maybe keep your eye out for a 13mm LVW on sale (or used) for 94x, & 206x Barlow'd.
These would normally be too expensive to recommend to someone just starting out, but this sale does make them an attractive option- save's you the trouble & expense of what MANY of us have done... that is, to UPGRADE to them after trying the "brand-X" stuff first! 
Have fun with that new scope, and keep us posted on when it arrives & how its "first-light" goes!
 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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Lard Greystoke
sage
Reged: 07/27/08
Posts: 203
Loc: Ohio
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I had some other things to say but edited them out. Your idea of a 13 Nag + barlow doesn't sound bad, actually.
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Lard Greystoke
10" Odyssey Compact
"With Tantor, the elephant, he made friends. How? Ask me not."
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Jim Haley
sage
Reged: 07/04/07
Posts: 287
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I would just get the TV 2x barlow an work with that for 6 months. Only then would I consider more eyepieces (although the 13N does sound nice).
I had an 11" scope with a similar focal length to yours and used mostly the 31mm and the 17mm. Above 17mm the objects dimmed too much for me (and probably will for you as well).
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Jim Haley
12.5" f6 Starsplitter Dob
Orion 8" XTi (with computerized object locator)
Orion 114EQ reflector
80mm f6 refractor
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2992
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Given it comes with a 32mm...
I'd get the TV13Nagler, and 2x barlow/powermate...
Try and score them used (here or on AM).
If you don't stay in the hobby, TV Eyepieces hold their value better than almost any other astro gear out there... especially if you buy used...
This would give you effectively: 32, 16, 13, and 6.5mm
In that 6" f8, thats about 37x 75x, 92x and 185x a very useful range...
clear enough skies (oh and welcome, AND, nice new scope choice!)
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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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