Anonymous
Unregistered
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Hi all. I have been trying on my own to choose EP's based on reviews and recommendations. For the most part, this does help, but there still seem to be WAY too many choices, designs, styles, options, etc, etc. 
I currently want to round out my EP set with a nice 25mm unit. I currently have the following:
- 40mm 2" SV wide
- 32mm SV wide
- 18mm Celestron Ultima
- 12mm SV plossl
- 8mm Televue Plossl
- SV 2x barlow
So... for a 25mm EP, is the TV Plossl a good choice or should I lean towards another widefield piece? The 25mm will be for larger, brighter DSO's and general sky-hunting.
I know that these EP questions have been covered before, but with SO many opinions and choices, it's hard to sort through all of the replies and advice. I personally do NOT care too much about eye relief. Light throughput and contrast are my big desires.
Thanks gang!
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Bill Grass
Prince Regent
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 11652
Loc: Denham Springs, LA
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I have a 25mm TeleVue Plossl, and I'd say it's my most-used eyepiece for "deep space" (that is, as deep as an 80mm refractor will show!). I also have a 40mm TV Plossl, but it's wide FOV plus the light pollution at my house really makes it almost useless for everything except the Pleiades. (But I'm not getting rid of it!!) I'd say the 25mm would be a great choice for you.
However, there are other 25mm EPs with wider fields of view, so I'm sure somebody will give another great recommendation.
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39764
Loc: Phx, AZ
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Contrast & thru put? Go with orthos, for my two cents.
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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erik
telescope surgeon
Reged: 01/30/04
Posts: 24020
Loc: Hawaii 19 N lat -155 Long.
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i vote for orthos as well.i can't even look through some of my plossls after using orthoscopic EP's. and even if eye relief doesn't seem like a big deal to you, your eyes wont get tired as fast as they might get viewing through plossls.i use the orion ultrascopics, which are a modified version of standard orthos and cost about $100.they're the best 1 1/4 inch EP's i've ever used and i'd highly reccomend them over ANY plossl for contrast and light transmission.
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
i use the orion ultrascopics, which are a modified version of standard orthos and cost about $100.they're the best 1 1/4 inch EP's i've ever used and i'd highly reccomend them over ANY plossl for contrast and light transmission.
Hi Erik,
The Orion ortho's are on the list for sure. If I'm not mistaken, they are basically the same eyepiece as the Celestron Ultima line. I have the Celestron 18 ultima and it is very good. They don't make anything in the 20's though.
Thanks for the feedback Erik/everyone 
Mike
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erik
telescope surgeon
Reged: 01/30/04
Posts: 24020
Loc: Hawaii 19 N lat -155 Long.
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mike, that's what i've heard as well, but are the ultimas fully-multi coated? seems like i've seen them both "multi-coated", and "fully-multi-coated". orion says theirs are "ultra-multi-coated", (whatever that means). they say it's the highest standard of coatings there is. anyway, with 5-7 elements, they need all the coatings they can get!
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
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Gardner
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/19/04
Posts: 641
Loc: New Hampshire
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Orion does have a 25mm Ultrascopic, $99. The TeleVue 25 plossl is $95.
Your move.
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Mini Borg 50 & Q-Guide
SV80S #87
TV 102 #1022
XT8
NHAS
http://mysite.verizon.net/gdgerry/
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
Orion does have a 25mm Ultrascopic, $99. The TeleVue 25 plossl is $95.
Your move.
Hmmmm... I think I might go with the TV Plossl, but get the Orion Ultra in a 5mm which will be my lowest power eyepice and will allow me to achieve my highest power with NO barlow.
Thanks gang! 
Mike
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erik
telescope surgeon
Reged: 01/30/04
Posts: 24020
Loc: Hawaii 19 N lat -155 Long.
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mike, the 5mm ultrascopic is a good choice. i have that EP and the eye relief is great, and the images are very sharp.the shortest plossl i feel comfortable using is 9.7mm, anything shorter and the eye relief isn't very good.i'm sure the TV plossls are nice, but someone on another thread was saying that televue now imports them from taiwan. just a thought if your going to spend that much on a plossl.
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
mike, the 5mm ultrascopic is a good choice. i have that EP and the eye relief is great, and the images are very sharp.the shortest plossl i feel comfortable using is 9.7mm, anything shorter and the eye relief isn't very good.i'm sure the TV plossls are nice, but someone on another thread was saying that televue now imports them from taiwan. just a thought if your going to spend that much on a plossl.
Yeah, TV states right on their website that they are in fact from Taiwan. Hmmm... nit sure about a $100 plossl from Taiwan!
So you like your 5mm Orion ortho... that to me would be a great planetary EP for the crisp views and it reaches my max mag wityh no barlow... I think I'll get it.
For the 25mm EP, I'm going to get a Stellarvue plossl. They are very inexpensive and I've had great luck with SV products. Plus, IF I hate it, I can always return it. 
The other issue is that my 80mm SV has a pretty "slow" focal length at f9.4. So, EP's have less tendency to reveal issues/problems when compared to a faster scope like your short-tube. The longer FL makes it "easier" on the EP's.
Thanks for the input...
Mike
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Does anyone knows who actually makes these eyepieces? As far as I know the following are all the same optically (even if the prices are different): Celestron Ultima, Orion Ultrascopic, Parks Gold Series, Antares Plossl (Canada) and Baader Eudiascopic (Germany). Those I've seen just have Japan stamped on them. Most of them offer brilliant value for money.
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erik
telescope surgeon
Reged: 01/30/04
Posts: 24020
Loc: Hawaii 19 N lat -155 Long.
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hate to keep pushing my "orion is superior" philosophy, but have you looked at orion's highlight plossls? they're only $40, and they're fully-multi coated and have a nice finish.i think that they're slightly better than a meade super plossl, and if you're set on getting a 25mm plossl, you should check them out before you buy. i don't know of anybody that knows exactly who makes TV's plossls. all televue will say is that their manufacturer makes TV's exclusively. it's like it's some kind of dark secret (and it allows them to charge way too much for their products!).if you do want to spend more, how about the parks gold EP's? they're nice looking, and i've heard good things about them.
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
SV 80mm ED Nighthawk NG on M1 ALT/AZ
Nikon Prostaff 65mm spotter on Trekpod
Konusvue 20x80 binos/Peterson pipemount
Orion 10x50 binos
Homebuilt 80mm f/5 refractor
Mirador 60mm f/12 1960's refractor
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22479
Loc: NE Ohio
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Quote:
Yeah, TV states right on their website that they are in fact from Taiwan. Hmmm... nit sure about a $100 plossl from Taiwan!
It's not scarier than a $640 Nagler from Taiwan... 
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John C
Urban Observatory
Tele Vue Pronto
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 152ED F/9 "APO"
152mm F/10 achromat
Tak CN-212 8" F/12 classical Cass/ F/4 Newt
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
LXD750, EM-200, CI-700
ST-10XME
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Gardner
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/19/04
Posts: 641
Loc: New Hampshire
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All my TV eyepieces are from Taiwan.
19 and 27 Panoptics
6 Radian.
Most of the observers I know have nothing but TV in their cases!
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Mini Borg 50 & Q-Guide
SV80S #87
TV 102 #1022
XT8
NHAS
http://mysite.verizon.net/gdgerry/
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
Most of the observers I know have nothing but TV in their cases!
Slightly off-topic, but...
I was visiting a fellow amateur and admiring his scope setup. He went inside, came back with a LARGE luggage case, and opened it to display the entire TeleVue line: plossls, radians, panoptics, and naglers, including the 31T5 Nagler, aka "Uncle Al's Hand Grenade."
Whilst I was drooling over the glass, he said sotto voce "Now, there's no need to tell my wife how much all this cost...."
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Bill Grass
Prince Regent
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 11652
Loc: Denham Springs, LA
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Quote:
He went inside, came back with a LARGE luggage case, and opened it to display the entire TeleVue line: plossls, radians, panoptics, and naglers, including the 31T5 Nagler, aka "Uncle Al's Hand Grenade."
 
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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If you have the cash, the Naglers and Panoptics are really nice, but they do suffer a little light and contrast loss compared to simpler eyepieces. If you want to stay under $50 per eyepiece, the Orion Plossls, Sirius and Highlights, are really great. For higher power work, use U.O. standard Orthos. Under $100, use HD Orthos for higher powers and Konigs for wide fields as they are really tough to beat.
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33099
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Had the same thing happen to me. Went to observe with a gentleman in LA, and he wanted me to help him decide between the Tak 102and the TV 102. Both were great scopes, and this was my first time looking through scopes of this quality. He had four Large cases filled with Nagler's and Pan's(including the Hand Grenade). It was amost too much for me to bear. My wife (non-astronomer) said - " Why don't you get some scopes like that?". I then explained the financial side of the situation. She then changed her mind. The gentleman had over $50,000.00 in Astro-Equipment. 24 high end scopes. WOW!!!
Scott
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  Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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Bill Grass
Prince Regent
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 11652
Loc: Denham Springs, LA
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Scott, let's go to N.O. & while you hold that guy down, I'll split the stuff & load up our trucks! 
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
Scott, let's go to N.O. & while you hold that guy down, I'll split the stuff & load up our trucks!
Count me in as well... I'll be the "lookout" and then each guy gets one series of TV EP's. 
Mike
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