3715 replies to this topic

[hal9500]

My Collection is as Follows, Grouped in Manufacturers

 

Celestron

 

32, 15, 10, 6, 4 - (Taiwan) Plossl's

 

40, 26, 17, 12.5 - (China) Made Plossl's

 

18mm X-Cel

 

45mm Silver Top Circle V Plossl (Japan)

 

Ultima 30mm (Japan)

 

Meade

 

32mm, 26mm, 15mm, 12.5mm, 9.7mm Series 4000's Japanese Made

 

UWA 5.5mm 82 Degree Modern Version

 

Antarres

 

Elite Plossl 10mm (Japan)

 

Omegon

 

56mm 2" Plossl

 

40mm, 32mm, 26mm, 2" Kellners

 

Vixen

 

12.5mm Ortho (Japan)

 

Baader

 

21, 13 mm Hyperion's

 

36mm Aspheric Hyperion 2"

 

Orion

 

38, 32, 26mm Q70s 2"

 

SVbony

 

23mm, 10mm Aspheric 72 Deg Eyepieces

 

Red Line 6, 9, 15, 20mm 68 Deg Eyepieces

 

16mm 70 Degree

 

BST (I believe its Agena in the US)

 

Starguider 5mm

 

OEM

 

TMB Planetary II 4, 7, 8.5mm

 

My scopes include

Meade ACF SCT 8"

Meade SCT 8" (my backup- an LX10 Tube, unmounted and using rings and a vixen Dovetail)

Skywatcher 6" Refractor

Bresser 5" Maksutov

 

Cant seem to upload pics at present

Just managed to upload pics of my kit - recently added 4 Celestron Volcano Top Orthos, and an Erfle - 

 

NOTE - had to heavily compress these pics - is there some way to post better quality images? I tried hosting but every link i used was disallowed - hence compression and cropping was the only way i could do this 

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[ubernator]

After theft and starting over in 2020, and losing a few in 2021 when my van was stolen, this is what I have currently,  after selling some recently. 

 

56mm M4k SP smoothie 

42mm superview  (for sale)

40mm astrola  wide field 

40mm M4k SP 4el chrome stamp 

40mm meade MA .965 (possibly for sale)

35mm ultima

32mm M4k SP, rubber 5el black stamp

32mm televue plossl nj smoothie

32mm 2"  celestron e-lux wide field 

30mm Khokusai Khoki widescan II 

28mm orion megaview

28mm vixen kellner 36.4mm thread on (for sale)

27mm orion edge on FF

26mm ganymede wide angle (max 1.25 field)

26mm celestron circle V silvertop plossl

26mm M4k SP smoothie 

25mm orion sirius plossl synta 

25mm celestron plossl  synta 

25mm celestron SMA wide angle (explorer II type)

25mn generic plossl (for sale)

25mm celestron plastic SMA (sleeper/outreach 

 

25mm celestron plastic SMA  and 26mm meade MA, same eyepiece,  keeping to include with scope if I sell one)

 

24mm es68 (possible for sale to upgrade to 24pan)

22mm LVW 

20mm WO XWA 

20mm SvBONY WA65 FMC (for sale)

20mm M4k SP smoothie 

20mm vixen Kellner, .965 (possibly for sale)

20mm celestron plastic sma 60+ deg (sleeper, outreach)

20mm RK (an odd piece,  plastic body, decent optics)

20mm celestron plastic body kellner (for sale)

17mm sirius dometop plossl japan 

17mm orion explorer II (inbound)

17mm LVW

16mm orion edge on FF

16mm SvBONY  WA65 fmc (for sale)

15mm parks GS-5 (ultima)

15mm M4k SP 4el japan

15mm celestron omni plossl, synta

15mm celestron SMA 65+deg plastic (sleeper, outreach)

14mn M4k UWA rubber chrome stamp 

12.5mm edscorp ortho circle t 

12.5mm vixen H.M. .965 (possibly for.sale)

12.5mm generic plossl (for sale)

12.5mm huygens plastic body

12.4mm M4k SP rubber 5el black stamp 

12.4mm M4k SP 4el chrome stamp 

12mm celestron omni plossl  synta

12mm SvBONY  WA60 fmc (for sale)

12mm PST kellner  (for sale)

12mm HM

11mm. UW80

10mm orion sirius plossl, synta

10mm orion explorer II

10mm.celestron.SMA plastic,  widened to 70+ deg (outreach,  sleeper)

 

10mm celestron sma and 9mm meade MA same plastic eyepieces,  saving to include if I sell a scope 

 

9.7mm M4k SP 4el chrome stamp 

9mm burgess/TMB planetary original

9mm vixen ortho..965 (inbound)

9mm celestron omni plossl, synta 

9mm SvBONY WA60 fmc (for sale)

8.8mm M4k UWA rubber chrome stamp 

7.7mm apogee super abbe

7mm Nagler t1 smoothie japan

7mm bushnell ortho japan microscope ep converted to 1.25

6.7mm M4k UWA rubber black stamp

6.4mm M4k SP smoothie 

6.3mm generic silvertop plossl ,synta (very very good)

6.3mm zhumell  plossl (for sale)

6mm vixen ortho .965

6mm edscorp ortho circle t

6mm orion explorer II (inbound)

6mm plastic body kellner , surprisingly sharp (for sale)

6mm SR4 plastic body (these tested to actually be 6mm)

5mm vixen ortho. 965 (inbound)

4.7mm M5k UWA 

4mm celestron omni plossl,  synta (sleeper with 60+ field)

 

Legend: 

M4k = meade series 4000

M5K = meade series5000 

SP = super plossl 

All my meade series 4000 are japanese 

Chrome stamp means japan is stamped on the chrome barrel , black stamp is japan on the black body

Edited by ubernator, 31 July 2024 - 04:58 PM.

[Astroman007]

At the moment, unlikely to change too much in the future:

 

Tele Vue Ethos-SX 3.7mm and 4.7mm, Ethos 8mm, 13mm, and 21mm.

Tele Vue Plossl 25mm (x2).

Tele Vue 3-6mm Nagler Planetary Zoom.

Nikon 17mm NAV-HW.

Vernonscope Brandons 8mm, 12mm (x2), 16mm (x2), 20mm (x2), 32mm, 48mm, and the 16mm and 24mm Questar Brandons that came with the 3.5 Standard.

Baader 8-24mm Hyperion Mark IV zoom with Hyperion barlow.

Tele Vue 2x and 4x 2" Powermates.

 

...That's all for eyepieces.

 

Diagonals:

 

Tele Vue Everbrite 2" (x2), Everbrite 1-1/4", Baader BBHS astro amici prism 2", Baader BBHS mirror diagonal (2"). Both these latter have Tele Vue flat top 1-1/4" adaptors.

 

Also have one Vernonscope binoviewer.

[Astroman007]

^ ubernator, just saw your sig. Did you ever get any of that stolen equipment back? How do you lose so much so often?

[Lentini]

<60*

Tak TPLs

Tak TOEs

Tak Abbe Ortho pairs 

Tak MC LEs (white set)

Tak MC Hi-LEs

30/18/12.5mm Ultima pairs

16.8/10.5/7mm Meade RG Orthos

3-6/2-4mm Televue Nagler zooms

 

60-70*

Televue Panoptics (incl. pairs of 24/19/15mm)

11/9/7/5mm Delite pairs, and a 3mm

20/15.5mm Meade RG WAs

Pair of 20mm Carton Erfles

10.9mm Siebert SSS

 

70-90*

14/8.8mm Meade UWA 4k

12mm Nagler T4

17.5/14/4.5mm Baader Morpheus

 

90+*

20/14/9/5.5mm ES 100*

12mm ES 92*

4.7mm Stellarvue Optimus 110*

 

And a Baader 8-24mm zoom.

[Cobber]

My Primary Set

 

 

31mm Nagler

27mm Panoptic

25mm Vixen LV with attached OIII filter

13mm Nagler (type 6)

7mm DeLite

5mm DeLite

 

When I’m gearing up for an observation session with either my trusty 8” f6 Dob or my sharp 85mm f7 Apo, these eyepieces are my go-to choices. The 31mm Nagler, which I specifically picked up for my Apo, offers a stunningly wide field of view, perfect for low-power sweeps of the night sky. Among my collection, the only non-TeleVue eyepiece is a Vixen 25mm LV, which has become a bit of a classic in its own right. It’s permanently paired with an Astronomik OIII filter, making it my favourite for certain deep-sky objects. What’s fascinating is that the LV was my very first eyepiece purchase, all the way back in the early '90s. It’s a piece of history in my kit, and it’s still going strong.

[Cobber]

My Fun Kit

 

 

32mm Meade Series 4000 Super Plössl

25mm Celestron Kellner (Circle T)

20mm Celestron "Halloween" Plössl

16mm Meade Series 3000 Plössl

9mm Orthoscopic (Circle T)

6mm Fujiyama Orthoscopic

 

For quick and casual stargazing sessions, I turn to my collection of standard-view eyepieces, paired with my 85mm f7 Apo, affectionately dubbed the "party" scope. Among the collection, I have two Circle T eyepieces, vintage gems from the Seventies, which I snapped up on a whim just last month. The 6mm Fujiyama ortho is the most contemporary addition, acquired a couple of years back when I decided to see what all the buzz around Orthoscopic eyepieces was about. The rest of the eyepieces have been with me since the Nineties, a nod to my younger self’s enthusiasm for the night sky.

Though these eyepieces might not have the same flash as my TeleVues, I get a lot of joy from using them—especially the 16mm Plössl, which has become my favourite. These eyepieces are more than just tools; they’re cherished companions in my observing kit, and I wouldn’t part with them for the world!

Edited by Cobber, 24 August 2024 - 01:38 AM.

[Robot00]

Current setup:

 

3-6mm Televue Nagler Zoom

6.5mm Baader Morpheus

17.5mm Baader Morpheus

Antares 3-element 2x Barlow 

8-20mm SVBony zoom (on the way from China)

32mm SVBony plossl (on the way from China)

 

I am wondering if SVBony’s new zoom is so good it makes my Morpheuses (?) redundant. I guess I will see soon.

Edited by Robot00, 30 August 2024 - 08:44 AM.

[Friar9]

I just got a 5-inch reflector and need to buy a Barlow? Any recommendations, or brands I should stay away from?

 

Also, filters. I live in Bortle 4 town so light pollution is not a big issue. I mostly view the moon & planets. Which filters might be best suited for that?

 

Thanks.

[bobhen]

I just got a 5-inch reflector and need to buy a Barlow? Any recommendations, or brands I should stay away from?

 

Also, filters. I live in Bortle 4 town so light pollution is not a big issue. I mostly view the moon & planets. Which filters might be best suited for that?

 

Thanks.

A good Barlow is a worthwhile investment. No point in getting good eyepieces and then cheeping-out on a Barlow. Use price and reviews as a guide.

 

For the moon, get a moon filter or a polarizing filter. For the planets, get a set of 4 color filters. Some like to use color filters for the planets. Different colors enhance contrast on some different planetary features. 

 

Bob

[izar187]

I just got a 5-inch reflector and need to buy a Barlow? Any recommendations, or brands I should stay away from?

 

Also, filters. I live in Bortle 4 town so light pollution is not a big issue. I mostly view the moon & planets. Which filters might be best suited for that?

 

Thanks.

Welcome aboard!

 

A few things regarding this:

First, consider to start your own thread for your questions, so the answers don't get lost in this looooong 144 page thread. : )

 

What 130mm reflector, of what f/ ratio and focal length?

What ep's do you already have?

Nobody needs a barlow, it's just that some folks choose them.

If one gets one, then IMHO they should get one that does Not duplicate a bunch of magnifications they already have. IME

The best filter to start with for planets and Moon IMHO+E is a small sketch pad, to train the brain filter on what may be seen.

My used 4 color filter set was a disappointment to my eye, as the filters removed more detail than they enhanced.

Edited by izar187, 02 September 2024 - 07:36 AM.

[Friar9]

izar187, my reflector has a focal length of 650 mm and a f/5 ratio. I have the 10 mm and 25 mm EPs that came with the telescope. 

 

I like your suggestion of starting my own thread for my questions; is starting my own topic the way to do that?

 

Thanks

[izar187]

Yes it is.

Include some of the details of scope, ep's and mount type, so folks with closer experience of that type rig can help.

[Crater]

After testing a bunch of premium EPs, I settled on Delos and Pans to round out my "primary" set while also keeping a few separate stragglers around that I also enjoyed. Comfort ended up being a huge driving factor for me, and man do these deliver.

 

 

[miketz]

I am a fan of the two fov extremes

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[CrossoverManiac]

Skywatcher stock 10 and 25mm

Baader 8-24mm Zoom

Orion 38mm Q70

Astro-Tech 24mm Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece

SVBony reticle eyepiece

2-inch 31mm Illuminated reticle eyepiece

Meade 12mm Astrometric Illuminated eyepiece

Vixen 15mm SLV

Celestron 8-24mm Zoom

Lunt Solar System 7.2-21.5mm Zoom (for H-alpha solar telescope)

Baader 5mm Hyperion

Baader 13mm Hyperion

Baader 18mm Hyperion

Baader 36mm Aspherical Hyperion

Orion 10mm Ultrascopic

University Optics 28mm Pretoria (vintage/antique eyepiece)

TeleVue 5mm DeLite

TeleVue 11mm DeLite

TeleVue 18.2mm DeLite

SkyWatcher 22mm Super Wide Angle eyepieces

 

The following was thrown with a pair of used telescopes and mounts that I bought

Celestron 2.3mm X-Cel

Celestron 5mm X-Cel

Celestron 9mm X-Cel

Celestron 23mm Luminous

Meade (???) 25mm

Astromania 26mm Kellner 

Russell Optics 65mm Super Plossl (just because it's a 65-mm eyepiece)

 

Eyepiece I no longer own

Astro-Tech 20mm 100° UWA (traded it for a HoTech Laser Collimator kit that was being sold at a Swap Meet)

 

Eyepiece waiting to be shipped

Edmund Optics 28mm RKE

 

When I'm done trying them out, I am planning selling most of these BTW. 

Edited by CrossoverManiac, 20 September 2024 - 01:18 AM.

[Piero DP]

My current eyepiece collections are: 

• 20-13-9-7-4.77mm APM XWA + modded VIP barlow. This set is used with my 16" f4 + PC2 and 12" f6 dobsons
• 30mm APM UFF, 24 Pan, Docter, 8-6mm Delos + modded VIP barlow. This set is used when I feel lazy and don't want to take my glasses off or with my 12" f6 dobson to take advantage of the docter equisite view on axis without PC2
• 30mm APM UFF, Zeiss zoom 25.1-6.7mm + modded VIP barlow. This set is used with my Tak FT-100
• 24 Pan, 13-9-7 Nagler T6, 3-6 Nagler zoom. This set is used with my TV-60

 

Eyepieces that I could let go are: 13 and 7 Naglers T6. Of course there's nothing wrong with them. The fact is that I prefer longer eyepieces with my dobsons, the Zeiss zoom is easier to use / offers better views with my Tak, and they are too close to the 9NT6 with my TV-60. The 24 Pan is used with my dobs, but mostly because this avoids using a 1.25"-to-2" reducer adapter.

[Alvin Huey]

After a hiatus from deep sky observing...my set is as follows.  I don't carry extra eyepieces as I use pretty much whatever is in my case. And I have only one case.

 

Primary 

* "low-glass count" eyepieces: 16, 10, 6 and 4mm ZAO-II and 25mm ZAO-I and 18, 12.5, 9, 7, 5mm Baader Genuine Orthos.  I use these most of the time.

* "high-glass count" eyepieces: 14, 10, 8 and 6mm Delos.  Actually working on getting the last two as I sold them fund something else and looking to pick them up soon.

* Finder eyepiece: 24mm Panoptic

 

Edit: TMB 1.8x ED barlow

 

Public Star Party

* 12 and 8mm Agena Astro Starguider Dual ED along with the 24mm Panoptic.

Edited by Alvin Huey, 20 September 2024 - 02:39 PM.

[davidgmd]

I am a fan of the two fov extremes

  
Are those the Brobdingnagian and Lilliputian lines?

[25585]

48 Brandon
42 Vixen LVW
40 Meade SWA 4000
40 Meade SWA 5000
40 Antares Erfle
40 Pentax XW

40 Pentax XL
40 Aero HD
40 Vixen LV
40 Vixen circle-V orthoscopic 36.4mm fit
40 TV Plossl 
40 Vernonscope Erfle
40 Rodenstock Erfle

40 Tele Vue Wide Field

Updated

Edited by 25585, 05 October 2024 - 08:24 AM.

[25585]

28 Meade SWA 5000
28 Takahashi 60° Erfle (2)
28 Sky-Watcher LET
28 Edmund RKE (2)
28 Pentax XL (2)
26 ES62
25 Meade HD-60 (3)
25 Coronado Ceemax (2)
25 Vixen LV (2)
25 TAL symmetrical (4)
25 Bresser Plossl (2)
25 Carl Zeiss OPMI (2)
25 Fujiyama ortho
24 APM UFF

24 Tele Vue Wide Field (smoothie)
24 Meade SWA 4000
24 Meade SWA 5000
22 Celestron Ultima LX
22 TS Expanse
22 Vixen LVW (2)

21 Pentax XL
20 Pentax XW
20 Orion LHD
20 Taiso Erfle circle-T
20 Vixen LV (2)

20 Tele Vue Type 2 

Updated/corrected.

Edited by 25585, 06 October 2024 - 06:21 AM.

[25585]

9 Baader Morpheus (2)
9 Vixen LV
8 Vixen LVW (2)
8-24 Vixen LV zoom (2)
8-24 Pentax XL SMC zoom
7-21 Orion E zoom
7-21 Svbony zoom
7 Vixen LV (2)
7 Pentax XL
6.5 Baader Morpheus
6 Vixen LV
5.2 Pentax XL
5 Vixen LV (3)
5 Vixen LVW
4.5 Baader Morpheus
4 Vixen LV
3.5 Vixen LVW
2.5 Vixen LV

Updated

[CrossoverManiac]

I have bought a Baader Max Bright II Binoviewer and bought the following eyepieces to go along with it

 

• 2 20mm GSO Plössls
• 2 17mm Agena Astro UWAs
• 1 25mm SkyWatcher LET LER to match the one I already own (that was the one I originally labeled as "Meade (???) 25mm")

[Agnes]

ES 20/68
ES 6.7/82
NPL 30
SLV 25
SLV 6
SLV 4
Svbony 3-8

Looking to add ES 11/82 and an SLV 12 and I'll be done. Unless I also add an SLV 2.5 and NPL 40 (for Solar)...

[kaaikop]

Hello Astro friends!

I'm back after a pause, had to sell my precious EP collection a few years back to members of this community

for lack of having a proper observing site, work and many other reasons...

Fast forward to today, I am now retired, found the love of my life, we are getting married soon and will move to a peaceful and quiet place

on a lake, where we will be enjoying dark skies (she loves astronomy!)

 

So now I'm rebuilding my collection to this, that should cover all my needs:

 

Pan 24

Nag 16

Nag 13

(oh why did I sell the 11mm?)

Nag 9

Nag 7

Nag 5

 

DeLite 18.2

DL 15

DL 13

DL 11

DL 9

DL 7

DL 5

 

Still have my 2x Barlow, a few Plossls, and all the rest of the equipment.

I could not get myself to sell my scopes as I knew the passion was just temporarily on hold

So glad to be back, clear skies to all of you!

Ben