16 replies to this topic

[JJDreese]

I've collected quite a few used eyepieces and I'm trying to assemble an ideal small set for both deep field and planetary viewing. I have a 10" Dobsonian (f4.7). 

I have a very nice 2X Barlow.  Once I get my reasonable kit, I plan to start downsizing some of the extra eyepieces.

 

Here's my current Mix & Match of used eyepieces:

 

1) Tele Vue DeLite 3mm

2) Tele Vue Radian 6mm

3) Tele Vue 8mm Plossl

4) SVBony 9mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band)

5) SVBony 15mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band) (it's sharper than the Tele Vue 15mm Plossl)

6) SVBony 20mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band)

7) Tele Vue 25mm Plossl

8) Tele Vue 32mm Plossl (this is my favorite eyepiece so far)

 

Thoughts?  Replacements?

 

NOTE: Affordable two inch eyepieces look bad in this telescope. The edges are blurred and I don't want to drop half a grand on corrective devices. I'm happy with 1.25" eyepieces.

[havasman]

APM UFF 30mm                     $249 new, retail

Baader Mk IV zoom                $289 new, retail

Astro-Tech coma corrector     $135 new, retail

Once you figure out your most useful focal length, then buy a single Baader Morpheus in that range.      $240 new, retail

You'll have a much better eyepiece kit for a 10" f4.7 scope than you have now and still have $ in your pocket.

 

Sell everything you've got but the 6mm and maybe the 3mm but you're not getting much use of that one I'd recon.

Edited by havasman, 09 March 2021 - 03:23 AM.

[scotsman328i]

I've collected quite a few used eyepieces and I'm trying to assemble an ideal small set for both deep field and planetary viewing. I have a 10" Dobsonian (f4.7). 

I have a very nice 2X Barlow.  Once I get my reasonable kit, I plan to start downsizing some of the extra eyepieces.

 

Here's my current Mix & Match of used eyepieces:

 

1) Tele Vue DeLite 3mm

2) Tele Vue Radian 6mm

3) Tele Vue 8mm Plossl

4) SVBony 9mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band)

5) SVBony 15mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band) (it's sharper than the Tele Vue 15mm Plossl)

6) SVBony 20mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band)

7) Tele Vue 25mm Plossl

8) Tele Vue 32mm Plossl (this is my favorite eyepiece so far)

 

Thoughts?  Replacements?

 

NOTE: Affordable two inch eyepieces look bad in this telescope. The edges are blurred and I don't want to drop half a grand on corrective devices. I'm happy with 1.25" eyepieces.

I’d ditch the TV Radian 6 and the TV Plossl 8 and get a Pentax 7mm XW smc. They’re even on sale for $269 ($30 off) right now at AgenaAstro. 

[sportsmed]

I would get rid of the Delite 3mm and get a Delite 7mm, it would be more useful in your Dob. The highest mag I can usually go in my 10" Dob is with my Meade UWA 5.5mm and even thats really pushing on alot of nights. Also get rid of the radian and upgrade to Delites possibly the 5mm and 7mm. Or if you want more FOV then there are lot of options, Delos, Morpheus, ES 82's, Meade UWA or PWA, APM XWA, etc. But just matters on what you like and budget.

[Jon Isaacs]

NOTE: Affordable two inch eyepieces look bad in this telescope. The edges are blurred and I don't want to drop half a grand on corrective devices. I'm happy with 1.25" eyepieces.

 

 

Affordable 2 inch eyepieces are not sharp at F/4.7..  Spend $250 on the 30mm 70 degree UFF and you will have an eyepiece that does a very nice job at F/4.7.

 

Jon

[Avgvstvs]

I have a few Baader Hyperions I like a lot (avoid the 24mm)

You can probably get a good range for under $1000-

They are all 1.25" from 21mm downwards

[Simcal]

TV 24 Pan (12)

TV 18.2 DeLite (9.1)

SVBony 15 (7.5) - keep

TV 3-6 Nagler Zoom

2x Barlow - keep

 

Staying in the 1.25".  A compact kit with similar weights, physical sizes. Each highly regarded in their respective lines.

[Will_S]

Hmmm, after much experimentation I ended up with the travel case for my 10" f/4.7 containing a set of eyepieces that fill all my needs at a cost of $883 without tax and shipping, so maybe close to your budget once that is factored in:

 

30mm Altair Ultra Flat Field - 240 for the Celestron version
20mm Explore Scientific 68°- 180
10mm Nikon NAV-SW - 320
6.5mm Meade HD-60 - 83 for the equivalent 7mm Celestron XCel-LX
5mm Dual ED - 60

 

Of these, the 20mm ES-68 and 10mm NAV-SW are the most used. I'm not sure the NAV-SW is outstandingly better than the others in line with the price difference, but I'm happy with it and it makes sense to spend the most on the most used magnifications. The 30mm UFF doesn't get a lot of use but when I want to go wide, it's much more pleasing (even with no coma corrector) than others I've tried: ES 28mm 68°, 31mm Hyperion Aspheric, 30mm Paragon. You could maybe splurge on the higher magnification eyepieces, but if 60° is enough, the 6.5mm HD-60 is a real sleeper, it beat out my 6.7mm ES-82 in head to head comparisons and I like it better than my decloaked 5.5mm Meade UWA as well.

[scotsman328i]

Hmmm, after much experimentation I ended up with the travel case for my 10" f/4.7 containing a set of eyepieces that fill all my needs at a cost of $883 without tax and shipping, so maybe close to your budget once that is factored in:

 

30mm Altair Ultra Flat Field - 240 for the Celestron version
20mm Explore Scientific 68°- 180
10mm Nikon NAV-SW - 320
6.5mm Meade HD-60 - 83 for the equivalent 7mm Celestron XCel-LX
5mm Dual ED - 60

 

Of these, the 20mm ES-68 and 10mm NAV-SW are the most used. I'm not sure the NAV-SW is outstandingly better than the others in line with the price difference, but I'm happy with it and it makes sense to spend the most on the most used magnifications. The 30mm UFF doesn't get a lot of use but when I want to go wide, it's much more pleasing (even with no coma corrector) than others I've tried: ES 28mm 68°, 31mm Hyperion Aspheric, 30mm Paragon. You could maybe splurge on the higher magnification eyepieces, but if 60° is enough, the 6.5mm HD-60 is a real sleeper, it beat out my 6.7mm ES-82 in head to head comparisons and I like it better than my decloaked 5.5mm Meade UWA as well.

Do you own the Nikon x1.6 EiC also to Barlow up the 10 NAV SW?

[SeattleScott]

Ok the APM/Meade/Celestron/Altair 30mm 70 for starters. $220 or so.

You really need a nice 9mm which you could then barlow to plug the gap between your excellent 3mm and 6mm. 9mm Morpheus, 8.8mm ES/Meade UWA, 9mm Nagler come to mind. 9mm Xcel LX if on more of a budget and can live with 60 AFOV. Note that the wider the AFOV, the more you will notice coma. So the Xcel would have that advantage over the 80-ish AFOV Morpheus, ES or Nagler.

You seem to really like the 15 Gold Line. A little surprising but hey if you like it, might as well stick with it. You could replace it with say 12.5 and 17.5 Morpheus or 13 and 18.2 Delite but if you are happy with the 15mm, then might as well save $500 I suppose. If you stick with the 15mm, you might consider a 22mm 70 AFOV to fit between the 15mm and 30mm.

So if you stay on the narrower side to avoid coma issues without a CC, you could have:
30mm 70 UFF or similar
18.2 Delite
13 Delite
9 Xcel LX
6 Radian
4.5 barlowed Xcel LX
3 Delite

This would run about $820. If you upgrade the 9mm Xcel LX to a 9 Delite for consistency you are right around $1,000. Substituting Morpheus for Delite would save a few bucks and give wider AFOV, but more coma/edge distortion.

Scott

Edited by SeattleScott, 09 March 2021 - 01:55 PM.

[mr_snout]

You can get most of the Baader Morpheus set for about $1k. I think the whole set is $1.399k

[Echolight]

Similar thoughts to Havasman,  Astro-tech coma corrector.

 

but....

 

I'd pre-order the APM 7.7-15.4 75 degree Superzoom.

 

Then I'd get a nice widefield. APM 30 UFF. Or Meade PWA 28mm for the WIDEST true field of view in a good affordable eyepiece.

Finally, I'd ponder my options in the 20-82 range.

[areyoukiddingme]

I'd go with the Baader for now, but if I were biding my time, I'd be going for that APM too.

 

Hard to say if I would add something in the ~20mm range with the APM. I find I typically jump from 30 to 12.5 in my 12.5" F 5.75. I think 20 is probably too close to 30 much of the time. And 20 is probably too close to 15.4 as well.

 

I think it would be fine to do 30 APM ultraflat, with the new zoom and a barlow.

[Echolight]

I'd go with the Baader for now, but if I were biding my time, I'd be going for that APM too.

A bird in hand...

[BillP]

Here's my take...

 

$240 - APM 30 UFF
$200 - APM 24 UFF (50x - MaxTDOV in 1.25")
$240 - 12.5 Morpheus (96x - 2.7mm Exit Pupil - Good DSO exit pupil)
$240 - 9 Morpheus (133x - 1.9mm Exit Pupil - Good DSO exit pupil)
----
$920

 

2x Barlow w/ 12.5 Morpheus (194x)
2x Barlow w/ 9 Morpheus (266x)

 

As far as what you already have, keep the inexpensive ones because the variety will be fun.  Keep the 32 Plossl just because it is you favorite, so don't let go until you are sure and stop using it since you will likely much prefer the 24 UFF.  Keep the 8 TV Plossl because it is minimum glass and 150x which will be nice for planets when seeing is not the best, and with 2x 300x for evenings of really good seeing.  Some day you can supplement the 8 TV with 7 and 6 Fujiyama Abbe Orthos for a nice minimum glass planetary subset.  If the sale of these allows you to get a coma corrector...do it!  I have the XT10 and went without a coma corrector for many years, but once I got one it just stays in the scope now.

 

SELL - Tele Vue DeLite 3mm

SELL - Tele Vue Radian 6mm

KEEP - Tele Vue 8mm Plossl

KEEP - SVBony 9mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band)

KEEP - SVBony 15mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band) (it's sharper than the Tele Vue 15mm Plossl)

KEEP - SVBony 20mm 66 Degree Wide Angle (Gold band)

SELL - Tele Vue 25mm Plossl

KEEP - Tele Vue 32mm Plossl (this is my favorite eyepiece so far)

Edited by BillP, 09 March 2021 - 10:33 PM.

[jakecru]

My pick would be a set consisting of: Apm 30 UFF, 12.5 Morpheus, 9 Morpheus, 6.5 Morpheus, 5 XW. If you shop used that would put you just around 1000.00 with an excellent performing set at f4.7. As a bonus you get good eye releif and similar eyepiece weights which make it easier to balance the scope.

[BillP]

My pick would be a set consisting of: Apm 30 UFF, 12.5 Morpheus, 9 Morpheus, 6.5 Morpheus, 5 XW. If you shop used that would put you just around 1000.00 with an excellent performing set at f4.7. As a bonus you get good eye releif and similar eyepiece weights which make it easier to balance the scope.

This is a good option also.  Although I think I would switch out the 12.5 for a 14 Morpheus instead because just too big of a gap from 30mm to 12.5.  With the 14mm the magnification jumps would be 40x, 86x, 133x, 185, 240.  This is a nice non-Barlow dependent spread and all top-end performers so nothing any other eyepiece is really going to do better other than extreme AFOVs.

Edited by BillP, 10 March 2021 - 12:08 PM.