251 replies to this topic

[Magnitude7]

Seems like I've come full-circle in this hobby.  For years, I was content with just 3 eyepieces.  Then I started reading CN, and I was out of control.

 

But nowadays, I'm back to using just 3 eyepieces for most of my DSO observing: 

30, 17, 10.5 (using a 1.6x Nikon Barlow.)

 

Once a planet makes an appearance, I'll be using my zoom too.  But that's it.

 

I've been having some of my best nights ever, using just minimal gear.  It fits my simple, care-free observing style.

 

Anybody else content with little?

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Edited by Magnitude7, 15 June 2024 - 01:21 PM.

[firemachine69]

Pretty much that's the case now.

 

 

35mm Panoptic for widefield gazing

Baader 8-24mm Mk4 zoom for general observing

Nagler 3-6mm for planetary work.

[cookjaiii]

I like having my eyepieces handy in a 3-slot bag slung over my shoulder bag.

 

25mm Paradigm

12mm Paradigm

2.8x Klee Barlow

 

or

 

32mm IDAS Erfle

8-24mm Baader Zoom

2x Celestron Ultima Barlow 

Edited by cookjaiii, 15 June 2024 - 03:00 PM.

[areyoukiddingme]

What's going on with the 1.6x barlow? Looks like it has been machined to fit in a 2" adapter. 

[GeneT]

I need a few more: a 31mm Nagler, a 22 Nagler, a 13 Ethos, a 10 Radian, and 8, 6, and 4.5 Delos (I am tempted to switch the Delos out for Delites.)

[Magnitude7]

What's going on with the 1.6x barlow? Looks like it has been machined to fit in a 2" adapter. 

Yup.  Nearly parfocal.  Weighs only 1.5 oz in its current form, requiring no rebalancing in my telescopes.

Edited by Magnitude7, 15 June 2024 - 01:57 PM.

[areyoukiddingme]

What does it do to the effective magnification on the 17 HW? I'm going to guess maybe 1.4x?

[Magnitude7]

1.4x with most eyepieces.

1.62x with the Nikon HW.

Edited by Magnitude7, 15 June 2024 - 02:10 PM.

[gstrumol]

I use just 2 with my C8 when I'm out viewing the moon or planets. A 12mm gives me 167X magnification which results in very nice lunar images under average seeing conditions, and a 6mm (334X) for when seeing is better. For solar imaging I use a Celestron 8-24mm zoom EP attached to a Canon T7 DSLR for the PST (Ha) and the AT80EDL (WL).

[Echolight]

For sure. One of mine is a zoom though.

[sevenofnine]

Sometimes I do. 1) ES 28/68 2) Baader 8-24 Mark IV Zoom 3) Baader 2.5x Barlow 

[mikemarotta]

Yes, for 90% of my viewing, these two:

The Meade 14mm 82-degree and the Nagler 7mm 82-degree.

 

 

And for the other 10%, this AstroTech 5.5 mm Premium Flat.

 

 

They work well with my Explore Scientific 102-mm (f/6.47) achromatic doublet grab-and-go for the backyard for 90% of my viewing (at 47X and 94X) and for the Astro-Tech 115mm (f/7) apochromatic ED triplet for star parties (at 57X and 115X). And I use the 5.5 mm PF eyepiece in either context. It helps a lot with open clusters and globular clusters because the focus is the same across the diameter of the field of view and it delivers marginally more magnification (132X and 161X at the useful limit) than the 7mm.

 

Thanks (and Clear Skies),

Mike M.

Edited by mikemarotta, 15 June 2024 - 02:25 PM.

[ButterFly]

 

Anybody else content with little?

I keep the others around in my case, just because of why not.  The bulk of my use is with my 13 and 21 Ethos.  The rest come out as needed.  Planetaries are where those just aren't enough for DSOs.  Globs are a close second.

[cbowlsby]

I often only take 3 eyepieces out but which 3 varies based on what I intend to look at.  My 17.5mm Morpheus is pretty much always part of the set though

 

The higher powers vary based on if I'm going to be focused on lunar/planets (where I like using my hyperwide options) or DSO.  My solar set is totally different and I often only take one or two of my TPLs out

Edited by cbowlsby, 15 June 2024 - 02:25 PM.

[leonard]

 

I've been having some of my best nights ever, using just minimal gear.  It fits my simple, care-free observing style.

 

Anybody else content with little?

         Yes , I never use more than 4 at any one time . Most nights it’s 3 for deep sky .

 
                 Planets it’s always 3 , a finder and 2 high power eyepieces for observation .

 

                                     Everybody has there own style .

[AstroApe]

APM 30mm UFF,

TeleVue 12mm Delos, 

Baader 8-24mm MkIV Hyperion w/ 2.25x Barlow. 

 

Probably 95% of my observing is done with these 3 eyepieces.

 

The APM UFF is my most used 2" and most used wide field of any size in general. The TeleVue Delos gives me around that 2mm exit pupil for DSOs (used mainly in scopes ranging from f/4.9 to f/7.8). The Baader MkIV and matching 2.25x Barlow is used for most of my planetary, lunar, solar, and double star observing, and basically lives in the 2" diagonal on my grab-n-go setup (AT102EDL on M002CS).

 

If I'm just using my grab-n-go setup in the front yard I'll stick the zoom in the diagonal, the Delos & UFF in the eyepiece rack (with bottom caps on to hold them in), and pick the whole rig up and move outside in one go. If the setup has to be carried far or packed up to take somewhere, I'll usually leave out the Delos and just pack the UFF, MkIV & Barlow in their own little cute mini-EP case. I've even got a "cheap" version of this mini grab-n-go set to use at Outreach events or as a loaner set for new club members that just need something to cover the basics until they can get their own. The "cheap" set includes a 30mm SuperView, 9-27mm zoom, and 2x ED Barlow, all Apertura branded.

 

 

When using my AT70ED & AT125EDL together, lots of times I'll stick the UFF in the 70ED (14x, 5° TFOV, 5mm EP) and the Delos in the 125EDL (81x, .9° TFOV, 1.5mm EP) and will observe most of the night without switching eyepieces. 

 

 

Most other planned observing situations will include my full size eyepiece case, but chances are still high that it'll be one of the above 3 EPs in the focuser. 

 

Edited by AstroApe, 15 June 2024 - 02:51 PM.

[Starman1]

Seems like I've come full-circle in this hobby.  For years, I was content with just 3 eyepieces.  Then I started reading CN, and I was out of control.

 

But nowadays, I'm back to using just 3 eyepieces for most of my DSO observing: 

30, 17, 10.5 (using a 1.6x Nikon Barlow.)

 

Once a planet makes an appearance, I'll be using my zoom too.  But that's it.

 

I've been having some of my best nights ever, using just minimal gear.  It fits my simple, care-free observing style.

 

Anybody else content with little?

There was a time I whittled my collection down from well over 100 to 3 eyepieces, but I soon felt the need for more.

It increased to 23, and now is down to a more manageable 13.

On the average night, I use 8 or 9 of them.

It will drop to 12 with my next scope because my low power will yield too large an exit pupil.

I was never happy with the narrow fields of zooms, so I use fixed focal length eyepieces.

 

I've though about it a lot, but to cover the magnifications I want requires at least 7-9 eyepieces.

That means I have too many, but like Sophie in Sophie's Choice, I can't decide which one needs to go considering I like them all.

 

Though I think a Good Barlow could whittle my collection down some more, because I always use a Paracorr, the stack can get to the point of projecting a foot from the focuser, and I never found that desirable.

So individual eyepieces it is, for now.

Edited by Starman1, 15 June 2024 - 03:05 PM.

[yuji22]

Since purchasing three XWA 100 degrees eyepieces, I have been using them exclusively. They are the XWA 20mm, 13mm and 5mm. Could not have been happier. Makes me wonder if there was something in my head that made me purchase so many other eyepieces.

I think that I need to hire an Astro Therapist to help me with the disease of purchasing more Astro gear than I need. I see other members purchasing more gear than they need but are in denial that they need an Astro Therapist help.  There, I feel better now. 

[oatmeal]

No. But I enjoy comparing eyepieces - often to the detriment of time spent doing actual critical observation. At last count I have 49(!) eyepieces (plus a handful of cheap plossls). This is certainly too many, but I like going back and forth, appreciating the differences in presentation that a variety of pieces offer. 

 

In my Dobs, for DSOs, I probably spend most of my observing time between 20 and 9mm. On the moon and planets, I like to have the option to dial up the power.

 

In my 4" refractor, I probably spend most of my time between 31 and 14mm, preferring the widefield views these FLs/mags afford. 

 

If I had to choose just 3, I could get by with the 20T5 Nagler, the Nikon 12.5HW, and the 7 XWA. But I'm glad I don't have to choose.

[CrazyPanda]

Depends on the night. One night during galaxy season I used my newly acquired 10mm, 7mm, and 5mm Pentax XWs exclusively.

 

Some winter nights, I might use only one or two eyepieces since what's good for M42 also tends to be good for open clusters. There are some planetary nebulae that need higher magnification, but if seeing isn't good, I don't bother looking at them.

 

But in the Fall there are open clusters, big galaxies, small galaxies, targets within galaxies, planetary nebulae, bright nebulae, and some globulars. I'm all over the place with the eyepieces I choose. Targets are too varied to use only 3 eyepieces.

[areyoukiddingme]

I will often just use a 3 eyepiece set, but I do like to keep around a good number as well (I've got far more eyepieces than I need).

 

The Leica zoom with 1.6 Nikon barlow (works out at 1.8x) gives ~5-10mm, a Docter 12.5, and something as a finder/wide field (typically 30 APM) works well. I can keep two eyepieces in my pockets while the other is in the focuser.

 

In my 12.5" with coma corrector, the barlowed zoom gives ~185 - 370x, the 12.5 gives ~150x and the 30 gives ~60x. That's a good spread--more power for planetary nebulae is warranted, but that's easy to fill by adding 2.5 powermate (~250x to 500x). And if I feel the need to bridge the 30 to 12.5 gap, I remove the barlow from the zoom.

 

Generally, once I'm hitting around 300x, I usually start to get antsy and want to use my 6 ethos for more field. . . 

 

That being the case, if pushed, I think I could settle for a set where there is a 30, 12.5, 5-10, and 6 ethos, which can also be barlowed with the Nikon 1.6 to get 3.75. 

[RAKing]

For my refractors, I only carry three eyepieces:

 

23mm Pentax XW 85

12.5mm Docter

8mm - 4mm Leica ASPH zoom w/Baader VIP Barlow

 

I add a couple more for my longer focal length SCTs and Maks, but that's all I have been using for a while.

 

Ron

[astroclint]

For my 8 inch dob.

Angeleyes  UWA 82 degree 7mm eyepiece.

Celestron 15mm Spotting Scope Eyepiece.

Maxvision 30mm 82 degree eyepiece.

And two barlows a 2X and 3X

Edited by astroclint, 15 June 2024 - 04:32 PM.

[Redbetter]

If I confine myself to observations through a single telescope with which I do most of my observing and at a site where I do most of my DSO observing, then 90% of my observing is indeed through 3 eyepieces, but of course there is that other 10% to consider...which is why I start with 5 eyepieces in the ready-use box on my ladder tray.   And as other have mentioned, the lineup changes depending on conditions. 

 

The three I use 90% of the time with the 20" are the 16T5 Nagler, 9T6 Nagler, and the 7T1 Nagler--with the majority spent with the 9.  However, if the seeing is somewhat poorer I will be using the 16, 11, and 9 primarily--with emphasis on the 11.  If the seeing is very good then I will use the 16, 9, 7, and 5 and possibly the 3-6 zoom if looking for some stellar/near stellar feature or double star at the limits of resolution.  If the seeing is very poor (frequent in the Valley) then I will be using the 16, 13 and 11.

 

And then there are the times I am looking at larger objects or need a wider search pattern in the main scope.  That is when the 31T5 Nagler that is in the ready box gets use.  Sometimes I will use the 26T5 or 20T5 to find the optimum for a large or diffuse target...and rarely the 41 Pan.  Open clusters and diffuse nebulae call for these eyepieces far more frequently.

 

Of course this excludes the finder, which I use with a 24 Pan or 25 HD60 nearly all of the time.  This is used frequently every session, so that complicates things.

 

That's all well and good with the large scope, but then there are nights I am using an SCT, Mak, or long ratio refractor...the eyepiece mix switches.  There are other nights I am using f/6 through f 7.8 refractors or sometimes multiple scopes, and am thankful to have 3.5T6 or even the 2.5T6 in addition to the 3-6 zoom.

[Jon Isaacs]

There was a time I whittled my collection down from well over 100 to 3 eyepieces, but I soon felt the need for more.

It increased to 23, and now is down to a more manageable 13.

On the average night, I use 8 or 9 of them.

It will drop to 12 with my next scope because my low power will yield too large an exit pupil.

I was never happy with the narrow fields of zooms, so I use fixed focal length eyepieces.

 

I've though about it a lot, but to cover the magnifications I want requires at least 7-9 eyepieces.

That means I have too many, but like Sophie in Sophie's Choice, I can't decide which one needs to go considering I like them all.

 

Though I think a Good Barlow could whittle my collection down some more, because I always use a Paracorr, the stack can get to the point of projecting a foot from the focuser, and I never found that desirable.

So individual eyepieces it is, for now.

 

 

I use a full range of magnifications. I want one low power wide field plus enough eyepiece to cover the full range up to the magnifications I use for close doubles. Three eyepieces doesn't do it 

 

A favorite set in my 10 inch Dob is a ~ 30 mm like the UFF or UWA plus the 22 mm Panoptic, and 1.25 inch Naglers including the 16mm, 13mm, 11 mm, 9 mm, 7 mm, 5 mm and 3.5 mm plus a 2x TV Barlow.

 

My strategy is that if I don't have it, I can't use it, if I have it, I don't have to use it.  I use tripod mounted eyepiece racks so the eyepieces are at my fingertips.. 

 

 

And don't worry, they're secure. 

 

 

Jon