251 replies to this topic

[25585]

For refractors, my turret takes 4. 17.5 or 14, 12.5 or 9, 6.5, 4.5.

[VA3DSO]

Yeah, I think that's accurate for me - that I do 90% of my observing with just 3 eyepieces. I have 6 in my eyepiece case. I use the 32mm, 15mm and 11mm the most. I use the 20mm a bit less, then the 8mm and I use the 6mm the least.

 

 

Clear skies!
 

Rick

[star69]

Not me, but I could be happy with my 20mm, 13.5mm and 7mm XWA's on most nights. 

 

-Kevin

[fjjoachim]

I use these three eye pieces 90% of the time in my f5 150mm reflector:

 

Paradigm 25mm

Paradigm 15mm

Paradigm 8mm

 

If seeing is real good, I'll break out my old 7mm Orion Orthoscopic / Celestron Ultima 2.2X barlow combination for lunar and planetary viewing.

 

If I am viewing something real dim, I'll use an old 18mm Orion Kellner eye piece, that has a 55 degree AFOV.

Edited by fjjoachim, 15 June 2024 - 08:04 PM.

[vicuna]

 

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

 

 

Maybe a separate thread, but I would love to hear how your “best nights” went…what made them the best? What was your flow, etc.. tytyty

[Exnihilo]

I pretty much use all my Morpheus eyepieces. 

[swsantos]

Yes but don’t tell my wife.

 

Ethos 17mm, 13mm, and 31mm Nagler (or the 10mm Ethos on planet nights) in that order with my 8” Edge HD which is the telescopes I use 90% of the time.

Edited by swsantos, 15 June 2024 - 09:32 PM.

[NinePlanets]

Yes. Usually 3. Low, medium, and high power. The choices depend on which scope and what the conditions are.

[Magnitude7]

Maybe a separate thread, but I would love to hear how your “best nights” went…what made them the best? What was your flow, etc.. tytyty

Hi!  I guess there's a sense of freedom from making each night a competition between eyepieces.

 

I concede that there might be some gaps with just a small # of eyepieces.

 

But any advantage to owning hundreds of eyepieces, was largely offset by trying to fulfill an unending desire to select that "perfect" eyepiece for the moment.

 

Now I just observe, without obsessing whether another eyepiece might provide a better view.

 

After all, amateur astronomy (to me) isn't a military mission where I need to have all the bases covered...

If seeing limits magnification to just 130x, and my eyepiece delivers 150x, I just accept it & enjoy the view anyways.

 

Bottom line, my nights under the stars, now more than ever, are spent in awe & wonder.

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[asterope62]

I own quite a few eyepieces; however for my dobs I mainly use my TeleVue 12mm, 17mm, and 22mm Naglers. For my maks I use my TeleVue 13mm Nagler,  19mm, and 24mm Panoptics. The only time that I use different eyepieces is when seeing is really good and I'm trying to see more detail on planets or splitting very close double stars.

[PJBilotta]

I always take out four - my low-power sweeper, and either three Delos (17.3-12-8) or my set of Nikon/Pentax (14-10-7). These four fill all my needs on most nights, and the widefield sweeper is often not needed unless large, extended objects are on my list for the night. Frankly, there are many sessions where I can spend hours observing with just one - my 12mm Delos or 14mm Nikon SW, without touching a single other eyepiece. Both yields the perfect magnification and exit pupils for most objects in my scopes.

[Inkie]

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.)

Would you explain the latter statement in parentheses, please?

[Oz Alfert]

In the C8, I can get by with  30 UFF  -  14 Morpheus  -  10 Hyperion  (can stay on 2" this way).

[f18dad]

if I was trapped on a desert island and could only salvage three eyepieces of choice from the shipwreck I suppose I could get by with... 

 

30mm UFF

 

14 HW

 

10 HW 

[firemachine69]

 

 

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

 

 

 

Love that eyepiece holder Jon, but I'm terrified of how much dew they'd collect here in Canada even. It's there a dew control on there? Dessicatant? You got the hamster wheel in me turning. 

Edited by firemachine69, 16 June 2024 - 07:38 AM.

[Jon Isaacs]

Love that eyepiece holder Jon, but I'm terrified of how much dew they'd collect here in Canada even. It's there a dew control on there? Dessicatant? You got the hamster wheel in me turning. 

 

Occasionally dew is an issue but most of the time, it's pretty dry, one of the advantages of observing in the desert.  There's a lot of days with relative humidities under 20%.. (12% in this photo).

 

 

Another advantage to the desert, no mosquitoes... And clear skies are the norm though the seeing is often mediocre.

 

 

Jon

[Matthew Trail]

In my TV 85, it’s got to be the 24 Panoptic, 2x TV Barlow, and 4 Radian. All bases covered!

[f18dad]

if I was trapped on a desert island and could only salvage three eyepieces of choice from the shipwreck I suppose I could get by with... 

 

30mm UFF

 

14 HW

 

10 HW 

 

A distant alternative in my kit might be...

 

 

28mm UWA

 

20mm XWA

 

BHZ zoom & Barlow

Edited by f18dad, 16 June 2024 - 08:09 AM.

[PJ Anway]

I am down to just 9 eyepieces that I use most observing sessions, but if I had to pick only 3, these would be my most used:

 

 

 

Edited by PJ Anway, 16 June 2024 - 07:15 PM.

[aatt]

I don’t know about 90% of the time, but I use my ES 100s
a lot. The 20mm, 14mm and 9mm are the workhorses. The others see action still depending on the target.

[psyrob1]

My three: Baader Aspheric 36mm or  old Televue Wide Field 30 mm; Explore Scientific 18mm; old meade plossl 9mm

[russell23]

Yes.  I'll use the 30mm XW, 20mm XW (or 14mm Delos depending upon which refractor I am using) and 2.4x Dakin barlow most nights when deep sky observing.

 

For lunar/planetary I'll use the 20mm Brandon, 1.6x Nikon barlow, and 2.4x Dakin barlow.

[ABQJeff]

Sorry, no.  Give me 4 on a given target class and specific scope set-up, then yes.

 

Heck I only use one eyepiece type for full disc solar H-a with my 80mm F/6 and binoviewers (GSO 32mm plossl)

[T1R2]

I use all my ep's, and my case has 10 slots so I need to fill them with 10 eps...lol

[Sebastian_Sajaroff]

Same for me.
32 mm Plossl as a finder
Baader Zoom 8-24 with (or without) Barlow for all the rest.

I’m a minimalist, the less I have the less I worry about