28 replies to this topic

[Bearcub]

Hello,

 

 

If I could buy a single televue eyepiece which one should I choose? My main enjoyment is moon on any telescope I have. After getting apo i am stunned, and i found myself enjoying moon at lower magnifications without feeling the need for more; so at ~160x - 290x. My apo can go up to 380x but i have no such eyepiece. At the moment my eyepiece on magnification goes up to 290x and then jumps to 450x (5mm + 2.5 barlow). I would aim to find eyepiece based on my APO, not on my 10inch dob.

 

apo is 900mm fl.

I have 7.7-15.4mm APM, 5mm XWA 110degrees, and 38mm low eyepiece for finding objects.

I do have 2.5x barlow. I do believe this barlow is not up to par to be the final barlow.

I add 3x barlow incase i get one someday..

 

 

EP               2.5x barlow    3xbarlow
11mm 82x   205x               246x
8mm 113x   282x               339x
7mm 129x   322x              387x
6mm 150x   375x              450x
5mm 180x   450x              -

 

 

p.s. I dont think i want an eyepiece where i would touch its coatings with my eyelashes.

p.s.s. so this isnt an eyepiece for planets, but for moon exclusively.

Edited by Bearcub, 30 August 2024 - 09:57 AM.

[Overtime]

I use to like using a 20. That was my old .965 scope ( Jayson 4.5 x 900mm )

My newer scope has  different ep size and the more modern ep have a much wider field of view.

So I am going with a generic not very helpful answer and suggest you try and figure out what meets YOUR needs. Not everyone is looking for the same views. I personally like to target the complete target then if I feel the need go for more power. You could always get a zoom. Last time I viewed the moon for the purpose of viewing the moon I used my camera and sharp cap but before that I used my 20mm but that gave me the view I wanted. 

[SeattleScott]

It sounds like you are trying to hit 380x with a 900mm FL scope. That requires excellent seeing, but maybe you get that regularly where you live.

 

Without a barlow this would be a 2.4mm eyepiece. Televue makes no such eyepiece. Closest is the discontinued 2.5 Nagler.

 

Takahashi makes the venerable 2.4 TOE. It isn't long ER but it should be sufficient to avoid eyelash oil. At 52 AFOV it won't show as much of the Moon at once as something like the 2.5 Nagler, but the emphasis is on central contrast with this eyepiece. Ultimately it may be out since you are specifically looking for TV, but I thought I would mention it given TV doesn't currently make anything at this focal length.

 

Unless you decide the other green letters are good enough, you aren't going to hit this magnification without using a barlow. You kind of have to sort out the barlow to know which eyepiece to get. You have a 2.5x but don't feel like it is good enough to be the final solution. So it is a matter of determining which barlow/eyepiece combination yields ~380x. 

 

Assuming a 2.5x Powermate, a 6mm eyepiece would get you there. Limiting options to TV, that's a Delos or Ethos. Long ER or hyperwide. Expensive or really expensive. Just pick one. Assuming a 3x TV barlow, now you are looking for a 7mm. So Delite or Nagler. Long ER or ultrawide. Both about the same price point, so just a choice of long ER versus wider AFOV. 

 

The 3x TV Barlow has a long insertion, but it does go into my 2" mirror diagonal with 2"-1.25" adapter without striking the diagonal mirror. A prism diagonal could be problematic but I doubt you are using a prism at F6. If you use a low profile 2"-1.25" adapter, you would just want to confirm there is clearance without striking the mirror. 

[CrazyPanda]

> p.s. I dont think i want an eyepiece where i would touch its coatings with my eyelashes.

> p.s.s. so this isnt an eyepiece for planets, but for moon exclusively.

 

DeLites. IMO DeLites are the perfect lunar eyepiece for myriad reasons:

 

1. The field of view isn't too wide or too narrow. Too wide and it's easier to cause blackouts as your eye darts around, and it lets more light into your eye. Too narrow and it doesn't feel quite as immersive. DeLite's 62 degree AFOV I find to be perfect for lunar viewing.

 

2. Zero SAEP, so no eye positioning issues.

 

3. Very color neutral

 

4. Very high contrast

 

5. Exceptionally sharp - especially the 7, 13, and 18.2 from my experience.

 

6. Very comfortable overall with a nice adjustable eye guard to tailor the effective eye relief to your needs

Edited by CrazyPanda, 30 August 2024 - 11:31 AM.

[csrlice12]

Maybe consider a Pentax XW 3.5mm instead of a TeleVue....nothing against TeleVue.

[AstroApe]

I'll preface this by saying that I was looking for a general purpose DSO eyepiece whenever I was shopping around for my first TeleVue, and I really like eyepieces around 70° AFOV, so most of my eyepieces are Delos (72°), Panoptic (68°), ES68 (68°), UFF (70° for the 30mm), and even my MkIV zoom has ~68° at 8mm. That said, my choice will probably be quite different than yours since you're looking for a lunar eyepiece and may want another large AFOV eyepiece to match your XWA.

 

I did a lot of research when picking out my first TeleVue eyepieces and ended up going with a 12mm Delos. I picked the 12mm because it gives me close to a 2mm exit pupil in an 8" f/5.9 Dob, which was my primary scope at the time. If I were to pick that eyepiece over, I might go with the 14mm Delos since my most used scopes are my refractors (f/6, f/7, f/7.8) and a 14mm would come closer to that magical 2mm exit pupil in them, where's a 10mm or 12mm would be closer in my Dobs (f/4.9, f/5.9).

 

Anyway, the Delos is an amazing eyepiece. It's large eye lens and adjustable eyecup make it one of the most comfortable eyepieces I've ever used. For a lunar eyepiece, I'd probably recommend one of the shorter Delos such as 3.5mm, 4.5mm, 6mm, or 8mm.

[Starman1]

Hello,

 

 

If I could buy a single televue eyepiece which one should I choose? My main enjoyment is moon on any telescope I have. After getting apo i am stunned, and i found myself enjoying moon at lower magnifications without feeling the need for more; so at ~160x - 290x. My apo can go up to 380x but i have no such eyepiece. At the moment my eyepiece on magnification goes up to 290x and then jumps to 450x (5mm + 2.5 barlow). I would aim to find eyepiece based on my APO, not on my 10inch dob.

 

apo is 900mm fl.

I have 7.7-15.4mm APM, 5mm XWA 110degrees, and 38mm low eyepiece for finding objects.

I do have 2.5x barlow. I do believe this barlow is not up to par to be the final barlow.

I add 3x barlow incase i get one someday..

 

 

EP               2.5x barlow    3xbarlow
11mm 82x   205x               246x
8mm 113x   282x               339x
7mm 129x   322x              387x
6mm 150x   375x              450x
5mm 180x   450x              -

 

 

p.s. I dont think i want an eyepiece where i would touch its coatings with my eyelashes.

p.s.s. so this isnt an eyepiece for planets, but for moon exclusively.

I would suggest an eyepiece in the range of 2mm exit pupil if it is for general use.  Your scope is a 152mm with a 900mm focal length = f/5.9, making an eyepiece of 12mm +/- 0.5mm fine.

If it is legitimately for Moon viewing, though, that results in too low a magnification.  I believe Moon viewing begins at 100x and goes up.

That means an eyepiece of 9mm or shorter, perhaps something in the 6-8mm range?

If looking for something in the 160-290x range, though, a 5mm Delite (180x) would be a stupendous lunar eyepiece, but only on a tracking mount.  Crazy Panda extolled its virtues.

There is also a 4mm (225x) and 3mm (300x) Delite in that series.  I think the 5mm would be usable on more nights than a 3mm or 4mm, however, and looking more is what counts, with the Moon due to the constantly-changing shadows. 

[PKDfan]

Hi Bearcub !!

While I respect Don more than he could ever know, here, this is not correct information...Much can be done Less than 100X.

The Moon is My Whole Passion and with 900mm a 12mm eyepiece does 75X and with your 152mm aperture the moon most subtle of colour contrasts now have enough brightness gain to lift those most SUBTLE COMTRASTS into visibility and then use your 2.5X Amplifier to get a Max power within seeing territory frequency.

I use 83X(4.5Morpheus) and only 62mm aperture now but IF your scope is impeccable like mine is the amount of Lunar to see is Endless but mirrors don't do really great on the moon which has a linear surface like terrestrial.

Who uses a Dob on terrestrial sweeping ?

Not the Ideal tool for the job just as M13 and my 62mm vs a 8inch mirror well while laughing my little apo gets TOTALLY Slaughtered.

The provinance of unobstructed aperture is linear targets.

Want an insane Lunar view then ?
--look for a used 12mm Type2 Nagler or buy their 11mm Plössl for an even better more perfect image construction for a CHEAP introduction to TeleVue Magic.


Good Hunting !!



Clearest Skies
Lance

[NiteGuy]

For your needs, the 6mm Delos is the THE ONE EYEPIECE TO RULE THEM ALL.

 

The 6mm Delos + 2.5x Barlow = 375x and that's right near the max you're looking for. The 20mm eye relief is also very comfortable. If your 2.5x Barlow is a TeleVue, then the quality should be superb (I personally own the TeleVue 2.5x). But, if it's any brand other than TeleVue, then you should seriously consider a new Barlow.

[Bearcub]

Thanks, yes there is a choice for tv barlow + tv plossl. That be as cheap or cheaper than tv delite or nagler. At least for this time i will go for tv, but i will be open to takahashi eyepieces or other solid ones in the future. My apo just opened my eyes, the quality is so profound that i will be deciding for lifetime eyepieces from now on.

 

I think i will be settling either for delite 7mm or nagler 7mm or plossl + tv barlow. I think this thread is solved for me.

[bobhen]

You might want to consider the SVBony 3mm to 8mm zoom. See if that would work for you. There is a review of one here on CN. HERE is the link. The reviewer liked the eyepiece.

 

I also recommend the Delites. I have a few and they are excellent on the moon. Pick the 4mm and that will give you a magnification of 180x and then add the Brandon 1.5x Barlow and that combination will give you 270x.

 

Bob

[Starman1]

Thanks, yes there is a choice for tv barlow + tv plossl. That be as cheap or cheaper than tv delite or nagler. At least for this time i will go for tv, but i will be open to takahashi eyepieces or other solid ones in the future. My apo just opened my eyes, the quality is so profound that i will be deciding for lifetime eyepieces from now on.

 

I think i will be settling either for delite 7mm or nagler 7mm or plossl + tv barlow. I think this thread is solved for me.

I would stick with Tele Vue's more recent offerings: Delite, Delos, or Ethos.

 

Despite the fact the Ethos line is not glasses-compatible, the eye relief is fairly comfortable for non-wearers of glasses.

The 6mm Ethos, in particular, is so sharp it is a 100° 'planetary' eyepiece.

At f/4, it is sharper at the edge of that huge field than any of the Naglers, Panoptics, or Plössls and conforms to the old 5' spot size = perfect stars in optics texts at the very edge of the field (<2' on axis!).

And at f/10 is scope diffraction limited from edge to edge.  In a non-tracking scope, it gives a long time of seeing a sharp image before it drifts out of the field. 

I have used in as a lunar eyepiece in my apo, and it is so sharp that crater edge shadows are as stark as a drawing would be.

Small domes, rilles, and craterlets are more visible than they were in the Delites.  That was in superb seeing, but still, you wouldn't expect a 6mm 100° eyepiece to be that incredibly sharp.

In the apo, only the 3.7mm Ethos SX is its equal, though that requires truly magnificent Seeing to encounter that.

 

However, the Delites are much more affordable.  You could buy 2 Delites for the price of one Ethos.

[SeattleScott]

Thanks, yes there is a choice for tv barlow + tv plossl. That be as cheap or cheaper than tv delite or nagler. At least for this time i will go for tv, but i will be open to takahashi eyepieces or other solid ones in the future. My apo just opened my eyes, the quality is so profound that i will be deciding for lifetime eyepieces from now on.

I think i will be settling either for delite 7mm or nagler 7mm or plossl + tv barlow. I think this thread is solved for me.

The shortest focal length Plossl TV currently makes is a 8mm and it is an eyelash scraper. So I think the Delite or Nagler are your options.

I would absolutely consider a 2.4 TOE a lifetime eyepiece, but the Delite/Nagler are more flexible because you get a medium power for DSO too. I have a 7 Nagler which is great, but I’m sure the Delite is also.

[Rick-T137]

The shortest focal length Plossl TV currently makes is a 8mm and it is an eyelash scraper. So I think the Delite or Nagler are your options.

I would absolutely consider a 2.4 TOE a lifetime eyepiece, but the Delite/Nagler are more flexible because you get a medium power for DSO too. I have a 7 Nagler which is great, but I’m sure the Delite is also.

I have and use an 8mm Tele Vue Plössl and my eyelashes don’t touch or scrape the lens.

 

However the TV Plössls do vignette when Barlowed. It’s not much but it is noticeable.

 

Clear skies!
 

Rick

[alnitak22]

I have and use an 8mm Tele Vue Plössl and my eyelashes don’t touch or scrape the lens.

 

However the TV Plössls do vignette when Barlowed. It’s not much but it is noticeable.

 

Clear skies!
 

Rick

No problem with my eyelashes and my TV 8 Plossl either and there’s no vignetting noticed in a Powermate. But these days I use it mainly without Powermate in my 6” Mak and at 225x the lunar/planetary images are fabulous.

[starfinder123123]

7.4 mm plossl user here and there it’s plenty room between my eyelashes and the glass. And even if they touch, who cares?

[starfinder123123]

Two things are overrated in astronomy,:
- super wide low power observations
- super high magnification.
Low power wide viewing, for me, is to find the object I intend to observe, and that’s it. No pleasure derived by just stumbling around the sky.
High high power observation is probably done a few, 2-3 times a year if you are lucky to hit it. The real figure of someone using a 3mm eyepiece is 1 or two times in few years.
Many have given you good advice, 8mm TV plossl. Go for it.

[SeattleScott]

If you are looking at something small, like planets or double stars, you can “create” more eye relief by backing off the eyepiece. The AFOV shrinks, but you can just move your head to follow it through the view to utilize the whole AFOV for drift time. But if you want to use the whole view for a bigger target like the Moon or maybe a globular cluster, then you have to get in tight. I had the 8TVP. It has like 5mm ER. One of those eyepieces that I intentionally don’t blink until I pull my head back, or back off the eyepiece to create more ER (at the expense of AFOV).

The problem with eyelashes touching the glass is getting the eyepiece dirty and having to clean it more often.

The 7.4TVP is discontinued and might not be easy to obtain. Could be an option if used is acceptable and tight eye relief is fine. TV Plossls are sharp.

But yeah they have a reputation for vignetting when barlowed. I haven’t used them enough myself to confirm or deny this.

[Starman1]

If you are looking at something small, like planets or double stars, you can “create” more eye relief by backing off the eyepiece. The AFOV shrinks, but you can just move your head to follow it through the view to utilize the whole AFOV for drift time. But if you want to use the whole view for a bigger target like the Moon or maybe a globular cluster, then you have to get in tight. I had the 8TVP. It has like 5mm ER. One of those eyepieces that I intentionally don’t blink until I pull my head back, or back off the eyepiece to create more ER (at the expense of AFOV).

The problem with eyelashes touching the glass is getting the eyepiece dirty and having to clean it more often.

The 7.4TVP is discontinued and might not be easy to obtain. Could be an option if used is acceptable and tight eye relief is fine. TV Plossls are sharp.

But yeah they have a reputation for vignetting when barlowed. I haven’t used them enough myself to confirm or deny this.

They all vignette slightly without Barlowing due to the choice of lens sizes.  It can be seen most easily in daylight use.

A PowerMate won't add any vignetting because the rays enter the eyepiece essentially parallel.  This is true for all eyepieces.

A telenegative Barlow could add vignetting by having some of the rays miss the edges of the lenses.

[Starman1]

Two things are overrated in astronomy,:
- super wide low power observations
- super high magnification.
Low power wide viewing, for me, is to find the object I intend to observe, and that’s it. No pleasure derived by just stumbling around the sky.
High high power observation is probably done a few, 2-3 times a year if you are lucky to hit it. The real figure of someone using a 3mm eyepiece is 1 or two times in few years.
Many have given you good advice, 8mm TV plossl. Go for it.

In truth, isn't most of our observing done between exit pupils of 1mm and 3mm?

[NiteGuy]

Two things are overrated in astronomy,:
- super wide low power observations
- super high magnification.
Low power wide viewing, for me, is to find the object I intend to observe, and that’s it. No pleasure derived by just stumbling around the sky.
High high power observation is probably done a few, 2-3 times a year if you are lucky to hit it. The real figure of someone using a 3mm eyepiece is 1 or two times in few years.
Many have given you good advice, 8mm TV plossl. Go for it.

I'm pretty sure you would change your mind in a hurry if you had a large aperture (18 to 30+ inches) instrument. One of my favorite star party tours with the 17.5" was at 55x (78-degree APOV eyepiece, it didn't matter that exit pupil size was too big) starting out in a empty star field and slowly moving the scope, ending up at M11, the Wild Duck Cluster, in a heavy starfield. Not one person ever remained silent when the scope stopped on M11. A few other things like low power panning across the sky and seeing a dark nebula like Bernard 86 in Sagittarius virtually punch a hole in the Milky Way or experiencing M13 fill the entire high power eyepiece field with more stars than you can ever begin to count or seeing various planetary nebulae at 500x or viewing M22 and, at the same time, actually resolving the Milky Way background into stars...these observations provide experiences like no others.

 

I do believe you've got some great super wide low power and super high power observing experiences ahead of you. Like most of us, sooner or later, you'll get 'aperture fever'. Clear skies!

[Crater]

Two things are overrated in astronomy,:
- super wide low power observations
- super high magnification.
Low power wide viewing, for me, is to find the object I intend to observe, and that’s it. No pleasure derived by just stumbling around the sky.
High high power observation is probably done a few, 2-3 times a year if you are lucky to hit it. The real figure of someone using a 3mm eyepiece is 1 or two times in few years.
Many have given you good advice, 8mm TV plossl. Go for it.

I have to completely disagree with the first item on your list of overrated things. The wide field and low power observations are the ones that most often make me say "wow!". To frame those wide views with innumerable stars on an inky backdrop never stops amazing me. Sometimes I spend hours just scanning around the galaxy and her edges like that. And then the occasional unexpected satellite or meteor joining the view just adds to that wow factor. Definitely some of my favorite viewing when I'm not chasing the power levels on planetary.

[jrazz]

Two things are overrated in astronomy,:
- super wide low power observations
- super high magnification.
Low power wide viewing, for me, is to find the object I intend to observe, and that’s it. No pleasure derived by just stumbling around the sky.
High high power observation is probably done a few, 2-3 times a year if you are lucky to hit it. The real figure of someone using a 3mm eyepiece is 1 or two times in few years.
Many have given you good advice, 8mm TV plossl. Go for it.

I seem to be the exact opposite.

Either I use binoculars with 4°, 5° or even 9° FOV or I crank up my telescope to 300x..400x for doubles.

Don't seem to spend any time in between

[Starman1]

I seem to be the exact opposite.

Either I use binoculars with 4°, 5° or even 9° FOV or I crank up my telescope to 300x..400x for doubles.

Don't seem to spend any time in between

We are all different.  I spend 95% of my time between 140x and 300x in the 12.5" dob and ~99% between 100x and 200x in the 4" refractor.

You point out well, though, why person A's favorite eyepiece is unlikely to be person B's favorite.

[saemark30]

The Ethos 13mm 1.25" is my most versatile.eyepiece for lunar observation.

For you APM 6" F6 SD I get 70.1x and 205x with the 7" MAK.

Enough field to get the entire lunar disc in view for an overview with your APM and closeup with your MAK.

Edited by saemark30, 01 September 2024 - 07:22 PM.