PDA

View Full Version here: : 6" dob accessories?


monoxide
15-10-2006, 06:42 PM
hey guys,
i only got my first dob a week or so ago and so far its been pretty good.
ive been debating over what filter/s etc to compliment it.
anyway this is what ive looked at so far..
Astronomik UHC 1.25"
Lumicon O-III 1.25"
im trying to keep a budget so its either going to be 2 filters like the above and a barlow or 1 filter a barlow and an ep
i was also looking to add a barlow and another semi decent ep.
suggestions as to what would be best appreciated :)
thanks,
Tj

mickoking
15-10-2006, 06:55 PM
I would recomend an OIII filter. I have a Lumicon OIII filter and on nebulae and planetery nebulae it is in two words, bloody fantastic.

Cheers, Mick :thumbsup:

rmcpb
15-10-2006, 07:46 PM
Welcome to IIS Mono :)

As for your question I would go a bit easy on the filters with a 6". These filters restrict the light and this combined with the light gathering capacity of a 6" may not give the desired result (dark images). I would vote for a good mid-range eyepiece and barlow and some dark skies.

janoskiss
15-10-2006, 08:13 PM
I agree with Rob. Nebula filters are more useful on larger scopes. I'd spend the money on eyepieces and other accessories instead. If you want a nebula filter the DGM NBP is a very good general purpose one and won't break the bank.

mickoking
15-10-2006, 09:42 PM
I use my OIII filter on a 120mm (4.7") refractor and it works a treat :)

monoxide
15-10-2006, 10:14 PM
thanks for the input guys,
id say ill end up getting both filters + a barlow and mid range ep, considering that they will still be useful if/when i go bigger. just interested in what people of the same/smaller arpeture are using to get good results, as most reviews ive seen really arent worth the time reading them (well as far as im concerned) when you see that the review was conducted with a scope that would cost as much as a new car (and probably just as big).

i suppose i better start with some dob mods soon too :)
already dealt with the az motion, buttery smooth now.

anyone recommend a good ep thats not gonna make my wallet cry?
i have the 2 that came with the dob, a 10mm and a 25mm super wide

mickoking
15-10-2006, 10:31 PM
Thats a good point. My eyepieces and filters stay with me thru my astronomical journey :)



I good high quality e/p that wont break the bank is something like a Televue plossl. premium quality eyepieces for approx $145 from Bintel. The eyepieces that came with your scope are not too bad tho, particually with your instrument.

iceman
16-10-2006, 05:00 AM
I can recommend the TMB/Burgess planetary eyepieces. They are great value at less than AU$150, have plenty of eye relief, a big lens and are very sharp to the edge with good FOV.

I recently got the 5mm version and love it.

btw welcome to the site! How did you hear about us?

rmcpb
16-10-2006, 07:22 AM
Think about a 15-16mm range plossl (Televue, Meade, Celestron, etc). This combined with a 2x barlow will give you a great range of magnifications.

janoskiss
16-10-2006, 07:26 AM
17mm Hyperion from MyAstroshop or Stratus from Bintel would be a good general purpose DSO EP for your scope. If that's too dear then maybe GSO Superview 15mm and 20mm from Bintel/Andrews/AOE (real cheap but I did not like them at f/7.5) or maybe the Expanse clones that MyAstroshop sells as LE wide angles.

astro_nutt
16-10-2006, 07:47 AM
Welcome to IIS Mono..
I'm assuming that this being your first Dob..it is also your first reflector telescope?..if so..have you put a few bucks aside for collimation tools?...and to keep your EP's clean..canned airbrush from an electronics store will remove most off the dust..then use a lenspen and very gently move it side-to-side to finish off...for fingermarks...it would be worthwhile to purchase a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol from the local Pharmacy to clean off any fingermarks by using a rolled-up corner of a tissue soaked in alcohol and using the weight of the tissue only...gently remove the fingermark then allow to dry..this is after using canned airbrush to remove the dust!..and remember you only need to clean them when the image is affected....the same goes for the mirrors....if it looks dusty...leave it for a year then look again..unless it has something spilt on it or the image is greatly affected...then clean them only if you know how!!
Forgive me if sound too harsh..but I know some first-time dob owners..(myself included)..who worried about dust on mirrors...etc!
Congratulations on your new scope and I wish you many years of enjoyment!!
Cheers!

monoxide
16-10-2006, 12:41 PM
hmm, yeah its my first reflector. graduated from a craptastic refractor.
i noticed a few bits of dust or something on the mirror but the thought of cleaning it just doesnt sit well with me :)
i ended up ordering an astronomik uhc, lumicon O-III, a barlow and a laser collimator.
i guess id rather save and get a few decent ep's rather than skimp now just to add another average one.
thanks for the help guys :)

mickoking
16-10-2006, 05:40 PM
You will have a ball with your set up :) enjoy.

Gargoyle_Steve
18-10-2006, 01:43 AM
Sirius Optics currently advertising the entire Orion Stratus range (68° field of view) for $125 each.

Bargain!

Great ep.


Cheers!

Steve

(Orion Stratus owner)
;)

janoskiss
18-10-2006, 09:02 AM
That would be a bargain. I bet they don't have many. Probably just a few factory seconds/blems.

davewaldo
18-10-2006, 04:05 PM
...and unfortunatly it was a miss print. They are selling them for $245.

bummer

monoxide
18-10-2006, 06:17 PM
ehe, i just read that thread before seeing this :)
ah not to worry i guess..
weather was a bit dodgy yesterday so i ended up putting alt/az guides on, seems a bit dodgy tonight too but should be good enough to check my accuracy :P

monoxide
19-10-2006, 06:38 PM
ok so when i posted that i had put that order through i hadnt clicked confirm yet, i mulled it over for a few days and ended up coming out with this:
Baader UHC-S nebula filter
Vixen LV25
Vixen 2x T-threaded barlow
and an #82A wratten

apparently the baader uhc is a bit more forgiving for smaller arpeture scopes, the ep/barlow should also serve me well
only thing i really wanna chase down now is an 8mm ep for planetary observing (barlowed when the seeing permits) i saw GSO ep's are real cheap, does this reflect their quality? if they are half decent i wouldnt mind starting a 2" collection

janoskiss
19-10-2006, 07:14 PM
Tj, I have to say that I've never used that particular LV but I don't see much point in paying so much for an LV 25mm. A 25mm Plossl will give you the same FOV and similar eye relief. So either save some cash and grab a 25mm plossl for less or get yourself a widefield EP. Some options: GSO Plossl for a fifth of the price, Antares Elite for 1/2 price, Televue Plossl for 3/4 (all worth the price). But for your scope at the price level of the 25mm LV I'd be looking at the 17mm Hyperion. It would be a great general purpose eyepiece for the 6" Dob, with a very nice much wider apparent FOV and only little less true FOV. Would work a treat at f/8.

As for the 8mm, that is where an LV could serve you well. Or you could again go another Hyperion. But I would not expect you'd get much out of it in a barlow - too much power. Better off with a 12-13mm IMO. 13mm Hyperion perhaps. Would make a great second closer-look DSO EP too. If you can spare the extra $$ for LVWs, they are worth it too. Don't forget to haggle for best price. ;)

Starkler
19-10-2006, 07:19 PM
8mm will be a bit low lowered on planets, and overly high powered when barlowed IMO.

Assuming your dob has a focal length of 1200mm , you should aim for a 12mm eyepiece to give around 100x native which is good for dso's, and 200x for planets and the moon.

Maybe a 13mm Stratus or Hyperion would be the go.

Edit: Steve just beat me to it :whistle:

monoxide
19-10-2006, 08:49 PM
haha, i guess ill go for a GSO collection and astronomik filter then :)
you guys make me change my mind too much lol.

janoskiss
19-10-2006, 09:11 PM
Tj, I just reread your original and subsequent posts.

You have a 6" Dob and 10 and 25mm super wide EPs. I assume these "super wides" are the same as what I got with my Skywatcher Mak. They are in fact neither super nor wide. They have the field of view (FOV) less than that of a good plossl and minimal single layer coatings. Is your scope a SkyWatcher or Saxon?

You could definitely do with some better eyepieces. And if I'm guessing right, you don't need to spend much at all to get something much better than what you have.

I'd forget about filters, but if you want to get one, you probably picked one of the better ones.

monoxide
19-10-2006, 11:45 PM
i got the skywatcher 6" as the reviews said the optics were excellent especially for the price, kinda wish i got the 8" tho, not that im disappointed with the scope.
the mirror is 153mm f/7