Stupid newbie question

[h45e]

Just wondering if I can asked the learned here, what is the difference between these 2 things.

1.
http://telescope.com.au/Home/tabid/247/CategoryID/969/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/1169/Default.aspx?SortField=Free3%2cUnit Cost

2.
http://telescope.com.au/Home/tabid/247/CategoryID/969/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/1262/Default.aspx?SortField=Free3%2cUnit Cost

:help:

[wavelandscott]

Just over $200 dollars...(HA HA)...

Seriously, probably not much but I don't know the manufacture of the York eyepieces. There is a reasonable chance that they come from the same/similar manufacture althought they may have different QC/QA specifications.

In general I would not recommend getting the "kits"...I'm not sure that the colored filters will get much regular use (some may disagree).

What eyepieces do you have now?
How do you find them?

The quality of the eyepieces in the two kits listed are likely to be very similar to the quality of the eyepieces that came with your scope..."Okay"

I'd recommend that you visit the Televue website and read up on the section and advice listed there about eyepiece selection. I found it to be a useful resource and learned a few things there myself. http://www.televue.com

One of the realizations that I came to as I got more viewing experience was that I tend to only use a couple of eyepieces on any given viewing night. A lower power "wide view" (magnification 35X - 45X), a medium power (magnification 90X-110X) and on nights were conditions permit a high power(magnification 150X plus). What eyepieces fit those categories will vary from scope to scope. Also do recognize that "my" definitions of H,M,L are just that..."my" definitions other people will use different ranges (and they will be correct for their scopes too).

Once I adopted the above as my philosophy I changed my way of acquiring eyepieces...instead of looking at "volume kits" for a few hundred dollars I begin to think about higher quality single eyepieces specific for my H,M,L power interests. I would then buy the best quality that I could afford.

For general "all around" viewing, in my opinion a Televue plossl is hard to beat. At Bintel a "new" TV 32mm plossl is $195, 20mm is $159, $15 is $139 (there are others too).

I would highly recommend that instead of starting with one of the kits listed that you pick 2 of the TV plossls instead. Your scope would determine which ones to pick (if you have a dob I'd get the 32 and probably the 15). There are some other "quality" eyepeices also available, Pentax among them but trying to compare plossls to plossls...the TVs will be "better" than the kit ones.

Also remember in the future if you decide to upgrade from the kits, the re-sale value will be almost zero (remember these are the eyepeices that get given away with new scopes)...With the TV you will already own a "top class" plossl but if you do want to sell it, you will get back a much larger percentage of the purchase cost. My experience has been that as I progressed to even more high end eyepiece designs (Pentax XW, TV Panoptics, Naglers etc.) I've still kept my TV plossls because on some objects and in some situations I prefer the view in them.

I know that the urge is strong to buy a whole bunch at once and in this respects the "kit" serves this purpose and looks to be a bargain...but it also will give you some bits that you will seldom used. I'd encourage you to redirect your eyes to a few "higher quality" eyepieces instead of a case full of "average" (not bad) ones...In the long term I reckon you'll get better overall value and use from buying individual eyepieces instead of the kit. Even if the budget only allows one. I get one of the TV plossls use it and save toward the next one.

Good Luck!

[h45e]

Im not going to get it, i was just wondering whats the difference to make the price so huge difference.

[wavelandscott]

Probably just the brand name on the side of the case...but that is purely speculation on my part...

[Lyinxz]

Scotts definitely bang on the buck here!

I remember when i first started I was looking into getting those "kits". But after some reading I soon found its a complete waste of time and money haha.

So much more beneficial to use the money on some high end quality eye piece's.

[dannat]

Anthony the York ones look like GSO plossl's to me, made in taiwan..(sold by bintel & andrews as well) the other clestron ones are probably chinese made.
I agree with the TV plossl suggestion, great ep's to keep for a long time if you don't want wide fov

[mikeluvs43]

Hi all I just got my girlfriend a Orion SpaceProbe 130 EQ Reflector Telescope
with 900 mm full lengh

it came with a 10mm and a 25 mm lens
I also bought a Orion Shorty 2x Barlow Lens, 1.25"
and a moon filter

Saturday was her birthday It gets great shots of the moon
We tried looking at Saturn seeing it was out last night but can't get to close

We see it shinning like a star but what would I need to get a CLOSER look at it?

Or any other planets for that matter

(besides a new telescope)

Any strong lenses that will do me better?

Any info will be greatly appreciated on this or any other tips on neat stuff you guys and gals can think of

Thanks Mike

[lacad01]

Hi Mike, when you say you saw it 'shining like a star', with what eye-piece was that? The 10mm EP should be good enough to make out the details of Saturn (rings, band) as well as its moons.
Please don't get me wrong but were you actually pointing at Saturn and not some other object?
Have you checked collimation?
Perhaps after checking above try the 10mm in the Barlow and see if that makes any difference.
By the way, great that you can share astronomy with your girlfriend :thumbsup:
cheers
Adam

[mikeluvs43]

Hi Adam and thank you for the responding.
Obviously I am new and can't be 100% sure it was Saturn, but from the star map I had It was were It would be.
And it was the brightest thing around.
So I figured had to be saturn.
in the scope the best I can get it at first it looks like it is all distorted kind kiledascope ish almost donut shaped and as i work it abit just a far far away light no more then a shiny dot.

It is very possible I't is not Saturn.

But .

And as for collimating i went by what the book said to check it and my eye is dead center and what i see when looking into opening is exactly as book says should be.

Again I am obviously new to all this so I don't have to much confidence I'm doing everything right. But I am a handy guy and think I am doing as it says

but again this is all new to me.

[Strider]

Hi Mike.

I would suggest that it is probably not Saturn you are looking at.
Those 'donut' rings you are talking about would just be the star you are looking at out of focus. Which is a good way to check your collimation however. If the 'donuts' are concentric to the star at the centre it means your collimation is pretty good.
Right now Saturn I believe is only about .5 magnitude so it wont necessarily be the brightest think in the sky.
Also I find to my eye it has a slight orange reddish colour to it.
If you were to keep your eye on it over the course of an hour or so you would see it moving quite a bit through the sky where as everything else around it will stay put.
I can easily make out the rings of Saturn at 60x mag. though it is very small in the eyepiece.
Hope this helps mate.
Cheers Brad

[MrB]

Hi Mike,
As Brad said, at 60x you should see the rings but it will be very small.
At 90x (900mm/10mm) things are slightly better.
Attached is the approximate size you could expect with the 10mm eyepiece AND the 2x Barlow.
Note: the red ring is the 0.3 degree(approx) field of view(FOV) of a typical 10mm Plossl eyepiece(52deg apparent FOV) and 2x barlow combo with your 900mm FL scope.

[astro_nutt]

Hi Anthony..
Any question(s) asked are always treated as important as any other..(cause if you never ask..you never know!!)..no such thing as a stupid question..so ask away!!!
Cheers!