new member - new SWED80 scope

[Timw]

Hello all. I'm new to this forum - found it while trawling around the internet for info.
For the last couple of years I have been using what looks to be a Tasco 60mm (approx) x900mm cheapie that I literally found on the side of the road in pieces. Put it back together and managed to see Jupiter Saturn etc in reasonable detail. focuser and diagonal are held on with duct tape but the dammed thing works and gives reasonable images. The whole thing sits (or sat) on an old wooden altaz tripod.
Anyway, decided to get something a bit better. Criteria were price (around 600 max), low maintenance and weight, very transportable. Agonised over the 10" dob BUT fact is that transportability in a vehicle with wife and two kids and camping gear was a primary deal breaking issue so went the small reasonable quality refractor - a SWED80 (OTA - not the kit)to be precise. Added to this a GSO dielectric diagonal and 9.5mm and 21mm ED eyepieces. Already had a red dot finder (basic model).
Bodgied up the wooden alt az mount from the tasco and managed to put the ed80 on it.
So, I have decided that a few things astill necessary for basic viewing:-
1) at least 1 and possibly 2 shorter FL ep's (eg 5/6 and 8)
2) an upgraded focuser (again GSO 10:1 crayford).
3) a mount capable of holding the lot adequately without too much vibration.
4) good wide angle ep

as far as the ep's go, what are the best value for money ep's in the 5/6 to 8 fl range? Am I better off getting reasonable quality barlows?
A neighbour has some wonderful (read "expensive") astro equipment (nagler eps, TV diagonals and ep's etc) and I had an chance to stick these on the ed80 the other evening. Really like the wide angle nagler and also the big 2" eps are great - so much easier to look through.
I guess I have similar questions regarding the wide angle lense.
Quality is great but if I only have 100 to 150 to spend on an ep then the TV, Naglers etc are out.

Regards

Tim

[dannat]

I would think maybe a good quality barlow, as far as ep's - I suggest you look thru the classifieds on this site, maybe astrobuysell.com/au. You will get good ep's at reduced prices. Most ep's under $100(new) are not going to be much better than the ones you have I think.

[Jeff]

Hi Tim,

I'm relatively new to amateur astronomy myself (6 months), and one of the first things I did was to join an astro club (ASV - Astronomical Society of Victoria) for a quick learning curve, sampling of various telescopes, and access to a club "dark sky site" away from the city glare.

A common guideline given to by the ASV budget conscious New Astronomers re. eyepieces is to buy one-level-up from the basic plossl eyepieces when starting out (eg. 68deg rather than kust 52deg plossls).
After that ... if the hobby sticks and becomes a long term interest ... then consider inversting in 3 or 4 high quality eyepieces for the long term (end retain as you progress through telescopes).

One of the most popular places for IIC members to buy value eyepieces from is Andrews Communications. The cheapest I would recommend buying are the GSO (Guan Sheng) SuperView eyepices which have a 68deg apparant field of view (AFOV).
http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm

With your SWED80 OTA (600mm f/7.5 I imagine) I would suggest:

1. Add a wider angle EP for nebulas & open clusters
(suggest GSO SuperVIrew 2" 30mm, $59 from Andrews)

2. Add a higher power plossl for planetary viewing & splitting binary stars
(suggest GSO 1.25" 6mm plossl, $29 from Andrews)

3. Add a barlow as per advice from dannat ... for higher powered planetary/binary viewing now, and down the track maybe to double usage of 1 or 2 expensive eyepieces, or for playing with astrophotography
(suggest GSO ED-glass 2" 2x, $79 from Andrews)

If your scope is f/7.5 focal ration as I expect, then coma abberrations should not be too bad with the GSO SuperView eyepieces in your scope.

Cheers,
Jeff

[PCH]

Hi Tim,:welcome:

welcome to IIS. Televue Plossl EPs are great value currently at around the $120 to $150 mark !

Cheers,:thumbsup:

[rmcpb]

Welcome to IIS Tim :)

Have a look at the Burgess Planetary eyepieces with a 60 degree AFOV and good eyerelief. About the $100 -130 mark.

Cheers

[Timw]

Thanks for the responses. I have recently purchased one of the 8-24zoom eyepieces from Andrews Coms. It's a Long perng but, as has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, it is the same as the Williams optical 8-24zoom. They are made in the same factory and look identicle except for the words 'Williams Optical". I also bought a (cheap) triplet 2.5x barlow.
I'll get a wide angle in the fullness of time and a decent EQ3 or larger mount as well at some stage.
Also want a decent case for the outfit