Mariner
15-06-2011, 03:27 PM
PrePreamble: Please ignore the identical post to this in the Equipment section - some mad fool was too busy pontificating and in their haste posted it in the wrong forum section by mistake......What sort of fool would do such a thing?
Hello All,
Preamble:
I know that this subject has been done to death but, I am shortly going to purchase a couple of EPs. I know that it can be a contentious issue over which brand is better and I know that wars have probably been started over less! I am not particularly brand loyal but must say that I am a big fan of televue and like their quality. I don't have much other brand experience. I have a couple of other Meade EPs that I genuinely like but concede do not have the contrast or sharpness of my televue EPs. For example, the Meade EP that came with my dob was a 2" QX 26mm; I thought that it was absolutely wonderful until I bought a 32mm TV plossl and realised that it wasn't as wonderful as I thought. I don't really use it anymore but lets face it, we can be snobs and geeks about these things, if the only EP I had was a couple of ground down coke bottles jammed into a baked bean tin I would still derive an unending pleasure from stargazing, I would still be in absolute awe of the vast and infinite expanse of the heavens above. So what I am saying is, I am not interested in any of the BS arguments about x brand is better than y brand. I am big on quality and durability - I only ever want to buy a piece once, no matter how many scopes I go through over the next 50yrs i want to be able to enjoy the same EPs. I would also like some nice immersive views - some nice wide fields. I am also on a budget and only have about $600 to spend which I want to get me 2 EPs......but which 2??????
Equipment:
My equipment is as follows;
Scopes - Meade LB 12" dob and a Meade 102mm refractor (see my other posts for the wacky and fun filled adventure if cheap telescope modifications about this scope as well as a how(not)to guide on the subject to follow once all has been undertaken). The refractor has just the slightest bit of chromatic abberation.....which might make an experienced astronomer with better scopes than me do one or all of the following; turn away in disgust, vomit or immediately wash their eyes out with soap and water to cleanse and purge the unclean visions. The pretty violet/magenta ring at the edge of the moon at higher magnifications is kind of like a bad smell - you don't like it, but after a while you kind of get used to it. Another note about this subject is that I would not have known the difference if it hadn't been for reading about it in this forum!!!!!
Eyepieces (worthy of mention) - Televue Plossls, 32mm, 15mm & 8mm. The 8mm is pretty exclusively used in the refractor as it is way too much work in the dob.
Eyes - My eyesight is excellent ( I only know this because I have to have a comprehensive test for my job every 2yrs), I do not wear glasses and eye relief doesn't really bother me - I have no issues with the 8mm plossl which has very little of it [eye relief]. I will concede that the 32mm is more comfortable to view through than the 8mm.
Objective:
The objective is to buy EPs that will be excellent all rounders in both types of scope that I currently own as well as being good for any future scopes as well - no matter what type. I want EPs that will last a life time.
The Contenders:
So far the contenders are the 13mm nagler and a 19 or 24mm panoptic (I would like to swing for all 3 if I could - don't know if the finance minister would allow this though). This would give me a good spread of magnifications in the lower to mid range magnification ranges.
Future Contenders:
I do not know which EPs are good in this range but I will be getting a 2" powermate as the next investment after the above mentioned pieces and will see how it goes from there.....any advice is more than welcome on higher magnification EPs as well.
Anyway, thanks for any info in advance.
Kindest regards, F.
Hello All,
Preamble:
I know that this subject has been done to death but, I am shortly going to purchase a couple of EPs. I know that it can be a contentious issue over which brand is better and I know that wars have probably been started over less! I am not particularly brand loyal but must say that I am a big fan of televue and like their quality. I don't have much other brand experience. I have a couple of other Meade EPs that I genuinely like but concede do not have the contrast or sharpness of my televue EPs. For example, the Meade EP that came with my dob was a 2" QX 26mm; I thought that it was absolutely wonderful until I bought a 32mm TV plossl and realised that it wasn't as wonderful as I thought. I don't really use it anymore but lets face it, we can be snobs and geeks about these things, if the only EP I had was a couple of ground down coke bottles jammed into a baked bean tin I would still derive an unending pleasure from stargazing, I would still be in absolute awe of the vast and infinite expanse of the heavens above. So what I am saying is, I am not interested in any of the BS arguments about x brand is better than y brand. I am big on quality and durability - I only ever want to buy a piece once, no matter how many scopes I go through over the next 50yrs i want to be able to enjoy the same EPs. I would also like some nice immersive views - some nice wide fields. I am also on a budget and only have about $600 to spend which I want to get me 2 EPs......but which 2??????
Equipment:
My equipment is as follows;
Scopes - Meade LB 12" dob and a Meade 102mm refractor (see my other posts for the wacky and fun filled adventure if cheap telescope modifications about this scope as well as a how(not)to guide on the subject to follow once all has been undertaken). The refractor has just the slightest bit of chromatic abberation.....which might make an experienced astronomer with better scopes than me do one or all of the following; turn away in disgust, vomit or immediately wash their eyes out with soap and water to cleanse and purge the unclean visions. The pretty violet/magenta ring at the edge of the moon at higher magnifications is kind of like a bad smell - you don't like it, but after a while you kind of get used to it. Another note about this subject is that I would not have known the difference if it hadn't been for reading about it in this forum!!!!!
Eyepieces (worthy of mention) - Televue Plossls, 32mm, 15mm & 8mm. The 8mm is pretty exclusively used in the refractor as it is way too much work in the dob.
Eyes - My eyesight is excellent ( I only know this because I have to have a comprehensive test for my job every 2yrs), I do not wear glasses and eye relief doesn't really bother me - I have no issues with the 8mm plossl which has very little of it [eye relief]. I will concede that the 32mm is more comfortable to view through than the 8mm.
Objective:
The objective is to buy EPs that will be excellent all rounders in both types of scope that I currently own as well as being good for any future scopes as well - no matter what type. I want EPs that will last a life time.
The Contenders:
So far the contenders are the 13mm nagler and a 19 or 24mm panoptic (I would like to swing for all 3 if I could - don't know if the finance minister would allow this though). This would give me a good spread of magnifications in the lower to mid range magnification ranges.
Future Contenders:
I do not know which EPs are good in this range but I will be getting a 2" powermate as the next investment after the above mentioned pieces and will see how it goes from there.....any advice is more than welcome on higher magnification EPs as well.
Anyway, thanks for any info in advance.
Kindest regards, F.