[PeteMo (Pete)]

I have a 25mm Plossl and Meade 12.4mm Super Plossl that came with my Optex 8" dob. I also use a GSO 2x Barlow.

What do all the eye piece names mean like Possls, Syntas, Kelners, Naglars etc? I'm guessing that the name refers to the arrangement of lenses and groups that make up the EP. What type of viewing are lens type best suited for? How do you know what lens to select for what job, as I see many people list the lenses they use.

What sort of lens ranges should I consider? I'd like to view planets as well as Deep Space stuff. I'm guessing that something like a 42mm, 17mm and 9mm would be a good range and complement my existing lenses. Would I be better off ditching my existing lenses and starting from scratch?

Is a 'Super Plossl' better optical quality than a 'Plossl'? I'd rather have a couple of good quality lenses than a dozen mediocre cheapos. Are GSO or Bintel Eyepieces any good? Also I hear that with the big names like Meade, Naglar, etc you are paying for a name so is it worth buying a Meade Super Plossl at $89 instead of a GSO Super Plossl at $49?

I did hear from someone that whatever I spent on buying my scope, I should budget at least half that amount again to get a couple of good quality lenses. I got my scope 2nd hand for $500 (previous onwer paid $850 and hardly used it)
So I should be looking to spend about $300-$400 on lenses. Is this approach correct?

Cheers