[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Originally Posted by shredder

I would suggest on a 1200mm scope you probably don't want to go below 9mm in focal length. So I would suggest 3 eyepieces, 9-10mm, 20mm and your existing 40mm. Personally I prefer 9, 15, and 25mm but since you already have the 40 you need something more in-between...

Originally Posted by shredder

Oh the reason for not going below 9mm (at least to start with) is they are more difficult to focus, and have a shorter focal length which generally means you need to be right up close with your eye (essentially glued to it) if you aren't used to this is can be a bit difficult at first to do comfortably... especially if all you are used to is a 40mm.

Ah Shredder, you hit the jackpot for me, I thought I was going crazy, I was trying to press my eye as hard as I could against the rubber surround of the eyepiece and every other moment the whole FOV would go black. I eventually worked out that if I had my eye back (an inch I would guess, but have no real way of measuring accurately), that my view stayed constant and gave me less eye strain as well.

In the beginning, I was squeezing my left eye so hard and observing with my right eye, that I was aware that I was constantly telling myself to relax the left eye. I attribute all this to being a beginner and understand that I'll find my groove in time and all these tiny things will be distant memories.

Thanks also for your input on the 3 EP sizes, given my telescope and the fact that I already have a 40mm. I think you are right and this concurs with the overwhelming majority of advice given by the many members who have assisted me on this issue.

I can tell you that I am just waiting for the means to get to the shop to purchase the EP's and I have also made a decision to wait on the Barlow's until I can go to the Societies Dark Site and see the actually difference in a range of scopes and sizes as to what a Barlow really can and can't do.

From all I have already, given I have only had one night out with my scope so far, that just the new EP's I purchase later this week, will give me a heap of added flexibility I currently don't have and keep me swapping and learning about each EP for a good while. So a pause on the Barlow's until I can field test them and understand them more.

Thank you Shredder and also all the other members who helped out, I plan to simulate my first night's observing as close as possible on my next night, for about an hour to get back to where I left off, then I will introduce the new EP's in an effort to truly observe the differences (to me) that the EP's bring. Doing this as opposed to just jumping straight into the new EP's without a systematic approach won't teach me as much as if I take my time and use a controlled and pre-planned methodology.

I very much remember the differences (to me) of both Saturn and Jupiter and they will be the focus again of my testing. provided I write my observations down relatively quickly in my log book, I should establish, as far as I'm concerned what the real differences the EP's mean to me.

I presume this will give me a very good baseline as a beginner for the future when the telescopes I either purchase or have access to are better scopes, doesn't overshadow the need to select the correct EP for the object/conditions at hand.

What I mean by that last sentence is I don't want the equipment to dictate to me what I select for each new session, but rather use experience and knowledge to select the correct equipment for the task at hand. I hope I have made that somewhat tricky point clear.