I'm finally tired of looking through pinholes (6.3mm, 10mm plossl) for higher magnification eyepieces and am looking for a reasonably inexpensive (<$100) 4-7mm eyepiece and similar in 8-11mm. I'm just not prepared to lift weights in the dark or mortgage my house for an 80+ degree view. I am happy viewing both planets and deep sky. I would like something comfortable to be able to show frienda and family as well without them losing interest. I'm less interested in eye relief than in exit pupil and lack of blackouts.
Can anyone comment on these eyepieces?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/wide-angl...item20c36a1577
Are they an Expanse/Knight Owl knock off? A different eyepiece? Or am I looking at pure junk here? The price is right if they're not going to be worse than my no-name plossl.
I could of course just buy the original $80 expanse from Bintel (if they have stock).
The other thing I was looking at based on what other people are saying are the TMB Planetarys so I've emailed Highpoint Scientific and Astronomics for shipping prices. But I worry about quality control because people mention having to take them apart to tighten them, and the reviews vary wildly as to how sharp these are. Also suppose to be notorious for blackouts?
Can anyone suggest anything else? As I said I've ruled out Naglers/Ethos, and probably even Radians. I saw the Andrews 5mm wide $149 dual 1.25/2" yesterday but reviews are mixed and it's just a little more than I want to pay (and I don't want to play balance the dob with counterweights in the dark).
Background:
Though I've been in this hobby over a decade and done an Astronomy degree "for fun" (ie with no intention of making it my career), I'd describe myself as a casual astronomer. I have a 10" f/5 GSO dob and an 8" f/6 York Optical dob, another 8" reflector on a mount that is quite simply garbage, Explorer as well as a couple of cheap refractors. But I will sometimes go months without pulling them out due to work and family commitments as well as other hobbies. I'm able to locate objects well enough, at least in the brighter constellations but frankly I'm still learning the night sky.
I am quite satisified with my inexpensive 2" and 1.25" plossyls ranging from 15mm (a wonderful wide angle 4 element plossyl - my favourite), through 25 and 26mm, 32mm, and 50mm. Some of these came with the scopes but they all give reasonable views. I also have an awful 2x camera barlow and a better 2x non-camera barlow. Even my 10mm Celestron? isn't bad, though the 6.3mm is pushing it. 6.3mm looks like the one below.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Celestron...item3cc86cb16a