Eyepieces for my 8" dobsobian skywatcher, 1200mm f6

[poncho (Poncho)]

Hi just got my first scope few months ago. Came with 10 and 35mm plossl and a 2x Barlow.

Looking at getting some good eyepieces for dssome research online...

Was thinking:
1. Dso workhorse: Ethos 13mm. Approx 100x. Shud be nearly 2mm exit pupil, huge fov and clear.
2. Dso medium power. Not sure maybe a Meade, tele vue or nagler 6-10mm aiming for 120-200x.
3. Very wide field view - 2" ep, prob a panoptic or explore scientific. 24-30mm aiming for 50xish. Will get a uhc neb filter too.
4. Planets was going to use my Barlow initially, maybe a Pentax xv if cheap....don't think it's a good one do good ones make much of a diff?

Prob going to be super expensive but a 100degree view for the ethos sounds ridiculous!!!

Have I got eyepiece fever for a beginner?? :/ thoughts on the variety of eps??

[Allan_L (Allan)]

Originally Posted by poncho

Hi just got my first scope few months ago. Came with 10 and 35mm plossl and a 2x Barlow.

Looking at getting some good eyepieces for dssome research online...

Was thinking:
1. Dso workhorse: Ethos 13mm. Approx 100x. Shud be nearly 2mm exit pupil, huge fov and clear.
2. Dso medium power. Not sure maybe a Meade, tele vue or nagler 6-10mm aiming for 120-200x.
3. Very wide field view - 2" ep, prob a panoptic or explore scientific. 24-30mm aiming for 50xish. Will get a uhc neb filter too.
4. Planets was going to use my Barlow initially, maybe a Pentax xv if cheap....don't think it's a good one do good ones make much of a diff?

Prob going to be super expensive but a 100degree view for the ethos sounds ridiculous!!!

Have I got eyepiece fever for a beginner?? :/ thoughts on the variety of eps??

HI Poncho,
I have a 12" DOB (and previously a 10" DOB) so its not exactly the same but my eyepiece choices seem to mirror your suggestions.

13Ethos as you say, DSO workhorse I use most,
Panoptic 27 (2" barrell) for great contrast in wideview
Nagler VI 9mm
and on really good seeing a 3mm Radian for planetary
also, the 9mm with an Orion shorty barlow works too.

This list could set you back $2-3,000 new.

But, be warned, if you use some of these heavier TVs you may find you need a counter weight at the base of the scope to maintain balance

[SkyWatch (Dean)]

Originally Posted by poncho

Hi just got my first scope few months ago. Came with 10 and 35mm plossl and a 2x Barlow.

Looking at getting some good eyepieces for dssome research online...

Was thinking:
1. Dso workhorse: Ethos 13mm. Approx 100x. Shud be nearly 2mm exit pupil, huge fov and clear.
2. Dso medium power. Not sure maybe a Meade, tele vue or nagler 6-10mm aiming for 120-200x.
3. Very wide field view - 2" ep, prob a panoptic or explore scientific. 24-30mm aiming for 50xish. Will get a uhc neb filter too.
4. Planets was going to use my Barlow initially, maybe a Pentax xv if cheap....don't think it's a good one do good ones make much of a diff?

Prob going to be super expensive but a 100degree view for the ethos sounds ridiculous!!!

Have I got eyepiece fever for a beginner?? :/ thoughts on the variety of eps??

All sounds good: but the eyepieces will cost more than the scope!
Regarding the 100-degree field: I would strongly suggest you try before you buy- go to a members' night at your local club. The super-wide fields aren't for everyone.
I have a 13mm Nagler6, which is very small compared to the Ethos and doesn't therefore cause any balance problems. The eye-relief is not great though, so if you need to wear glasses it can be an issue.

All the best,

Dean

[AG Hybrid (Adrian)]

Wow, starting off strong there opening up with an Ethos 13mm. Have you looked through one before and are you sure you like the 100 degree field of view?

[poncho (Poncho)]

Cheers guys, i have not looked through the 100deg EPs.... figured more would be better and there would not be a down side?
There seems to be raving reviews!!

Might hold out for a members night then, i guess. Itching to buy something since ive seen my first few DSOs. Just went to astrofest here in perth which was pretty exhilarating!

Did not realise that there would be balance problems with an eyepiece either!! More reading!

[Kunama]

Originally Posted by AG Hybrid

Wow, starting off strong there opening up with an Ethos 13mm. Have you looked through one before and are you sure you like the 100 degree field of view?

+1 ....... Try as I might, I can't get used to that extreme AFOV, not my cuppa tea at all, 82 is the max I can live with and still prefer 68-72 degrees.

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

A very first world problem here. If you can afford the 13mm Ethos, get it. It's brilliant.

But if you have not experienced a range of different EPs yet, the wow factor will probably be mostly lost on you. There are also good reasons to have simpler EPs. I'd go with a 12 or 12.5mm orthoscopic with modern coatings (search e.g. "Fujiyama HD ortho") before diving into the ultra- and hyper-wides.

None of the super/ultra/hyper-wides will ever outperform these simpler designs (though some come close). So even when you do "upgrade" to a very expensive very wide FOV EP, you'll still have your high-transmission & high-contrast ortho to tease out every last photon / bit-of-detail should the occasion call for it.

[poncho (Poncho)]

Hrmmmm okay okay. Will try have a look at a star party but its tempting
looking at
1. Ethos 13mm
2. Panoptic 27mm 2"
3. Pentax XW 7mm

and then a orthoscopic for planets... wud i need 4-8mm as opposed to the 12/12,5mm?

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

That's a brilliant set of three EPs for your scope. If money is no object then you may also like to consider Nikon SAV Hyper-Wide (HW) 12.5mm that comes with 10mm converter barlow group. One day when I am rich and/or insane I'll buy that EP. Somewhat more sanely priced are the Nikon SAV SWs that are comparable to Pentax XWs i.t.o. performance. See http://www.kkohki.com/English/kkohkiparts.html

For higher powers, the problem with 4-8mm orthos is very short eye relief. You'll be looking through a tiny pinhole. You're better off adding a 5mm XW to your list. Or you could buy a barlow. (I'd get a barlow in any case. And a few tube extensions, which will allow you to tune the magnification of the barlow. No matter how many EPs you have, the versatility a good barlow offers for little extra investment is hard to argue with.)

Short FL orthos are for hardcore dedicated planetary observers imho. They really need patience and persistence; I could never get the hang of anything under 7mm, and even 7mm was getting uncomfortable. I suggested a 12/12.5mm for your scope because it's ideal for deep sky and you could barlow it for planets.

Originally Posted by poncho

Hrmmmm okay okay. Will try have a look at a star party but its tempting
looking at
1. Ethos 13mm
2. Panoptic 27mm 2"
3. Pentax XW 7mm

and then a orthoscopic for planets... wud i need 4-8mm as opposed to the 12/12,5mm?

[StarLane]

I've got Pentax 30 and 10 XW's.....very nice, love em, not too wide, great eye relief and adjustable eye cups, highly recommended....But, have a look through some EP's first...diff brands, AFOV, focal lengths etc etc. The 30mm XW 2inch is HUGE and balance is an issue at some lower altitudes with my dob...would be the same as the Pan 27....I looked at both originally and like the XW better for light throughput...flat field and eye relief.

Originally Posted by poncho

Hrmmmm okay okay. Will try have a look at a star party but its tempting
looking at
1. Ethos 13mm
2. Panoptic 27mm 2"
3. Pentax XW 7mm

and then a orthoscopic for planets... wud i need 4-8mm as opposed to the 12/12,5mm?

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

@StarLane, you're lucky. I considered getting an XW 30mm but never did. Now it's no longer available except on the 2nd hand market for big $s. It's probably going to become a collectible.

The Pano 27mm is a decent, very good, EP for the scope but not brilliant (I know because it was my widefield workhorse EP with the same scope for several years). An XW 30mm is something else. But it is a lot heavier and definitely not comparable to the pano 27mm, which is more comparable to the 1.25" XWs i.t.o. weight. The XW 30mm is more like a Nagler T5 31mm in weight and size if memory serves (which it might not after so many years). Optically I prefer the XW 30mm even to the T5 31mm. The TVs work best with a coma corrector. For some reason the XW-30, XW-10,7,5 do not seem to need it.

[Don Pensack]

Originally Posted by poncho

Hi just got my first scope few months ago. Came with 10 and 35mm plossl and a 2x Barlow.

Looking at getting some good eyepieces for dssome research online...

Was thinking:
1. Dso workhorse: Ethos 13mm. Approx 100x. Shud be nearly 2mm exit pupil, huge fov and clear.
2. Dso medium power. Not sure maybe a Meade, tele vue or nagler 6-10mm aiming for 120-200x.
3. Very wide field view - 2" ep, prob a panoptic or explore scientific. 24-30mm aiming for 50xish. Will get a uhc neb filter too.
4. Planets was going to use my Barlow initially, maybe a Pentax xv if cheap....don't think it's a good one do good ones make much of a diff?

Prob going to be super expensive but a 100degree view for the ethos sounds ridiculous!!!

Have I got eyepiece fever for a beginner?? :/ thoughts on the variety of eps??

Yes, I recommend eyepieces that yield 50x, 100x, 150x, 200x and 250x.
That encompasses about 99% of what you'll want to view and if you need higher powers, a 2X barlow will do.
50x--large star clusters, large nebulae, nice star fields
100x--best acuity, workhorse eyepiece for most objects except planets and planetary nebulae and larger galaxies
150x--high power where seeing is unlikely to interfere. Good for small objects like planets, planetary nebulae, small globular clusters and small galaxies
200x--double stars, planets, Moon, small bright planetary nebulae
250x--double stars, planets, Moon, small bright planetary nebulae when seeing is really good.

So that's focal lengths of 24mm+/-2mm, 12mm+/-2mm, 8mm+/-1mm, 6mm +/-0.5mm, and 4.8mm+/-0.25mm
If you have a 2" focuser, then:
24x82° 2"
All the rest 1.25" with apparent fields from 60° (budget) to 100° (no budget).
If you don't have a 2" focuser, then the low power eyepiece becomes a 24mm 68° eyepiece.

I won't recommend brands, because I'm sure you'll get a lot of specific recommendations.

[poncho (Poncho)]

Brilliant don thanks for that breakdown. I've got a 2" focuser fortunately

[poncho (Poncho)]

Is there much difference in the quality of Barlows? Any good ones to look out for?

[poncho (Poncho)]

Also with my list, should i get a 2" or 1.25" UHC filter for nebulas?

[Don Pensack]

2" is the most universal size--it fits 2" eyepieces, 2" barlows, 2" star diagonals, and many 2" to 1.25" adapters (allowing use of a 2" filter with 1.25" eyepieces).
The only reasons to opt for 1.25" filters are because you only use 1.25" eyepieces or only have a 1.25" focuser.
The UHC filter is also referred to as a "narrowband" filter, and some good ones to look for are: DGM NPB, Orion Ultrablock, Thousand Oaks LP2, Lumicon UHC.
If your budget is more limited, though they have wider bandwidths and slightly less enhancement, you could also look at Optolong UHC, StarGuy UHC, Explore Scientific UHC, Astronomik UHC.
Filters that have problems with their chosen bandwidths and would only be a choice if bought used for a very very low price, are Celestron UHC, Baader UHC-S, Zhumell UHC

Note: there are many brands of filters I didn't mention. So you can effectively compare, a narrowband filter should transmit the 486nm H-Beta line, and the 496nm and 501nm O-III lines at over 90% and have a bandwidth between 23 and 35nm at half that level. If the bandwidth is either wider than that or transmission is below 90%, the filter may still work, but its effectiveness will be reduced.

[poncho (Poncho)]

Cool thanks for that! Ended up getting the DGM NPB 2"

Also, now my EP's cost 4x my telescope :/