A few questions here you've probably heard a thousand times.
Currently I have an 8" Skywatcher and Plossl's 10mm, 17mm, 26mm and 40mm.
After viewing various Messiers and just seeing a galaxy(NGC 3628)(funny enough this one stood out as a white streak with averted vision but I couldnt see M65 and M66); Im looking at getting a barlow and some more eyepieces.
My question is how much benefit would 2" eyepieces and barlows give me in regards to enhancing viewing deep sky objects and galaxies. Or do they qualify just as good as the 1.25" equivalent only giving a wider view.
What barlows and eyepieces would be recommended both in 2" and 1.25" for viewing DSO's and in turn be also good for viewing the planets. Would purchasing a 2x and 2.5x be a bad choice, and better to get a 2x and 3x.
If you could also recommend filters for better viewing of nebula's and DSO's. Also a moon filter is wanted.
A Telrad or quickfinder is also on my wanted list, though I dont know which would be the best choice, as Ive seen good comments on both.
Last but not least, living in Perth which shop would be the best to purchase these from. I'm about to email a few of the shops shortly and ask about delivery times.
Long weekend coming up, and looking forward to a few nights viewing/hunting DSO's and the planets(fingers crossed weather is good).
Considering you have the great range of eyepieces you already have I would stick with those for a while and get a Cheshire eyepiece and laser collimator if you haven't already and a Telrad (or equivilent).
Collimate the scope really well and the views will be much improved and, of course, finding the objects is much easier with a 1x finder combinedc with the standard findeer scope and, as a bounus, there are plenty of finder charts for these finders on the net.
Take it a step at a time or as they say, act in haste and repent at leisure. Accessories are expensive things so choose slowly and wisely.
Hi rmcpb, I picked up a skywatcher collimation tool on the weekend, wasn't overly impressed with it though.
Laser collimator I'll probably purchase too as I'm a sucker for perfection and want the mirrors aligned as close as possible.
Collimation was ok, but I feel the secondary mirror needs to turn clockwise so that the sec. mirror reflection is centered in the focuser circle.
I'm a bit scared of touching the sec. mirror as yet and not sure how to do this. the slight bend in the spider vanes have me a little concerned also. But I gather this is common that they aren't dead straight ? The bolts that screw these tight, I'm a little unsure how tight these should be screwed. (really a beginners forum question here)
Telrad is on the wanted-list, will make an order tomorrow if they are in stock.
I believe the barlow is a necessity for me already, I'm yearning for higher magnification and some filters to improve viewing of nebulae.
Collimation was ok, but I feel the secondary mirror needs to turn clockwise so that the sec. mirror reflection is centered in the focuser circle.
I'm a bit scared of touching the sec. mirror as yet and not sure how to do this.
Don't be worried about adjusting the secondary. With no eyepiece/tool in the focusser, reach in with your left hand and practice getting a grip on the secondary mirror holder without allowing your fingers to touch the mirror surface. With the focusser empty, you can see where your fingers are, to get a feel of what you need to do to rotate the secondary. While you are there, put a bit of slight sideways pressure on it. You'll see that the spider vane will flex a little so the mirror moves. Relax and it should come back into position - Just a bunch of metal and plastic connected together! Now, if you back off the three collimating screws a bit (half a turn?) you should find the secondary mirror is hanging off the centre screw and is easily rotated (around the long axis of the OTA). Get a feel for that movement. Nip the collimating screws back up and put your Skywatcher tool in the focusser so that all the Secondary is seen inside the end of the tool (move the focusser in/out - adjust the position of the tool in the focusser). A piece of white paper on the wall behind the secondary should make it more clear where its edge is. Now back to rotating the secondary again (loosen the threw screws) until it appears perfectly round in the view through the tool. Tighten the screws - now proceed with collimation. I'm presuming that the secondary is squarely under the focusser - not towards the spider, nor towards the primary. If so, the central screw has to be adjusted in or out to get this correct.
Hi erick, I attached a pic to show what im currently seeing through the collimator tool pinhole.
Red line I believe shows the collimation tool edge, blue line i believe shows the diagonal silver disc in collimation tool. Im wondering if this is poor collimation design? or this is quite common seen when collimating. Ive read that 'offset' is normal as can be seen in the image where the reflection of the collimator tool can be seen not centered in the sec mirror. Is this correct?
Its a bit hard doing things from a photograph without looking at the scope but that looks way out to me.
The first thing you need to do before rotating or adjusting the tilt of anything, is to move the secondary mirror so that it is between 3mm and 6mm closer to the primary mirror. It is sitting too high in the tube relative to the primary and the focuser. After you get this right adjust the secondary rotation and tilt, then get to the primary.
I think I may need to ask the shop where I bought the scope how to correctly collimate my scope.
I'm worried I may do something wrong adjusting the secondary mirror.
I'm a little unsure what you mean by moving the secondary so its 3mm to 6mm closer to the primary. Do you mean so in the image the reflection of the focuser and collimator eyepiece look centered?
By holding the secondary spider pane and twisting slightly clockwise and looking through the collimator pinhole, I can see that the reflection of collimator moves up, more centered in the sec. mirror reflection.
Hi leinid - I most definitely second JB's comments: as he says, a photo is a bit difficult to comment on 'cos it depends whether you've got your photo shot "on axis" but I'd say his appraisal is right on the money.
When he says move your sec closer to the primary and then adjust the rotation, he's referring to making the sec central within the (bottom) OF THE FOCUSSER TUBE and also appearing concentric (circular) within the focusser tube - its' circular appearance having an even/equal "gap" all around it within the circular focusser tube's "ring/circle."
This will entail slackening off the 3 screws on the sec, holding it, without touching the mirror surface, and turning the sec's central bolt anticlockwise until it appears centralised in the focusser tube; and then physically rotating the sec mirror with your hand until it appears round and concentric within the focusser tube (even tho' it's actual oval) and then just pinching up the sec's 3 screws to hold it in that position. Then you adjust the 3 screws to get its' "tilt."
Cheers, Darryl.
The "tilt" is the adjusting of the secondary's 3 screws prior to adjusting the primary.
Hi Kokatha Man,
I assume that when when you mean turning the central bolt anticlockwise then turning the mirror clockwise this in effect is tightening the mirror against the central bolt again? Or tightening the 3 screws onto the mirror holds it in position.
as you can see a little confusing without doing this before, and not seeing it being done.
Hi leinid - the 3 screws on the back of the secondary mirror (the open end of tube) adjust the tilt of the secondary as well as hold it in the orientation I mentioned before (the bits about having it appearing centralized and concentric within the bottom of the focusser tube.)
The central bolt/screw (also at the back of secondary and having the aforementioned 3 screws around it) is a spring-loaded "toggle" bolt/screw that determines where the secondary is in relation to the bottom of the focusser tube: "tightening" it by screwing it clockwise moves/pulls the secondary away from the primary and towards the open end of the tube, and vice-versa.
This means that if you need to move the secondary away from the primary you must slacken off the other 3 screws: but in your case if, as it appears, you need to move the secondary towards the primary, you can just turn this central bolt/screw anticlockwise and the secondary will move down the tube towards the primary (by spring pressure.)
When you've got it central under the focusser tube you do the bit where you turn it (the sec mirror) by hand to make the sec appear circular/round within the focusser tube's outline and also concentric within the focusser tube. In answer to your question about the central bolt/screw and turning the sec mirror: if the 3 aforementioned screws are not pressing on the back of the mirror the mirror and holder can easily be turned/rotated by hand as the central bolt doesn't actually lock the assembly, it only holds it in the position you set it in under its own spring's tension. There is no tightening or untightening of the central bolt/screw as such - unless you go too far with turning it one way or the other, which is neither necessary nor likely in normal adjustings. After doing the above manoevre you then need to "lock" or "set/hold" the secondary assembly in this position by pinching up" the 3 screws to hold it so. After this is achieved you then "fiddle" with the 3 screws to get the "tilt" of the sec correct as per the instructions, before moving to the primary to adjust that. You will find that you need to go back and forth a few times between these last adjustings of sec and primary to get everything all concentrical.
Cheers, Darryl. ps - bob's knobs instead of the 3 phillips head screws make life so much easier here!
Thanks for the help guys. Improved the collimation tonight; did a star test and was quite pleased with the results.
2x and 3x Televue Barlows were delivered today from Bintel. Rep points to the Bintel team. Ordered on Monday and arrived today(Wednesday).
Also ordered a Telrad which should arrive next week as they werent currently stocked. No biggy though.
Very impressed with the quality and design. Tested them both with various eyepieces on Saturn , Orion Nebula (Wow!) and a few nebulae around Crux. Seeing wasn't too great; was still at leat 20-23degrees outside at 10pm, not sure if these conditions were much of a help in regards to the 'seeing'.
Interesting that the pupil view? FOV with the 2x barlow was smaller then using the 3x Barlow. I had to hold my eye further away from the eyepiece with the Barlow.
Could someone elaborate on why this is so?
Can't help you with the link Eric; but try drawing 3 lens, a convex for you objective (yeah - I know your only a mirror man) a concave for your barlow and another convex for your ep with an eye beyond that. Now draw your own "rays." If you can't work it out you'll have at least spent some more of your day "skiving" (like me) and you'll have to wait for someone to provide a link!
Hi Eric. I am also intrigued by the often stated view that a barlow lens will increase the eye relief of a given eyepiece. The problem is I have never found that to be the case with my current eyepieces. There is a simple way of checking eye relief with or without a barlow: focus your 'scope on a daytime object, hold a piece of white card close to the eyepiece until the projected image is as sharp as possible, then measure the distance from the image on the card to the eye lens of your eyepiece, this will give you the eye relief. Whenever I do this i find the eye relief of my eyepieces remains the same with or without the barlow; eg, my 15 mm plossl has 11mm eye relief with and without the barlow.
Maybe with long focal length eyepieces a barlow may vignette which effectively reduces the fov, which, in turn, increases the eye relief, that is the only way I can think how this phenomenon works. Also it may be only certain types of eyepiece that may be affected.
I can't find any links which explain the optical effects of a barlow on an eyepiece which results in increasing eye relief but will keep trying. It puzzles me as to why I don't experience this effect with my eyepieces. Hope someone can throw some light on this.
(funny enough this one stood out as a white streak with averted vision but I couldnt see M65 and M66); Im looking at getting a barlow and some more eyepieces. 
