Celestron eyepeice kits.?

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Celestron-Telesc...QQcmdZViewItem

just wondering if this would be a good idea ? or is it just another one of those, Cry now not later ordeals?

[chris lewis]

I have had the full size Meade and Celestron E.P. kits which I acquired on discounts when I brought various telescopes. I sold those kits years ago as only the middle size E.P.s was actually that useful. The smaller 4, 6, and 9 mm size Possls had very poor eye relief and the 40 mm in the Meade was never used.
This E.P. kit has only the 2x E.P.s - a 12.5 and a 32mm with a Barlow. These are more useful sizes.
Color filters I have never used in 30 odd years of viewing.
This may be an ‘OK’ starter kit but the quality will not be high.
You may find in the long run that investing slowly in more quality [read expensive] E.P’s and a Barlow like the Televue versions will give you superior images and will last you a lot longer.
Others may have different thoughts.

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Opinions can and will vary greatly as to the best answer to your question...

From my perspective there are two general schools of thought on eyepiece accumulation...

#1 The get lots of less expensive (of low or okay quality) eyepieces in the beginning of the hobby and later in life discover that you want to trade up to the expensive ones (keeping the less expensive ones or selling used at a steep discount)...school

#2 The buy a few really nice eyepieces of high quality that are used over a long period of time (slowing adding a nice eyepiece a year or whatever is affordable)...school

In my opinion, if you stay active in the hobby in the end you will accumulate many eyepieces for different scopes and specific uses anyway so I much prefer option #2 and saving and occassionally buying a premium eyepiece...The eyepiece is a large percentage of your optical train and over time I'd like the view to be as nice as possible.

An empty can used to hold the money I would have spent on a cup of coffee on a daily basis adds up quite quickly to a Pentax or Televue...

To more specifically offer my thoughts on your question, I think the Celestrons are probably of okay quality but I suspect there are many things in the kit that you will not find useful...While the price maybe low enough to throw the other stuff non-useful away, I've got enough clutter in my life already and it would not be my choice.

From your other posts I think this may be a first telescope for you so I'll offer the same advice I give to everyone just starting out...use what you have (the stuff that comes with your scope) for a while before spending any more money...get out if possible and view with others and check out their equipment...After you get some hours observing under your belt, you will have a much better feel for the things you like/don't like in an eyepiece (and there are some major differences between the different types of eyepieces)...then and only then get out your wallet and part with your money for something that you can have confidence in that you will enjoy.

Good Luck and Enjoy!

[OneOfOne (Trevor)]

I started initially with option 1. Subsequently, I have sold the kit. I kept the filters, but actually have never used them. If I could travel back in time, I would say to myself "don't waste your money".

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

well placed, and yes this is my first decent scope but i have been mucking around with telescopes for a little while now, im study at curtin university and they have some nice gear, a little Meade 5" with the goto gear, and a big ass 12" with all the goto gear that they are placing in a dome for remote use (hoping to get some air time on that) plus a old old school Carl Zeiss Jalna Im not sure of the specs but it is of a cassigrain stlye (eyepeice out the back) stands about 1.2 m high and would have to be a 8" or so not sure and that makes saturn stand out like dog nuts so to speak! so i have had a little bit of experience but not much if you know what i mean.

Thankyou for the advice i think i mught just settle down untill i can buy something decent!