Oh, the conundrum

Ok, Christmas is coming, and I get to buy MYSELF a present. Something to go
along with all the neckties and fruitcakes. My pleasant problem, to which
I'd love some opinions: I'm going to buy an eyepiece, a good one, for my 10"
f/5 dob. I currently have a 32mm, 17, 9.7, 9, 7, and 4. I also have a 2x
barlow.

The gaps appear to be 24mm, 12mm, 6mm, and I suppose 3mm, although that's
pushing the seeing in suburban Chicagoland. So one eypiece (all I can
afford) will solve two of the gaps, using the barlow. I want to get a
Televue, and I'm torn between a 6mm Radian, or something even more indulgent
(like a Nagler or Panoptic) in the 24 or 12 sizes.

So what would YOU do?

Thanks, Eric

I'd sell all the useless eyepieces and buy a bigger scope.

Sorry just kidding.

In article ,
"Eric Martin" wrote:

Ok, Christmas is coming, and I get to buy MYSELF a present. Something to go
along with all the neckties and fruitcakes. My pleasant problem, to which
I'd love some opinions: I'm going to buy an eyepiece, a good one, for my 10"
f/5 dob. I currently have a 32mm, 17, 9.7, 9, 7, and 4. I also have a 2x
barlow.

The gaps appear to be 24mm, 12mm, 6mm, and I suppose 3mm, although that's
pushing the seeing in suburban Chicagoland. So one eypiece (all I can
afford) will solve two of the gaps, using the barlow. I want to get a
Televue, and I'm torn between a 6mm Radian, or something even more indulgent
(like a Nagler or Panoptic) in the 24 or 12 sizes.

So what would YOU do?

Thanks, Eric

On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 04:40:01 GMT, "Eric Martin"
wrote:

I want to get a
Televue, and I'm torn between a 6mm Radian, or something even more indulgent
(like a Nagler or Panoptic) in the 24 or 12 sizes.

24mm Pan

Wayne Hoffman
33° 49" 17' N 117° 56" 41' W
"Don't Look Down"

http://home.pacbell.net/w6wlr/

"Eric Martin" wrote in message
.com...
Ok, Christmas is coming, and I get to buy MYSELF a present. Something to
go
along with all the neckties and fruitcakes. My pleasant problem, to which
I'd love some opinions: I'm going to buy an eyepiece, a good one, for my
10"
f/5 dob. I currently have a 32mm, 17, 9.7, 9, 7, and 4. I also have a 2x
barlow.

The gaps appear to be 24mm, 12mm, 6mm, and I suppose 3mm, although that's
pushing the seeing in suburban Chicagoland. So one eypiece (all I can
afford) will solve two of the gaps, using the barlow. I want to get a
Televue, and I'm torn between a 6mm Radian, or something even more
indulgent
(like a Nagler or Panoptic) in the 24 or 12 sizes.

So what would YOU do?

Thanks, Eric



Eric,

Can you tell us what ep's those are (brand, type)? That will help us fill
in for you.

Have a read here as well:

http://www.tomhole.com/Oculars%20Filters%20Etc.htm

Picking ep's is not tricky. At low-med powers you pick them based on TFOV
(field stop). At higher powers, you pick them based on magnification.

Clear skies,

Tom

"Eric Martin" wrote in message:
Ok, Christmas is coming, and I get to buy MYSELF a present. Something to go
along with all the neckties and fruitcakes. My pleasant problem, to which
I'd love some opinions: I'm going to buy an eyepiece, a good one, for my 10"
f/5 dob. I currently have a 32mm, 17, 9.7, 9, 7, and 4. I also have a 2x
barlow.

The gaps appear to be 24mm, 12mm, 6mm, and I suppose 3mm, although that's
pushing the seeing in suburban Chicagoland. So one eypiece (all I can
afford) will solve two of the gaps, using the barlow. I want to get a
Televue, and I'm torn between a 6mm Radian, or something even more indulgent
(like a Nagler or Panoptic) in the 24 or 12 sizes.

There are *lots* of choices, but if I had to narrow it down to one:
10.5mm Pentax XL. It's my most-used/most-loved eyepiece in my Orion
XT8 (similar focal length to your dob). If you prefer TeleVue then an
11mm T6, or Radian in the 10-12mm range would also be excellent
choices.

The reason I like that 10-12mm range for a scope of this focal length
is that you get excellent double-duty out of the eyepiece; native, it
makes a great DSO eyepiece, and barlowed it provides good
lunar/planetary views (location/seeing dependent, obviously).

Chris Nicholl

Can you tell us what ep's those are (brand, type)?

32 TV plossl
17 Celestron plossl
9.7 Meade plossl
9 "astrola" thing from Hardin
7 Meade ortho
4 Edmund ortho

I have some other really old Edmund eyepieces that I keep in my box for
nostalgia, not use...I think a .5" Ramsden and a 28mm Kellner....

"Eric Martin" wrote in message
.com...
Can you tell us what ep's those are (brand, type)?

32 TV plossl
17 Celestron plossl
9.7 Meade plossl
9 "astrola" thing from Hardin
7 Meade ortho
4 Edmund ortho

I have some other really old Edmund eyepieces that I keep in my box for
nostalgia, not use...I think a .5" Ramsden and a 28mm Kellner....


Allrighty then.

32 TV plossl: keeper. It gives you the widest TFOV possible in the 1.25"
format. Nice ep, too.

Sell the 17, 9.7 and 9 plossls. Buy an 11 Nagler type6. Sweet mags for the
1250mm focal length at 114x and 227x and it has the same TFOV as the 17
plossl. A 10.5mm Pentax XL would be sweet as well (that was my choice, but
you may like the 82 deg AFOV better)

Keep the 7mm and 4mm orthos for planetary work.

If you have a lot of cash left over, replace the 32mm with a 24 Pan, but I
wouldn't make that a priority. I would consider a nice 2" ep though to get
to 1.5 deg TFOV or so. Maybe one of the myriad 32mm 60 deg AFOV ep's or a
35 Pan.

Clear skies,

Tom

Great, detailed advice, Tom. Thanks!

--Eric

I would consider a nice 2" ep though to get
to 1.5 deg TFOV or so. Maybe one of the myriad 32mm 60 deg AFOV ep's

I forget to mention that I also have a 2" 32mm Astrola, also from Hardin.

A 10.5mm Pentax XL

Every site that sells this (that I can find) specifies this as a spotting
scope eyepiece.

--Eric