The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

Discuss telescope eyepieces.
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The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#1

Post by Don Pensack »


I wrote this a bit over 15 years ago. It still works today to yield a very basic "set" on which to build:

1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece choice

Most beginner telescopes come with a single eyepiece. Thinking that most beginners would want something more in the way of power than the lowest possible power (which yields the largest true field of view), the manufacturers provide an eyepiece that, charitably, is a "jack of all trades and master of none"--too high a power to have the largest field, and too low a power for high power views of the Moon and planets and not quite high enough a magnification to make a decent medium power eyepiece. So the first thing a beginner looks for is a "set" of eyepieces for the scope. And, indeed, there are many such sets, though they typically contain some eyepieces with focal lengths so short they're generally not usable, and some color filters not useful for anything.

Well, I'll save the beginner a little bit of shopping by talking about a Magnification Protocol I'll call "1X / 2X / 3X"
Let me explain what that means:
First, everyone needs a low-power eyepiece with a large field of view for the biggest objects in the sky--star clusters, asterisms (stars arranged in patterns), large nebulae, the Milky Way, etc. Call that 1X.
On top of that, since most objects in the night sky are NOT that large, a medium-power eyepiece is nice to show most objects well in context with the area of the sky in which they sit, and at a high enough magnification to see details in the objects. The background sky gets a little darker as the magnification increases, so the image is often more aesthetically-pleasing, especially in an urban or suburban setting, where the sky isn't particularly dark to begin with. This is 2X.
And last, for the smallest of objects, like the planets (which will be the tiniest things you look at in a telescope), or for high-power views of the Moon, close double stars and small planetary nebulae, a high-power eyepiece is essential. This is 3X.
But Seeing conditions (the turbulence in the sky) don't often allow REALLY high powers to be used because as you increase the magnification, you also magnify the turbulence. At some point, the image just becomes blurrier as you raise the power. Where that magnification point is will vary from night to night, so it's desirable to have your high power eyepiece be a low-enough power to still produce a decently sharp image, even when the seeing is mediocre.

Which is where I came up with 1X / 2X / 3X, where X= a particular power geared for the particular scope. We can just call them Low-Medium-High power, but be aware that higher powers are possible when the atmosphere is quiet and not scintillating. Now, larger scopes are capable of higher magnifications. The reasons for this relate to how light diffracts as it passes through the scope. Bigger apertures resolve smaller details at the same power, and can handle higher magnifications before they get into the "high power blur" territory. So, whereas a 4" telescope might use an X=33power, a 16" scope can handle an X=80 magnification even easier.
I do have some suggestions for backyard instruments:
4" scope, X=35 power
8" scope, X=50 power
10"scope, X=60 power
12"/12.5"scope X=70 power
Above that size, the owners of scopes usually have accumulated enough eyepieces to yield whatever powers they want. 12" seems to be about as big as it gets for a first scope.

How do you figure out what focal lengths of eyepieces yield these powers? Easy. Divide the focal length of the telescope by the magnification you want, and it will yield the focal length of the eyepiece that produces that power (you can approximate +/- a millimeter or so).

What if the Seeing conditions are so good there is no scintillation visible in the high-power eyepiece? Well, you can go higher. Without having to invest a lot of money in eyepieces you may not use that often, the purchase of a decent 2X Barlow lens will be all you need for those nights. That 2-power Barlow will yield "4X" with the "2X" eyepiece, and "6X" with the "3X" eyepiece. That's yet another reason not to make the magnifications too high for your basic eyepieces--you'd never use the barlow lens at all.

OK, now you have the 3 general use eyepieces for your scope. Where do you go from here? Well, see the eyepiece discussions on the forum sites and see what people think. It's rational to get a "lowest possible power/widest possible field of view" eyepiece for the really enormous objects, and it's rational to have a "highest power" eyepiece that yields 25 times per inch of aperture (assuming you still have a Barlow lens to yield the highest possible 50X/inch that's usable one night a year...maybe). And you'll notice my protocol does not talk about apparent field of view or eyepiece types, or eye relief. Those are worthy topics for deeper discussion.
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

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Post by Lady Fraktor »


Thank you for the great information Don, I am sure many will find it useful.
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#3

Post by WilliamPaolini »


This is a very good method, especially when the 2x Barlow is included then it can cover most everything. With my 4" I mostly use the magnifications Don lists with the 8", so 50x, 100x, 150x. The on some tighter doubles and planetary I like having 200x available (which works with the 2x). And on Lunar I usually like 250x for close ups as it can handle it just fine. I basically use the 50x, 100x, 150x, 200x, 250/300x for all my scopes from 80mm to 10" and many times do it just as Don suggests with 3 eyepieces and a Barlow.
-Bill

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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#4

Post by John Fitzgerald »


Bill and Don: It's great to see you here. Welcome! You guys are the eyepiece gurus!
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#5

Post by Bener »


Thank you for this very helpful post, Don. I actually stumbled upon it while searching for eyepiece info on Google.

Can you please tell us what would be a good 1X magnification for a 5” reflector?

Thanks!
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#6

Post by Don Pensack »


Well, that depends on your skies and your usage, really.
In dark skies, I might suggest a starter set of 3 might yield 40x, 80x, and 120x.
But in bright skies, the 40x might yield a fairly bright background in the eyepiece, so bumping that to 45 or even 50 might be OK.
Conversely, if the scope is being used to scan for comets, 30-60-90x could be a set.
For average use, if using a 2x barlow, the 40-80-120x range will yield a duplicate 80x and a seldom-used magnification (240x), unless you pick one of those wonderful barlows that can be used as 1.5x and 2x.
Then you have 40, 60, 80, 120, 160, 180, and 240x, a very complete set of eyepieces.
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#7

Post by Bener »


Thank you, Don!

My backyard observing site is a bortle 4 location and my other frequent nearby site is darker, but still a 4 (brightness 0.279 mcd/m2 vs. 0.237). I have recently joined an astronomy club that occasionally visits a not too far away site with bortle 2 skies :dance:

My current scope, though I am likely to get another sometime in the not too distant future, is 130mm aperture and 650mm long; pretty modest! As a new astronomy hobbyist, I am still learning about the different types of objects, but I know that I enjoy looking for DSOs as well as the moon, planets and stars. My jaw still drops when I get good seeing and can see more than two indistinct bands on Jupiter, so it doesn’t take too much to get me excited.

So far, without the benefit of experiencing the kind of seeing that may be possible during the winter months (I just got this scope this summer), I would say that the maximum magnification I am able to achieve is between 144 and 200X. I say that because I am typically able to use my 9mm with a 2x barlow (144x), but it’s rare that I get good views with the 6.5mm and barlow.

Before reading your article I had been thinking about acquiring an eyepiece to go between my 10 and 18 mm. At the CN site, you had suggested that I look for a 12-13mm. Based on that, I had been seriously considering a Delos or Morpheus or similar in that range. I liked looking through the 13mm Nagler, but wanted something with a bit more eye relief mostly for ease of viewing (I don’t wear glasses on the scope). I expected I would end up with a set like this: 6.5, 10, 13, 18, & 24 plus barlow. At that time, my thinking was that I would “anchor” my improved eyepiece set around a higher quality mid powered lens (12 or 13mm) and eventually upgrade the other ones I have.

Then I stumbled across your article and found myself reconsidering my eyepiece acquisition/improvement plan. The idea of having fewer (3-4) eyepieces with barlow is really appealing to me.

Now I am wondering what a good plan would be to have an upgrade path more in line with your 1X/2x/3x protocol. Perhaps I should be considering 5-6.5mm, 9-10mm, and 22-24mm. What would you suggest?

Thank you very much for your input!

René
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#8

Post by Don Pensack »


Well, due to the light grasp of the instrument, powers above 200x are going to be rarely used.
Likewise any magnification below 30x.
In between, you have many choices.
It's tough to have a set that contains only 3 eyepieces and a barlow. I personally favor having more choice.
But, perhaps a 30-60-90 set with a 2X Barlow for 120x and 180x?
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#9

Post by Bener »


So I may need to implement a modified approach to the Pensack 1X/2x/3x Protocol. If I went to more eyepieces with a barlow, what would you suggest as my targets for magnification/ focal length, Don?

And can you please say more about the wonderful barlows that can do 1.5 & x? My ES focal extender doesn’t do that, does it?

Thank you!
René
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#10

Post by Bigzmey »


Hi René
Looking at the EPs in your signature I should say that you already have a nice set which should cover your observing needs nicely. ES68 24mm provides the maximum field of view achievable in 1.25" format, so you have your low power EP covered. On the high power end you got HD60 6.5mm which on a typical night will deliver close to max productive power for your scope. If you want to push it a bit further you can barlow 9m EP with your 2x extender.

And you have 10mm and 18mm UFFs to cover the mid range. If you want perfect I would just add 14mm EP to cover the gap between 10mm and 18mm, otherwise you are all set.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#11

Post by Don Pensack »


Bener wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:22 pm So I may need to implement a modified approach to the Pensack 1X/2x/3x Protocol. If I went to more eyepieces with a barlow, what would you suggest as my targets for magnification/ focal length, Don?

And can you please say more about the wonderful barlows that can do 1.5 & x? My ES focal extender doesn’t do that, does it?

Thank you!
René
Many of the inexpensive Barlows have their lenses removable from the tube of the Barlow.
The lenses can then be threaded directly to a 1.25" eyepiece, but due to moving in quite a bit closer to the focal planes of the eyepieces,
the lenses then yield a lower power.
A typical 2X Barlow may be 1.5X when threaded directly to the eyepiece.
[actual magnification will vary according to the barlow and where in the eyepiece the focal plane resides.]

Some examples I can think of include a GSO 1.25" 2X Barlow, the Celestron Omni Barlow, and there are a host of others.
No, the ES focal extender cannot be used that way.

I see you have eyepieces already of 6.5mm, 9mm, 10mm, and 18mm and 24mm. Are you sure you need more/other eyepieces?
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#12

Post by mikemarotta »


Don Pensack wrote: Tue May 25, 2021 10:29 pm I wrote this a bit over 15 years ago. It still works today to yield a very basic "set" on which to build:
1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece choice
Still good advice, of course. Thanks for resurrecting this and posting it here, Don.
Don Pensack wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:56 pm Many of the inexpensive Barlows have their lenses removable from the tube of the Barlow.
The lenses can then be threaded directly to a 1.25" eyepiece, but due to moving in quite a bit closer to the focal planes of the eyepieces,
the lenses then yield a lower power.
A typical 2X Barlow may be 1.5X when threaded directly to the eyepiece.
Fascinating. Who knew? I hesitate to take anything apart. But after reading your suggestion here, I found that it can be done safely. I am not sure what I can do with 1.5X but it is good to know.

Best Regards,
---------------------------------------
Michael E. Marotta
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#13

Post by Bener »


Don Pensack wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:56 pm
. . . SNIP . . .

I see you have eyepieces already of 6.5mm, 9mm, 10mm, and 18mm and 24mm. Are you sure you need more/other eyepieces?
No.
I don’t think I need more eyepieces, I just would like to to revamp my set.

My plan had initially been that I’d keep either the 9 or 10 mm ( I am not sure I need both) and find a new home for the other one. I was also going to acquire a 12-13mm to fill out my set.

What happened next is that while reading up on lenses, I came across your article here and I liked the idea of consolidating my set to 3-4 eyepieces as I revamp it. That is what prompted my initial query here.

I have also decided that I would like to have wider FOV eyepieces than what I currently have. I decided that as I revamp my set, I want to move to wider view (~68--80*) lenses. The decision to go wider was mostly precipitated by my using a 13 mm Nagler in my scope. I was astonished at the difference between it and any of my current medium-higher powered lenses.

I am considering something along the lines of: 24-22, 13-14, 9-10, & 6.5mm lenses (27X, 50, 65, & 100X plus barlow). Does that lineup seem like a good set up to you?

I thought that I might keep my ES 24 for now, maybe also the HD60 6.5, and replace my current 9 and 10 mm with one better eyepiece with a wider FOV. I would also acquire a wider FOV 13-14 eyepiece and see how that works out with my scope. Then I would see about upgrading the 6.5 to something with a wider FOV and eventually the same with my low powered lens.


And thank you for your explanation about the barlows. Turns out that the first barlow I got does have a removable lens. I am definitely going to try using it.

René
Last edited by Bener on Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
Binos: Zeiss 10X40B Dialyt
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#14

Post by Bener »


Bigzmey wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:16 pm Hi René
Looking at the EPs in your signature I should say that you already have a nice set which should cover your observing needs nicely. ES68 24mm provides the maximum field of view achievable in 1.25" format, so you have your low power EP covered. On the high power end you got HD60 6.5mm which on a typical night will deliver close to max productive power for your scope. If you want to push it a bit further you can barlow 9m EP with your 2x extender.

And you have 10mm and 18mm UFFs to cover the mid range. If you want perfect I would just add 14mm EP to cover the gap between 10mm and 18mm, otherwise you are all set.
Thank you for your input, @Bigzmey!
You have pretty much described my experience with the 6.5 and 9 mm, with and without barlow. I am still trying to decide, but I feel that I get a little better performance from the barlowed 10mm APM rebadged than the 9mm HD60. Same for using them straight up with no barlow.

I mentioned in my response to @Don Pensack, what I am hoping to do is revamp my eyepiece set.
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
Binos: Zeiss 10X40B Dialyt
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#15

Post by Bigzmey »


Bener wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:13 pm
Bigzmey wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:16 pm Hi René
Looking at the EPs in your signature I should say that you already have a nice set which should cover your observing needs nicely. ES68 24mm provides the maximum field of view achievable in 1.25" format, so you have your low power EP covered. On the high power end you got HD60 6.5mm which on a typical night will deliver close to max productive power for your scope. If you want to push it a bit further you can barlow 9m EP with your 2x extender.

And you have 10mm and 18mm UFFs to cover the mid range. If you want perfect I would just add 14mm EP to cover the gap between 10mm and 18mm, otherwise you are all set.
Thank you for your input, @Bigzmey!
You have pretty much described my experience with the 6.5 and 9 mm, with and without barlow. I am still trying to decide, but I feel that I get a little better performance from the barlowed 10mm APM rebadged than the 9mm HD60. Same for using them straight up with no barlow.

I mentioned in my response to @Don Pensack, what I am hoping to do is revamp my eyepiece set.
I would also take UFF over HD60. Tweaking and upgrading your EP set is certainly fun activity. However at this point you will get more bang for your buck if you upgrade the scope. Better scope with your existing EP set would deliver more improvement in the views compared to using existing scope and upgrading EPs.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#16

Post by Bener »


@Bigzmey, getting another scope is something that I certainly want to do. At this point, however, I don’t know what sort of scope that will likely be. I am hoping that I can build up a core set that works well in current and future scopes. Of course I realize that I may have to get some other eyepieces to get the most out of a future scope (e.g. something in the 40-50+ mm range).

Have you ever had the opportunity to look through a OneSky? I don’t really have much experience as a basis for comparison, but a few others with much more experience with scopes than I have been pleasantly surprised.

PS I think it might be a scope like a Apertura AD10 or maybe a CAT. I just need some more experience with other scopes to help me decide.
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
Binos: Zeiss 10X40B Dialyt
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#17

Post by notFritzArgelander »


Bener wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:28 pm @Bigzmey, getting another scope is something that I certainly want to do. At this point, however, I don’t know what sort of scope that will likely be. I am hoping that I can build up a core set that works well in current and future scopes. Of course I realize that I may have to get some other eyepieces to get the most out of a future scope (e.g. something in the 40-50+ mm range).

Have you ever had the opportunity to look through a OneSky? I don’t really have much experience as a basis for comparison, but a few others with much more experience with scopes than I have been pleasantly surprised.
It’s not a bad scope at all IMO. I’m guessing that Bigzmey thinks that a more capable scope is a more cost effective way to improve your views. If you like fast Newtonian scopes the costs of upgrading eyepieces can be very high.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#18

Post by Bigzmey »


Bener wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:28 pm @Bigzmey, getting another scope is something that I certainly want to do. At this point, however, I don’t know what sort of scope that will likely be. I am hoping that I can build up a core set that works well in current and future scopes. Of course I realize that I may have to get some other eyepieces to get the most out of a future scope (e.g. something in the 40-50+ mm range).

Have you ever had the opportunity to look through a OneSky? I don’t really have much experience as a basis for comparison, but a few others with much more experience with scopes than I have been pleasantly surprised.
I do hear good things about OneSky. I am not saying it is a bad scope, but rather sharing with you my general equipment upgrade strategy. I started long time ago with beginner scope and EPs and traded up over the years. I would typically upgrade equipment when I reach the limit in what I can see with current set, and getting better scope would always open up more targets or resolve more details in the targets I have already seen compared to getting better EPs.

You have a set of mid range good quality EPs, which should allow you to push your scope optic to the limit. I would recommend to keep observing with what you have to gain more experience and see where you want to improve the most. Just to give you an example, you can buy a set on Naglers, but you still would not be able to see Pluto with your scope. However, if you spend the same $$ to get 8" or larger scope you will be able to resolve Pluto with the existing EP set.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#19

Post by Bener »


Bigzmey wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:49 pm
Bener wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:28 pm @Bigzmey, getting another scope is something that I certainly want to do. At this point, however, I don’t know what sort of scope that will likely be. I am hoping that I can build up a core set that works well in current and future scopes. Of course I realize that I may have to get some other eyepieces to get the most out of a future scope (e.g. something in the 40-50+ mm range).

Have you ever had the opportunity to look through a OneSky? I don’t really have much experience as a basis for comparison, but a few others with much more experience with scopes than I have been pleasantly surprised.
I do hear good things about OneSky. I am not saying it is a bad scope, but rather sharing with you my general equipment upgrade strategy. I started long time ago with beginner scope and EPs and traded up over the years. I would typically upgrade equipment when I reach the limit in what I can see with current set, and getting better scope would always open up more targets or resolve more details in the targets I have already seen compared to getting better EPs.

You have a set of mid range good quality EPs, which should allow you to push your scope optic to the limit. I would recommend to keep observing with what you have to gain more experience and see where you want to improve the most. Just to give you an example, you can buy a set on Naglers, but you still would not be able to see Pluto with your scope. However, if you spend the same $$ to get 8" or larger scope you will be able to resolve Pluto with the existing EP set.
First, please believe me @Bigzmey and @notFritzArgelander that I never thought anyone was saying that the OneSky is a bad scope. I just wondered if folks had experienced it.

I appreciate your explanation and I do understand that getting better lenses won’t get me views beyond the light gathering power of a 130mm aperture. I am hoping to improve my experience with the OneSky by getting eyepieces with a wider FOV than most of my current lenses. I also would want these lenses to work in the 8-10” dob that may be in my future.

I can also report that a Nagler 13 T6 does give me much better views than what I get from my current 9 & 10mm eps. More details, and when barlowed, much better than my 6.5mm HD60. It’s the experience that got me wanting to upgrade. Jupiter looks better, showing more details across multiple days of seeing quality, with that borrowed 13T6 than anything else I have.
Scopes: ES 12” f/5 Truss Dob; GSO 6” f/5 on Stellarvue M002C; AWB OneSky
Eyepieces: Pentax XW; TeleVue Delos; Morpheus; ES 82° & 68°; APM/Astro-Tech XWA 100° & UWA 82°; Meade HD-60
Binos: Zeiss 10X40B Dialyt
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Re: The 1X / 2X / 3X Magnification Protocol for eyepiece set selection

#20

Post by Bigzmey »


Bener wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:12 pm
Bigzmey wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:49 pm
Bener wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:28 pm @Bigzmey, getting another scope is something that I certainly want to do. At this point, however, I don’t know what sort of scope that will likely be. I am hoping that I can build up a core set that works well in current and future scopes. Of course I realize that I may have to get some other eyepieces to get the most out of a future scope (e.g. something in the 40-50+ mm range).

Have you ever had the opportunity to look through a OneSky? I don’t really have much experience as a basis for comparison, but a few others with much more experience with scopes than I have been pleasantly surprised.
I do hear good things about OneSky. I am not saying it is a bad scope, but rather sharing with you my general equipment upgrade strategy. I started long time ago with beginner scope and EPs and traded up over the years. I would typically upgrade equipment when I reach the limit in what I can see with current set, and getting better scope would always open up more targets or resolve more details in the targets I have already seen compared to getting better EPs.

You have a set of mid range good quality EPs, which should allow you to push your scope optic to the limit. I would recommend to keep observing with what you have to gain more experience and see where you want to improve the most. Just to give you an example, you can buy a set on Naglers, but you still would not be able to see Pluto with your scope. However, if you spend the same $$ to get 8" or larger scope you will be able to resolve Pluto with the existing EP set.
First, please believe me @Bigzmey and @notFritzArgelander that I never thought anyone was saying that the OneSky is a bad scope. I just wondered if folks had experienced it.

I appreciate your explanation and I do understand that getting better lenses won’t get me views beyond the light gathering power of a 130mm aperture. I am hoping to improve my experience with the OneSky by getting eyepieces with a wider FOV than most of my current lenses. I also would want these lenses to work in the 8-10” dob that may be in my future.

I can also report that a Nagler 13 T6 does give me much better views than what I get from my current 9 & 10mm eps. More details, and when barlowed, much better than my 6.5mm HD60. It’s the experience that got me wanting to upgrade. Jupiter looks better, showing more details across multiple days of seeing quality, with that borrowed 13T6 than anything else I have.
Having 82 deg (or wider) EPs is a wonderful experience with any scope. It so happened that Naglers and their ES82/Meade UWA counterparts perform nicely in all kind of scopes newts/DOBs, CATs and refractors. So, if you heart set on 82 degree EPs, by all means! You will get some view improvement now and they will work fine in future scopes as well.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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