Eye piece question

[Bearcatrp]

I currently have a 9.7 and a 26 mm eyepiece. When I switched to the 9.7, had a hard time staying on target. Works great but seems a bit to much zoom. Should I get something in between or around a 14mm. I know I have only one night under my belt seems early to start considering another eye piece but think it would help to do steps down instead of 1 big and wide to one super close. Appreciate your comments.

[Lady Fraktor]

As you increase the magnification you decrease the TFOV (true field of view) and a Mak has a small FOV to start with.
This article may give you some pointers for picking eyepiece focal lengths for your telescope: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=550

A 32mm Plossl will give you the widest TFOV possible with this telescope (0.85°)
Your 26 gives 0.69° and your 9.7 gives 0.26°, the full Moon is roughly 0.5°

[Voyageur]

Your thinking is appropriate. Your scope is "slow" with an f/ratio of 14.4. A 9.7 EP is not a good choice for that scope, and I am disappointed that it was included. But manufacturers all too often include short focal length EPs so they can advertise high magnification, which is what newcomers to the hobby think is the most important thing.

However, empty magnification is not useful. Your scope's useful maximum magnification 99% of the time is going to be somewhere from 100 - 150 x. So a 15-17 mm EP would be a good choice. What you end up with will depend on your budget, how important wide views are to you, and the amount of eye relief you prefer (or need if you wear glasses to observe).

I expect others who have similar scopes will soon chime in!

[Bearcatrp]

Thanks for the replies. The 26mm is great for wide view to find and center objects. The 9.7mm is super tight and lose the object with just a bump of the controls. When I switched from 26 to 9.7, object was gone. Think a 15-17mm would be a happy medium while I learn. Trying to focus with the 9.7mm was near impossible when I did lock in on the moon. I jumped into this hobby knowing it wasn't going to be cheap so will spend the money on a real good eyepiece for crisp images. I don't need a super zoom at this time. Suggestions welcomed for a 15-17mm eye piece. I know I won't get one from Meade. Thanks

[Lady Fraktor]

Actually the Meade HD-60 is quite a good eyepiece as well as the Celestron Xcel-LX
Every manufacturer includes just adequate eyepieces with their low and middle range packages, unfortunate as years ago you could get some very good ones.
If you do not mind 50° AFOV then the GSO Plossl are an excellent place to start as well.
If you have a budget in mind it is good to say as a 15-17mm eyepiece could go from $30USD up to $350USD

[KathyNS]

Thanks for the replies. The 26mm is great for wide view to find and center objects. The 9.7mm is super tight and lose the object with just a bump of the controls. When I switched from 26 to 9.7, object was gone. Think a 15-17mm would be a happy medium while I learn. Trying to focus with the 9.7mm was near impossible when I did lock in on the moon. I jumped into this hobby knowing it wasn't going to be cheap so will spend the money on a real good eyepiece for crisp images. I don't need a super zoom at this time. Suggestions welcomed for a 15-17mm eye piece. I know I won't get one from Meade. Thanks

A 14mm or 15mm will be the ideal high-magnification eyepiece for that scope. That is right about the maximum practical magnification for that scope. So, a good choice.

Keep the 9.7, because occasionally the atmosphere will be steady enough to use it, especially on bright targets like the Moon. On average nights, it will be too magnification. The symptom of too much magnification is that focusing is near-impossible, as you found.

[Bearcatrp]

Actually the Meade HD-60 is quite a good eyepiece as well as the Celestron Xcel-LX
Every manufacturer includes just adequate eyepieces with their low and middle range packages, unfortunate as years ago you could get some very good ones.
If you do not mind 50° AFOV then the GSO Plossl are an excellent place to start as well.
If you have a budget in mind it is good to say as a 15-17mm eyepiece could go from $30USD up to $350USD

Like these two? The 12mm might be pushing it but not real expensive either. Have no problem going up to $200 if its a real good eye piece.
https://agenaastro.com/gso-15mm-plossl-eyepiece.html
https://agenaastro.com/gso-12mm-plossl-eyepiece.html

[Lady Fraktor]

Those are the ones, a low price for a quality Plossl.
One of the few times you get good views for little money.

[Bearcatrp]

Sounds good. Ordered both.

[Bearcatrp]

Quick question. While I was searching eye pieces, came across eye piece with a zoom. Am assuming it's a magnification adjustment (additional) to the telescope magnification. Out of my league so I moved on. Are those beneficial or more PITA to use?

[notFritzArgelander]

Quick question. While I was searching eye pieces, came across eye piece with a zoom. Am assuming it's a magnification adjustment (additional) to the telescope magnification. Out of my league so I moved on. Are those beneficial or more PITA to use?

Zoom eyepieces are a good way to start a religious war.

Some love them, others hate them. I'm in the middle. I've never used a zoom that was as good as a dedicated eyepiece of fixed focal length. J Gardavsky has used better (pricier!) zooms with great pleasure.

The only zooms I have are the Baader Mark IV https://www.highpointscientific.com/baa ... e-hyp-zoom which are almost as good as my fixed focal length. Less costly but also very good are the Vixen zooms. https://agenaastro.com/vixen-3777-1-25- ... piece.html

It's not easy to make a set of lenses zoom over a range of focal lengths, so good zooms cost money.

[Bearcatrp]

What’s the difference between a regular plossl and a super plossl? Came across some while looking around. About the same price as the ones I ordered.

[notFritzArgelander]

What’s the difference between a regular plossl and a super plossl? Came across some while looking around. About the same price as the ones I ordered.

The "regular" Plössl design consists of 4 lenses in 2 groups. Most Plössls are really Symmetrical doublets which are less expensive to make than the original asymmetrical Plössl design.

The eyepieces marketed as super-Plössls aren't Plössls at all. They have 5 lenses in 3 groups: a doublet a singlet and another doublet.

If you look at the link in the OP in this thread viewtopic.php?f=34&t=4250 there is on p.8 a diagram of many of the eyepiece designs. So you'll see the Plössl right in the middle of row 6 and 4th row from the bottom on the right you'll see a design labeled Zeiss Astroplanax but known in Germany as the Zeiss Astroplan. That's a super Plössl. The design from Zeiss was copied in Japan where they are often called Masuyama eyepieces.

Orion Ultrascopics, Celestron Ultima and others are all derived from the Zeiss design. It's a good performer all around.

[Lady Fraktor]

As long as the telescope is no faster than f/7 ideally, edge definition starts to fall off quickly in some of these if using a faster telescope but they are good to great eyepieces depending on who made them.

[Ruud]

The difference between 9.7 and a 26 mm is big. The gap is a factor 26 / 9.7 = 2.68

Here is an idea about filling a gap between eyepieces

If you want to add one eyepiece and split your gap into two, with equal steps in magnification, the square root of 2.68 would be a good ratio between the focal lengths:
²√ 2.68 = 1.637
   staring point   = 9.7 mm
      9.7 × 1.637 = 15.88 mm
   15.88 × 1.637 = 26 mm
The increase between magnification would be 63%
A 16 mm eyepiece would fit in nicely.

If you want to add two eyepieces and split your gap in three gaps with equal steps in magnification, the cubic root of 2.68 would be a good ratio between the focal lengths:
³√ 2.86 = 1.389
   staring point   = 9.7 mm
      9.7 × 1.389 = 13.47 mm
   13.47 × 1.389 = 18.72 mm
   18.72 × 1.389 = 26 mm
The increase between magnification would be 39%
All you'd have to do is find 13.5 and 19 mm eyepieces.

[Bearcatrp]

Did a close look at the eye pieces that came with my Meade. They are super Plossl. Think the 15mm and 12mm should do good. Tried the 9mm this morning with little luck.

[Bearcatrp]

My eye pieces are lost in postal hell. 11 days now. Arguing with the shipper now. Did get my new iPhone SE so waiting on a good night to try it out on the moon.

[StarBru]

I also ordered some eyepieces shipped 3-day Priority mail on May 2nd and did not receive them until May 13th. I am being told that is the new normal for package shipment during this pandemic!

[Bearcatrp]

Emailed them today. Going back and forth about this issue. He sends me tracking of other customers (minus personal info), showing almost a month to get from California to Michigan and east coast. Just nuts.

[notFritzArgelander]

Weird. I ordered some bits and pieces from TS last Thursday and it arrived today....