I have a chance to buy 12.5, 9, and/or 6mm UO Orthos locally and each are $35.
I'm still a beginner but I understand these are really good on planets for some reason.
I am DYING to see the GRS which I haven't been able to truly say I have yet, or maybe I have, but didn't really know it, even though I do concentrate on looking for it each time I see Jupiter.
Part of that is surely that a dob isn't as good on planets as a refractor, but still...here's my equipment list with some comments.
I have: Orion XT8 (love it), Celestron Ultima 30mm (REALLY enjoy looking into this clear and crisp EP -- wonder if I should just get more and more ultimas over time and forget other orthos/plossls altogether), Stock orion sirius 25 and 9mm plossl (25 is fine, 9 is so so) and Celestron silver type Plossl 6mm (pretty good..tolerable relief, i think clearer than the orion 9, but not as clear/crisp as the ultima) and on top of all this i have a TV 2.5x barlow (very nice, but can't really use it with the 6 now can I?!)
Since I already have a 9 and 6mm plossl I was thinking about the 12.5 (the orion 9 is not too hot, the celestron 6 is actually okay but only gives me 200 power and can't really be 2.5x with my TV barlow as 500x is really not usable) and barlowing it to get me to 240x (more power than the 6mm, and possibly better contrast and eye relief). I'm wondering if this will be best for planets and or if I should replace one of the two plossls of the same f/l 6 or 9 with the 6 or 9 ortho instead?
my XT8 focal length is 1200mm...so currently i get:
ultima 30: 40 and 100x
sirius 25: 48 and 120x
[uo ortho 12.5? 96 and 240x]
sirius 9: 133 and 333x
celestron plossl 6: 200 (and 500x -- not)
so, should I get just the 12.5? or another F/L? I'm on a budget, but I also want some great planetary views this winter (and for mars next year)...what to do? one or two?
thanks for any opinions!!
Tom.
I'm still a beginner but I understand these are really good on planets for some reason.
I am DYING to see the GRS which I haven't been able to truly say I have yet, or maybe I have, but didn't really know it, even though I do concentrate on looking for it each time I see Jupiter.
Part of that is surely that a dob isn't as good on planets as a refractor, but still...here's my equipment list with some comments.
I have: Orion XT8 (love it), Celestron Ultima 30mm (REALLY enjoy looking into this clear and crisp EP -- wonder if I should just get more and more ultimas over time and forget other orthos/plossls altogether), Stock orion sirius 25 and 9mm plossl (25 is fine, 9 is so so) and Celestron silver type Plossl 6mm (pretty good..tolerable relief, i think clearer than the orion 9, but not as clear/crisp as the ultima) and on top of all this i have a TV 2.5x barlow (very nice, but can't really use it with the 6 now can I?!)
Since I already have a 9 and 6mm plossl I was thinking about the 12.5 (the orion 9 is not too hot, the celestron 6 is actually okay but only gives me 200 power and can't really be 2.5x with my TV barlow as 500x is really not usable) and barlowing it to get me to 240x (more power than the 6mm, and possibly better contrast and eye relief). I'm wondering if this will be best for planets and or if I should replace one of the two plossls of the same f/l 6 or 9 with the 6 or 9 ortho instead?
my XT8 focal length is 1200mm...so currently i get:
ultima 30: 40 and 100x
sirius 25: 48 and 120x
[uo ortho 12.5? 96 and 240x]
sirius 9: 133 and 333x
celestron plossl 6: 200 (and 500x -- not)
so, should I get just the 12.5? or another F/L? I'm on a budget, but I also want some great planetary views this winter (and for mars next year)...what to do? one or two?
thanks for any opinions!!
Tom.