>>>im trying to avoid spending money needlessly on eyepieces. so here's my question. if you could only have one eyepiece for an 8" sct what would it be? and why?
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Hello Don:
Eyepieces are like the gears in your car. So asking if I could have only one eyepiece is like asking if you could have only one gear in your car, what gear would that be?
No matter what single gear you chose, it would severely limit your ability to use the car efficiently. If you chose high gear, you couldn't start out or go up hills. If you chose low gear, you be stuck driving along at 20mph all day...
So, it is really necessary to have a few eyepieces that cover the range of possible magnifications from the lowest, widest possible field to the highest reasonable magnification. Otherwise, you are severly limiting your ability to use your telescope effectively.
The key to getting the most for your eyepiece dollar is not to choose a single eyepiece but rather carefully choose a few decent eyepieces that cover the range without unnecessary duplication.
For an 8 inch SCT, Plossls are great eyepieces. A 32mm will provide you with the maximum field of view and a 10mm will put you at 200x, some nights this will not be enough but barlow will take care of that. Add a couple in between and you are set.
Jon
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Hello Don:
Eyepieces are like the gears in your car. So asking if I could have only one eyepiece is like asking if you could have only one gear in your car, what gear would that be?
No matter what single gear you chose, it would severely limit your ability to use the car efficiently. If you chose high gear, you couldn't start out or go up hills. If you chose low gear, you be stuck driving along at 20mph all day...
So, it is really necessary to have a few eyepieces that cover the range of possible magnifications from the lowest, widest possible field to the highest reasonable magnification. Otherwise, you are severly limiting your ability to use your telescope effectively.
The key to getting the most for your eyepiece dollar is not to choose a single eyepiece but rather carefully choose a few decent eyepieces that cover the range without unnecessary duplication.
For an 8 inch SCT, Plossls are great eyepieces. A 32mm will provide you with the maximum field of view and a 10mm will put you at 200x, some nights this will not be enough but barlow will take care of that. Add a couple in between and you are set.
Jon
