don treat said:
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?
I think you'll really want at least 3 eyepieces to start with.
If the budget is a factor, I'd start with some basic plossls or maybe something like the Meade MA line - I'd go for ones in the general range of an 8, a 25, and a 40. At star party swap tables, you can find OK but nothing special used eyepieces for as little as $5. You can often find somewhat nicer ones for $15-20. I've also seen eyepieces in this range on astromart.
If you can afford to, instead of buying all cheapies, replace one of the ones I suggested with a good high quality one. I'd make it the one I expected to use the most. If you post a question about what's a good deal in a given price range for a given focal range, you'll get good advice.
Odds are, you'll end up replacing the inexpensive ones as you become more involved in the hobby.
