https://www.vixenoptics.com/Vixen-NPL-30mm-Eyepiece-p/39208.htm

 

They're a bit cheaper in the UK.

 

My problem is that I have the common disease of liking large AFOV for low power. ); I find 60 degrees to but low but I prefer 68. 70 degrees way way more.

I would not go down to 50d ); for a 30mm eyepiece.

 

It's all weight and manageability for me. The NPL's are very good for what they are, I even use the 40mm sometimes. Also, I tend to choose EP's for the ST80 for whether they'll work without an extension tube or not. The 19mm Panoptic needs one, the 9mm Expanse doesn't. I really like Plossls for their sharpness and lack of ghosting. With the AZ5/ST80 it makes a light, easily set up scope. With the Vixen mount and the ST102 the 82 degree EP's come out to play! Including the Nagler.

 

It's true you need maximum manageability. In that case a light weight 50d AFOV should have a place of choice, true. I know how painful it is to use my heavy 34mm 68d. My new procedure is to balance the scope for my other 1.25 eyepieces and browse with my 25mm.

Then when the scene is proper for the 34mm, I install it without re balancing the telescope. It's a bit more struggle for the RA motor but it looks pretty strong, I don't hear strange noise or other apparent problems.

I could not use the 31mm Nagler or the a Ethos with my current setup.

 

Speaking of manageability, I had yet another ST80 session from around 22:40 to 01:25 British Summer Time.


A setting Jupiter wasn't bad at 133x ~ 144x and the GRS was just tantalisingly visible near the eastern limb.



The seeing was a fairly decent A~II but there were transparency issues low in the south. Although, I'm fairly sure I could see Rhea and Titan. I got some surface detail at 161x for a short time.



Star Queen and Omega nebulae were good but the Lagoon and Trifid were difficult. The Pipe Bowl could be seen with the 40mm NPL quite nicely. I even used the Baader UHC-S!



I got a good 64.5x on Cor Caroli and 10x on Coma Berenices. I also spent some time in and around Cassiopeia at 10x, 13.3x and 44x. There seemed to be transparency issues with the Double Cluster however.



I would have stayed out longer but I got severe stomach cramps and called it a night.



I think Cor Caroli was the highlight, with the Star Queen a very close second.

 

Beautiful observation you had there @Mak the Night. Very similar to my latest observation, but I didn't looked at the Pipe Bowl yet, it's on my list.

But I saw the Ink Spot bellow the incredible Lagoon instead, same kind of dark nebula I think but smaller.

Cor Caroli is always a fine target to finish with, It's one of my memorable object too.

Don't forget to look at M22 the next time, a few days ago, without the moon, It was filling the whole 60 degrees field of view of my 25mm, massive and beautiful.

Did you see some improvement with the UHC-S on the Pipe nebula?

 

Thanks. Globulars aren't always that easy in an 80mm scope. I don't know if it was an improvement with the UHC-S, it was different lol.

 

I found the Triffid and the Lagoon were much better without nebula filters, because of the beautiful clusters of stars around... A little bit less visible nebulosity but using the filter have the effect of cutting the overall beauty I find.. plus, my nebula filter it's inducing strange reflexions inside the eyepiece. The Ring nebula too it,s the same story.. clearly the filter will enhance it noticeably but overall it's less interesting...

I didn't try the filter on the ink spot.

I hope you will be able to use your 9.25 cassegrain this summer @Mak the Night if the ST80 is not quite enough with the globulars. With my 8" it's absolutely incredible. I am still impressed 3 years later, every time.

 

I think conditions dictate what filters can be used. The Big Cat might come out to play soon, but I have the ST102.

 

Yet another ST80 session! The heat is abating a little, which may have improved the seeing slightly, although the transparency wasn't as good as the other night.



The Double Cluster (Perseus) was pretty good at 10x, 13.3x and 44x. I'm not sure but I thought I had a glimpse of NGC 281, although it's difficult to tell with all the nebulosity in that area. I'm pretty sure I saw the 'Heart & Soul' nebulae the other night at 10x. I couldn't see them this time.



And the previous night was the first time I saw the Heart & Soul with the ST80; if it was them. There were two distinct very faint nebulous patches in exactly the right position and I even viewed them with the UHC-S (40mm Vixen NPL). I couldn't see them this morning though.



The 9mm Expanse got a good workout with the Owl Cluster though, which was one of the highlights.



I've ordered a 15mm Sky-Watcher 'Expanse'. It was under 30 quid, the 15mm Orion Expanse was nearly £70 and the TS Optics version was nearly £60!


Maybe it's me, maybe it's a gestalt thing, but I just can't see the ducks! It was the other highlight of the night though.

 

NGC 281 I never saw that one yet, new target for my list, the PacMan nebula. I think i saw the heart and soul clearly once but it's not 100% sure perhaps if it was some clusters close to Cas NGC 659, 663 and 654 has well has M103. Like you said that place is filled with the milkyway..

But a target to try again soon, the heart and soul.(Thanks for the suggestion)

Owl cluster is a very nice one, I saw it once, congratulation with your purchase of the 15mm Expanse too.

The duck is a pure gem, I like to look at it with my 18mm, it needs a bit more power, I think 15 must be similar if not better then 18mm for that specific object. I find it small but with many visible stars compare to other clusters.

Right now I am thinking about replacing my Xcel LX 25mm with an explore scientific 24mm. I find the 25mm has some aberration at the edge. Ill do nothing as usual.

I want to buy eyepieces too... it's an obsession.

 

I think the Heart and Soul can be seen at very low magnifications in good conditions. If they were what I saw it would make sense as they were in the exact position.



These are the same as the Expanse EP's but less than half the price. They're all Barsta.

http://www.barsta.com/show_hdr.php?xname=MDA8V11&dname=OPFOR71&xpos=11

 

Half the price for the exact same thing, if this could happen more often in life...

Lately someone showed what looks like an exact copy of the ES 82d series eyepieces branded "Opticstar" they are much less expensive then the originals. It seems like the Chinese are copying and competing against themselves.

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Accessories-Telescopes-Opticstar.asp?p=0_10_5_1_8_322
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ex...re-scientific-82-degree-series-eyepieces.html

 

My guess is it's Bresser labelling deal. There's a link with Ningbo Sunny and JOC. The price difference isn't that much. ES are just making you pay for the name. I'll bet they are all made by the same OEM. I'm pretty sure 'Opticstar' and 'Bresser' refractors are identical.

 

Strange marketing and re branding.. i don't know what to say really.

 

It does kind of make sense when you realise how products are marketed. Chinese, Taiwanese and some Japanese OEM's actually manufacture products, but don't necessarily market them. They aim the products at specific brand names or distributors. The distributor purchases them wholesale, if they order in enough quantity (usually 1000 units or over) they can be customised slightly to the distributor's own specifications, brand name, housing colour etc.


'Orion' Expanse ~ £74.27p (Sterling)

Barsta obviously make these for much less than 70 quid, my guess would be £10 ~ 20 Sterling. All the rest is retail profit.




'TS Optics' UltraWide ~ £56.59p

TS Optics are a Bavarian retailer and most of their eyepieces are manufactured by 'partner' companies, usually Barsta and GSO. Cheaper than the Orion for me, but I'd have to have both imported from abroad so there will be shipping costs and import duties as well as the retail profit. Germany has a strong thriving economy and a high standard of living, hence high retail mark up.


'Sky-Watcher' UltraWide ~ £28.99p

Sky-Watcher is the marketing name for Synta in Europe and Commonwealth countries. Synta actually are an OEM in their own right, so they can market these with a low retail mark up but still make a profit.

The above three EP's are all manufactured by Barsta, the Orion has a slightly different housing colouring.

Which do you think sells the most?

 

I was about to say that Orion has these too, and I'd bet their prices are pathetic. But I see I needn't bother.

 

It seems the chromed-brass drawtube with an undercut has been replaced with a flared aluminium one.



Whether this is peculiar to the SW version isn't known. I prefer brass, but without an undercut. It seems fine and is perfect for my ST80 grab'n'go EP's; small, light, compact, works in fast scopes, wide angle.

 

Ah it's sad they don't have a 25mm, I wonder how they compare to the Xcel LXs