KISS my eyepieces!

Which means, Keep It Simple Stupid - and that seems like a good rule for eyepieces - at least for me.

Hey, I know eyepieces are a sensitive topic among amateur astronomers and people all have their favorites, but after trying a lot of different stuff over the past couple of years - high end and middle end - wide and super wide - two-inch and 1.25 -inch - planetary and . . . Suffice it to say I'm now doing just fine with the relatively inexpensive Orion Sirius Plossls and some Kellners- yes, Kellners - I've picked up unintentionally with various scopes I've bought.

I'm not trying to prove a point. I got rid of my Naglers because they could bring me enough money to buy several small scopes appropriate for my educational programs. But as I gained experience helping newbies - especially kids - I found that what you needed was decent eyerelief and something that wasn't too difficult to position your head over. Sometimes I'm not sure when kids are looking through a scope if they're seeing anything at all. (That's why video is helpful - I can show them what they're supposed to see - but that's another story. )

Anyway, because of the money and the problems associated with using some good eyepices, or wide field eyepices, or eyepieces with especially long eye relief - I got rid of all that stuff and settled down with a standard set of of 25mm Plossl and 2X for each scope with maybe a 15mm or 10mm for occasional use. I like the Plossls, but I'm hard-pressed to see the difference between them and a decent Kellner.

I put all this to the test once again last night when I was using the LX90 on the moon and M42. One interesting result. I could easily pick out a fith star in the Trapezium with a 20mm, no-name Kellner and I was hard pressed to see the same star with a 20mm Televue Plossl - which is commonly regarded as a premium eyepice and priced accordingly. (This was on the 8-inch LX-90.)

So - go figure. I think there are sveral possible explanations:

1. The Televue I have is a lemon.

2. I'm just a lousy observer and can't tell the difference between good and bad.

3. I happen to be super-focused - that is, I find it easy to separate signal from noise and so visual "noise" that would disturb others doesn't disturn me.

4. I can' tell the difference between signal and noise and so I'm just not demanding enough.

Whatever - I still have my Denkmeir 21mms which are moderately wide and costly and apparently very good. I have them because I couldn't find a buyer. And I like them. But honest - I had them in the binoviewer, then I put a pair of 25mm Plossls in and I was just as comfortable with the Sirius Plossls.

So the bottom line is this - for what I'm doing - for what I'm trying to get out of the observig experiece - I can get along just fine with a 52-degree apparent field of view and a simple design like the Plossl - or even the Kellner. As I said, KISS my eyepices ;-)