Getting the most out of your 6"—10" Dobsonian
with Tele Vue eyepieces

Albert Nagler
CEO, Tele Vue Optics

Tele Vue eyepieces are ideal for maximizing the performance of 6”, 8”, and 10” Dobsonian telescopes with 2" focusers. The fast focal ratios of these telescopes place an extra burden on eyepiece performance. Because all Tele Vue eyepieces are designed for excellent sharpness over wide fields when used with fast telescopes, you’ll get the most spectacular “spacewalk” viewing experiences using Ethos, Nagler and Panoptic eyepieces. If you must wear glasses to correct astigmatism and know the astigmatism value, it's best to call Tele Vue for specific advice. For a full explanation on how to choose eyepieces and an eyepiece calculator, you can check out Choosing Eyepieces.

Our 100° Ethos and 82° Naglers, in particular, will not only give you the widest, sharpest images, but very long viewing times as objects traverse the field. You won’t have to constantly shift the scope to place the image in the “sweet spot,” and of course, the whole “spacewalk” view is your “sweet spot.”

I believe you only need three or four eyepieces to cover the full range, from low-power, wide true field, to high-power for planetary viewing. Since many 6”, 8”, and 10” models all have the same focal lengths (1,200-mm), the magnifications and field sizes will be the same for each eyepiece recommended (I assume you have a 2" focuser):

Note: using a Paracorr to eliminate the mirror's coma, will increase the power, and decrease the field of each eyepiece by 15%.

The above selection should give you great experiences for most viewing situations, although both a little more field and a little more power are possible using a total of four or more eyepiece choices. Also, if your scope is f/5 or faster, consider Paracorr coma corrector to get the full field sharpness your eyepieces can deliver. You’re welcome to call our staff at 845-469-4551 for more personal advice to fit your particular needs.

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