qbnparatrooper
member
Reged: 07/27/08
Posts: 19
Loc: miami,fl
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good barlow under 150 any suggestions?
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Celestron nexstar 4se
32mm,25mm,15mm,9mm,,6mm,4mm omni plossl
barlow x 2
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pdfermat
super member
Reged: 11/12/07
Posts: 147
Loc: Wisconsin
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I'm curious about this as well. I have the Orion Shorty-Plus Barlow (I'm told same as the Celestron Ultima). I have no complaints about it and use it quite often. However, I recently purchased a TeleVue eyepiece (20mm Plossl), and it is most definitely a cut above all of my other eyepieces - sharper views and a much nicer contrast. I am wondering if an as noticeable difference would translate to the Barlows as well. Would the $110 TV Barlow blow away the $80 Orion? I haven't been able to find any reviews directly comparing the two.
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Pat
Orion XT8i
TV 32mm, 25mm, 20mm, 15mm Plossls
Orion Shorty-Plus Barlow
DGM NPB Filter
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter
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F.Meiresonne
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 2959
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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TV2 has more contrast then the ultima barlow. I tested them once. The owner of the ultima barlow did thesame and also he found the TV2 a tad better.
But it will not blow away the ultima/shorty plus.
The latter is a real nice barlow too...
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Freddy Meiresonne
Obsession 18 inch #1638
Orion Optics 8 inch F/4.5 -1/8 wave optics -Vixen GP-E
20x80 Helios Stellar Binos
10x60 Helios Quantum 4(= Obie Mariner)
10x50 Helios Nature sport plus
8x40 Helios Nature sport plus
Eyepieces in use :Pan 35,24,19, N13T6, Pentax 10 XW, N9T6, Ultrascopic 7.5, TV2, baader ortho 12.5 and 9 mm
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hapo
sage
Reged: 03/06/05
Posts: 277
Loc: Europe
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A Celestron Ultima if it must be under 150$. I use it often and it seems better that the other chinese barlows I had.
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Bob W6PU
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 2191
Loc: Springer-N.E.NM
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Quote:
I'm curious about this as well. I have the Orion Shorty-Plus Barlow (I'm told same as the Celestron Ultima). I have no complaints about it and use it quite often. However, I recently purchased a TeleVue eyepiece (20mm Plossl), and it is most definitely a cut above all of my other eyepieces - sharper views and a much nicer contrast. I am wondering if an as noticeable difference would translate to the Barlows as well. Would the $110 TV Barlow blow away the $80 Orion? I haven't been able to find any reviews directly comparing the two.
I own both the Orion Shorty Plus(2.2x) and the TeleVue 2.5x, and aside from the magnification difference, I just cannot see any difference between the two!
I have a ample barlow collection, as I like to fine tune my eyepiece magnification choices, and I find all of my barlows to be excellent.
I have been an avid buyer of "previously owned  " optics on Astromart, and the savings have been amazing!
Second Hand Bob...LOL!
12" F/4.9 Intelliscope with COL
10" F/5.0 Coast Instrument Treckerscope, circa 1956
Stratus 35mm, Naglers 22T4, 17T4, 12T4. BO/TMB 7mm and 5mm. TeleVue Paracorr
Barlows: GSO 2"ED 2x, Orion Shorty Plus 2.2x, Televue 2.5x, Coast Instrument 3x
Binos: Vixen 11x80, Oberwerk 15x70, Zeiss/Hensoldt 7x50
USN/Bausch and Lomb 7x50, Swarovski 8x30W
Edited by Bob W6PU (08/08/08 04:12 PM)
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KaStern
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/18/06
Posts: 552
Loc: Dortmund
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Hallo qbnparatrooper,
it seems as if a Celestron nexstar 4se is a 4" f/13 Gregory Maksutov Telescope.
With f/13 you can reach very high magnification without need to add a barlow.
But if you pretend on a barlow I would suggest too the Televue 2x.
Clear skies, Karsten
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200/1200mm ATM Dobson
150/1800mm Yolo
113/450mm Newt
80/1470mm Achromat
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Lawrence Sayre
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 3706
Loc: N.E. Ohio
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I've thought long and hard on this subject. Given that many of the current crop of relatively new design eyepieces seem to suffer from critical eye placement issues to begin with, the average eyepiece owner stands on far safer ground these days in purchasing a Powermate (or Telecentric type) Barlow as opposed to a conventional Barlow. Only if you know that your eyepieces are Barlow friendly, or if you are willing to train yourself in proper eye placement, and to compensate for ER growth should you go with a conventional Barlow. Notice that in saying this I am not at all suggesting that a Powermate is going to be found to be optically superior to a premium Barlow, but rather that it is most assuredly going to be ergonomically superior, and that it will work perfectly with any eyepiece you can throw at it, now or in the future.
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My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a moral being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')
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j3ffr0
sage
Reged: 07/06/08
Posts: 243
Loc: Virginia
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I've never heard anyone say anything bad about the televue 3x or 2x. They are both 110. I have an Orion Ultrascopic 2x 3-element that does a nice job for me.
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10" Dob
127mm Mak
PST
35, 24 Panoptic; 16, 13, 9 Nagler
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sabir
sage
Reged: 06/23/07
Posts: 467
Loc: Pune (India)
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I have the Celestron Ultima and the TV 2" Big barlow. During my limited experience with them I can definately see a difference between them. The view in the TV is sharper, has more contrast and marginally brighter.
Sabir
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1141
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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The TV 2x, I have one, its Tele Vue quality control at a 110 bucks, need any more convincing?  Shawn -- PS shouldn't your call sign be abnparatrooper? 
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18" David Lukehurst truss Dobson (being built)
xt10i with Telrad on 4" risers & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
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Mike Conley
sage
Reged: 09/23/07
Posts: 284
Loc: NW Ohio
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I'm in the market also for a 1.25. How are the Siebert line barlows.
Mike
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Mike Conley
sage
Reged: 09/23/07
Posts: 284
Loc: NW Ohio
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I'm trying to decide on a 1.25" barlow. I'll be using it in an F5 dob with ortho EP's. Any major differences between the Siebert, UO Klee and Orion ultrascopic barlows ?
Thanks mike
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Alleline
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/07/06
Posts: 585
Loc: Farmington, New Mexico
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I had a used 2" Siebert 2x Telcentric barlow that I liked quite well. I could not see the difference between it and the 2" Televue Big Barlow. The views were equivalent, but my Naglers had a tendency to stick in the Telcentric. Since balance is not my problem, I shifted to the heavier but easier to use TV barlow and sold the Telcentric.
I also have the 1.25" format TV 1.8x and 3x barlow - they are only marginally sharper than the Orion shorty 2x and Meade shorty 3x that I used to have. A barlow is basically a barlow.
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Tom
Meade DS-16 (F4.5), C-8, Synta 120mm F8.3 refractor.
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KaStern
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/18/06
Posts: 552
Loc: Dortmund
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Hello Tom,
Quote:
A barlow is basically a barlow
yes, but...
There are so many different concepts on the market. I think that one
has to reflect on the scope and the purpose and the eyepieces one ownes
to find the best barlow for the purpose.
For example:
1) Newt or refractor?
2) fast or slow scope?
3) visual or imaging?
4) barlow or powermate?
5) increase eye relief or better not?
6) cost: low, medium or high?
I think it is worth to spend some time on checking all these questions
before buying one.
Clear skies, Karsten
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200/1200mm ATM Dobson
150/1800mm Yolo
113/450mm Newt
80/1470mm Achromat
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redsquash
super member
Reged: 08/05/08
Posts: 105
Loc: JAPAN
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I am going to Hijack the thread some what in the interests of being fully informed.
Is a Powermate going be optically superior to a premium barlow.Strangely when I have done several searches on this forum, I can find almost no information on Powermates, though there was one very good commentary either here on the internet somewhere, So much so that I may peruse the Powermate 2x, but is it really worth twice the price.
With my 5inch reflector will I notice a difference since my maximum magnification from my specs is around 250-260 times
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Vixen R130 f/5
powermate 2.5
vixen LVW 5mm ,13mm
Vixen LV 8-24mm zoom
Whats the next lens to complete this set up.please send me a PM if you like
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7635
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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Optically superior is another term that is open to interpretation. I believe Lawrence used it in an informative,constructive way in making his point. I'm not a barlow type of guy but believe in you get what you pay for. To me the TV Televue Powermate represents the most practical solution for the most money that I can reasonably spend on a "barlow" for use in the focuser of a reflecting telescope. In that application I very much like his recommendation. With a telescope design that uses a diagonal,I've got reservations using this one or any other conventional long barlow. FWIW,I believe the image is improved over any other barlow that I have used for lesser amounts of money spent and is indeed well worth the price of admission.
But it can't be had for under $150.00 even used,AFAIK. If found I'll own another.
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
Edited by KWB (08/14/08 02:42 AM)
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Lawrence Sayre
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 3706
Loc: N.E. Ohio
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I've compared my 2.5X Powermate to my 2.5X TeleVue "conversion" Barlow (simply via threading the top section of a TV 3X onto a TV 2X one achieves 2.5X), and aside from viewing comfort, the conversion Barlow showed just slightly more contrast and equal sharpness, and I therefore considered it slightly optically superior. This is the sense in which I used the term.
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My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a moral being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')
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KaStern
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/18/06
Posts: 552
Loc: Dortmund
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Hello redsquash,
Quote:
Is a Powermate going be optically superior to a premium barlow.Strangely when I have done several searches on this forum, I can find almost no information on Powermates, though there was one very good commentary either here on the internet somewhere, So much so that I may peruse the Powermate 2x, but is it really worth twice the price.
With my 5inch reflector will I notice a difference since my maximum magnification from my specs is around 250-260 times
the powermate 2x has a 2" barrel diameter.
Does your 5" Newt too have a 2" focuser drawtube diameter?
Is your 5" Newt a premium Newt with a parabolic primary mirror?
Or is it a low cost Newt with a spherical mirror?
Well aligned the first one will be able to handle about 190x
but the second one will limit power to about 130x.
Wich barlow is optically superior? The powermate is very easy to use
with both long focal length and short focal length eyepieces.
A normal barlow makes eye relief bigger. How much depends on:
- barlow magnification factor
- barlow focal length
- eyepiece focal length
One of the most extreme barlows is the 2,8x Klee barlow wich leeds to
severe extended eye relief when used with long focal length eyepieces.
But it is no problem with all my eyepieces from 13mm down to 8mm focal length.
The Klee has one feature that makes it unique amongst the other barlows:
It is designed to correct for off-axis coma when used with Newts down to f/4.
That makes this barlow interesting for Users of fast Newts.
Clear skies, Karsten
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200/1200mm ATM Dobson
150/1800mm Yolo
113/450mm Newt
80/1470mm Achromat
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naglertized
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/10/07
Posts: 1515
Loc: Jacksonville Florida
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I've seen the 1.25" 2.5X TV Powermate used for under $150.00.
http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=568709
Just an old ad from A-mart to show they exist for under $150.00
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Clinton
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sabir
sage
Reged: 06/23/07
Posts: 467
Loc: Pune (India)
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Here's an interesting read on what Daniel Mounsey has to say about Barlow Vs Powermate Here
Sabir
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