Barlow help

[dsnowden]

Greetings
I just got my first scope, xt8i, and needed some advice on barlows. I hear good things about the Orion Shorty Plus but also came across the TeleVue 2x BIG Barlow. The TV is twice the price but works with 2" and 1.25" and the Shorty + only with 1.25". Long-term I think the TV would be a better purchase since I won't need to buy another barlow when I eventually get some 2" eyepieces. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Astronewb]

Hiya, cant comment on the Televue, but I have the Orion 1.25 shorty and it's a good unit, does exactly what it says. Another barlow I use is the Baader Hyperian Zoom Barlow at 2.25x, the Baader comes with a 2" and 1.25' adapter and a T2 adaptor if you want to use it on a camera. The barlow unit itself can thread onto any eyepiece with std filter threads also. Quality and optics are excellent.

Paul

[Cardrw]

Hi, actually I'm using the Baader Hyperion 2.25x Zoom barlow, little and nice. Just waiting for the Televue 2" 4x, I promise to tell you about it when coming home, but I have to wait about 1 month. Greetings.

Carlos.

[DobbyZ8]

I was just out tonight comparing my two barlows on Jupiter (1.25" Televue 2X versus a 2" Zhumell ED 2X). I used a modest 20 mm televue plossl with my Z8 Dob. Gives me just 120x. I then tried a 9 mm (cheap) Zhumell plossl giving me almost 270X (about my limit).

The Zhumell 2" ED cost $50 or so, is quite beefy and comes with a adapter for 1.25" EPs (with compression rings). The cost is excellent for a 2" EP but remember its huge.
The 2X Televue 1.25" cost twice as much around $110.

I found no difference on Jupiter with either barlow using my Dob at either 125 or 267X. Both showed clear bands with similar color saturation and clarity at 125X. Pushing my scope to its max at 267x was about the same conclusion (I would like to have had a better 9mm then my cheap Zhumell plossl for a second look since the EP may have been pushed to far). I tried my 7mm Naglar Type 6 with both barlows but at 343X I was certainly beyond my scopes max and lost resolution using either barlow (still could see the major bands but not crisp).

I consider both to be excellent barlows. If I had it to do all over again I would save my money and buy the Zhumell ED 2X barlow only. Thats almost enough left over for a high quality televue Plossl EP. At the same time its possible I just got a good Zhumell....not sure about the quality control at Zhumell but the 2X ED barlow appears to be well reviewed.

[sopticals]

I use the GSO barlows: 2x 1.25", 3x ED 1.25"and the 2x ED 2". All of these perform very well in my current 14" f5.1 Dob. Highly recommended. Very good value (shouldnt break your bank), and as Dobby Z8 has pointed out compare very favorably with much more expensive units.

Stephen. (44deg. S.)

[Joe Lalumia]

I am not a barlow user-- even though I have several 1.25 inch and 2 inch barlows. Usually I use a single eyepiece of the proper focal length. I you stick with the hobby your eyepiece collection will EXPAND -- "infinity!

Just buy the 1.25 inch and see what you think about it.

[TheDoctor]

I use the Orion Shorty and it works good.

[Red Shift]

I use the Orion Shorty and it works good.

Ditto for me

[TMarx]

Hello,
I would like some help on 2x Barlow lenses for my Orion Skyquest XT8. Would they help me to see planets and nebulas? Which one do you recommend?
Thanks!

[WWPierre]

Hello,
I would like some help on 2x Barlow lenses for my Orion Skyquest XT8. Would they help me to see planets and nebulas? Which one do you recommend?
Thanks!

I have a number of barlows; 2x and 3x. I have found absolutely no correlation between price and optical quality. Of the two barlows below. one cost less than $20 and one cost $120. The difference in optical quality is between marginal and undetectable.

I bought another 3x barlow with an in-between price, (less than $50) and it was noticibly worse. I removed the lens and use it as a spacer.

This barlow tested noticibly better (sharper in daylight, and at the edge of the FOV) than any of my other barlows.

Go figure.