2" 32mm Panaview - Which Barlow?

[russ.will]

I've had my SW200P/HEQ5 Pro Synscan since early June and have thus had scant chance to use the setup in anger. No surprises there, given the rubbish summer we've experienced.

I've used the daylight hours to finesse my colimnation technique and this has proved to be time well spent. As I live on the fen edge, distant terrestrial targets are not hard to come by and the quality of image has been improved, greatly.

My observation has been that the standard SW 10mm eyepiece isn't worth a pig-in-a-poke. The supplied 2x barlow and 25mm 'wide view' EP is preferable as visible CA is far less and it's an easier view.

However, I couldn't resist purchasing a 2" Panaview 32mm, as it is DSOs that have my interest. Whilst I understand that 2" EPs give up their advantages at higher magnifications, it seems a shame not to barlow the Panaview 32mm to give me my medium power eyepiece.

Thus, I seek barlow recommendations...

Russell

[great_bear]

The trouble is, Barlowing long focal-length eyepieces can really push out the eye-relief to unacceptable levels, and tele-centric barlows (which do not have this problem) are pricey...

[russ.will]

How pricey are we talking?

Russell

[John]

How pricey are we talking?

Russell

The lowest cost one I can think of is the Meade 2" 2x Telextender which costs around £140. The superb Tele Vue Powermate 2" 2x costs around £220.

Both are pretty heavy though so, added to the Panaview, will test the balance of your scope and how robust your focuser is

[russ.will]

Or to put it another way, more than twice the cost of another EP instead. Hint taken.

Russell

[pritc]

Leave the 32mm for wide field viewing

Easier and a lot cheaper,just swap out the eyepiece......

Wayne

[PhoenixRising]

Or perhaps a Baader Click zoom...

[russ.will]

That's an option I hadn't considered.

What does a 2" zoom covering that range give you, that a 1.25" zoom for less money doesn't?

I thought, in my typically over-whelmed n00b kind of way, that 2" EPs only really deliver an advantage in the wide field. Would I just be paying for the convenience of switching between 2" EPs, when 1.25" at high magnifications will work just as well?

Come to think of it and this is the photographer in me speaking, what do you give up by going for a zoom?

Russell

[russ.will]

Hold on! Just realised the Baader is a 1.25" EP which has a 2" adaptor, thus side stepping the issue. I'll get me coat.....

Still, what is the downside to zoom EPs?

Russell

[great_bear]

Downside is rather limited FOV at longer lengths (which is where you'd want it to be widest), and (with some zooms), reduced brightness and risk of internal reflections on bright objects.

But the Baader zoom in particular has many fans.

[russ.will]

Okay and thanks for the explanation.

I'm not about to get away with another EP purchase this month, so I'll ponder this awhile and maybe sneak it in as an Xmas pressie.

Russell

[russ.will]

Right. I've had some decent viewing over the last couple of nights, especially just before the moon came up. To be fair, I also had a great deal more enjoyment, than I would have suspected, just roaming around the moon with my new 8mm TMB (designed) EP and it worked nicely for Jupiter too.

It has however, rendered the standard issue SW 'Super 10mm' EP redundant, which leaves me with an, even more yawning gap, twixt the TMB 8mm and SW 25mm.

The latter isn't too bad and whilst I'm sure I will eventually hoard some extra EPs to fill the gap, barlowing the 25mm would seem to be a smart idea. It will give me a 12.5mm EP and lets face it, a decent barlow is one of those items that it seems like a smart idea to procure at some point.

So, in a slight spin on my OP and as I'm having decent success on the Buy & Sell section; What's a good barlow for about £50 second hand or indeed, otherwise?

Discussions (to search upon) seem bountiful on EPs, but a bit more sparse on Barlows. Beyond oblique recommendations to buy one instead of a higher power EP, it doesn't seem like terribly popular subject, so any help is appreciated.

Russell

[Moonshane]

Personally I have never been a fan of barlows. if I were you I'd buy a 12-14mm eyepiece and this will be a great one used a lot of the time and thus justified.

there are lots of options in this range from cheaper plossls to Naglers etc. just set your budget and there will be something

[faulksy]

go for the hyperion excelent ep also you can remove the 1.25 adaptor and you have a great 2" ep as well

[russ.will]

Thanks for the replies chaps. I fear the Hyperions may be a bit rich for my blood, much as they appeal. This isn't my only expensive hobby and the other one pays for itself, to a degree!

I also appreciate the comment regarding Barlows. As someone bought up on 35mm cameras with prime lenses, I never quite liked the idea of 2x teleconvertors, although the comparison may be specious here? Like most people, I even gave into zooms in the end, especially once digital pushed the quality envelope to previously unimaginable levels.

I was basing my 'want' for a Barlow on The Warthog's sticky in the beginners section. The advice that applied to my SW 200P being "For an f/5 scope, 2x Barlow, 8, 18, and 25mm."

The 32mm Panaview was an opportune second hand purchase at the right price, as was the TMB 8mm. The standard SW 25mm will bite the dust in good time, but I'm actually surprized how well it acquits itself, considering the risible 10mm. I am lacking a medium/low EP and I was half convinced that another would be inbound soon enough (so you can stop pushing - Job done!), but I'm still intrigued by a barlow...

So, given that (in this hobby at least) I'm going to stick to budgets and £50 is my 'sneaks in under the radar' purchase level (), what suggestions do you have in the 15-18mm range? The Skywatcher ExtraFlat 1.25" 16mm seems attractive, but so do the TMB EPs for a lot less, based on my limited experience of one example. I'm also wary of the extra demands placed upon the EP by my relatively fast scope.

Russell

[russ.will]

Hold the phone! I've just noted that the Baader Hyperion 17mm can cover 9-21mm by attaching/removing this or that. It suddenly looks cheap. What's the catch?

Russell