Ethos + Powermate, or get another eyepiece?

[newman]

I'm torn between two options here. Recently got a 17mm Ethos and I'm blown away by the ep. It's not just the FOV (though that's certainly nice), everything just looks.. better in it. Sharper, contrastier, more detail.. it's just beautiful.

It gives about 59x mag in my scope, showing 1.7 degrees of actual sky while it's at it. So now I'm wondering what would be better; get a 2x powermate to use the Ethos at around 118x mag, or get a 10mm Delos to get 100x mag without a powermate? And of course plan for a higher power ep later on (a 6mm Delos would do the trick nicely). Anyone try an Ethos with a Powermate? I want this higher wide field magnification (around 100x) for a closer look at some DSOs.

I'm somewhat concerned about two things here. One is, the Ethos is pretty tall as it is; adding the powermate there might be a bit awkward as the assembly of Ethos and Powermate will stick a long way out of the Diagonal. The other concern I have is adding another 4 glass elements from the Powermate to the optical chain. On the other hand, a 17mm Ethos + 2x Powermate would actually show me more sky at a slightly greater magnification than a 10mm Delos.. so I have a dilemma here

[brantuk]

I'm not familiar with the Delos as they are relatively new. But I use a 13mm Ethos and 2x Powermate and they are an awesome combination. You just don't see the Powermate - all it does is magnify without getting in the way - you don't need to worry about the extra glass at all.

I'd go for the Powermate cos you'll be able to use it with all your other ep's too.

[John]

The Ethos range seem to work with Powermates and barlows petty well. My Antares 1.6x just "gets out of the way" once it's increased the magnification. I was comparing the views given between a 5mm University HD ortho and a 8mm Ethos / Antares 1.6x barlow combo last night and, FoV and eye relief aside, I could not tell the difference.

The only slight downside with the 2" 2x Powermate would be the weight it adds to the drawtube - you will need a robust focuser.

[swamp thing]

Mating the 17mm Ethos and the 2" Powermate is a killer combination that is awesome.

I have used this como in my Dob a couple of times and it is very tempting to get into debt.

Regards Steve

[newman]

Well, I guess that settles it then. I have to admit that I'm in love with my 17mm Ethos, and having it useful at two magnifications is a tempting proposition. The Powermate it is, then. Can get a 6mm Delos later on to get me around 166x later on. The reason I'm considering the Delos is, after reading a few reviews it appears to compare quite favorably to Pentax XW's. It's advertised as a narrower field Ethos with the same level of image quality, and having seen first hand what the Ethos is like it seems like a winner. But I'll get the Powermate first to get the most out of the Ethos first Thank you all and clear skies!

[pvaz]

I use barlows with both my ethos and they work very well with it.

[brantuk]

Just FYI - the Ethos 13mm, 2" Powermate 2x, and WO 2" CF Diag adds just a smidgeon under 3lbs and sticks out 7.5" from the diagonal.

Using the Antares 1.6 barlow you get just over 2.5lbs and sticks out 6.25". I just measured/weighed them for you

My vote is still with the Powermate - there's pose value as well hehe

[John]

Just FYI - the Ethos 13mm, 2" Powermate 2x, and WO 2" CF Diag adds just a smidgeon under 3lbs and sticks out 7.5" from the diagonal....

You have to laugh don't you - a 3 1/2 lb 6.5mm eyepiece

[brantuk]

LOL John - never thought of it that way - sounds even dafter when add the price tag on the end hahaha!

[pvaz]

Still a lot cheaper then getting a 2nd Ethos

[newman]

Just FYI - the Ethos 13mm, 2" Powermate 2x, and WO 2" CF Diag adds just a smidgeon under 3lbs and sticks out 7.5" from the diagonal.

Using the Antares 1.6 barlow you get just over 2.5lbs and sticks out 6.25". I just measured/weighed them for you

My vote is still with the Powermate - there's pose value as well hehe

Thanks a lot! I have a healthy margin of payload capacity to spare with my current mount so that won't be a problem. Whether or not the focuser will take the punishment is anyone's guess, but I'm annoyed at it for not having a compression ring anyway and will probably have it replaced soon.

Aside from the indisputable pose value, I also kind of like the fact that the powermate doesn't mess with eye relief, and doesn't require a refocus - at least not by a lot. (As if I really care - green in the eyepiece case just looks great )

Still a lot cheaper then getting a 2nd Ethos

That's for sure. Since I recently shelled out for the 17mm Ethos, I think I'll take a break from the ultra expensive equipment and just stick with the standard, very expensive kit for a while

[Chris H]

I would say that either way will give you the results you want, it may just come down to how you like to do things sometimes I find using a barlow/powermate a bit of a faf.

[newman]

faf? Tried googling it but I'm still not sure if that had a negative or positive connotation. Sorry, not a native English speaker so I guess I'm not up to speed with all colloquialisms / idioms / what have you

[Damo636]

The Ethos barlow really well. I have compared my 13mm + 1.6x barlow combination with the 8mm and can not see any real difference. I bought the barlow to use primarily with the 8mm and it works a treat when conditions permit.

[Chris H]

faf? Tried googling it but I'm still not sure if that had a negative or positive connotation. Sorry, not a native English speaker so I guess I'm not up to speed with all colloquialisms / idioms / what have you

Sorry, i mean that it can be a bit annoying having to remove ep form diagonal, insert barlow, insert ep. I prefer to just use epos even though it cost more.

[newman]

Thanks for the clarification. I tend to agree, though barlows/powermates are more about being cost effective by doing more with less ep's than it is about being practical. Getting another Ethos is a bit too rich for my blood atm, and a powermate would "simulate" another one. What I am a bit concerned about is the height. E17 alone sticks pretty far out of the diagonal, by extending that some people may start wondering which side of the scope is the ep and which side is the main aperture lens

[pvaz]

On a refractor it may be too big.

Regarding cost, it's even more efective once you have a couple of Ethos. I currently have the 21mm and 10mm Ethos. With the Antares 1.6x barlow I get a 13mm and a 6mm Ethos. This set is all I need to observe.

I also have set of 4 BGOs for that little extra contrast when I'm trying to detect elusive planetary details, but I could live without them. The Ethos is so close to the Orthos in quality it's hard to see a deference and the extra FoV and ER makes them more confortable.

[Chris H]

I've just set up my refractor. I have a William Optics FLT 98 I used my Televue diagonal, 2x Televue BIG barlow and Ethos 17 and it was ok. I realise that the BIG barlow weighs 204g less than the 2x Powermate but I think it would be fine, especially on the Evostar 120 you'd have no problem balancing the weight. It was big though.

[m.tweedy]

I have the 21, 17 and 13 Ethos with the 2x powermate giving an effective 21, 17, 13, 10.5, 8.5 and 6.5 mm range which covers off everything I need. My major concern for you would not be the weight more the balancing issue if you have the short dovetail on your scope as they are very heavy, especially when you buy the 21 (which you Know you will:evil:) in due course.

[perrin6]

A barlow ! - not for me. It means more glass between me and the universe and 2 more surfaces for dust and dirt to get in the way !