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Going to try and use Barlow x2 tonight

noseyb2000

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noseyb2000

noseyb2000

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Hi all,

As the title suggests I'm preparing to use my Barlow lense tonight whilst observing Jupiter. Last night it was very good in my 10mm EP using a Skywatcher explorer 130.

My question is, can I expect the Barlow to work well with my 10mm EP or will it have too much magnification to view Jupiter?

Just want an idea of what to expect so I know that what I am or am not seeing is normal.

does that make sense?

cheers

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noseyb2000

noseyb2000

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Your scope has a focal length of 650mm so with the 10mm ep your getting x65 with the barlow 2 x 65 = 130. So yes x130 would work well with your scope on Jupiter. I find that Jupiter often looks best at mid/high powers anything from around x100 to x180, atmosphere depending of course.

it says on the FLO page for the 130 that the focal length is 900mm, where did 650 come from?

Was looking at Jupiter through the 10mm EP last night and it was pretty awesome, I could see the 2 distinct bands above and below the equator.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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The 130 does have a focal length of 900mm. So a 10mm EP and a 2X barlow on Jupiter will be no bother.

Personally i wouldnt use a barlow on the planets with a scope that has a F/L of 900mm. No real need for it. You will appreciate the views better through the 10mm alone (least i do).

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John

John

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it says on the FLO page for the 130 that the focal length is 900mm, where did 650 come from?...

There are 2 versions of the Skywatcher 130 - the one that has a focal length of 650mm is slightly more popular. I think that is the 130P.

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DOBBY

DOBBY

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Hi Nosey... the 130pm is 650mm but the 130 is 900...

give it a go...you might need to keep moving the 'scope as the field of view will be narrow & jupiter will appear to move fast.

heres hoping for clear skies

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noseyb2000

noseyb2000

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Hi, thanks for the replies.

I was going to purchase the 130P but it seemed to be out of stock in the places I looked with estimates of late jan early feb for delivery. Me being me didnt want to wait for the 130p as I have waited too long already before buying a telescope.

I have to say I am impressed with the 130, already though I am thinking the 200p with a motorised mount is becoming a possibilty in the not too distant future!

Last night Jupiter was only in view for a few seconds in the 10mm EP but the detail was better than I ever expected!

Fingers crossed for more clear sky tonight! Oh and a less bright moon spoiling the fun!!

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noseyb2000

noseyb2000

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Last night Jupiter was only in view for a few seconds in the 10mm EP but the detail was better than I ever expected!

If you haven't already tried polar aligning the scope you should. This will keep objects in your field of view for longer.

Don't suppose you know how to do this or a good link?

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Hi Nosey,

I just found this:It might help you with polar alignment if the online tutorials dont make sense (as they often dont).

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/169967-polar-alignment-help.html

P.s.~~~which Barlow do you have? what brand?

Many barlows are top notch while others can be below par. They all magnify not only the object you are looking at but also the "seeing" conditions of the sky. The bad ones can be really bad. While with a good one you will not notice any magnification of "seeing". Bad ones can also make the view dim and blurred. I recently bought a Revelation 2X to replace a TAL 2x that i sold. The new one does not get on with my new 8SE scope while it works fine with my other scopes.

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bullettooth

bullettooth

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i have a skyhawk 1141 (fl1000mm) with the standard ep's and barlow and although jupiter was bigger with the 10mm and barlow there was less detail than with the 10mm alone.

ive tried that combination on a few different nights and never been impressed. even when the 25mm ep is barlowed i still dont get as good a view as i do when just using the ep's on their own.

i dont think the barlow is very good tbh, might be just me tho. im pretty new so dont have anything else to compare to.

good luck and clear skies

martin

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noseyb2000

noseyb2000

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Hi Nosey,

I just found this:It might help you with polar alignment if the online tutorials dont make sense (as they often dont).

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/169967-polar-alignment-help.html

P.s.~~~which Barlow do you have? what brand?

Many barlows are top notch while others can be below par. They all magnify not only the object you are looking at but also the "seeing" conditions of the sky. The bad ones can be really bad. While with a good one you will not notice any magnification of "seeing". Bad ones can also make the view dim and blurred. I recently bought a Revelation 2X to replace a TAL 2x that i sold. The new one does not get on with my new 8SE scope while it works fine with my other scopes.

Hi,

I have the standard Barlow that comes with the explorer 130 from FLO. Cheers for the linky, will have a mooch now :icon_scratch:

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JonF

JonF

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The barlow and eyepieces which come with the 130 (and other Skywatcher lower end scopes) are not very good. I know this as I've got the same scope! OK to get you started, but you can spend a small amount of money and get a huge improvement. I got a Celestron Omni Plossl 12mm for about £20, a Meade 4000 26mm for £26 and a Revelation 2.5x Barlow for £31 from Telescope House. Together they make a huge difference. If I were you I'd start with an upgrade to the 10mm. Don't go mad, you can get something miles better for thirty quid or less.

I think it's a great scope, though, I've been very pleased with mine, and had some great views of Jupiter over the last few weeks.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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The barlow and eyepieces which come with the 130 (and other Skywatcher lower end scopes) are not very good. I know this as I've got the same scope! OK to get you started, but you can spend a small amount of money and get a huge improvement. I got a Celestron Omni Plossl 12mm for about £20, a Meade 4000 26mm for £26 and a Revelation 2.5x Barlow for £31 from Telescope House. Together they make a huge difference. If I were you I'd start with an upgrade to the 10mm. Don't go mad, you can get something miles better for thirty quid or less.

I think it's a great scope, though, I've been very pleased with mine, and had some great views of Jupiter over the last few weeks.

True.

The stock EP's that come with most scopes are not that good, but they are fine to gegin with.

You will quickly learn what is good or bad and what works fore you.

There are plenty of EP's out there that are VERY good for around £30.

But as a complete newbie...............dont even worry about upgrading til you use what you have, try other EP's and do your research.

The bog standard SW EP's are 10 fold better in quality then the standard Celestron Kellner EP's.

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noseyb2000

noseyb2000

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The barlow and eyepieces which come with the 130 (and other Skywatcher lower end scopes) are not very good. I know this as I've got the same scope! OK to get you started, but you can spend a small amount of money and get a huge improvement. I got a Celestron Omni Plossl 12mm for about £20, a Meade 4000 26mm for £26 and a Revelation 2.5x Barlow for £31 from Telescope House. Together they make a huge difference. If I were you I'd start with an upgrade to the 10mm. Don't go mad, you can get something miles better for thirty quid or less.

I think it's a great scope, though, I've been very pleased with mine, and had some great views of Jupiter over the last few weeks.

Thanks.

I have managed to get out for about an hour tonight before the clouds came over! I left the scope cooling in the garage for about an hour before hand too.

I used the 25mm EP and had good views of Jupiter, I then used the barlow and 25mm and again a good fairly clear picture until the wind decided to show its face!

Inbetween bouts of wind I used the 10mm and had better views of Jupiter than last night and again I then added in the barlow which was better than ok but not good if you know what I mean? I could see jupiter and the moons but there was a bluey sphere over the centre of the EP that wasnt there when I used the 25mm. Still I was able to see Jupiter so not all bad!

I tried to get a glimpse of M42 is it? the nebula in Orion? But I have had no luck on that one in the 2 nights I have been out.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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I really must be going wrong then!! I can see the belt and a star not far below but when I look for the line of 3 stars under the belt I see only stars :icon_scratch:

sounds like you are looking at Sigma Orionis a quadruple star system. look a bit further down (straight down from what you were looking at) and you should see a fuzzy patch even in your finder. This is the Nebula.

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