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Barlow or another EP?

monad

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monad

monad

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Hello all,

i am new in here and new to astronomy, just got my first scope about 2 weeks ago.

its a fairly old skywatcher refractor 910mm x 90mm it doesnt say what model it is and it is blue (that make its f/10 as far as i understand) on an equatorial mount (still struggling with it abit) it is quite old but i beleive it an eq2

thanks to the few recent clear skies, i started learning how to use my new telescope in my garden in greater london and i was trying my newly accuired EP's which are : Meade 4000 super Plossl 32mm,15mm,6.4mm and also a SWA 17mm which i found to be very comfortable for centering objects after finding them with the 32mm.

(altogether, the EP's cost me more than the scope...)

i was doing some basic planetary observing hoping to spot the rings of saturn yesterday (as i saw during baker street irregular astronomers meet from a very nice tele vue 5mm EP that was kindly borrowed to me) but unfortunately even with the 6.4mm (which should give a x142 magnification?) i was not able to see them.

my question is : how is it possible to spot the rings of saturn or some more detail on mars with my setup? would it be better to purchase a x2 Barlow? if yes, then which brand would you recommend? or would i be better of getting a 5mm or a 3.5mm EP (would i even see something through a 3.5?) and if the better choice is to get another EP, how much would the FOV influence the choice of eyepiece?

from reading this forum i understood that baader hyperion are very good EP's and they are not too expensive in comparison to the quality they offer.

from reading some posts i understood that barlows are not very good because you loose detail when they are used, but are they ok for planet?

i am planning to get into the other objects such as galaxies and nebulas, but i am afraid that i might need a reflector for that and to go somewhere where there is less light pollution. but it would be great to try spotting them with my refractor.

any reply would be highly appreciated.

greetings

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nckjsmitj

nckjsmitj

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I would sacrifice magnification for a clear and wide view of objects. A Barlow will increase the focal length of your scope and by doing do will increase the mag. Try a 2x initially. Some folks like them, other detest them. But it really depends on what you find comfortable. At least the Barlow will provide you with a versatility that a single ocular will not.

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monad

monad

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thank you very much for the fast replies!

but i am still confused and i am trying to decide whether to go for a baader hyperion 3.5mm or some barlow, and if i do decide to go with some barlow, which one would be a good one? also x2 barlow would be good enough? how much different are the barlow types (x1.5 x2 x3?)

i'd spend around 50-100gbp on a good quality barlow/ep for high magnification. (i really want to see saturn's rings and detail on mars)

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monad

monad

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so that is my question, which barlow is good enough? i am thinking about the baader barlow, is that a good one? or am i better off with a baader hyperion 3.5mm (i already have a 17mm baader hyperion, for me its great!)

or maybe someone has a better idea?

thank you

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Tribal-Wolf

Tribal-Wolf

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If you're magnification is too high you will get a poor image unless seeing is perfect which it rarely is. A 2x barlow is a much more used piece of equipment for this reason. I would personally only find a 3x barlow any good for astro photography.

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Doughzer

Doughzer

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I bought the TAL last week mate, and whilst it is very good for a bargain price, I do notice a small amount of degredation in sharpness, but very minor. It is perfectly acceptable for planetary view i find.

From the way you have described what you see, as mentioned above, you may need more light coming into the scope to help with the sharpening of image (and what is possible to see), which i guess points to a new scope.

I know you have mentioned a new eyepiece, but you could possibly get a larger aperture scope for the price of a good eyepiece, perhaps on ebay or Astrobuyandsell?

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monad

monad

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thank you so much for the replies, i was just checking out the meade #127 adjusting barlow for 40gbp it seems not too bad, would that be a better choice rather than the TAL x2 Barlow? also are the skywatcher moon/planetary filters any good (costs 29.99 @ FLO i think)

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The Warthog

The Warthog

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First read the sticky "Eyepieces - the very least you need." This will give you some clue as to what to get. With your scope the best magnification you cn hope for is 120x under average conditions. This is obtained with an eyepiece of 7.5mm.

As others have said, increasing the magnification will not improve the image, only make a fuzzy image larger. There is a direct relationship between aperture and resolving power (the ability to see small targets) and this results in the best magnification you can get, under ideal sky conditions, being 2x the aperture in millimetres of the scope.

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rwilkey

rwilkey

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Hi, you should be able to get the rings of Saturn with your 6.4mm, if you are not seeing them then you are looking at the wrong object. On ep's, I think you would find the 3.5mm Hyp too much and it would not get used, I advise a 5mm and the FTR's and a filter (neodynium) to increase magnification gradually.

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monad

monad

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thank you very much for all the replies, i see that different people say different things. i did see the rings of saturn on a better night even with the 17mm eyepiece (although there were tiny)

and even with the 32mm eyepiece i could clearly find saturn. now i understand that fog makes a huge difference :icon_salut:

ok, so now i am thinking if a x2 TAL barlow or baader hyperion 5mm would be a better choice? maybe i should try the barlow first, since i dont have any, and then i would be 100% sure if it is what i am looking for plus its half the price.

and what does FTR mean?

@ the warthog : so then 90x2 = 180?

so then 910/180 = 5.05

which probably means that the shortest useable EP on this telescope would be 5mm?

also any feedback about the skywatcher moon/planetary filters that go around for 30gbp?

greets

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monad

monad

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thank you for clarifying that, could you please explain how do these work? this was one of the reasons i decided to purchase the hyperion 17mm, but to be honest i do not completely understand how do those rings work, only that basically with them it would be the same as owning another eyepiece.

so perhaps the ultimate option at the moment for me would be getting those Fine Tuning Rings and a TAL x2 barlow?

greetings

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rwilkey

rwilkey

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Hi Monad, the rings actually fit betwwen the main 2" part of the eyepiece and the nosepiece (which is really a barlow extension), by increasing the length of the central barrel this increases the magnification of the eyepiece, it's quite easy to use, the 1.25" part of the eyepiece just unscrews quite easily, you insert the FTR (!) and then screw the 1.25" nosepiece back on (onto the FTR).

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monad

monad

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Thank you for the explanation rwilkey,

i will try unscrewing things gently today, its cloudy anyway :icon_salut:

i was a bit afraid to disassemble the EP, but now i know how to do it.

greetings

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tsmith001

tsmith001

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thank you so much for the replies, i was just checking out the meade #127 adjusting barlow for 40gbp it seems not too bad, would that be a better choice rather than the TAL x2 Barlow? also are the skywatcher moon/planetary filters any good (costs 29.99 @ FLO i think)

Hi

go for the talx2 it is affordabkle and a good piece of kit

happy hunting

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