Powermate

[Kenza]

I am buying my first Powermate. Should I go for the 2.5x or is it better to buy the 5x. I assume I don't need both. Or maybe i am wrong.

[Stargazer_00]

5x is only for astro photography. 2.5x is OK for visual and is seemingly becoming quite popular as well. 2x is the most common for visual

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

This depends on what you want. I have the 2.5x and it is very useful, as it turns my C8 into an F/25 scope which matches the pixel size of my planetary camera. A 5x would give F/50 which is way too slow for most cameras. I gather from your other thread that you have an Equinox 120, which is F/7.5. A 5x turns that into an F/37.5 which is a bit long for most purposes (an 11mm EP you mention in the other thread produces 409x magnification which is a stretch even with my 8" scope. The 2.5x yields about 204.5x which makes more sense (and gets the scope to F/18.75, which matches the pixel size of quite a few planetary cameras).

The 5x is more useful in a really fast scope, like an F/4-F/5 Newtonian

[billhinge]

I have the 2.5x power mate on a C11, the 2.5x & 5x are 1.25" fitting, the 2x and 4x are 2" fitting

Personally I would go with a 2.5x, I think 5x would be a real handful unless you have a very sturdy mount and you are very good at handling it

If you plan to do photography you may want to consider getting the Televue T ring which screws into power mate, its not expensive in Televue price terms (doesn't do anything a cheap one doesn't do but looks better, feels solid and looks like it gives a more streamlined and better fit on your camera)

[swamp thing]

I have the 2" 2x one. Love it

[Charon]

I have the 2" 2x one. Love it

So do I, one of my better investments.

[Kenza]

Thanks guys. This really helped. I think i'll go for a 2.5x

[estwing]

So do I, one of my better investments.

...and that makes 3 along with a paracorr,they're keepers

[DirkSteele]

...and that makes 3 along with a paracorr,they're keepers

Make that 4.

[estwing]

i see a pattern developing

[russ.will]

Thanks guys. This really helped. I think i'll go for a 2.5x

As you're going to pick up an ES82 11mm in your other thread, why not consider and ES Focal Extender too? It's the same thing as a Powermate (ie 4 elements and not a barlow), but they cost less.

Russell

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

That Focal extender may be the Meade TeleXtender 2x in a new package. I have the Meade 2x and 3x and they are very good indeed

[Kenza]

As you're going to pick up an ES82 11mm in your other thread, why not consider and ES Focal Extendertoo? It's the same thing as a Powermate (ie 4 elements and not a barlow), but they cost less.

Russell

Ok, i admit I am tempted. But why is the Powermate much more expensive? Is there a big difference in quality between the two or not.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If the ES 2x is the same as the TeleXtender, they are very closely matched, especially on a slower scope. At F/10 I could not really spot a difference.

[Kenza]

Since i have the Equinox (f/7.5) should i go for the 2x FE or the 3x FE?

[alan potts]

I like the Powermate very much and used to use it, now I have so many fixed length eyepieces it never sees daylight, guilty of waste really. Maybe I should try my 8mm Ethos in it to see what a 4mm Ethos would look like.

Alan.

[russ.will]

That Focal extender may be the Meade TeleXtender 2x in a new package. I have the Meade 2x and 3x and they are very good indeed

I suspect that probably is the case, although all the usual caveats apply about coatings and who gets what off the production line. All I do know is, the views through the ES 2x FE, combined with the 11 & 14mm were good enough to put me off buying individual EPs to cover the same focal lengths.

Russell

[faulksy]

i have the 2" telextender and used it the other week apart from the obvious power increase you couldnt tell it was there, very very good