EYEPIECE PROJECTION ADAPTER, help choosing one please.

[eddie3000]

Hi there! I have been a good boy this year, and Santa Claus wants to buy me an eyepiece projection adapter for Christmas, and I think he likes this one:

http://www.astroshop.eu/t-adaptors/teleskop-service-projection-adapter-2-with-t2-connection/p,4572

Santa knows I have some slightly bigger than usual 1'25'' eps that I want to use (like a skywatcher nirvana, it's a bit fat). Santa would very much appreciate your opinions about it, and also if somebody may know of any other adapter that may be better, cheaper or more desirable than this one.

Santa is also worried about the stress on the focuser. The standard skywatcher 2" crayford focuser that came along with my SW MN190 only just gets along with the dslr alone. Any extra weight would definitely pose a problem. What extra support systems would you recommend Santa to get me? Maybe another focuser?

Thank you on Santa's behalf.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I used one from Meade, but although it was better than the previous Celestron one at accepting fatter EPs it still could not handle e.g. a Radian. I also had difficulties getting reproducible results because it is a variable projection adapter. Ultimately I found it much less hassle using Meade TeleXtenders (equivalent now sold under Bresser brand) or TV PowerMates between camera and scope. I just attach the camera with a 1.25" nosepiece.

[eddie3000]

So you use a powermate instead of an eyepiece? But does that offer as much magnification as a 9mm or 4mm ep?

Now you mentioned it, if I were to get one of those instead (or as well, hehe!), is a TV powermate really worth the price difference? How good are barlows compared to them? And is a 2'' one going to give me better photos than a 1'25'' one? (maybe less vignetting?)

[brantuk]

"is a TV powermate really worth the price difference? How good are barlows compared to them?"

Yes absolutely - there's no comparison between Powermates and regular barlows - the Powermate is a pure magnifier that just magnifies and totally get's out of the way (without distorting the image). It's actually difficult to see the glass when looking through it with the naked eye - you would struggle to find better.

[eddie3000]

So should I talk to Santa an ask him not to get a ep projection adapter and get a TVpowermate instead? I suppose the magnification between a tv 5x and a 4mm eyepiece are nothing similar. Using an online calculator, there seems to be a very big difference.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I like to work in terms of focal ratios. For my DMK21 and ASI130 cameras, F/20 to F/25 is about optimal, so I use the 2x TeleXtender or 2.5x PowerMate in my F/10 SCT. In an F/4 scope a 5x PowerMate would be better.

[eddie3000]

I don't have neither a powermate nor an ep projection adapter. I don't think Santa would get me everything this year (he would run out of options in the following years). So what would you get first? Would you get the ep adapter or a TV powermate 5x? There is also a fair difference in price.

Cheers.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The Bresser SA Barlow 5x is the equivalent of the Meade TeleXtender (telecentric lens rather than true Barlow, just like a PowerMate) is rather cheaper than the PowerMate, and I cannot see a quality difference between my PowerMate and my TeleXtenders.

[eddie3000]

I already have a sigma ex apo 2x teleconverter (7 elements I think). I have read in a few old threads in other forums that it stands up pretty well to powermates. Is that true? Anybody with experience with them? I have used my sigma tc with quite good results, but I can't compare with a powermate for obvious reasons. That still doesn't mean Santa can't get me a powermate or a telextender, or a bresser SA barlow (though the "barlow" in the name does put me off a bit).