Antares 2" x 1.6 Click Lock Barlow

[Pig]

Heads up ... I have noticed a few people are after this highly rated Barlow, they sell very fast and are rather difficult to get hold of.

Rother Valley have them in stock   Mine is in the post

[DrRobin]

Hi Shaun,

Do you know if the barlow lens unscrews from the twist lock and if so it is standard 2" filter thread?

The reason I am asking is I am looking for a barlow lens to put on the telescope side of a filter wheel, so want the barlow lens 2" filter thread mounted so it sits inside the telescope focuser as I don't have the space to mount it outside.

I know that the Skywatcher ED and a GSO one does this, but have heard that the Antares is very good.

Robin

[Pig]

Robin,

I have not owned one before so I wouldn't like to give you a definitive answer, I think Stu and John either own or have owned one so it will be worth asking one of them

[John]

Optically very good but the new click / twist lock mechanism and the 2" filter threading mean that this barlow needs LOTS of inwards focuser movement to get eyepieces to focus. More than any other barlow I've used. I could not use it in 2 of my 4 scopes for this reason 

[Pig]

The Barlow turned up in the post yesterday  Nice speedy delivery from RVO.

I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to achieve focus as per Johns post above and a few other threads that I read before I bought it, anyway, there were a couple of the main stars out in between the clouds and I had the chance to see if I could achieve focus..

Scope = Equinox 80 Pro

Eyepieces = Vixen SLV 25, 12 & 9mm

I am pleased to say I had no problems. However, it is a very close call leaving only had about a 1\2 to 1 full turn of inward focus travel spare  From the little time I had I must say the views of the few bright stars I could see were as good as if the Barlow wasn't there.

I will perform a more comprehensive review when the cloud gods permit