Bigger Barlow??

[skywalker]

I have a Tal x2 Barlow but wondered whether it was a worth while investment to get a 2.5 or even 3x Barlow for my Skywatcher 150??

[philsail1]

Hello "Skywalker."

It depends on what eyepieces you are going to use with your scope.

Could you list these so that myself and others can give you advice.

Regards,

philsail1

[The Warthog]

It has little to do with the scope, and everything to do with your selection of eyepieces. Your Barlow should fill in the blanks between the eps in your collection. If you have a 2x Barlow, and a 10mm ep, it makes little sense to buy a 5mm ep or a 20mm ep. You could instead have a 30mm ep and a7.5mm ep, giving you a selection of 30, 15, 10, 7.5, 5 and 3.75mm with no overlaps. The math is different if you have a 3x or 1.5x Barlow. I have always thought the ideal combination would be eps that double in length, and a 1.5x Barlow. My ep battery is a 24mm, a 7.5, and a 4.3 and a 2x apo Barlow. Do the math.

[skywalker]

Thanks for the replies.

Actually, after reading your replies I guess I dont need one. I have the following eps - 20mm, 10mm, 7.8mm (-ish, i cant quite remember??)

[The Warthog]

You could make good use of a 2x Barlow with the 10mm and 7.8mm eps. The combination will not overpower your scope. Eventually, you could get a 32mm ep in 1.25", and give yourself a 16mm in the process.

[skywalker]

Many thanks for you info. I'll definately look into the 32mm

[skywalker]

Actually has anyone got any recommendations, the prices seems to very? :s

[The Warthog]

The Celestron Omni Barlow, and other Barlows in its price range, are good and reliable. I happen to have an apo Barlow, the third Barlow I have owned, and for all practical purposes, I might as well have stayed with my Celestron Omni.

[skywalker]

Oh sorry, I meant recommendation for a 30mm ep

[The Warthog]

Well, if your present kit is Plossls, I would go with the Celestron 32mm, or any of the name brand 32mm Plossls, as they are all about the same. I keep mine in my kit for an extra ep on dewy nights. It's a good search ep, with a crisp image in either of my scopes. If you are interested in widefield, there are several good choices, but once you get away from Plossls in this length, you are usually looking at a 2" ep.

[skywalker]

Many thanks.

Would a 2" ep fit my scope? I thought my scope would only accept 1.25 eps?

Wow, just seen this on Ebay, sooo cheap!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CELESTRON-32mm-PLOSSL-1-25-Telescope-Eyepiece-Lens_W0QQitemZ350112003307QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350112003307&_trkparms=72%3A1300|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ebayphotohosting

[The Warthog]

Yep, that's the ep I'm talking about, and it's not cheap, it's inexpensive.