WO ZS66 - max magnification/focus travel

[Telescope40]

Hi all. Recently purchased above scope as a grab and go. Fab piece of kit and very impressed. Used a few times and all good. Last nite I was having a good look at Jupiter with my 2x barlow and a 9mm Meade 5000 eyepiece - mag approx x86 ??

I noticed that the scope seemed to only just allow me to focus at this magnification. I had been pondering the purchase of another eyepiece in the 5 / 6 mm range to increase magnification but am puzzled now if i can make use of this option

Is my thinking correct or are my magnification calculations somewot compromised. Wot is the threshold of magnification i could go to using my 66 ?? Any feedback advice etc welcomed.

Thx john

[Telescope40]

Forgot to say that my barlow lens is the Meade "Shortly" version, if that has any bearing at all. Thx John

[John]

You should be OK up to around 130x - 150x with that scope. Some barlow lenses, especially shorty ones, have the effect of moving the focal point inwards a bit - this could be why you can only just reach focus. Tele Vue Powermates don't have this effect but are unfortunately rather expensive - maybe another, non-shorty barlow, might be the solution ?.

John

[Mark at Beaufort]

I use my WO SD66 as a travel scope plus white light solar observing. I usually use my Hyperion 8-24 Zoom and can attach an Antares 2X APO barlow. Focusing is okay and this gives me a max mag of 97X.

Mark

[GazOC]

You should be OK up to around 130x - 150x with that scope. Some barlow lenses, especially shorty ones, have the effect of moving the focal point inwards a bit - this could be why you can only just reach focus. Tele Vue Powermates don't have this effect but are unfortunately rather expensive - maybe another, non-shorty barlow, might be the solution ?.

John

IIRC the focal point is still moved outwards, the problem is when its moved outwards by less than the distance that the barlow physically adds to the setup. ie a net loss of avaliable inwards focus travel rather than the focal point moving inwards.

Of course the nature of the problem is exactly the same.

[PeterW]

Jupiter with a 13T6 and the antares 3x barlow woeked well, nice bands. I agree that it took a bit of searching to find the best focus, but it was there alright! Maybe I ought to have tried the Antares with the 8-24zoom, to see where things went bad, but it's too late now ans my camera tripod may not be up to a lot more!

Cheers

PEterW

[iancandler]

I have gone as high as using a 3mm eyepiece with mine, no issues at all.

I would agree that its most likely you barlow shifting the focal point, and its well known that the 66 has limited forward focus travel.

Theres more info in a review I did here

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/57622-william-optics-zs66sd-updated-15th-feb.html