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Barlow for NexStar 6SE

Dug

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Dug

Dug

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Posted

Hullo there,

I'm looking to get my first scope next month and I'm pretty much set on a NexStar 6SE.

I know that I'm going to need a barlow to appreciate the views but there are many to choose from and I don't know what I should be looking for, whether some are more compatible with certain scopes than other. The price range is pretty wide and I have no idea if you 'get what you pay for'?

Er, help...!

Cheers, Dug

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simon e

simon e

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Posted
Hullo there,

I'm looking to get my first scope next month and I'm pretty much set on a NexStar 6SE.

I know that I'm going to need a barlow to appreciate the views but there are many to choose from and I don't know what I should be looking for, whether some are more compatible with certain scopes than other. The price range is pretty wide and I have no idea if you 'get what you pay for'?

Er, help...!

Cheers, Dug

I would get use to using the scope and all the fun the goto brings:eek: first. And then worry about lens etc afterwards, what lens are you getting with the scope?

si

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Dug

Dug

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True enough, I'm trying not to get carried away with lenses and the like until I've had a chance to use the scope for a while.

But I figure a Barlow is the first purchase after the scope, and it's hard not to get excited! :hello2:

The scope comes with a 25mm EP as standard.

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brianb

brianb

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I know that I'm going to need a barlow to appreciate the views

No you're not. A f/10 SCT doesn't need eyepieces shorter than 8mm - in fact 10mm or 12mm is usually the highest power that can be used due to turbulence in the air ("bad seeing"). These eyepieces - even orthos or plossls - have plenty of eye relief unless you MUST wear glasses due to severe astigmatism - short or long sight can be corrected by varying the focus slightly and slight astigmatism isn't an issue at moderate to high power.

Cheap Barlows will harm the image and are poor value. The cheapest I'd recommend is the Celestron Ultima SV which retails at around £80.

Personally I don't use a barlow with my SCT at all for visual work, though I do use one with my short focus refractor. Imaging is a different kettle of fish altogether; use of a barlow or similar device is necessary to increase the focal length when imaging the Moon or planets.

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simon e

simon e

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Totally agree with brian here, even with my 8se I have a 2x and a 3x barlow and hardly ever use them, they make the image to dark, also have a 6.25mm which i never use either. For viewing the images look miles better with a 25mm and a 40mm.

Will be using them on my guide scope 102t which i believe is f5 so should be better.

Oh yes try and get a 6se with the field tripod with a built in wedge, might help you a little if you want to take some photos in the future.

si

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simon e

simon e

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Yep have fun with it, get the goto working perfectly first, this is a black art in it's self.

If you live in the Northern hem then Mars looks cool at the mo, so does the moon and Orion looks pretty good when the moon has gone.

Try the 2 star align, never seems to fail me. And then take the tour on the mount. You might even see the tiny little ring on the ring nebula.

Happy hunting.

si

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Nexus 6

Nexus 6

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Hi Dug

Been using the 6se for 18 months now. Once I got to grips with it (which took a good few months!) and did a bit of research plus advice I was given led me to believe that good quality EPs are a better way to give one a better view. Give yourself a bit of time to get used to your scope if you know anyone with an eyepiece or two you could use then that should help you.

Happy stargazing!

Alan

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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I have 2 Barlows a Sky-Watcher De Luxe in 1.25 and an ED in 2" they are hardly ver used with either of my scopes. They are there really as a kind of back-up and on the offchance that one day the weather and skies will be perfect :hello2:

Higher quality EPs is the way to go. If that floats your boat I had a look through a 6SE with a SKy-Watcher Extra Flat and the view was very, very good. An EP that might well be worth looking at and wont break the bank.

The ne Sky-Watcher SP Plossls are very good as a low cost EP too - food for thought.

Either way I would hold off buying ANYTHING until you get the scope and have some eye-time with it.

A dewshield may be a good investment for an SCT though but see how you get on.

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lulu57

lulu57

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I hardly ever use my barlow with my 8se.

However, I did use my 9mm lens whilst viewing Mars the other night, and it worked quite well, bringing out some detail.

Save up your pennies and buy 2" star diagonal and an Ethos...mmmm....:hello2:

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John

John

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I am new to astronomy, but surely buying an expensive barlow like the Celestron Ultima SV, will only render it as good as the eyepieces that it is used with?

Thats true to some extent although using a good barlow will reduce some types of eyepiece aberrations because it has the effect of extending the focal length of the scope. Low cost eyepieces perform better in longer focal length scopes so that's where you can see some improvement.

TBH I would class the Ultima's as mid-priced but optically excellent - there are a lot more expensive barlows and barlow-type things around !.

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