time to show my ignorance again

[rowan46]

When using a barlow on my nexstar 5 and neximage the image is rubbish. I am told that the neximage camera is analogous to a 5mm eyepiece which is prety close to the maximumum usable magnification for my scope is this why putting a barlow on makes it so poor or is it because I have a rubbish barlow. and a better one would help.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Have you tried it without the barlow?

What type of barlow do you have?

I didnt think people used a barlow when using a neximage camera. No reason why you cant or should not. I just didnt think it was the done thing.

But what do i know........i am not an imager.

[rowan46]

looking at my pics neither am I

[LukeSkywatcher]

Can you post a couple of pics?. One with the barlow and one without.

[rowan46]

to be honest i'm far too embarressed it was a general question and I would much rather wait until I can get something halfway decent that way you can all lie and say thats not so bad and i will believe you. I take it then that a barlow isn't generally used on a webcam then?

[rowan46]

the barlow I have is the stock barlow supplied by celestron for their scopes

it doesnt appear to be great

[LukeSkywatcher]

the barlow I have is the stock barlow supplied by celestron for their scopes

it doesnt appear to be great

I have a couple of Celestron scopes and the barlow really isnt that good. I have upgraded my barlow to a TAL 2X.

They cost about £30 and they really are good. They are too cheap for the quality of them.

[rowan46]

thanks Paul will probably get one afer christmas I have heard so many people on this site raving about them.

[LukeSkywatcher]

thanks Paul will probably get one afer christmas I have heard so many people on this site raving about them.

They are worth every penny. The views through them are both bright and sharp.

[TheThing]

Webcam are similar to EPs between 6 and 1000 depending on the cam. The maximum magnification is more of visual thing than an imaging one.

I've been experimenting with a Xx Barlow in my scope giving me about 400x. More than I could cope with visually most of the time, but as the webcam sensor is more sensitive, not a problem for it.

Sounds like the Barlow is to blame, as Paul says.

[yeti monster]

The freebee Barlows aren't worth having. I have a TAL 2x and an Orion Shorty 2x. I can stack them both with my webcam and get decent enough results whilst manually tracking ye olde TAL-1. Well worth the money.

[Capricorn]

If the nexstar 5 is the fore runner of the 5SE and has the following spec:

OPTICAL DESIGN: Schmidt-Cassegrain

APERTURE: 125 mm (4.92 in)

FOCAL LENGTH: 1250 mm (49.21 in)

FOCAL RATIO: 10

I wouldn't think that something like a 5mm eyepiece equivalent had a chance of giving a decent image. Possibly an 8mm equivalent but 5mm seems to be too much.

If you are trying to barlow what is in effect a 5mm eyepiece then no chance.

The max for your scope, if the above, is probably 8mm not 5mm and from how you have worded it I guess that you think it could take less then 5mm.

Take the claims about magnification as marketing propoganda intended simply to part you from your money.

[valleyman]

I am using a Philips 900 with my 5SE and took some moon shots last night. The results are not that good, Viewing was not bad. Focus is always a problem with the 5SE because of the problem of mirror float. Using a barlow will only increase the problem with focus. If you are using AMCAP then there is a magnification slide on there if you want to get closer views. Here is one I made last night, see how it compares with yours. Please dont be shy on posting pics on here. There are lots of people here do Imaging who will be able to point you in the right direction