Saturn

[jaspa]

Had a look at saturn for the first time tonight, want to get a better image, using a celestron powerseeker 127 and the 4mm lens that it came with. also tried to use the 3x barlow lens that also came with the scope (could not get into focus at all with the barlow and 4mm).

The barlow does look rather cheap and nasty, would i be better of with a decent quality 2x barlow

and some better quality lenses ?

[Kain]

If the 3x barlow came with a tasco scope, then yep it's rubbish, go outside and stand on it

Get a good 2x barlow from Steve, and you will see the difference.

Also EP's that come with scopes, are usually pretty poor quality.

Kain

[FLO]

... using a celestron powerseeker 127 and the 4mm lens that it came with. also tried to use the 3x barlow lens that also came with the scope (could not get into focus at all with the barlow and 4mm).

A 4mm fitted to your telescope produces 250x magnification. In theory, you can achieve about 50x magnification per inch of telescope aperture so your scope was at its upper limit. In reality, it is very rare that you will achieve that magnification; the seeing conditions would have to be A1, the scope perfectly collimated and fitted with a top-drawer eyepiece. With your 3x barlow fitted, you were working at 750x magnification!! Well beyond what our atmosphere and the telescope can support - the image would have been mush.

Fortunately, most of the objects you will want to view will be framed nicely in the eyepiece at around 50-150x magnification.

The barlow does look rather cheap and nasty, would i be better of with a decent quality 2x barlow

and some better quality lenses ?

Yes,

Your scope is almost certainly better than the supplied eyepieces/barlow can show. A couple of good Plossls and a barlow (around £30+ each) will make quite a difference.

Hope that helps