Televue Powermate 5x Barlow

[Space Cowboy]

I'm currently using a 3x Tal Barlow for webcam imaging with my Skywatcher skyliner 250 Flextube auto Dob f4.8 together with an extension tube giving about 5.25x if seeing is good.

I'm tempted by the Televue 20% discount making the Televue Powermate 5x barlow £117.

Would it be worth the investment or am I better saving my money for a DBK? I know seeing has to be good to use 5x and would the Televue be significantly superior to the Tal or only slightly better with any improvement being over-ruled by atmospheric conditions?

[Rob_Jn]

Difficult choice, I have had a few Barlows but the TV Powermate is excellent and I wouldn't use anything else, but as you say atmospheric conditions play a huge part, the 2.5X might get used more. With the 20% off they are a great price! If you have a webcam at the mo the DMK/DBK is a definite improvement, ideally you want both camera and TV :-)

(I haven't really helped you have I !)

Rob.

[Space Cowboy]

Thanks for your response Rob!. Is the 2.5x Tv powermate the same optics with a shorter tube?

[Rob_Jn]

Iv'e got both 2.5x and 5x and the 5x is a little shorter by about 5mm. I assume they are both the same optical design.

Rob.

[Space Cowboy]

Thanks Rob!

[Space Cowboy]

Any other opinions would be greatly received

[neil phillips]

Hi stuart no competition here get the dbk, when jupiter returns i assure you with a bit of learning how to get the best out of the dbk, with good collimation reasonable seeing, it will significantly outperform. the spc. the TV wont produce a dramatic change. ive got great results with antares barlow at half the price, not saying a tv isnt great, infact i want a 5x powermate, but then i have a dmk, dbk.Its just shooting at 3x the frame rate 30fps, rather than 10 fps spc. the proper colour control a dbk will give. will leave the spc in the dust, i know because i spent a lot of time with a spc colour mono, and toucam, the dbk dmk is a huge step up. two things first you might want to wait as the new imaging source camera might be released fairly soon, with the flea 3 basler ccd chip. not sure what price it will be. infact its a camera im waiting to see if i can afford, because if it is i might ( still just thinking and waiting at the moment though ) i might sell both my cameras for the mono 618 chipped DMK ( not sure if its going to be called that ) so if you can hold on. no defianate yet. but i may well be selling my dbk with IR UV filter. just food for thought, if you want the best i would wait for the new camera. if you want a good camera now get the dbk ( if rgb is not your thing ) if your in no hurry. mine might be available when i know more about the new imaging source. camera. forget the barlow for present, its your camera that is a major weak link, not the barlow. as a example a tv and spc in my hands, against your current barlow and dbk. Well im sure you would see what i mean. both would look good. but the dbk would win on smoothness colour and detail, and likely by quite a large margin i think.

[Space Cowboy]

Thanks Neil!

Very comprehensive advice given and taken on board. For sure I would be interested in your DBK when/if you sell it in the future. I will persevere with the SPC for a bit longer unless I see a DBK going for a crazy price ;-)

I've been pleased with the Tal barlow so will avoid powermate temptation!