Barlowing an Ethos?

Hello, all,
Has anyone tried this? It might produce good high power wide field views of the moon, for example.
I have tried with a TeleVue 1.8x Barlow, and later a 2.4x 1.25 inch Barlow, but the combination of 1.25 inch Barlow and my Ethos produced such a spindly result from a mechanical viewpoint that I felt it might be too mechanically unstable to be worth the risk. So I didn't get far enough to actually look through this combination.
Has anyone tried Barlowing an Ethos?
Bill Meyers

I haven't tried it, Bill. But I heard it works great.
I'll try it out, if I can get in a night of observing this week end.
I have a Big Barlow, and a newly received 4x Powermate to try it with.
Linton

Uncle Al's comment to me at NEAF was to the effect that the eyepiece TAKES TO POWERMATES being added for higher power. I DOUBT if he meant hanging that piece of golden design off the end of a 1-1/4 inch POWERMATE, but openly was happy with the rseults he had seen with the 2 inch POWERMATES.

Of course, as with every optical configuration, and the unique problems within each individuals own eyes, YOUR mileage may and will vary. I just hope to live long enough to be able to try the combinations in my telescope someday.

Good luck with your experiments and enjoyment of one of TeleVue's greatest magical innovations.

bill

Bill Meyers said:

Hello, all,
Has anyone tried this? It might produce good high power wide field views of the moon, for example.
I have tried with a TeleVue 1.8x Barlow, and later a 2.4x 1.25 inch Barlow, but the combination of 1.25 inch Barlow and my Ethos produced such a spindly result from a mechanical viewpoint that I felt it might be too mechanically unstable to be worth the risk. So I didn't get far enough to actually look through this combination.
Has anyone tried Barlowing an Ethos?
Bill Meyers

Bill Meyers said:
Has anyone tried Barlowing an Ethos?

Yep, do it a lot. It's 5.9mm with the 2x TV Barlow, which is the best combo I've tried. I've also tried the 2x Tak (almost as good, but inferior at the edge), 2.2x Klee (OK, but the Klee needs baffling improvements, IMO, and I sent it back after one session), and Meade #126 (good on-axis but quite bad at the edge of field). To give you some idea of the view with the 2x TV Barlow, I set this up in my 7" f/6.7 Newt and watched the E and F stars in the trapezium as it drifted literally from one edge of the view to the other. It's not even that good without the Barlow. There's some lateral color, but I haven't really compared the amount to that without the Barlow to ascertain what role the Barlow may be playing in this. I should add that with the 2x TV Barlow it has given some of the best views of Mars I've had this year.

I can only imagine that it would be as good or better in a 2.5x Powermate. I have considered it, but I don't want the extra weight or to move the eyepiece farther out from the focuser.
--
Mike

I met the Ethos at NEAF, was impressed, and purchased my Ethos as soon as they were available. I use the Ethos as one of four EPs on an Ap 140 f/7.5 (also a memento of NEAF; previously I used a 130 f/8.35). These are a Panoptic 35, Nagler 22, Ethos, Ethos on 2x Powermate. The Ethos takes beautifully to the powermate. High power views are clear, wide and very high contrast. It is a superior view, despite all the glass, to using a 6-3 mm Nagler zoom: clearer and wider. And I never need to fiddle, in the cold and dark, with a 1.25 inch EP or a reducer. What's not to love?

On a 16 inch Zambuto reflector, this does not work so well, the lateral stars get fuzzy without the Paracorr.

Ciao

Robert

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