Bintel barlows

[allsmiles]

How do these fair?? i'm thinking of getting the 2x 1.25" which seems quite cheap for 39$

[allsmiles]

Oh and how about the GSO barlows from andrews ($35)?

[NCRAW]

You would find them made by GSO or LP anyway.

[jjjnettie]

I've had the 2'' and the 1.25'', and found the 1.25'' the better of the two.
They're not top quality obviously, but if you are only using the GSO or Bintel eyepieces with them, they are very servicable.

[Geoff45]

Remember, a good eyepiece or barlow can last a lifetime. If you buy a cheap one you'll eventually want to upgrade, so why not throw in another $100 and get a teleview barlow. You'll get a better product and you'll probably save money in the long run.

[Craig.a.c]

I agree. I have been using a cheap barlow and GSO eyepieces since I got my 12" dob (they are doig an ok job but its time to upgrade), now I want to get a good quality barlow and 2" 25mm eyepiece to get some nicer views.

[allsmiles]

i'm new to all of this. how much of a difference does it make getting a better eyepeice?
are the pictures sharper etc or is jut the FOV

[renormalised]

Focus is better, the views are sharper and brighter across the FoV....it just feels and looks better, and if you get a quality barlow to match, it just makes it even sweeter at higher power.

[jjjnettie]

One thing to concider though.
If you have kids that are going to use your scope, it's a good idea to have some cheaper occulars that they can use.
That way it isn't the end of the world if they get their grubby fingers prints on them.

[renormalised]

Or drop one on the ground....namely concrete path!!!:eyepop:

Naglers aren't known to bounce:scared:

[allsmiles]

thanks for all the help people :D

[StevenA]

I have a x2 Bintel Barlow. Unfortunately I do not concider it to be good. Bintel EP's are good but my Barlow has prob's. One of the lenses rattles for a strat. Second. If inserted as required I do not get an image. If I insert partially I then can move it in or out accordingly in order to get an image. Sometimes I only insert it as far as the black part at the end of the Barlow's tube. So it will do.... Don't get me wrong Bintel have been wonderful to me,. They have helped with other prob's and happily sorted out some of my imagened problems too.( Got the USA system of dating mixed up with AUS system and thought handset was broken. Ha Ha!) They even reprogramed handset as I do not have my own internet connection and only used public access at the library.

[janoskiss]

It does the job. And the lens assembly unscrews and uses standard filter threads. So you can screw it directly onto eyepiece barrel to boost power by 1.4-1.5x instead of 2x. Very handy when you have limited choice of EPs.

Optics is good. Lens coatings are good. Where it's lacking is barrel blackening and baffling, so some loss of contrast and stray light will be apparent especially on bright objects. Even the black lens assembly housing is a shiny black. You could fix this if you really wanted.

For the money one cannot complain about this barlow.

[jjjnettie]

I just ordered the GSO 2.5x 1.25" apo barlow, so I'll be able to give a little review on that one.
I was going to get the 5x apo as well but was unsure whether I'd be able to get focus with the SW120. Any thoughts on that?

[jjjnettie]

AstroRon dropped his Nagler on his big toe. It broke his toe, but the ep was fine.

[JethroB76]

Thank god for that then :lol: