[iceman (Mike)]

I think I need a new (good quality) barlow.. the one that came with the scope (bintel branded) seems to degrade quality quite a bit when using it, especially with the 15mm or 9mm eyepiece. It really seems to darken the image.

I've read good things about the Orion Shorty Plus or Celestron Ultima barlow..

Do you concur that these would be a good choice?
Where do you get them from locally and how much are they?

Thanks for your help.