Orion Shorty x2 Barlow

[cahullian]

OK I ordered the Shorty
Is there anything else I really need for now? or is that enough to see me right for a while? Do I really need a fan for the bottom? My founds are running short for a while and I need to get in quick.
Thanx Gazz

[slice of heaven]

Did you get the shorty or the shorty plus?
This time of year the cool down times are quicker, just set your scope up for an hour or so to cool it down.
The only other thing you'll need is clear skies.

Slice

[rmcpb (Rob)]

Take a long breath and have a go using what you have at present. After a while other necessary accessories will come up but just buy them as you need them. Buying a heap of accessories is a common mistake people make when they first start out as most of the bits just end up in the bottom of their kit not used eg. my complete kit of colour filters!!

When you have the need for something just post a question here and we will happily help you spend your money

[cahullian]

I got the orion barlow shorty-plus x2(1.25")
I thought if I was going to buy one last thing for a while I might as well get something half decent. I got a 9mm and 25 mm GSO plossl fully multi coatedwith the scope. It doesn't say 500 series on them so I'm hoping they are a bit better quality than the Andrews ep's.
If the skies are looking good I normally take the scope out for a while before I use it.

Gazz

[iceman (Mike)]

The 9 and 25 are good. The 15mm plossl is also not a bad buy if you're on a budget, but I agree with Rob, take your time with what you've got.

The 25mm will be good for open clusters and starfields and extended nebula, barlowed it will be good for globular clusters and galaxies.

The 9mm will be good for the planets, and barlowed on nights of very good seeing, for splitting doubles and getting more detail out of the planets.

[cahullian]

Thanks guys I really enjoy and(need) the feed back. To tell the truth I'm over the moon with what I've seen so far and can't wait for a dark sky and a clear night. I have to make a trip up to singleton soon and am thinking if its a good night. Take my scope and head out to lake St Clare and see waht the heavens have in store for me.

[slice of heaven]

I think your set.
Get the most out of what youve got now and upgrade out of necessity.
Youve got the basis of a good setup,enjoy it.

Slice

ps A good pair of gloves might be handy.

[cahullian]

ha ha i'm from Ireland
This is like summer weather to me ; )
I was out last night with shorts and a t-shirt

[cahullian]

what is the plus for in the shorty?

[rmcpb (Rob)]

Sounds good

On a serious note make sure your scope is outside for at least 40 minutes before observing to let it equilibrate.

Another point, try to observe objects that are at least 30 degrees above the horizon to get the best views. You can observe at lower altitudes but as you are looking through more air the views suffer.

If you keep your scope collimated, allow it to cool down and observe "high" objects you will have a great time.

Keep looking up.

[cahullian]

Thanx Rob these are the kind of tips I need : )

[ving (David)]

good on ya

but do you have a collimation tool? (ie cheshire EP)

they are cheap but necesary. get one if you dont have one.

[cahullian]

Yes Ving
I have a collimation ep but not a cheshire I just line up three concentric circles and away I go.I am getting crystal clear views of the moon and I can make out the main stripes of Jupiter and I also made out cassini's division on Saturn.Even without my orion shorty-plus : ).So I hope I have done the proper job with collimation. Once again keep the tips and hints coming.
Gazz, aka Irish, aka cah.

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

Hi Cah
Not sure of the difference exactly, with the Shorty to the shorty plus.
Just that the "Plus" is better, I have a plain shorty & use it rarely, as I find I loose to much light.

[cahullian]

Thanx Ian

[acropolite (Phil)]

In the advertising the plus indicates the Apochromatic version.

Apochromatic :

A lens or optical system virtually free of chromatic aberration, which for practical purposes means that light of at least three different wavelengths is brought to focus at the same point. The best apochromatic lenses use fluorite crystal and may correct three wavelengths with only two optical elements. However, because fluorite is expensive to manufacture, and, because of its brittleness, difficult to grind, polish, and mount, high quality apochromatic refracting telescopes are costly. Reflecting telescopes, on the other hand, are apochromatic in performance without the extra expense.

[Starkler (Geoff)]

The shorty is a two element fully coated barlow.

The Shorty plus is a three element fully MULTICOATED barlow.
This means that all lens surfaces have mutiple anti-reflection coatings which is a very important performance specification.

[trufflehunter]

The Shorty Plus is the 'apochromatic' version. The normal Shorty is a simple 2 element 'achromat'. The 'Plus' version also has a larger lens to reduce vignetting with wider angle eyepieces.

As Phil says, an 'apochromatic' lens may contain one lens made of fluorite. However the term 'apochromatic' is really a qualitative one and doesn't prescribe any particular optical configuration. The Shorty Plus barlow uses 3 elements of crown and flint glass to achieve its 'apochromatic' status, rather than using fluorite. Neither system is necessarily any better than the other, as far as I know.

The new Meade 5000 barlows employ 4 elements! (at a price!)

I don't know what the Tele Vue PowerMates use...

It all comes down to trying to bring all colours of the spectrum to the same focus, avoiding 'chromatic abberation' or colour fringing around bright objects, which is an inherant property of any simple, single lens.

[RAJAH235]

Just like the very expensive mods made to HST. L.

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

Ahh ... well now I understand a little better
I might have to get a Plus for myself, might get a little more use from a barlow then.