Gso Barlow

Rastis · #1 07-02-2006, 08:55 PM

Hi Chaps,

Has anyone had any drama's with the 2 inch GSO barlow? I was going to buy the Shorty plus, but the GSO is cheaper and got rave reviews on excelsis.com.
Thank you,
Rastis.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #2 07-02-2006, 09:48 PM

As an ex Shorty Plus owner, I'd say be wary of these barlows. I might have ended up with a bad sample but I did not like mine. Also be wary of reviews on excelsis. I never used a GS basic 1.25" barlow but I get the impression that you are getting what you pay for with that one. Since the UO 2" barlow is discontinued I don't know what else to recommend around that price. GS 2" ED barlow maybe...

johnno · #3 07-02-2006, 09:55 PM

Hi Rastis,

I have 1 of these,and TO ME,it works very well.
Not having anything to COMPARE it to,it is hard to give an informed opinion,
Hopefully,1 of the more experienced members,will chime in,and give you more info.

Regards.
John

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #4 07-02-2006, 11:24 PM

No drama's for me either. Works well, cheap, solid. It's handy being able to use it at 1.5x as well as 2x.

Helmann (Brett) · #5 08-02-2006, 12:48 PM

Is this the ED version you are talking about?

ving (David) · #6 08-02-2006, 01:05 PM

while steve has not had the best of times with his shorty plus, other say it is the one to get...
as for the GSO 2", i've heard its "ok" and worth what you pay for it.
an alternative would be a celtestron ultima barlow, tho these only come in 1/25" afaik. but i havent heard anythin bad bout them.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #7 08-02-2006, 01:23 PM

I have word from my old shorty-plus' current owner that it is okay but not fantastic. I've sent the receipt so he might get an exchange from Bintel. If you're going to buy GS 2", you should probably go with the ED barlow, rather than the cheaper version. MyAstroshop have them for $120.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 08-02-2006, 06:44 PM

I've got both the 2" and 1 1/4" GS barlows. I use the 2" all the time, and while it isn't all that sharp around the edges, it's good enough for what I need.

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #9 08-02-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helmann

Is this the ED version you are talking about?

Mine's the 80 buck version. Goes nicely with my 600 buck Nagler!

slice of heaven · #10 08-02-2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janoskiss

I have word from my old shorty-plus' current owner that it is okay but not fantastic. I've sent the receipt so he might get an exchange from Bintel.

Let us know the results of this Steve.

I've always wondered about your shorty+

I bought one, after multiple recommendations from IIS members, and mines fine.

Rastis · #11 08-02-2006, 08:35 PM

Hi Chaps,
Whats the difference between the standard GSO 2 inch Barlow and the ED Barlow.
Thank You,
Rastis.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #12 08-02-2006, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slice of heaven

Let us know the results of this Steve.

I've always wondered about your shorty+

I bought one, after multiple recommendations from IIS members, and mines fine.

Depends what you mean by fine... I am normally a picky person so I'm still not sure if the barlow is what it was meant to be or if I got a dud. I definitely prefer native short FL EP to shorty-plus barlowed effective short FL EP. With the UO 2", it is not the same story. For wide view EPs I prefer the performance of the barlowed EP (sharper edges, less pincushion ... the usual things that go with longer focal ratio, with very little contrast loss).

I or the barlow's current owner will let you know if it is exchanged for another and how the new one performs.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #13 08-02-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rastis

Whats the difference between the standard GSO 2 inch Barlow and the ED Barlow.

I presume less false colour in the ED (like in ED80 apochromat vs 80mm achromat). I'd also expect it to have better treatment optically (coatings, edge/barrel blackening...) since its a more expensive model.

I just want someone to buy one and tell us what they are like really.

Rastis · #14 08-02-2006, 09:39 PM

Quote:

I just want someone to buy one and tell us what they are like really.

Good call!!

slice of heaven · #15 08-02-2006, 09:53 PM

Thanks Steve
I dont have access to any accessories other than my own gear( I should have worded it as 'seems' fine), so I have been curious as to whether there was something amiss with yours or maybe there's another factor you've picked up after using other barlows.
The more honest individual assessments are given on an item, good or bad, the better it is for anyone looking at that item.

rmcpb (Rob) · #16 09-02-2006, 02:59 PM

I think you get what you pay for. My Shorty Plus blows away my GS barlow but when you compare how much they cost then its like comparing apples with oranges. In all honesty I don't know about the views through the 2" GS barlow but I would imagine it to be about the same as the 1.25" quality.

My advice would be to buy the best you can afford so the urge to upgrade is delayed as much as possible.

Helmann (Brett) · #17 10-02-2006, 02:08 PM

I will be purchasing the ED version next week.
I have not owned a barlow yet so unfortunately I will not be able to review it for you all. But if someone close by wanted to check it out they certainly could.
Brett.

matt · #18 11-02-2006, 10:13 PM

I have the Celestron Ultima barlow (1.25") and it's excellent.

I bought it from MyAstroShop.

Very sharp, no colour probs. Light throughput so good it's like it's not there