Image of the day

Captured by
Terry Wood

Jupiter (clearer) Nov 5th 2023 w/Mewlon 180c

My Account

New to Astromart?

Register an account...

Need Help?

Optical Question-Reverse Barlow?

Started by kfiscus, 07/16/2003 05:10AM
Posted 07/16/2003 05:10AM Opening Post
I picked up a Meade digital eyepiece for public stargazing sessions to show sun, moon, planets. (People absolutely love it.) Is there any way to REDUCE the magnification of the thing?!? I'd love to get the whole moon or sun in the view at once. I've thought of making an adapter to fit a 50mm finder in the hopes that might do it. I'd just have it piggybacked on the main scope then. Is there something like a reverse barlow I could insert between the digital eyepiece and the objective so that field of view could be increased?

Customized Zhumell Z12 on Dedicated Atomic EQ Platform
Customized Hybrid Z12/Lightbridge on Baltic Birch Planisphere Mount

(I'm holding famous Martian meteorite ALH84001 in the picture.)
Posted 07/18/2003 04:41AM #1
Thank you for replying. I was worried I'd get no help with the fur flying in the other posts.
Ken

Customized Zhumell Z12 on Dedicated Atomic EQ Platform
Customized Hybrid Z12/Lightbridge on Baltic Birch Planisphere Mount

(I'm holding famous Martian meteorite ALH84001 in the picture.)
Posted 07/18/2003 04:46AM #2
I've been using it to great effect for "sidewalk" astronomy sorts of things with my Astroscan. It has a focal length of something like 430 mm. If there isn't a visual focal reducer in 1.25" out there, I'll have to make a coupling for it to fit on a spare 50mm finder I have. This seems a bit extreme but could still prove cool. Then I could get more visual experiences for the public simultaneously. Thank you for your help and I'd look forward to any other ideas. Ken

Customized Zhumell Z12 on Dedicated Atomic EQ Platform
Customized Hybrid Z12/Lightbridge on Baltic Birch Planisphere Mount

(I'm holding famous Martian meteorite ALH84001 in the picture.)
Posted 07/18/2003 04:48AM #3
A couple of suggestions--

There is such a thing as a focal reducer. It can be used both visually and photographically. (It does vignette, so the views dim at the edges.) But this is little problem visually, and no problem whatsoever with the Meade eyepiece, which only sees the very middle of the field anyway.

Figure a way to use a standard camera lens in front of the eyepiece. The views with that eyepiece are much more pleasing through a 135 than through a 2800 mm focal length telescope.

Alex