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[dewayne]

I was searching the web for a barlow.
I came across Apogee Inc.
They are offering a 1.25" 2X shorty barlow for $28.95.
It has fully coated optics, 2.5" tall.
Anyone have any experience with Apogee? How does this compare with the Orion 2X shorty for about $40.
I also saw that Apogee has a new refractor for sale.
It is called the Apogee Widestar 80AT.
It has 400mm focal length and a 80mm lens for $99.95. It comes with a tripod.
I realize this little scope will have a wider view than my Orion XT8. I just wonder if such a small scope can outperform my XT8 on planets or the moon. The price is right if it can. Also I wonder if an 80mm would gather enough light to capture DSO's? This just might make a nice beginner scope for my grandsons.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

DeWayne,

I don't have any experience with Apogee equipment, but the start of truely serious refractors, (in my opinion), begin at 90mm. But, 80mm are cool, and I would like one. And for $99.00, can't go wrong with one.

I like refractors with their sharp edge to edge FOV's that reflectors can't match.

Try this site: www.cloudynights.com/reviews.htm

And this one: www.scopereviews.com/

Many reviews on scopes and other items. Perhaps your intended scope is reviewed there.

I have a Zoom barlow that I have used since the '70's. I never seen one like it since. It's a .096 size, but with adapter works ok. But at higher mags, the FOV get mighty dim.

There is a site I have saved somewhere, in which instructions are given on how to build your own barlow.

Let's see if I can re-find it.

[ripps1]

dewayne, I can't vouch for this particular scope but, in general, a good f5 refractor is difficult and expensive to make. Still, the bargain scopes can be a lot of fun.

I purchased a popular 4" f5 some years ago just to play around with. The chromatic abberation was more than I was used to but I developed a tolerance for it and it didn't really bother me. The spherical abberation limited the maximum power to about 140X which limited its' use for planetary viewing. At lower powers, though, it did give me some stunning views of open clusters and brighter DSOs.

I played around with the doublet spacing and learned the manufacturer had optimized the balance between false color and the not-so-perfect figure of the lenses. Without re-grinding the lenses, this was the best it could do.

A wide field scope is a good beginner scope because the FOV is very forgiving and a beginner probably won't even notice the color around brighter objects until they become more seasoned (that's when the $$$ kick in). They are also small, light, easy to set up, don't need collimation (but check it when you get it anyway) and can be used on an alt-az mount with little difficulty.

They will lack a bit on planets and unfortunately the first thing they want to look at is the moon followed by Jupiter and Saturn. I guess that's when they get to gaze through your 8" ;^)

Hey, if it doesn't work out it'll still make one heckuva finder !! -Rip