For a small-looking lens, the Meade #126 2x Barlow certainly packs a punch. Designed initially to complement Meade ETX telescopes, it’s usable with other instruments but is best suited to short focus refractors and reflectors.
It’s just 65mm long, 42mm of which extends from the focuser. This reduces the risk of you knocking it in the dark.
This Meade Barlow lens came with just one lens cap for the lens end, leaving the inner barrel open to dust.
There’s no camera thread at the eyepiece end and we could see no way of attaching filters; they would have to be screwed into the eyepiece before putting
it in the Barlow.
Its internal baffling was very good, while the double element lens is multicoated to reduce glare and improve light transmission.
Our views were certainly of a high standard. Aiming at the star Procyon, it was sharp across the whole view with our 26mm eyepiece, with only the very slightest distortion at the edge.
Orion’s Sword was splendid using both our 26mm and 10mm eyepieces in the Barlow, and it was good to be able to glimpse the fainter E and F stars in the Trapezium Cluster.
With our 26mm eyepiece in the Barlow we got a field of view of 1.25º, so with the Orion Nebula in the centre we were able to fit the double star Struve 747 near the edge of the view.
All things considered, we found the Meade #126 Barlow was a joy to use with stunning views.
Vital stats
- Price £42
- Magnification 2x
- Barrel 1.25-inch
- Lens design Double element
- Lens coating Multicoated
- Length 65mm
- Weight 60g
- Supplier Telescope House
- www.telescopehouse.com
