Tele Vue 1.25" 2.5x Powermate # PMT-2513

5.0 1.25" 2.5x Tele Vue Powermate

Non-marring brass compression ring and fully multi-coated lenses

None

The 1.25" 2.5x Tele Vue Powermate "Image Amplifier" is an exceptional product that delivers exactly what is promised. Solid construction and flexibility for visual and imaging with all types of scopes and eyepieces make this unit an excellent value. I particularly like the captive lock screw that can’t fall out and get lost. The Powermate magnifies without distortion, a significant improvement in the view over a regular Barlow lens. Compared to a regular Barlow the contrast is noticeably higher, with no evidence of scattered light, edge of field abortions or lateral color. The detail of both Saturn and Jupiter is noticeably sharper than a regular Barlow and the detail of both planets seems to pop out at you. Lunar viewing is exceptionally sharp and clear. The Tele Vue Powermate has replaced my standard Barlow. If you have been considering a new Barlow you would be well advised to go “all in” and get a Powermate instead, you will not be disappointed!

5.0 Just excellent

Easy to Use,Quality Lenses,Strong Construction

The 2.5x TV Powermate is a 4 element telecentric design. It will improve the edge performance of longer FL eyepieces while maintaining the exit pupil performance of the eyepiece. It also will not vignette with eyepieces that vignette with a regular barlow. I most frequently use the 2.5x Powermate with plossl eyepieces for lunar and deep sky observations and it excels at both. I have yet to notice any evidence that the Powermate reduces light transmission. It is as transparent as any amplifier I have used.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Perfect barlow

Lightweight,Easy to Use,Quality Lenses,High quality

Expensive

There's not much to say when the product is perfect. I tried very hard to find it a fault, but I could not. It provides an extra 2.5x magnification and that's it. No aberration, no losses, no nothing. It's perfectly transparent. It's like using a telescope 2.5x longer.

It's best used for high magnification stuff, when your eyepieces are not short enough for the desired magnification. It's also best used with high quality eyepieces - being telecentric, it preserves the geometry of the beam of light, and the eyepiece continues working at maximum performance.

I would not waste a telecentric barlow like this on low end telescopes or eyepieces.

I wish it was cheaper, but I guess I should not complain, given what it can do.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Powermate 2.5x (1.25")

Sharp images, no image-loss, original eyerelief is maintained.

WHAT cons?? :-)

After having used the Meade Apo Barlow, two Televue 2x and the Televue big barlow, I decided to buy a Powermate (new model with filter threads).

This improved barlow lets you maintain the original eyerelief of the EP used. My experience is that it is a great improvement over the conventional (Televue) barlow. With a 13mm Nagler the EP becomes a 5.2 mm EP and the image-difference between this combination and a 5mm Nagler is almost none. The image on (for example) planets stays sharp; almost no detail on the image is lost, even on very high magnification.

And there is another issue. If you have EP collection of 32-24-20-16-13-10-8-6-5 mm and you use a 2.5x telenegative almost all magnifications are new. Try this with 2x where almost all magnifications are already there in an original EP.

IMHO this telenegative is really worth buying!

5.0 Great performance

Great performance and quality

Pricey

This is a great barlow in spite of the somewhat high price. It does perform better than regular barlows, and I feel this makes it an excellent choice for high-power lunar or planetary observing or photography.

Overall quality is excellent and performance is excellent as well. These are unique "barlows", even though really their concept is different from the true barlow lens. If you want the best magnification without adding distortion to your views, then the Powermate is the way to go. However, they are pricey. Regular barlows do pretty good, especially something like the X-Cel ED from Celestron, but yet I still prefer the Powermate over any other barlow I have ever used.

5.0 Tele Vue 2.5 Powermate

Best barlow on the market for the money.

It is a little long with a large heavy EP on the end of it.

I can't add much more than Loplin has. I haven't used my Shorty barlow since I bought it. Everything that I read about it was right on. It cost me about $170.00 new.

5.0 Better than a Barlow

Works perfectly as advertised.

Longer and heavier than a shorty barlow.

I had wanted a TeleVue 2.5 x Powermate for a long time and finally saw an older setscrew version on Astromart at a bargain price. It is everything that TeleVue advertises it to be. The only effect is has is to increase the magnification (and of course dim the image as a result). It does not add any abberations to the image at all. Widefield eyepieces like my 13mm Nagler do not show any vignetting when used with the Powermate. It provides a different magnification factor than most barlows as well which comes in handy when you need a lot of power during good seeing conditions. The Powermate also provides a relatively consistent amount of magnification change for every eyepiece while a barlow's magnification varies more depending on where the eyepiece field stop is located.