Quick answer

The Meade #126 2x Short-Focus Barlow is a simple, low-cost way to double the magnification of every 1.25-inch eyepiece you already own in an ETX 90, 105, or 125. Buy it if you want a second, higher-power view without adding eyepieces; skip it if your local seeing rarely supports high power or you already own short focal-length eyepieces.

What the #126 actually changes in an ETX scope

A Barlow doesn't replace your eyepiece's focal length; it multiplies the effective focal ratio of the telescope. In practice, the Meade #126 doubles whatever magnification your eyepiece delivers, so a 26mm eyepiece that gives 48x in an ETX 90 behaves like a 13mm eyepiece giving roughly 96x. The eyepiece's eye relief and apparent field stay largely the same, which is why many observers prefer a Barlow to a very short eyepiece for high-power work.

Because the #126 is a short-focus design, it adds little length to the optical train. That matters on small ETX fork mounts, where a long accessory stack can crowd the rear port or shift balance.

When a 2x Barlow helps and when it hurts

The honest trade-off: doubling magnification also doubles the demand on the mount, the focuser, and the sky. On nights of poor seeing, a Barlowed view often looks softer than the same object at native power, and no lens fixes that. Use the Barlow when the air is steady and the target is bright enough to take it—lunar craters, Jupiter's cloud belts, Saturn's rings, tight double stars.

For faint nebulae and galaxies, the Barlow usually works against you by dimming the image and narrowing the field. Keep it in the case for those objects.

Meade #126 Barlow: common questions answered

Will the Meade #126 work with my ETX?

It is designed for the Meade ETX 90, 105, and 125 and fits 1.25-inch eyepieces. If your ETX uses a different eyepiece format or a non-ETX model, check the barrel size before buying; the catalog does not list adapters for other formats. Confirm your eyepieces are 1.25-inch before ordering.

How much magnification does it add?

It doubles the magnification of whatever eyepiece it is attached to. A 26mm eyepiece giving 48x in an ETX 90 becomes about 96x; the same 26mm in an ETX 125 starts at a higher native power and doubles from there.

Does it replace a short eyepiece?

Functionally, yes—a 26mm plus the #126 behaves like a 13mm eyepiece. The advantage is that you keep the 26mm's eye relief instead of dropping to a tight short eyepiece. The disadvantage is one more glass surface and one more thing to attach in the dark.

When should I leave it off?

Skip it for wide-field sweeps, faint deep-sky objects, and nights when stars look like boiling blobs at native power. If the view is already unsteady, doubling the power only magnifies the turbulence. Test the seeing at native power first; add the Barlow only if the image is steady.

Is the Meade 07273 the same product?

Yes—07273 is the catalog number for the Meade #126 2x Short-Focus Barlow. It is listed as a discontinued item at TelescopesPlus, so availability is limited to stock on hand. Check stock before planning around it.

Product facts