StarGazer2000

This is a typical answer from someone who has never looked through a maksutov and take their "knowledge" from rumours of rumours of rumours of other people who never have either. No, the linear obstruction "rule" for contrast effects is not a direct fonction of the linear obstruction, it is much more complicated than that and anyone who has looked through both a mak 127 and a 85mm refractor will laugh their head off at your statements. Maks are good for everything: galaxies, nebulas, planetary nebulas, globulars. THE VEILS too (you can still frame a large part of it in a mak 127 and see it very clearly with fine details). The vast majority of DSOs are small or even tiny, just a few arcminutes in diameter. You actually sound like someone who is so focused on observing only the bigger targets like M45 and M31 that you don't realize that these are the exceptions... Put M45 and the couple of very large fields or objects aside, 99% of serious telescopes cannot frame them anyway. Maks require insulation? What kind of rubbish is that?? ---They require cool down to eliminate thermals interior to the tube--- Ok and other instruments don't? My 127 mak is ready in 30mn. So please, ABQjeff, people like you are a disgrace to the stargazer community, always using the same silly arguments that put potential mak users off.