Are you a reflector or a refractor?

[emadmoussa]

It's really about the personal preference....Do you have a weak spot for refractors or reflectors...or even Maks?

Despite the light collection power and concept simplicity, I still find reflectors less of a preference. I use both fracs and reflectors, but I have to admit I've got some weakness towards refractors - you can call it a refractor fetish I can't give much reason for why I find refractors more attractive, it just happens. Any other fetishists of any kind out there?

Tell us about your preference...and why if you can.

IM

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I love any scope that gives me a WOW experience. I love the compact size combined with excellent aperture of SCTs, great all-round visual performers, but I also love the magnificent wide fields my little frac shows, My first scope was a home-made Newtonian (6" F/8). Great instrument for very little money. I also love my binoculars for ease of use. I was privileged to use a Questar 3.5" scope in Israel once. Very nice compact scope indeed. Oh and I also liked the views through a 20" Dob (Olly's) very much: that bagged me my last two Messiers.

I just love optics, that is the easiest summary.

[sparkyjon]

even though i dont have one anymore i love a big SCT one day i'll have a big old celestron 1400 dx.. i also like a big dobsonian, or a little mak due to the focal length per pound.. the only one i dont like is refractors orrible things unless you spend a fortune on one..and you dont get much bang for your buck , refractors are just big camera lenses..

[emadmoussa]

I love any scope that gives me a WOW experience. I love the compact size combined with excellent aperture of SCTs, great all-round visual performers, but I also love the magnificent wide fields my little frac shows, My first scope was a home-made Newtonian (6" F/8). Great instrument for very little money. I also love my binoculars for ease of use. I was privileged to use a Questar 3.5" scope in Israel once. Very nice compact scope indeed. Oh and I also liked the views through a 20" Dob (Olly's) very much: that bagged me my last two Messiers.

I just love optics, that is the easiest summary.

Yep, optics have a magic to them. You said you were in Israel?

[chiltonstar]

I concur with Michael's love of optics - anything well made that works well is a winner for me. I do have a slight bias for fracs (the contrast!) and a slight -ve bias against reflectors (prefer to look at the sky rather than twiddle knobs in an attempt to get perfect collimation). For doubles and planetary views, I do like my 5" Mak.

For wide field "Ah" views, my 15x70s are stunning - they need a good dark sky though, and they always travel with me to la France profonde.

Chris

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Yep, optics have a magic to them. You said you were in Israel?

I was at the Weizmann Institute in the summer of 1980 (Summer Science School, just before going to university)

[emadmoussa]

Ironically, I never used an SCT before and don't know what it feels or functions like. Yet, I like the idea of having one as replacement for my SW 200p reflector - provided they achieve similar results -- in a planetary sense at least.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

An SCT functions very much like a Newtonian in a compact package, which hold collimation amazingly well. It is also nicer to use on an EQ mount, because the EP stays more-or-less put.

[emadmoussa]

An SCT functions very much like a Newtonian in a compact package, which hold collimation amazingly well. It is also nicer to use on an EQ mount, because the EP stays more-or-less put.

Yes, one of the things I don't like about reflectors on EQ is the rotation. Different axis on the mount..and the focuser/EP end up in an awkward position. I'm not very keen on loosening the rings and rotating OTA as it tends to slip especially if you have a bunch of things attached to it.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Yes, one of the things I don't like about reflectors on EQ is the rotation. Different axis on the mount..and the focuser/EP end up in an awkward position. I'm not very keen on loosening the rings and rotating OTA as it tends to slip especially if you have a bunch of things attached to it.

You can rotate a tube safely: just add another tube ring just above the upper one, and fasten to tube. When loosening the two normal ones, the extra ring prevents the OTA from slipping through the rings and losing balance. A few Teflon pads can provide a suitably smooth rotation.

[emadmoussa]

You can rotate a tube safely: just add another tube ring just above the upper one, and fasten to tube. When loosening the two normal ones, the extra ring prevents the OTA from slipping through the rings and losing balance. A few Teflon pads can provide a suitably smooth rotation.

Another tube ring?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Another tube ring?

That or special rotating rings. There is a discussion here:

[swedonator]

I like reflectors, but would like to try refractor, but own a SCT :-D

[emadmoussa]

That or special rotating rings. There is a discussion here:

http://stargazerslou...rings-cheapish/

Aha, I can see. You basically hook it to stop it slipping...

[damnut]

Oh goshh... Love em all!, have a large frac and a mak. Like most have done the rounds from small frac, small mak,newt, sct.

Cheers

[John]

As long as they are alt-az mounted, I like all scope designs. I've owned a few of each design over the years and each has its strengths and weaknesses. I used to think I was a refractor person but I found 6 inches was the max practical aperture for me and that good newtonians would out perform them at less cost and hassle so I'm happy to own a 12" dob now as well as a couple of nice ED refractors. Having to keep my scopes in the house has steered me a little away from SCT's and maks for now as their cool down times are longer than refractors and newts I've found.

No problem with having preferences but it's worth keeping an open mind about what other designs have to offer too

[Macavity]

To me, it's mostly about aperture, focal length and PRICE.

The last (+ weight) usually deciding my "preferences"?

[Monty]

I have an SCT and an ST102. Love both and use depending on what I'm looking for, weather conditions and travelling.

[DirkSteele]

Despite owning 3 refractors including a 7" triplet, one SCT, and no reflectors currently (have owned 2, including my first scope, a 4.5" Newtonian) I like any scope that can show me more of the beauty of the universe than my naked eye is capable of.

(Though, hold a gun to my head and it is refractor all the way)

[Moonshane]

I am completely biased. Based on my own experience of refractors, binoculars and newtonians I really never got on with fracs, or bins and now use the latter exclusively, specifically on dobsonian mounts. I am solely visual and find the dob mount superbly easy to use, robust and solid.

As a result of the mount stability I use scopes from my 6" f11, to my 12" f4 and my 16" f4 with no problem at all and can track things at high power. I did not get on with newts on EQ mounts and it was only when using a dob for the first time that I 'saw the light'.

I like the orientation (upside down and not left right reversed) and also the observing position which always seems more comfy to me at least. The contrast in the 16" dob on planets seems better than any refractors I have used, especially when used with an aperture mask.

Never used an SCT or a Mak but interested in looking through one sometime.

[skir]

What amazes me with reflectors is that someone hasn't come up with a relatively cheap rotating ring assembly. All the ones I've seen so far are incredibly expensive for what they are.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[emadmoussa]

What amazes me with reflectors is that someone hasn't come up with a relatively cheap rotating ring assembly. All the ones I've seen so far are incredibly expensive for what they are.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Tell me about it!!!

[swamp thing]

For me the ultimate observing experience is a large aperture Dob under a pristine, pitch black sky. IMO It just doesn't get any better than that.

[Stargazer_00]

I have a middle sized dob and a middle sized refractor. Both perform their roles well and both have the strengths and weaknesses.

Ideally I'd like a scope about the size of a 127 Mak that performs like a 20" reflector without a central obstruction. Maybe someday someone will come up with an ingenius design to amplify photons to the eye so that you can see colour in DSO in real time. That'd be nice too.

[Macavity]

Ideally I'd like a scope about the size of a 127 Mak that performs like a 20" reflector without a central obstruction. Maybe someday someone will come up with an ingenius design to amplify photons to the eye so that you can see colour in DSO in real time.

Well, perhaps not ALL of these, but some and partly... via <drumroll> Video Astronomy.

Mag +16, with a small scope, from a suburban location, is remarkable, albeit on screen?