Best option?

[recceranger]

Guys,

For planetary observing.  Whats the best option (with HEQ5 mount)?

1. 180 MAK
2. SCT 8 - 10"
3. A big frac i.e. 120 - 150mm?

Quite fancy the MAK and heard a lot of good reviews but some recommend a large frac and not necessarily an APO.

Any advice gladly received as I have been toying with the idea for sometime and this games not cheap so I'd like to get it right!

Rick

Ps, added these photo's to show off!  Sorry

[MartinB]

All three would be good in their own ways.  If you intend to be a purely a solar system observer the Maksutov would be my choice, contrast approaching a good refractor with more aperture which, in good seeing, will deliver a higher resolution.  

I have a 10" SCT and an ED120.  In poor seeing the ED120 matches the SCT with slightly richer colour.  When the seeing steadies down though, I much prefer the SCT.  Achromats have the potential to give wonderful, high contrast views but they need to be of long focal length and have good optics.  This makes them quite unweildy and not cheap.  

[John]

I'm going to move this thread into the scopes discussion area but leave a link here. It should get more input then 

[John]

On the scopes, I currently use an ED120 refractor and a 12" F/5.3 dobsonain for planetary but I've owned used the other designs you list and had good results from them. One not on your list is the Mak-Newtonian which can produce really great results very close to an apochromat refractor of a similar aperture but a lot less expensive.

My least favourite would be the SCT as I feel they are a compromise design to some extent but I'm sure that will draw howls of protest from SCT fans 

[recceranger]

Cheers guys.

Good feed back and roger to the moving the post John, many thanks

Rick

[dweller25]

If you can find one - a Intes Micro 715 Mak Cass makes a superb planetary scope, alternatively a Skywatcher 120ED is a great choice.

Personally I find the large central obstruction and lack of a cooling fan major drawbacks with SCT's for high power observing.