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Sct Or Refractor


coolskies

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I would agree with Mike ..... some of my best views have come via my small refractor and if the focal length is short enough they perform brilliantly with both very high power and low power eyepieces.

I like SCT 's and still own a 150mm. However, due to the restrictive sky coverage and the lack of crispness when viewing stars it is used almost exclusively for higher power lunar observations.

The next scope I purchase will almost certainly be a 10-12 inch Dobsonian and I will sell the SCT to go toward an eyepiece for it :icon_biggrin:

Hi

Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Clear skies

Ciaran

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I had a C6 and a C11 and currently have an Equinox 120 refractor and 8 inch SCT.

For lunar, I like using the 8 inch SCT as a step up in detail at the higher mags from the 120mm refractor. For planets/moon, in general, the greater the aperture the more detail (potentially) you can see at higher magnification. SCT's have a central obstruction unlike refractors so that needs to be taken into account, e.g. a 150mm frac versus a 150mm SCT, the frac would actually have more clear aperture.

Most of the top high mag lunar/plantary images are taken with 9.25 inches or larger aperture, though there are some very good high res images also done with 8 inch scopes.

In good conditions my old C11 could show more detail than my current 8 inch SCT. I miss a little bit having the extra aperture but sometimes it comes down to compromise. My 8 inch SCT (Celestron Edge 8) is very light and compact for the aperture and is very easily handled by my HEQ5 mount. It's light and compact enough that I can use it as a grab and go mini light bucket on hols on a giro mount.

My 12 inch dob that I had could definitely beat the 8 inch SCT for fine close up detail in good conditions.

For DSO imaging (if that's a consideration) then many folks recommend something like an ED80. So you could e.g. go for the SCT and an Equatorial mount and later add a relatively affordable ED80 when funds have recovered to tackle DSO imaging. A 120mm frac is not necessarily better than an ED80 for DSO imaging, it's just a different focal length.

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Hi Mike

Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Curious to know what you would recommend as a small "high quality" refractor.

With having so many years experience and experience on large aperture scopes to settle and be happy with a small refractor would save me a lot of time and money wasting knowing that you have already done so. Added to the fact if I get the same scope I know when using it I have a great scope.

Also it rains a lot where I live and some nights I might only get an hour or two and the small refractor would be easier as a grab and go, less cool down time, and less problem with the dreaded dew.

Clear skies

Ciaran

Hi Ciaran.

Probably the best value apochromatic refractor on the market is the Skywatcher ED Pro 120 or 100. You get a lot for your money with the pro and the optics are excellent. The Equinox 120 ED uses the same optics in a more robust body but essentially they are the same instrustrument. Being a FPL53 doublet the scopes cool rapidly which makes them great as grab and go scopes because they work well from the start. I've owned three ED120s in recent years and have loved them all. They are very capable instruments giving both wide, rich field views of star fields, comets, nebulae and galaxies, while at the same time being able to offer razor sharp high power views of the moon, planets and double stars.

The scope I now own is a Takahashi FC100D, which is smaller in aperture and build but much lighter in weight than either of the

ED's, but is of higher optical quality, and a tad more expensive, but not by much.

Something worth considering are eyepieces. A scope is only as good as its weakest link, so good eyepieces are essential. I've spent a fortune over the years building up my eyepiece collection, but if I were to start again I'd buy a cheap binocular viewer and a couple of cheap plossl eyepieces of around 20 to 15mm focal length and forget the expensive high end eyepieces. You could buy the bv and the pair of plossls for the price of one high end eyepiece such as a Pentax XW. They would meet most of your high power needs on the moon and planets, and would save you a small fortune. All you would then need is a wide field eyepiece around 24mm such as a 24 Panoptic and you're set for life. Of course accessories such as these can be bought over time. A good scope is the most important thing.

Mike :-)

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