Goodbye dobs & farewell

[jabeoo1]

I took the decision to let my 10" & 4.25" dobsonians go to new homes.  Just been & posted the smaller one off & now the big lad is in the living room waiting for an early drop off to the new owner in the morning.  The views they gave were stunning and addictive, so much so they cemented me into the hobby, and therefore this is no departure.

The frustration of escaping the city had to be well timed to be worthwhile, especially if I was taking that big lad.  Many times he would patiently wait in the boot and return, not a single photon having bounced the mirrors.  The little lad would often come along, he was more easy going and in for opportunistic sessions, in some ways he would beat the big one with a mirror more than double the size.  I did a mammoth session in South Devon with the little lad & bagged more DSO's in a few hours than I could appreciate, i was literally looking them up in the guide and grabbing them out the sky.   It did highlight the classic saying that 'the best scope is the one you use the most', and in this case a 4.25" mirror was much better than the 10" I did not bring. (Forecasted iffy weather dominating the time away.......Big mistake !).

In many ways it was the Lunt's fault.   It caused the departure of the mirrors by marking my first taste of a Refractor on an alt azimuth mount.  I find it difficult to find anything I dislike with this setup.  Its slick, simple, quick & therefore as opportunistic as a small dob.  The slow-mo controls (as with a manual dob) means the hunt remains on and not inevitable.  For me there is nothing better than closing in on a new object by sneaking around in the faint star fields, or simply taking in the details of the planets and moon.  

All this points to one place....a 100mm refractor. 

 

 

 

 

[mikeDnight]

Good old Ken Fulton, he hit the nail on the head in his book "The Light-Hearted Astronomer."  His book is knocking on in years and his mastery of the English language is a bit chewy for my liking, but the front cover of the book says it all and is still as applicable today as it was back then, if not more so. The state of the art Unitrons and the like of yesteryear were not only terrifyingly expensive but also unwieldy. Refractors did fall out of favour for a while after the demise of Unitron but all was soon to change. A refractor explosion occurred when TeleVue and AstroPhysics stunned the world with their optical masterpieces,  most of their offerings came in relatively easy to handle tube assemblies, TeleVues certainly did! Japan also didn't disappoint, as Vixen and Takahashi delivered fluorite gems that were almost too good to believe. Today, we are spoiled for choice by the seemingly endless barrage of high quality refractors, with those mentioned above, along with TMB, Tech and a small number of others still remaining at the top of the pile. 

I'm sure were all eager to see some pics of your new acquisition when he, she or it arrives. 

Mike 

 

[spaceboy]

I have pondered many a time to letting my newts go in favour of just using my refractors. I just prefer the views through a refractor but know bigger is better when it comes to dark skies so feel I would probably regret it if I ever did let my larger newts go.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have never been able to bring myself to selling off a couple of my scopes. Ive settled on the fact that i need them all. My main scope (8" SCT) gives me the aperture i want, while the 5" Mini Dob gives me portability on those nights when i just cant be bothered with the SCT. My little 70mm refractor is my dedicated solar scope.

 

[John]

Interesting post

I think I can understand where you are coming from although I do use my 12" dob quite a lot so it's not going anywhere despite being outnumbered by refractors 4:1

Lovely to see that pic from the cover of Ken Fulton's great book. I've yet to find another author that comes at the hobby in quite the same way that Ken does - he seems to blend a real and deep love of astronomy with a healthy dose of humour and a touch of cynicism at times. My copy is due another read I think .....

 

[Timebandit]

Dobs(reflector) v refractors (lens) the old time questions that can open up such a debate and strong feelings.

I have come to the conclusion that I need both. If I have a session on the Dobby I am happy of all that extra aperture allows the faint fuzzys to be drawn in, and the magnification increase allows to get a closer image of planets. And the large reflector allows these intense views for an amateur astronomer on a budget that can be affordable. Just thinking of what my 14" reflector would cost in the same aperture in a refractor, probably the best part of my house .So i love the reflector for a big scope view on a budget busting scope for the backyard 

But the refractor , after using a reflector and seeing what all that extra aperture allows you to do , then do I really need a refractor come into my head?. But the quickness and portability of the AZ4 is great. And once the 120apo is set on the mount and a quality eyepieces is placed in . Then the Wooow view always grasps me with the refractor view. A refractor is just so sharp and life like. You just cannot compare the quality of view you can see with a refractor of planets or lunar as the refractor is just so much crisper and sharper in performance. 

Some people compare a reflector view as being soft compared to a quality refractor,and I have to agree with this as there is nothing like looking through a quality refractor. All I need to do now is find a 14" refractor that I can afford without selling the house, a mount that can take the weight and does not cost a fortune so I do have to sell the car, and build a new observatory . Until then I will need to keep the 14" Dobby also☺

[scarp15]

2 hours ago, jabeoo1 said:

 

The frustration of escaping the city had to be well timed to be worthwhile,

Perhaps it is not necessarily about either/ or, as it is so much about how your circumstances and opportunities to go observing evolve.  I would not have a 14" dob if I was limited to just using my back yard or allotment. You could always get an 8" dob to complement your intended 4" refractor in due course, if you wanted a bit more aperture and something a little easier to manage, particularly for occasional dark sky trips.

[jabeoo1]

Nice replies everyone, very interesting too.  I was not intending to open up the old frac vs newt conversation.  Its been played out so many times and it was far from the intention.  I thought it was an interesting little journey, highlighting convenience, up and downs and now a change.  This hobby has some interesting corners to turn.

We are very lucky to have access to these instruments to see the sky.  Every scope should be seen for its strengths and obviously a mixed tool kit will allow selection to get the best of any situation.  I can't afford to have a too bigger tool kit, and have therefore boiled it down to compact & used often over lots of scopes sharing the nights views. 

I will be sure to do a 1st light once I get back up and running.  

Clear skies !  

[jabeoo1]

11 minutes ago, scarp15 said:

You could always get an 8" dob to complement your intended 4" refractor in due course, if you wanted a bit more aperture and something a little easier to manage

Never say never to that !  

[faulksy]

dam, thought you was going to say, you had come to your senses and bought a big dob, never mind

[Timebandit]

               .                       

 

6 minutes ago, jabeoo1 said:

Nice replies everyone, very interesting too.  I was not intending to open up the old frac vs newt conversation.  Its been played out so many times and it was far from the intention.  I thought it was an interesting little journey, highlighting convenience, up and downs and now a change.  This hobby has some interesting corners to turn.

We are very lucky to have access to these instruments to see the sky.  Every scope should be seen for its strengths and obviously a mixed tool kit will allow selection to get the best of any situation.  I can't afford to have a too bigger tool kit, and have therefore boiled it down to compact & used often over lots of scopes sharing the nights views. 

I will be sure to do a 1st light once I get back up and running.  

Clear skies !  

 

To late you have started the fracs v reflector me feels ??

 

I totally agree that you need to get a scope that suits your individual needs. And better get a scope that you are happy to use , grab and go or quick to put into the car for a little trip to a dark site  . And this is where the AZ4 and 120apo is so versatile with me and so I can completely see when you are coming from with this decision. But when I have tried frac only viewing, the reflector and aperture just pulls me back for faint fuzzys in particular, where aperture is king IMO , but on planets and lunar then IMO a refractor is just so woooow .  And put the Binoviewers in and a different type of Wooow. As long as you are happy with your set up ,then the viewing experience can be a very individual thing☺ 

[jabeoo1]

43 minutes ago, faulksy said:

dam, thought you was going to say, you had come to your senses and bought a big dob, never mind

And a house in the countryside to go with it.  Maybe when I am old and can't see very well anymore

[jabeoo1]

17 minutes ago, Timebandit said:

                                   To late you have started the fracs v reflector me feels ??

 

[John]

Oh no, not again, please not again !!!

 

 

[niallk]

Gonna have to have a look through a refractor some time and see what all the fuss is about 

[Alien 13]

Reflectors are not bad for use when shaving 

Alan

[Moonshane]

I think these debates just illustrate that we all have different tastes, budgets, observing preferences and conditions, stages of astronomical evolution and health.

Differences are good in scopes and people.

I love my dobs but acknowledge that fracs give tighter star images and usually wider fields than large newts.  Sometimes the differences between large and small apertures on certain objects and under certain skies are not as great as you'd expect.

[jabeoo1]

16 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

I think these debates just illustrate that we all have different tastes, budgets, observing preferences and conditions, stages of astronomical evolution and health.

Differences are good in scopes and people.

I love my dobs but acknowledge that fracs give tighter star images images and usually wider fields than large newts.  Sometimes the differences between large and small apertures on certain objects and under certain skies are not as great as you'd expect.

Nice comments Moonshane,  this is the point exactly.  Its got less to do with X vs Y,   Its more complicated than that,  just comparing 2 instruments does not even begin to unravel the factors involved in influencing choices.  

[Paul73]

Pick a side Ned stay with it!!!!

A Dob fiend looks through a frac and everything is so dim! While thinking "those stars are pretty tight though...."

A Fraccle looks through dob and exclaims "those stars are a mess!" While thinking "blimey there are a lot of stars and boy everything is big and bright...."

Neither will ever enjoy their scope fully again........

Paul

ps. I am a dedicated Dob lover who needs another frac....

[Ruud]

Saying goodbye to your trusty Dob? 
Okay, I could do that too, but I'd never part with my 4" refractor! Wonderful pinpoint stars. There is joy in smaller instruments!

Good luck.

[Cjg]

Great post Jaeboo1, always sad to see old friends go, but if your new kit enables you to enjoy your hobby, then all the better. I use my Frac more than I ever used my dob, it was a faff to set up. But as yours are going to good homes, maybe others will be inspired to continue / persue this hobby.  Being part of a busy Astro society means we get to share views through each other's scopes.

Good luck,

Chris

[moriniboy]

I seem to be going in the opposite direction, here's a picture of my recently acquired 250 PDS Newtonian.

It will be mounted on a TAL 2 pier with a Skytee 2.

My main focus (no pun intended) will always be refactors though.

[Tyson M]

I sold my frac but I do miss the views, I just realized I needed a more versitile frac than the one I had. My larger SCT is perfect for right now having to travel.

 

Some day I will buy another with reducer. Primarily for imaging. 100mm f7 or less is the sweet spot I think. 

 

Then when travelling isnt necessary many years in the future, I will budget a large dob. 

 

Different tools for different jobs

[kerrylewis]

17 hours ago, John said:

 

Lovely to see that pic from the cover of Ken Fulton's great book. I've yet to find another author that comes at the hobby in quite the same way that Ken does - he seems to blend a real and deep love of astronomy with a healthy dose of humour and a touch of cynicism at times. My copy is due another read I think .....

 

I hadn't heard of this book. Based on the recommendations here, I've just ordered a s/h copy via Amazon -very cheap. Looking forward to reading it 

[John]

13 hours ago, jabeoo1 said:

Nice comments Moonshane,  this is the point exactly.  Its got less to do with X vs Y,   Its more complicated than that,  just comparing 2 instruments does not even begin to unravel the factors involved in influencing choices.  

If you feel inclined towards big aperture at some point you can always come along to the BAS observatory and have a look through the NGT 18". We are aiming to use that scope more this winter