Refractors... how many do you need?

[Carbon Brush]

Collecting refractors is much easier than collecting reflector scopes, especially on dob mounts.
At least for storage.

[LDW1]

10 just like I have.  lol !     PS   11 if you count my solar refractor.

Edited December 6, 2021 by LDW1

[Macavity]

To "image", I have "lens-things" covering 6mm to 600mm?! 😅
"All sky" (140 deg)... My Camera lenses: 24, 50, 70-200mm etc.
My ED66 = 400mm, ED80 = 600mm (White light & HA Solar)
(An 8" Newt extends it to 800mm... a MAK150 to 1800mm). 🥳

From my imaging perspective, it's FoV (and "size of object")?!?
An Xmm "telescope is a telescope"... irrespective of f-number
or Type? You do have to "worry" about that stuff as well tho! 😏

A more serious answer is an Altair ED 66 "Lightwave" and my
(visual) ST120mm. An ED80 for my HA Solar Frankenscope.
Have toyed with the idea of a ED102+ f/7 "xxxx-wave"? But: 😷

Edited December 6, 2021 by Macavity

[Nakedgun]

Hmm, need? That is difficult to assess because it gets easily mixed up with want.

In my case I suppose it is 15 (astronomical-type) since that is how many I have just now.

I think reason is (finally) beginning to prevail over emotion, as recently I've become much more resolute in entertaining the idea that there will be no more refractors delivered here, that it really is time to stop, that I need no more.  OK, then, that's better, pleasant thoughts now...

 

.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Nakedgun

[Highburymark]

Three:  

120mm triplet
85mm ED
And just bought a little 60ED! 
If I had the space, I’d have several more.

Just to illustrate the flexibility of small refractors, I use my TV85 a hundred times a year, for solar Ha, solar white light, Moon and planets, deep sky with night vision, daytime spotting, travel home and abroad, single eps and binoviewing, all on a camera tripod with simple alt az mounts.

[Skyline]

I have a C80ED, C100ED and a WO73II, I Also have a 130PDS, C6N and a C8N, but I do have 2 itches one for a 66mm refractor and a 120ED as well., the only thing what stops me is I can buy a reducer for my C100ED not to need the 120ED and doing away with two reflectors to house another refractor.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Skyline

[Saganite]

I was  happy with two, my Vixen ED103  and my 5"f15, but then acquired two more at very little cost, by refurbishment, so now I have four , and I am even happier. I don't NEED four of course..

[Alan White]

3 minutes ago, Saganite said:

I was  happy with two, my Vixen ED103  and my 5"f15, but then acquired two more at very little cost, by refurbishment, so now I have four , and I am even happier. I don't NEED four of course..

Silly you, of course you don't need four, clearly you need far more!
😉

[mikeDnight]

I only need one refractor. A 250mm Takahashi Triplet on a Takahashi Mount, but I'm waiting until I can afford a country manor house with a beautiful domed observatory in the grounds to house it.

And below just for scale:

Edited December 7, 2021 by mikeDnight

[7170]

In terms of how many you need, I tend to believe the answer is always at least one more than you currently have. 😀

[HollyHound]

Need... probably one 🤔

Have... six currently, but one is leaving tomorrow (StellaMira 80 f/10) 😢 and the ST80 might now be going to another home too 👍

I am "trying" to keep it sensible 😁 

Edited December 7, 2021 by HollyHound

[JeremyS]

31 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Need... probably one 🤔

Have... six currently, but one is leaving tomorrow (StellaMira 80 f/10) 😢 and the ST80 might now be going to another home too 👍

I am "trying" to keep it sensible 😁 

Sounds like room for two more then, Gary 😊

[HollyHound]

7 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Sounds like room for two more then, Gary 😊

Ha ha, you spotted that... I can safely say that I foresee only one other refractor finding a home here now... most likely something in the 120 to 130 mm range.. anything bigger is covered by the Mewlon 180 or 10" Dob 🤔

But for now, I am content 😀

Edited December 7, 2021 by HollyHound

[Mr Spock]

Need, buy, have.

It really is that simple 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

3 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I only need one refractor. A 250mm Takahashi Triplet on a Takahashi Mount, but I'm waiting until I can afford a country manor house with a beautiful domed observatory in the grounds to house it.

And below just for scale:

Don't forget to employ your Scouse butler. 😁 That kit will sparkle daily, rest assurred!

[wookie1965]

I'd love a Celestron C6r but I need a different mount for that my good friend has one and the views are excellent, as I love double and multiple stars this would split tighter ones less than 1° 

Edited December 8, 2021 by wookie1965

[garryblueboy]

I need all of mine so the voice in my head says at the moment 4 in total including the solar

a very nice 110 TEC WO -Tak TSA120 -TMB APM  Astreya 130 quadruplet 

[Alan White]

4 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I only need one refractor. A 250mm Takahashi Triplet on a Takahashi Mount, but I'm waiting until I can afford a country manor house with a beautiful domed observatory in the grounds to house it.

And below just for scale:

Pah, why so small if it’s the only one.

Clearly the Observatory with attached Manor will need to be in a remote Dark Sky area. 

Keep saving Mike.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Alan White

[Luke]

I use four regularly:

60mm, 85mm, 100mm, 120mm

But I do solar as well, and that helps them get lots of use.

The 60mm is grab-and-go. The 85mm is my posh scope, couldn't afford a bigger Tele Vue!

The 100mm is my workhorse. If I had only one frac, it would be the 100, despite it being the cheapest of my fracs (SW ED Pro). I find it a nice balance between weight and aperture. Although it's long (F9), it is very light for its size and a breeze to set up and a joy to use on a giro mount. I also find 100mm a very satisfying aperture for solar. I find my Quark actually performs better in my 100mm than 120mm despite the 120mm on paper being a more suitable F-ratio!

And the 120mm is a bit more effort but is about as big as I want to go probably with fracs. I like using it for the best close-up detail solar views (with safety solar filter of course) and it was my favourite scope to do solar imaging with. If I'm going to the bother of putting the HEQ5 out. then I'll normally pop out the 120 too from my frac lineup.

I often use two fracs side-by-side for solar on a giro mount, one for white light, and one for h-alpha. And if I'm feeling energetic, I'll swap the filters over while the scopes are covered to enjoy both scopes in both lights.

PS I was surprised how close my 120mm ran my 8 inch SCT on a few targets.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Luke

[900SL]

As with motorcycles, the answer is 'N + 1'

[Ags]

I have almost persuaded myself to get a Svbony 102/f7 ED, as this seems the cheapest of the clones in this range. The alternative would be a 102 mm Mak, but the image should be a little brighter in the refractor, and star images that little bit better. 

I don't use 2" eyepieces, but I would be tempted to try a Speers WALER 30mm 90 degree eyepiece in the Svbony - 4 degree true field at 4mm exit pupil.

[badhex]

One thing worth noting about the svbony version - there are a few cost-saving differences between that and the Starfield/TS version.

The objective lens assembly is FPL51 as opposed to FPL53, and does not specifically mention lanthanum for the other element so I imagine it does not contain that either, if that kind of thing is important to you. I'm pretty sure your ZS66 is FPL53 (the most recent models definitely are) so you might notice some difference in the image. It also has a three-thumbscrew compression ring as opposed to a twist-lock mechanism.

Everything else externally at least seems to be the same. Might be worth looking into the other stuff like internal baffles etc. 

[Concordia000]

4, ideally:

- A TSA-120 or the similar sized LZOS/AP/CFF equivalent for visual and longer focal length astrophotography;

- A 4” Petzval, so NP-101 (which I have) or the FSQ-106 for astrophotography. Both are also reasonably transportable in case I need big scopes in the field.

- A Borg 72FL (which I am getting)/Askar FRA400 or a FSQ-85 which is the “grab and go” scope that can do both visual and extremely wide field astrophotography.

- A 4” long focal length fluorite doublet or a good quality 90mm triplet (like the CFF92 or the AP Stowaway). This is primarily for visual and solar.