Refractors are special.

[Deadlake]

4 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Oh wow, you barely use it?

 @DirkSteele posted how many time is 180 mm had been used…

[John]

18 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

 @DirkSteele posted how many time is 180 mm had been used…

I probably use my 70mm less often 🙄

Luckily it didn't cost much !

[Deadlake]

8 minutes ago, John said:

I probably use my 70mm less often 🙄

Luckily it didn't cost much !

Now my 105 mm is grab n’ go, why would I go smaller?

Also bino friendly as well given Y balancing.

Only 500 mm long when compressed down, no need to take off the FT.

4” at a dark site can really take advantage of the contrast.

 

Edited February 7 by Deadlake

[John]

3 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

Now my 105 mm is grab n’ go, why would I go smaller?

 

I'm not suggesting that you would ! 😁

(others might though)

[DirkSteele]

I wanted to go larger than 180mm but while I live in central London with no permanent observatory (one day when I finally leave the big smog) my priority was the largest that could still be considered portable and 180mm just about qualified.

 

And @Deadlake is right, I have owned the scope for just over 10 years and my per use cost is well over £1000. By the time the mount, counterweights and scope are dragged out, it is more than 70kg. It’s hard to want to set that up. Refractors over 6” need a permanent home.

[Sunshine]

If I had a permanent spot for a 180 refractor I would love one. Can’t imagine lifting one on and off a mount for a session, especially under Nortle 4 skies.

Edited February 7 by Sunshine

[DirkSteele]

6 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

If I had a permanent spot for a 180 refractor I would love one. Can’t imagine lifting one on and off a mount for a session, especially under Nortle 4 skies.

Now imagine that is Bortle 9!

That is why I wanted “portability” so it could be used under some darker skies.

like here at AstroCamp in Wales with The Sky at Night.

[Deadlake]

22 minutes ago, DirkSteele said:

Now imagine that is Bortle 9!

That is why I wanted “portability” so it could be used under some darker skies.

like here at AstroCamp in Wales with The Sky at Night.

I was looking at this APM

https://www.apm-telescopes.net/en/apm-telescope-apo-sd-refractor-152mm-f6-with-37-zta

Dennis is going to review one on CN, at less then 11 kg and with a Strehl nulled in the green of 0.985 high expectations. 

However as ever larger is better 😀
 

[Mr Spock]

But small is cute too 

Look, my eyepiece is nearly as big as the scope...

x9 and 7.7° fov if you were wondering 

[CCD-Freak]

This is not my scope but I get to use it occasionally.  When I was young back in the 70s I lusted for one of these Unitron 6" refractors after I saw an ad in Sky & Telescope but I never thought I would ever see one.  

 

[The60mmKid]

Another nice thing about refractors is that they often come in twos.

This is more challenging to accomplish with reflectors.