Subjective Question

I think I want a 5 or 6 inch refracter...
Current equipment: Celestron G5, Celestron C8 & LXD55 SN8

There are no clubs within driving distance so no way I can test drive anything.

My main desire is a "better" view of the planets.

Will a 5"/6" refracter be visually better (by a large margin) than an 8" SCT or 8" SNT?

FWIW, I sold an Astro-Physics 130 EDT after I received my Starmaster 11" f/5.4 ELT. While the AP gave absolutely stunning images, along with a fast cooldown, it simply could not compete with the Newt on planets or deep sky. Color saturation on Jupiter and Saturn are excellent in the ELT, and color in the GRS is much more apparent than it was in the apo. Aperture rules on planets too.

Now, having said that, there is something simply stunning about looking through a fine refractor that is hard to describe. And, yes, I DO still miss the AP!

Doug
Midway, FL

Jerry,

I bet the 6 inch APO is much better and the 5 is still better. A 8 inch SCT (mass production) ist most probably not good collimated enough and not fully collimatable at all.

Like the other stargazers mentioned I agree that the even better *and* cheaper view will be a 10 or 12 inch Newtonian. It can be collimated easily, has only one active optical surface and in the center of view there are *no* aberrations at all! (Well, if the mirror is excellent...)

Gute Nacht
Tom
mehr freude. http://www.licha.de/AstroWeb 49° 13' 54" N