Whats Up with These Huge Refractors

Holy Cow...all of a sudden there seems to be a whole bunch of VERY big refractors....8" Brant...6" D&G...6" Mogey...5" AP in the span of like 10 ads. Is this the new trend (have we completed the infatuation with small imported rich-fields!)?

Peter,
I don't know, but I want one!!
CB

Rather than the next fad, it seems like people want to get rid of them.

Maybe, with the rising cost of fuel, people have realized that money that's been going to the chiropracter would be better used on a tank of gas.

I wouldn't touch one of those monsters unless I had an observatory where it could be left set up and ready for use. Constantly mounting and dismounting a big, ungainly OTA whenever you want to observe is a recipe for disaster.
Bob

Peter Glus said:

Holy Cow...all of a sudden there seems to be a whole bunch of VERY big refractors....8" Brant...6" D&G...6" Mogey...5" AP in the span of like 10 ads. Is this the new trend (have we completed the infatuation with small imported rich-fields!)?

I thought the subject was "huge" refractors? An 8" is almost there, but five and six inch refractors are kind of dinky. 8)

Take a look what the reflector folks are often carrying these days.

Clear skies, Alan

If you want to have fun at the star party, bring a large refractor.
John

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There was a 10-inch binocular refractor at Stellafane a number of years ago. I know two people who own 11-inch D & G achromats.

Dave Mitsky

Hi Steve,

An 8" f6 is pretty easy to handle. Most folks don't even think it's a refractor when they see it in the dark.

Steven Cotton said:


Gee ... I must be behind the times ... I see a lot of 6", 7", 8" refractors in the group I hang around with. A 7"/f9 isn't all that bad to transport around -- you just need to be tall to get it on the pier.

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I think it's a case of many folks getting older and not wanting to push a huge refrator around. A C8 or a Meade LX200 has the same general specs and are sure easier to move around, mount, and get service for. Plus urban light polluted skies almost demand a at least somewhat portable scope you can haul to a dark site for "serious" viewing, and a large refractor sure is not a grab and go kind of rig. (heck, I just mounted my 8 inch SCT Azm/El so I can be more comfortable).

I'm not knocking a good 6 or 8 inch refractor mounted at a dark sky site, but for me I'm past the era of contorting in the dark to find the eyepeice after setting the huge beast up. Large refractors not simply the most convenient scope for many folks as they get older and there are lots of more suitable scopes out there for the same views.

Tom Mengel (Your humble Moderator, equipment forum)