FS 128 vs AP superplanetary or TMB 130

More hypothetical scope-comparing...inspired by current ads on the classifieds...
The inevitable can of worms- what do you like?
Curiously, f/ratios range from 6 to 12. I'm up for visual, mostly planets...

For visual lunar/planetary, of the three, I would opt for the TMB. Albeit a bit heavier due to the focuser, it rotates (a must on a GEM), the extention tube behind the focuser drops out to pick up the backfocus so it will take a binoviewer sans a corrector/barlow (a must for a two-eyed dedicated planetary/lunar viewer) and optically it can give an AP 130 f8.35 a run for the money (if you can find one). Although many may say that it is overbuilt...therein lies the beauty, everytime you open the case!

...but then again...that TEC 140 (which is not on the list) looks pretty darned nice too!

...but then again...that Tak Mewlon 250 which was for sale on the reflectors section (and about the same price range) on a steady night, would have walked away with everything...planets, lunar and deep sky!

Best Regards,
Owen

>> Curiously, f/ratios range from 6 to 12.
>> I'm up for visual, mostly planets...


Kind of an old thread I know, but I have owned
all three at one time or another over the last
five years, for what you want.... it's the

AP6" F/12 SUPER PLANETARY

and by a great lead if you ask me!!!!!!

HI Mary,

I have owned the 6" F/12 AP Superplanetary, TEC 140, Takahashi FS-152 and a couple of other APOs as well. My interest in purely visual observing, lunar, planetary and globular clusters. For lunar and planetary, the AP SuperP is a fabulous telescope but needs a hefty mount to cope with tube length. Mine was on a G-11 and worked fine. The FS-152 and TEC were very nice, but the SuperP's longer FL allowed use of more "relaxed" eyepieces to obtain high power.

The added inch of aperture is a big advantage, more than I would have guessed when I stepped up from a 5" APO. Other folks answers are true in my experience, all of the scopes mentioned- including the Mewlon 210 (I owned one for a while) will do the job, but of the scopes you mentioned and primarily planetary viewing- the AP 6" F/12 would be my choice. Every now and then I am tempted to buy another one, but the 10" Mak I presently own is fine for the time being. Now a 7" or 8" APO just might.......