What Size Mirror to Purchase (Make)?

Hi, All.

First time contributor.

Enjoyed all your erudite conversations.

I am sure this has been discussed extensively but would like to ask the question once again.

What mirror size would you choose if you wanted something larger than 6" but less than 36" and would be reasonably portable?

Tough question, I know. It seems like 8" is too small and 18" is too large, depending on one's requirements. Is there a scope of a particular mirror size that would be considered something like a sweet-spot?

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
David

PS. I have one more question: Has anyone compared the image of a refractor to a reflector to determine what size refractor compares favorably with that of a reflector. For example, do you need a 10" reflector to get the same views as a 6" refractor. Just mighty curious. Again, thanks. Ciao.

David, go to as many star parties as you can, and look through as many scopes as possible. After attending several large star parties, like RTMC or similar, you will have a much better idea of what type and size of scope would suit your needs.

I love my 14" f/4.5 Newtonian from Discovery Telescopes. It's short enough to observe at the zenith while standing on the ground. The Sonotube was pretty heavy at 87 pounds so I sawed it in half, attached some aluminum bars and came up with a more portable scope that snaps together in a few seconds (see some discussion in the Dobsonians forum under "Tube to Truss"). Globular clusters are gorgeous; galaxies are still rather faint at this aperture. I previously had bought a 6" Mak-Newt for planetary observing but have found that the 14" usually does better.