From: "Kreig McBride" 
To: 
Reply-To: "Kreig McBride" 


Having observed through hundreds (thousands?) of telescopes,   I have found
a few, very sweet performing scopes, both reflectors and many refractors.
Very large scopes (20" and up, often perform poorly unless EVERYTHING
is aligned perfectly, the optics are excellent, the support system really
supports, and the scope is properly mounted with no sag or "kick
back".  No surprises here.  The few large scopes that do perform
nicely are a joy!!!!

In regards to smaller instruments, convenience and ease of set up are
important, and views from smaller scopes can also be a joy, again if all
the systems are working properly. My favorite views of all time are through
a 14" f/7 newtonian, found in Canada, several  6" to 16"
reflectors, a couple of large newts, and literally dozens of refractors.

What has this to do with refractors??  I own and use both 5" and
8" refractors and would not trade them for anything else.  They are
straight through, not folded, the images are super!! Even with secondary
color, (who cares?)  The 8" f/13.3 is indeed a large instrument but
still very portable. Time from car to complete set up is 20 minutes or less
if you dont watch the clock.  :-)   Not bad considering the 1.1 degree
field of views and/or the
400x magnifications on the planets.  Yes it is worth working with a large
(long) instrument.  If you dont own a large refractor you cant really
comment on how worthwhile they really are as your comments are truly
speculation.

One other subject rarely discussed is the "play value" of any
instrument you use.  Is it fun to use? Does your instrument bring out the
"kid" in you?  If it does, you have a great scope.  If the
"play value" is missing then time to look at why.

It does not matter what kind, size, or type of telescope you use. What does
matter is if you are pleased with what you have.

Kreig McBride
Bellingham, WA
Telescope Optics Workshop
www.wwu.edu/~skywise/optics.html

--- BBBS/NT v4.00 MP