Hi Rob,
The main limiting factors for choosing a scope (apart from technical capability) basically come down to Size/Manouverability and Budget.
It sounds like you have some good experience already but I would recommend that you consider your Scope Budget and Scope Manouverabiliy needs and base your decision on the following:
- Get the best quality Mount AND Tripod you can afford
- Get the best quality Optics you can afford
- Get the best quality mechanical setup you can afford (ie structural rigidity/alignment, baffling etc)
- I would not try to choose a VISUAL scope based on Astrophotograhic images. Base your decision on real visual testing if you can.
- Go and watch other users setup and breakdown their systems at starparty events to gauge if this suits your circumstances.
At the moment I use my system 100% for Visual Work and I have always been a Visual Observer. I have yet to look through another system that provides better Visual Planetary and DSO contrast and detail. (I am not saying there are not equal or better ones out there
but I would not like to think of the cost of those either
)
There is another couple of members in Perth that each own both Tak APO's and Tak Mewlons. You may want to ask them and look though both.
If you can find a Visual Planetary scope of 4", 5" or 6" that is better than a Tak TSA120, TOA130 or TOA150 (or equivalent) then let us all know
.
Cheers
Quote:
Originally Posted by robz
Many people swear by their 4-5 inch APO refractors as the best for planetary viewing and claim ''high definition images''.
However this is no doubt inch for inch in aperture against other scope types.
I stated that I had settled on an 8 inch MAK as the scope of preference, but once again, I'm thinking twice before making the purchase as has been the same for SCT's after evaluating what has been said on this thread and Cloudy nights forum also.
So where do I go from here?
I wonder if a 16 inch dob would give me the occasional great view in good seeing and all other factors covered such as collimation, cooling etc.?
In a 60mm refractor at 175 x the moons of Jupiter are clearly defined ''disks'' and that's with a crappy SR eyepeice that came with it!
Can someone please confirm that a 16 inch dob can do this and more and not produce flared stars as moons, and can indeed show fine details on the planet's surface?
I am totally confused after so many opinions(the comments have been appreciated though) and am at the point where I am thinking of leaving amateur astronomy and selling off what I have before I even started back in to it again.
On top of that, I inadvertently got some members off side which is the furthest thing from my intentions when I started this thread, as I am not that kind of person.
All along, I only wanted to know what type/size optics are needed to visually see that detail when the seeing is right.
Rob.
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