2 x 4" Refractors or 1 x 6" ??

[Hoges (John)]

Gentlemen, your opinions please! I've got a pair of 4" F5 acromats in a box setup as a pair of binoculars - which actually work pretty well. This year might be time for an update. For deep sky stuff, do you think I would be better off swapping them for a pair of 4" F9 ED's OR buying a 6" F8 acromat and putting the bino viewer on it?

I've already got one ED F9 refractor which I'm pretty impressed with. I've shortened the tube by about 5 inches so the bino view works in it. Both alternatives would cost about a grand (unless I can source one s/h). The six inch would be big beast - I'd have to make up a alt/az mount for it whereas the four inches will slip straight into the box I've already got. So, a pair of 4's or a split 6. For deep sky stuff, what do you think?

[jenchris (Jennifer)]

the 2 x 4" scopes will gather 8/9 of the light of the 6" on its own.
I think I'd go with the 6" anyway as you just end up showing off when you produce a pair of binoculars 3 foot long!

[dannat (Daniel)]

the 2x4" scopes will gather effective aperture of 120mm, the 6" with binoviewer will gather 125mm effective -which is little diff.

the 6" is heavy & i would prefer the 2x4" in this regard -though mounting 2x4" scopes will be daunting - if you can do it this would be my choice - though you would need something ike 35 pans to geta wide field -

what will yu use the setup for?

[Hoges (John)]

Most of my viewing is chasing galaxies and deep sky stuff. Planets get a look in but not much lunar stuff. Mounting the 4" will be easy because they will simply replace the F5 acromats I already have. The box was made for some future F9 scopes, so it's plenty long enough. I'd have to make something for the 6" which I'm thinking could be a little unwieldy. Here's a couple of pics of 'the box'. Not terribly elegant, but quite functional.

[dannat (Daniel)]

in that case if it was me i would stick with the 4" ED's