Refractor vs Reflector

[stinky]

Despite wading through forums and newbie guides I'm finding it hard to figure out the advantages of different configs.

So, taking portability out of the equation, what advantages does an achromatic refractor have compared to an equal sized reflector (say both around f8) if both were on motorised mounts?

Any thoughts anyone??? Regards.....

[Miaplacidus (Brian)]

Um, no diffraction spikes, quicker cool down, er, happier bank shareholders, perhaps...?

[Starcrazzy]

Hi..

The main differance is price...and did i mention price..They say that a 5 " refractor is equall roughly in image to an 8" reflector, and this varies from person to person..A refractor is easy to maitain because there's no need to collimate..And a reflector has its primary imaging surfaces open to the elements.But reflectors are more addept to deeps sky objects where refrators are better on planets and lunar targets..That being said, a reflector will give you very nice planetary views..An f8 reflector would need to be quite long and have a smaller primary to achievethat ratio..most are around f4.5 to f6..I am a reflector fan myself for the sheer bang for your buck factor..for around 1000 dollars you can get a 12" reflector on a dob..You can't beat appature..Are you interested in astrophotography??if so, you would need to be looking at motor driven mount or a clock drive..
Cheers

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

I don't much like achromats. False colour bugs me big time. I believe it also robs the image of detail in case of planets. Small aperture long focal length (f10 or more) achromats can be nice though. Impressive how much I can see with my old 60mm for the $25 it cost.

When you say reflector, do you mean Newtonian, or also SCT, Maksutov and other Cassegrain designs?

[stinky]

Initially of course just viweing - but down the track I think imaging would be fun - love playing with PC's and drive stystems too. Probably why I'm looking at an eq mount right away.

So would an achromatic 6" refractor compare to say a 10" newt' reflector?

[Ziggy Stardust]

I started with a refractor ( 6 inch Helios ~ Skywatcher) that still gives me heaps of fun, and does a fair share of deep sky work too. I then got my big reflector and followed with a small portbale, but quality refractor again.

It easer to learn on a refractor, less hassel, no collimation isues anf they pretty tuff, taking the knocks a beginer gives them.

As for bang-for-buck, well you get more with a big dob, but I think you get more sky time out of a 4inch refractor ( JMO... don't shoot me )

but I'd say try going to a star party... get to use both, ask around... it's like Fords and Holdens.., each to his own... if you going to be a planet boy, then a quality refractor is way to go,,., if youing deep sky faint fuzz balls, then a big 12inch reflector is what you begging Santa for.... but all in all today, you don't really get a bad scope, if you stick to know brands and get some good advise.

also think about, where you going to store it, can it fit in your car... will you be able to find a flat surface for a dob, when a tripod mounted refractor can set up anywhere..even on a sandy beach.

But most of all think twice, decide three times and spend wisely, cut emotions out of it,,, and if you can't afford what you really want and can save a little longer... then do it ( save the cash now and buy better later) .

Tony

[BerzerkerNerd]

Some reflectors are supposed to be calibrated for visual rather than imaging.
Nice apo's that arent too quick take real nice images, but im not experienced in that so wont say more.
Nice refractors also look really sweet, and arent as prone to being vibrated from passing breeze than larger, lighter Newts.
Reflectors- the fiddlers telescope.
Nice decision to make,
Steve M

[Starcrazzy]

For mine...the best all round performer would have to be a good size appature newtonian, on an eq mount..I started out with crap ebay scopes, both refractors and reflectors, then i went to the 8" dob..The all round views through this scope blew me away..But i soon wanted to start photo work, so i bought an eq mount later on and took the pivot rail thingy's off it..works a treat..But think mabye would have been cheaper to start out with the scope already on the eq...But that being said...it did take me quite a bit of practise to get to know how to use thw eq mount...quite demanding for a beginner, but whilst on the dob, set up time is 2 minutes(less some time to cool down)and with good startcharts from a good planetarium, i was finding multiple fuzzies evrytime i went out, which was almost every night...when i mounted on an eq my hours cut back dramatically beacuse of the setup and polar llignment procedure...they say the best scope is the one you use the most

[mickoking]

G'day Guest,

I am a fan of both refractors and reflectors they both have their pro's and cons.

REFRACTOR, these are more expensive than reflectors but a lot cheaper than they were 10 years ago. The main advantage is Contrast and as I do mainly deep sky it is an important advantage. The star images are crisp and sharp and nebulae look fantastic. Refractors also cool down quicker than reflectors and are great for double stars. My scope is an achromat so I produces some false colour, But the false colour is only noticeable on very bright stars and planets and I dont find it annoying at all and hardly even notice it, and the false colour is absent on deep sky objects.

REFLECTORS, particually on Dob mounts are nowadays cheap as chips so if you want the largest possible aperture this is the scope for you. A 300mm Dob will cost as much as a 120mm refractor for a comparison.