Re: Have refractors hurt the hobby?

From: SaberScorpX (saberscorpx_at_aol.com)
Date: 11/05/04 

Date: 05 Nov 2004 15:24:20 GMT

>So have the cheap refractors hurt or helped the hobby?

I'm forced to defend their existence.
It's easier if we think of them as 'toys' rather than 'junk'.
Or think of them as 'pre-entry level' scopes.
And even if 1 out of 100 of these toy purchases
help spark a child's or layman's interest in astronomy
then it's a good thing.
The wonderful astronomy-related promotion alone that these
toys provide makes them worth their weight as advertisement.
They serve their purpose.
This defense, however, does not include misleading consumers
with unrealistic ( 60mm / 525X ! ) expectations.

SSX