Re: Expensive Small Aperture Refractor?

Glen Ilacqua <g_ilac...@xxxxxxxxx> asked:

> Who is buying a $7,000+ 100mm refractor, and why?

Me. I recently bought a Takahashi TOA-130F apo refractor.

What did I get for my money? A telescope that is
optically perfect. No matter what I point it at,
the views are textbook perfect, with no optical
aberration of any kind.

Yes, the relatively modest aperture shows, sometimes.
But point this thing at a good star cluster (e.g.
M13), or an interesting nebula (e.g. M27), or a
good double star (e.g. Epsilon Lyrae) and be
astonished. I upgraded from a 5" Synta achromat
(a nice scope in its own right), and had high
expectations. The Tak has more than met them.

This is a dynamite planetary scope. At magnifications
where my C-8 is starting to show its optical limi-
tations, the Tak is still going strong, and is
demanding more. Best views of Mars I've ever had...

One of my requirements when I selected the scope
was medium-format prime focus photography. Haven't
tried this yet: the local telescope store neglected
to order the giant T-ring to hook up a Pentax 67,
and Texas Nautical Repair are in Houston, so they
have other things on their mind at the moment. In time.

This is a hefty telescope. It's heavy, and demands
a good mount. If you don't already have a good mount
(or are prepared to shell out for one), this isn't
the telescope for you.

As a city dweller I see little point in buying a great
big Dob light bucket (I could get a huge Dob for what
the TOA-130 cost). But my access to really dark skies
is limited, so I opted for moderate aperture and high
optical quality. I made my choice, and I'm happy with it.

This isn't a scope for beginners, so it's not surprising
that a beginner wouldn't know what such a scope has
to offer. Some day, perhaps you will.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

.

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