This will allow stars to appear as points, nearly all the way across the field of view, with minor side effects on axis except for the most demanding purists. Telescopes of this nature will usually benefit from a coma corrector to increase contrast around the outer visual periphery. The Starmaster Hybrid is a really fast F-4.3 reflector. This combination of dedication is a wonderful mix. ![]() Part of what has made this easier is Carl Zambuto, who is arguably one of the finest and most consistent mirror makers in the industry in my opinion. Rick Singmaster is a stickler for optical quality in fact he is quite adamant about making sure his scopes are good before letting them out the door. Starmaster telescopes are arguably some of the finest dobsonians in the industry. If you don't have enough money, then you will have to learn what questions to ask yourself in order to make the best choice to suit you. Just collect as many different telescopes as you can afford, so you can make the choice that best suits your desires at the time. The simple answer is not to look for absolution in any one telescope, as you will most likely never find it. SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TELESCOPE YOU SHOULD HAVE? I'm sure many of you could share countless experiences and opinions regarding the attributes of each design but these are just a few to consider. When you are sitting down in a chair, relaxed, using a precision mount, you can really focus and concentrate on what you're viewing. That feeling is something that no dobsonian design can rival. I'm sure some of you will understand that you get the feeling like you're actually looking through a conventional looking telescope with a tripod, like something you saw in a textbook or classic sci-fi movie when you were a kid. There's also something else that's extremely appealing about a large refractor like the FS152. The learning curve for a reflector is monumental compared to a refractor. A refractor, simply by its nature has unparalleled contrast that few reflectors could possibly match if their gremlins are not under control and getting them under control is a huge challenge in ways observers never imagined. More often than not, larger refractors like the FS152 can also outperform a larger reflector on the Moon & planets more consistently in just about every manner for specific reasons we will discuss. The refractor will more often than not, surpass the larger reflector on large, extended nebula, extended star clusters, star clouds, multiple stars, and produce wide field vistas of the Milky Way that a larger reflector would be completely unable to compete with. Some objects will appear to take on a more processed or noisier appearance, while the refractor, although dimmer makes every target appear completely unaltered and pinpoint with stunning contrast. Here, the larger reflector will not appear to perform as consistently as the refractor no matter how good the optics. It can also out-perform any refractor on multiple stars as well as the Moon and planets BUT not without some inherent issues that plague its contrast and sharpness in a major way and I'm not just talking about a boundary layer at the primary or heat currents from the ground. Its greater resolving power simply allows it to excel in these areas of deep sky observation. For resolving fine details in globular clusters, galaxies, planetary nebula, selected nebula and smaller open clusters, the 14.5" Starmaster wins hands down. In my opinion, there are still too many observers who continue to compare these telescopes on the wrong targets. These opinions are based on my own hands-on experiences of using both of these telescopes in the field. NOTE: Most of the photos I've provided will follow at the end of the article and should be pretty self-explanatory. Aperture may rule in some cases, but it doesn't apply to everything in astronomy, and not every top quality telescope is flawless either. ![]() This cliché has been passed around forums quite carelessly with little or no regard to the issues that come with aperture. Most observers are quick to adopt the idea that aperture rules, a very foolish statement. So, why would anybody compare a 6" refractor to a 14.5" reflector? The main reason is because each design does something the other one can't do as well. Most of us know that no telescope is perfect, so having choices obviously makes things easier. ![]() I seldom sell telescopes and keep most of the ones I acquire, so I have several different types of high-end models to choose from. I decided to put these two high-end telescopes head to head to share some insight that most observers and amateur telescope makers themselves are not even aware of.
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