Re: 5" abd 6" Unitron Refractors

"Rod Mollise"

> >I asked the planetarium guy about it, and he said that it was
> >seldom used, and that they preferred their SCTs for their convenience.
> >
>
> HI Dennis:
>
> Well, VERY good thinking on their part! :-)
>
    A refractor of this type is not a "deep sky light bucket" but I would
still prefer to use one for planetary, solar, and double star observations.
A 5 inch or larger is not a portable instrument and should be housed in an
observatory.  I get a chuckle when some amateurs brag about the fact that
they have observed the Messier object list.  When you question some of them,
they are using 16 inch or larger light bucket DOBS.  I would be more
impressed if they used a similar instrument to Messier. ;-)
    The collectors market has unfortunately driven prices out of range of
most amateurs that would use the instrument as intended rather than a pricey
display piece.  I know of a university that has or had a 6 inch Unitron
stored on a roof under a tarp.
. SAD, VERY, SAD!!!!