Refractor guy got first CAT - Success!

Well the clouds & rain finally broke last night so I got a chance to try out my C8 for the first time. I've got it on a dual saddle mt. with a W.O. Megrez 90 on an LXD75 GEM. Let me just admit that I've found myself starring at the setup in my garage during the never ending cloud cover the past few weeks - it just looks so cool. I'll try to get some images to post if anyone's interested.
Based on the advice of others, I took it outside an hour ahead of time to let it cool down. I strapped a "Reflectix" car windsheild screen around the end of the OTA as my dew shield. I had a Celestron F/6.3 reducer screwed into the rear cell as recommended by Uncle Rod and my preferred 2" diameter VB.
The collimation looked spot on - no adjustments needed. So, I went straight to some viewing. The scope had equalized pretty well by this time. There was no apparent "boiling" except for brief intervals after slewing to another part of the sky. I think that the long dewshield may have been trapping some mixed temperature air and it was getting stirred. I think I have a fix for this and it really wasn't a big deal.
The views in the SCT are definitely less contrasty than the refactors I've used, but their pretty darn good. The complete lack of CA is nice, and I did not detect the coma issues that bothered me with my old Dob. The extra aperture really helped on DSO's and some dimmer star clusters. Jupiter may have had some more detail but was definitely more pale - but still pleasing. Some filters would probably help increase contrast.
All in all, I was very happy. The dual setup is really the way to go. Having the high contrast wide field view with the M90 right there with the C8 gives you the best of both worlds in a very manageable setup. You can easily move your eye from one scope to another to observe each object and allow your brain to combine the best attributes of each scope to synthesize a better overall picture. Sure, I'd love to have a giant APO which would give better views of everything - but I can't afford it, nor do I have a permanent pier in a observatory to keep one. So until I win the lottery. This will have to be my "dream" setup.
CS, Brian

Glad to here you like it Brian. I am setting up a C8 also, but running into weather problems.

Brian, we must be listening to the universe on the same frequency.
I just acquired a new cat (new to me anyway) - a C8 - and I have it mounted size by side with a Megrez 110 on an EZTouch mount. Seems to move real easy and steady so far. I'm hoping to do a star test (first light) this evening if the clouds get out of the way long enough.

My thought was to do exactly what you're doing - use the refractor for higher-contrast wide field and the cat for faint fuzzies. It seems that cooling (eliminating tube currents) and heating (keeping dew off the optics) are bigger issues with cats. I'm already looking at solutions.

You must really be a refractor guy if you think of a c8 as a large aperture!!! Especially on the reflector group.

It is true that a mount which can carry a four inch refractor can also carry a c8, so if you like GEMs, as I do, and like aperture, you're going to have a hard time avoiding an SCT.

But after years in this hobby I think of my C14 as mid-size. Too many dob guys out there with more light gathering. But a well made c8 is a very serviceable instrument, and I think lots of folks out there with expensive 2,3, 4 inch refractors could afford and would profit from adding a c8 to their inventory. Used they can be picked up for less than an Ethos, and since the mount will carry them it is possible to use one OTA for a while and then slide the other one on. Or to mount them together.

We had a discussion on CN about the 9.25 and FS128 and the three or four people there agreed that it was a toss up, both good at what they do. But an FS128 handily beats a c8 as an overall scope, but at about 6x the price. If you're using achromats and four inch or smaller refractors, then the c8 is going to be a revelation.

Greg N