Mak or custom lens?

[Stupendous Man <richmond@p674p06.isc.rit.edu>]

  I _was_ going to stay out of this debate on adopting the commercial
Maksutov vs. designing and building a custom lens ... but when I read 
the following, I couldn't resist :-)

  Dan wrote:

>> On the other hand, the home-built must be designed
>> and constructed first which is a significant percent of
>> the project's cost which must be spent even to test
>> your hypothesis.

  and Tom replied:
 
> Yep, it is a high risk decision.  But one that I note that 
> the scientists in the group immediately endorsed.  You 
> bet I will look very carefully.  

  Rats!  I don't play a scientist on TV, but I _think_ I'm one in real life,
and my opinion on this decision is: try out the existing Mak first, 
with a real Mark IV chip and real sky and real stars.  Make the decision
_then_.  If Tom _has_ to make the decision now, before he can evaluate
the Mark IV in the field, I would emphasize that an existing optical
system will provide _some_ results, and in a short period of time;
whereas a custom design _may_ provide better results.

  <BEGIN trouble-making mode>

  Hey, Tom -- just who ARE "the scientists in the group?"   :-)

  <END trouble-making mode>
                                 Michael Richmond