Hi all,
I've created an account to say thank you for all the excellent information SGL has provided me with in the last few months, as I hunted specific queries SGL often cropped up in search results, and I've very much appreciated the helpful, clear (and often very forbearing of beginners asking questions which must have been asked and answered dozens of times before ...) responses.
You've helped me spend my money (relatively) wisely , when lockdown had me hauling out the old Celestron 114 on a wobbly cheap eq that I inherited in the 1990s , getting annoyed with it, and hoping something less irritating might be available within my limited budget. Happily my search coincided precisely with the arrival of the new skywatcher heritage 150p dobs, and since then (clouds permitting ) I've certainly had my moneys worth from the 'scope already both from viewing planets & Messier objects from a light polluted suburban garden, and in the daylight from tinkering to PFTE tape the focusser, make a light shroud, dew shield etc etc.. I've used your collective advice to inform purchase of eyepieces (the budget stretched to a couple of cheap plossls and one rather nice BST starguider 8mm ) and a pair of Opticron Adventurer T WP 10x50 binoculars, which work really well on a monopod & ball head I already owned.
As well as a lifelong interest in the subject , I studied astronomy as a subsidiary subject as an undergrad decades ago, so have some idea of the basics ( altho' much of the detail has moved on apace !) and have been both a pro. and now a hobby , photographer , which helps with understanding the optical aspects (especially if your experience goes back to the days of film when good lenses were primes and autofocus was sci-fi ). For the good of my modest savings I'm going to try and stop myself from doing more than minor incidental dabbling in astro photo using the Nikons I already own !
So, again, thanks for all the help freely given,
Heather