advice on upgrading from an nextstar 8 se

[dave6666]

hi guys

maybe this site is not good for me as my wife is going mad lol. i came on here for advice for changeing up to the 2inch ep for the next star 8inch telescope after some advice from here i got the ep and the diagonal , result fantastic and even my wife was impressed.

now heres the problem i want to get a better telescope so any advice on which one will be most welcome. iam blessed with a good location from my garden so size is not an issue thankyou

[foundaplanet]

16 or 20 inch dob in that case then...

Guess it depends on your budget though really..

[John]

To get a meaningful upgrade from an 8" scope you really need to move to a 12" aperture. Give this some thought though - the 8" SCT and the Celestron 8SE in particular is a really excellent scope - don't rush into something you will regret later (speaking from experience here ).

A 12" SCT is a real beast to setup so really needs to be permanently mounted. A 12" dobsonian is probably the most easiliy handled manifestation of this aperture but has to be lifted in 2 sections.

By all means go for more aperture but be prepared for the size increase too. The best scope is the one that gets used most often, and that's not always the largest one !.

[jonathan]

I agree with John, although my experience of SCTs is limited to the 8SE thus far I have been told it is a very good OTA, that is the main reason I bought it. I can usually see most things I aim for through it, given good seeing conditions.

I would say a fraction of the money required to go larger may be better spent on a new mount, maybe an HEQ5 or NEQ6, a nice crayford or other 2" focuser (don't expect this to fit with the Celestron 8SE mount though!), finder scope, and better eyepieces. There's plenty of scope for bolting stuff onto the 8SE, it can rapidly out-grow the original Celestron mount and become a much nicer instrument in the process.

[swamp thing]

If you have a good dark sky and size is no issue, 16" Dob would be my recommendation.

Great step up aperture wise, and from good locations provide simply breathtaking views.

IMO using large aperture scopes from dark skies is the best bit of this hobby.

Regards Steve

[dave6666]

thanks guys for your imput, johnathan i have thought alot about what you have said before i had posted this and alot of ppl have said the same. size does not matter as it can be permantly fixed down i just dont know which way to go with this and i want to get it right first

[jonathan]

thanks guys for your imput, johnathan i have thought alot about what you have said before i had posted this and alot of ppl have said the same. size does not matter as it can be permantly fixed down i just dont know which way to go with this and i want to get it right first

Do your homework well, consider quality as well as size (and expect the price to go up accordingly). You might also wish to consider an observatory that can be locked securely.

[hemihaggis]

A friend of mine has a 20" dob , he had to buy a horse box to carry it in !!!!

[swamp thing]

A friend of mine has a 20" dob , he had to buy a horse box to carry it in !!!!

Must be an extremely badly designed scope if it needs a horse box to move it. Most will easily fit in an estate car.

The 20" I bought recently was built like this, hence the immediate rebuild. I would suggest your pal does the same.

Regards Steve

[LukeSkywatcher]

Personally (being in a wheelchair) the 8SE is about as big as i can go. For you.........if you can handle/afford it...................a 12" Dob would be brilliant

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Whatever you do do not get rid of the 8"SCT, you will regret it. A 16" or 20" dob is a great instrument (I got to use Olly's 20" last summer:D), but the 8" SCT is such a good compromise between aperture and portability you will keep using it a lot. I can set my scope up for visual use in 5 minutes, and can make use of comparatively short breaks in the clouds. It is very easy to take with me on holidays, without displeasing the missus. A 20" dob in the car would mean no room for the tent.

[John]

...It is very easy to take with me on holidays, without displeasing the missus. A 20" dob in the car would mean no room for the tent.

Could the tent and the missus go in a horse box ?

Just thinking laterally here

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Could the tent and the missus go in a horse box ?

Just thinking laterally here

Or on the roof rack