Decisions decisions...

[moriniboy]

My Skywatcher goto 300 px dob can be set up in less than 5 minutes as follows:

Take outside

Level base

Connect battery

Power up and set time, date etc on handset

Align with 2 stars from handset database

All done off you go

I love it

[ollypenrice]

How well do the Go To systems work on large Dobs? I don't know because I've never seen one but it strikes me as a lot of scope for the motors to move and I vaguely remember the odd disgruntled post, I think. I'd want to check this out first.

Edit, here's another thread you might enjoy perusing. It seems they do work.

http://stargazerslounge.com/showthread.php?p=2310448#post2310448

Olly

[twotter]

With the sort of budget you're talking about here I would be tempted to wait a while longer and go for a fork mounted SCT.

[dharma66]

But a 12" SCT is going to cost many times the cost of a 12" Dob!

I'd have to sell everything I'm thinking of selling just for a 9.25" SCT, and still be 3" down on aperture.

The goto decision is made, and for all the reasons stated by fans of it elsewhere: I want to see things, not find things. I understand that for many people the thrill is in the chase, but not me.

I popped into Opticstar this afternoon. Really nice, helpful guys in there. Spent may 40 minutes discussing my options, and they showed me round the scopes and mounts they had on display, just because I was interested to see them in the flesh.

They had a 300p Auto on display, and I have to say it is WAY smaller than I'd expected after the warnings on here. This was a very nice surprise indeed. I know things look smaller in big showrooms, but I got to stand right beside it, and around it. I didn't ask them if I could try lifting the OTA, but even if the OTA weighs as much as it would if the bottom tube were filled with bricks, I reckon I'd be quite happy lifting it. And I guess it weighs a little less than that?

In fact, I'm starting to wish my budget would stretch to the 350... I wonder...I can always borrow my dads MPV when I need to move it...