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8" or 10"


EE TEA

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Is this your first 'scope? I would go with the 8" f/6 from someone like skywatcher (or orion if in the US). The celestron one is the same but you pay a little more for the branding.

8" over 10" as the 10" wont show you that much more but the 8" will be a lot more portable. If you want GOTO look to the HEQ5 mounted ones but the GEM mounts really push the price up compared to dobs

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thanks for the reply gordon.

had a tasco years ago. what do you think of the magalin computer? i don't want to go down the road of the goto set up, well not yet anyway. would filters be worth the buy and if so what would you recomend as i live in a light poluted area.

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I've never used the magalin computer so can't comment. If you dont need GOTO then just get a basic dob, you'll get a lot more 'scope for your money. I would steer clear of filters for now, and see how you go. I have (and use) a baader moon and skyglow filter as it's cheap and cheerful, but try without first as your skies might suprise you.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I've owned 2 8 inch dobs and one 10 inch. I found the 10 inch right on the edge of portability (perhaps I'm a wimp :D) wheras the 8 inchers I could move around fairly easiliy. Ease of use is a big factor in how much scopes get used so it is worth thinking carefully about this.

You will know better when you have seen them "in the flesh" which will suit you better.

John

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Thank you both for getting back to me, i think i will go for a 8inch as portability and the fact that there isn,t a great difference between both sizes and i think you do have to think of how easy it is to set up.

So i will go for a 8 inch dob.

many thanks from ian

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  • 3 weeks later...

I read a lot about scope portability, which I don't really get.

A dob to me is very easy, as a whole unit I pop mine on a trolly and move it in and out of the house, this involves steps too.

Or I can split the OTA and base and carry them one at a time, even easier.

I have an MPV (SUV) so moving it around is very easy too.

Mines a 12" GSL and the weight isn't so bad at all, but my work involves me moving heavy equipment around and rigging trussing etc, so I guess a simple round tube weighting approx 25Kg is nothing.

P.S, I'm a very lightweight person though, so don't think I'm a body builder. LOL (weighs approx 65Kg)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I own a 10" lightbridge. It is easily portable for one person and only takes about 5 minutes to set up, coliminate and be ready for observing. However having said that it does take a little practice.

It is great for deep space objects, some of my galaxy hunts have been epic and this scope will show some of the harder to spot nebula. (M1, the Crab Nebula is visible as a fuzzy blob on a moonless night from my back garden.)

Im hoping to track down 3C273 Virginis in virgo with this scope. Its a quasar lying 3 billion light years away.

I've had this scope for 9 months now and Im constantly amazed by it. Its exactly what I wanted. My main interests are in DSO's and I dont suffer too badly from light pollution.

With a short focal length this scope isnt really meant for the planets but the moon is spectacular. Saturn has a real wow factor (I spotted 7 saturnian moons one night) Mars is a difficult target but I have seen surface detail and one of Mars's moons. (Mars taught me to coliminate properly)

I find it great fun to star-hop from target to target and I have learned large areas of the sky using this scope.

Down side is of course no astrophotography and if you live in a badly light polluted area you might not be able to star hop.

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