£300 knowing what you know now :)

[doctortim]

Cheshire and a Rigel QuikFinder. Probably £60 though but worth it.

Brilliant RikM, something else I didn't even know existed (Quickfinder).

Is the Cheshire premium version worth the extra £10? And could some kind soul point me in the direction of some instructions to collimate a 200p as it appears that both Cheshires don't come with instructions.

thanks to everyone for the advice.

Tim.

[Steep]

Here you go doctortim http://www.astro-baby.com/ everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask (under technical help and advice.)

I followed Astrobabys directions when collimating my Dob, at first read they sound complicated but if you read along as you do it it's pretty simple.

[RikM]

Is the Cheshire premium version worth the extra £10?

The premium one is certainly prettier and I would hope the QC checks more thorough so you stand a chance of getting better accuracy. If that peace of mind is important to you then I guess it is worth the extra. I just have the standard one. I checked the crosswires were accurately placed by spinning it in a lathe at work; it is perfect. I also use a self-centering adapter in my focuser, so even if the barrel was a bit sloppy fit—mine isn't—that is eliminated.

[Jules Tohpipi]

I followed the advice of those on this forum. Check out my gear in the signature! I'm delighted with it all. The 200p is great. Over time I've added other bits and pieces. They were right about those too. But take it at your own pace like I did. Then you can discover the benefits and the whys yourself!

[alien509]

1. the 200p is growing on me the more I read

[LouisJB]

+1 for Dob, biggest bang for the buck without a doubt.

Also, some shrewd searching and maybe you could fine a used 10" for real light grasp Skywatcher Skyliners always seem to get a good review and will be excellent for planets with their longer focal lengths.