Bigger Commercial Dob or Smaller Handmade Dob ???

[Kai]

The eternal question "Quality vs Quantity"

I maybe looking at getting a nice sized Dob next year , so i have been doing some googling.

I need some opinions and/or recomendations please

Firstly a 16 inch Lightbridge

http://www.telescopehouse.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=CD358BCF63584ACFA7E11025C65D565E&thelang=001lngdef

Well they do say Aperture is king

Secondly a 12 inch David Luckhurst f6 deluxe

http://www.dobsonians.co.uk/deluxe%20range.html

Certified mirror,Moonlite focusser etc and i can discuss every detail with the man himself.

See my problem

Will the better mirror set go someway towards the loss of mirrorsize ??

Over to the experts.....

[Whippy]

As you know amigo, I'm no expert but...

Those handmade ones look lovely! Quality optics plus a Moonlite on top? Very cool .

My thinking would be 'how often would the seeing conditions be good enough to get the best out of a 16"?'. My guess would be not that often or probably not as often as the 12".

So, if it was me I'd go for the 12" knowing that you've got something handmade specifically for you by a person rather than a box made in a factory.

Tony..

[Milamber]

I have to disagree. 16" is a perfect size, 12" is too small (your back will hurt for a start). Once you loosen the mirror clamps the Meade mirror will amaze you in it's performance. As for the seeing angle then sure - a slower big scope will have issues that faster scopes will not but you are only looking at f/6 afainst f/4.5 here. Then there is the ease of setting up with the lightbridge, the smaller space it takes up in the car and so on. Also, that 10:1 microfocuser is rather nice... OK, not a moonlite but you can upgrade. (maybe even one from a UK company once the design is sorted )

Arthur

PS - was looking through one last night oddly enough, Andy Robertson's, (at the comet - what else) and was amazed at the sharpness and clarity even at 160x and through light cloud. Got colour and clear outer halo definition! I had to just stand and stare - which I *could* do since the EP was not too low and not too high. Like porridge really... )

[GazOC]

Aperture

I wouldn't let the focuser sway you either way, as Arthur says they are an easy upgrade.

[Kai]

Its more the construction ie quality of mirrors, benefits of 8 braces versus 6 braces for the truss that i am interested in rather than the moonlite etc

[GazOC]

Are 8 trusses noticeably better than 6? I know they can't be any worse but if 6 is steady enough why bother with 8? The best non-standard upgrade I've got on my Dob is the 9 point mirror cell, the scope holds collimation like a dream.

[Kai]

Cheers Gaz

I recon i need to do some more googling

[Jeff RV]

I think the thing you may be wondering if you go for the 12" is what would this subject have looked like with another 4" of mirror? less photographic exposure, brighter image,etc.

Hope you make the right choice.

Jeff.

[Milamber]

Steve - the 22" only has 6 truss tubes, remember? That's perfectly OK. The traditional reason for 8 is because of the square construction. I'd also say that if a certain Mr Robertson (who has a 20th wave Intes 716 and a 12" Epsilon) says the mirrors are good then you can take it as a given.

Arthur

[Kai]

:salute: Arthur duly noted :D

I was only asking because 'I know nuffin'