Right scope for a planaxy man!

[AndyWB]

Okay... while I'm still new at this, your plan of going for something smaller, and different, seems a good one. I have a little Heritage 130p (cheap, portable, reasonable aperture). I know in the future I'd prefer something around 10" myself - but this would be more expensive, and less portable. Having both means I have a grab and go, or (in the future) something larger for the big nights out.

I can see the appeal of a refractor on an Eq mount - something for planetary work. I'm not sure I'd bother with the GOTO - it isn't a thing I'd particularly want - I enjoying hunting objects! That's part of the fun!

So I'd suggest if you think you'll eventually get a large dob, don't just get a slightly smaller dob - get something quite different that might make a useful companion to the large scope when you eventually get it.

[cotterless45]

Go for a 10" Lightbridge , it's wonderfully transportable , the base and primary go as they are and the 2ndry and struts go in a plastic box.

An AE light shroud holds the struts tight and you're away , not only in your garden but star parties and dark sites.

There's very little problems with collimation , a small tweak with a lasered Barlow will bring it in line.

The price has gone up, but recommended

http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/review/telescopes/10-inch-meade-lightbridge

Nick.

[starwonder]

Surprising what you can see with just a pair of 10x50 bino's in a nice black sky in the Lake District - camping in Keswick this weekend proved that!  When I saw M31 in my back garden with my bino's all I saw was the core mainly whereas in Keswick through the same bino's I saw the core and a massive oval spread emanating out and around it - truly awe inspiring!  Proving no less what you guys have been talking about of the importance of a dark site area and good viewing.

I find it quite odd though that I'm suddenly finding myself looking at DSO's when I thought my only interests were planets and galaxies.  Hmmm...there's food for thought I think....my horizons are expanding and I've not even seen Jupiter's bands yet!

So does this equate to a need for a large 'ish scope ie a 10" Dob to give me even more detail?  Do people really take 10" Dob's on holiday with them?

[Moonshane]

I agree with you on dark sites and bins. great combo.

I'll be taking my 12" on camping trips eventually once it's housed in the truss system.

I may also eventually buy a f5 6" to go in my current OOUK dob base as this would be a very compact package too.

[swamp thing]

I find when I go to dark sky sites with my 10" this is when aperture fever really sets in. All the time I'm hampered by LP I'm quite happy using my 10" scope. It's when I get far away from city lights and the sky is ink black. That's when I want big apertures.

Don't know about taking a 10" on holiday. Think I'll leave that at home.........and take the 20"

[starwonder]

An interesting perspective swamp thing but not an option I'll be considering, there'd be no room for all the families camping stuff!

Thanks to everyone for there comments on this topic it's been great to get so many insights of the right scope for my interests which will most likely be a 2nd hand 10" dob of some make for the back garden but I still have a gap for a grab and go scope for holidays of which the feedback suggests a 130p might fit the bill, is that the concensus of opinion?

[Blazar]

Hi guys,

Just my pennies worth. Again fairly new to stargazing in general (a year and a half or so).I stayed with my Bins for quite a while learning the sky (as I knew I could not initially get a goto scope), plus learning the sky was part of the adventure (in my eyes of course). Many new people seem to jump straight in and go for the scope (usually a 200p) and then loose interest (not only from not using it because of clouds), but because they do not know where to look. The best investment after my Bins was the usual 'Turn left'  book. This kept me occupied for the first year....and then researching what could be seen (using TLaO).

once I had gone through a full year I took the plunge and went for a TAL scope based upon my own criteria of Lunar and planets. Thats not to say it cannot be used on DSO. I too have seen Andromeda, the great globular cluster in Hercules, Ring Nebula etc. Its the hunt that is part of the fun again IMO.

As a previous member stated, "The best scope is the one that is used the most." ..

Grab and go you could consider a SW 127 Maksutov? Great little scopes from what I hear from their users, though you would need a mount and tripod. 

I wish you luck with your decision, knowing that whatever you choose will be correct.

[dezzie]

I bought a mak 127 for my first scope, great views and portable but got frustrated setting up the go to system and by time I eventually set it up my lens dewed up so got no further forward, I am to impatient and spent the rest of the session looking through other folks scopes and binos, I was so impressed by just the 10x50 binos I sold my scope, bought a set of helios 25x100s and love them, its amazing what I can see in my light polluted garden and looking forward to a dark sky site soon as I have my P mount built so I can use them all night in the comfort of a recliner chair, like I say the scope still had great views but until I build up my experience and learn my way round the sky, I will stick with my binos for a while then maybe buy a scope to accompany them later on, I really fancy a decent size refractor!

[starwonder]

The SW 127 Maksutov new at £340 seems a nice little scope and packs quite a punch according to the review on FLO, anyone else have any comments on this scope to use out and about?

[starwonder]

I bought a mak 127 for my first scope, great views and portable but got frustrated setting up the go to system and by time I eventually set it up my lens dewed up so got no further forward, I am to impatient and spent the rest of the session looking through other folks scopes and binos, I was so impressed by just the 10x50 binos I sold my scope, bought a set of helios 25x100s and love them, its amazing what I can see in my light polluted garden and looking forward to a dark sky site soon as I have my P mount built so I can use them all night in the comfort of a recliner chair, like I say the scope still had great views but until I build up my experience and learn my way round the sky, I will stick with my binos for a while then maybe buy a scope to accompany them later on, I really fancy a decent size refractor!

Sorry dazzle just seen your feedback on the SW 127 Maksutov, thanks for that.  Interesting read about your bino's too.  What's a P mount please, are the plans I can see anywhere?

[Moonshane]

personally, I have the following opinion about remote viewing. although a Mak like the 127 is very portable, the focal length of 1500mm will mean that the field of view will be somewhat restrictive compared with say a 130mm or 6" newtonian. it will excel on planets, doubles and moon but it will do that at home too.

e.g. 32mm plossl gives 1.06 degrees which is usable but not wide in the 127 mak. in the 6" f5 newtonian it's 2.17 degrees and the 130mm it's 2.5 degrees. I's sooner have the wider field options with light eyepieces such as the above for a travel kit. for all these scopes you need a mount too. a 6" or even an 8" dob is not that much less portable in my opinion.

[starwonder]

I see your point Shane thank you for your insight.

So the minimum aperture really for a portable setup would encompass a scope of at least 6" which will be a tall asking price for a frac at that size therefore proving the value for money of a 6 or 8" Dob/Newt. 

If that is the case then wouldn't it be more beneficial to just get an 8" as my main scope in the first place instead of a 10" then I can use it at home and it be portable'ish at the same time.  Does an extra 2" make all that much of a difference?  When I looked through your 6" I thought the double double looked clearer than through the 12"!  But you preferred the 12" view - doesn't that suggest the aperture of choice to some extent depends on the observers view of an object rather than outright science?  Or am I missing something?  I wouldn't be surprised if I were!!

[Moonshane]

to be hoest I think I prefer the view of doubles through the 6" as it has a smaller exit pupil giving sharper stars and tighter airy rings. the 12" though provides more aperture which makes fainter objects better resolved. everything is about compromise. an 8" scope is my recommendation especially used. this can if you find it very manageable and that you can handle more in due course, be sold for a 10-12" scope with little or no loss as they are so popular. if you ever want to try the 12" and the 6" side by side again on a better night feel free. you'd see a big difference in how things look.

[starwonder]

Thanks for the offer Shane.

I do feel slightly torn between the two, either 8" or 10" Dob at the moment and as there are more 8" Dobs on the market 2nd hand at the moment than 10" ones and the 8" is more portable and moveable I might see if I can get myself a bargain even if it's a SW.  Just missed one on ebay this weekend, went for £160 I think or thereabouts - bargain eh?

[Moonshane]

indeed. at that sort of money you cannot really go wrong. buy one, enjoy it and then go from there.

[starwonder]

Nice one, thanks for your vote of confidence Shane.

[starwonder]

And thanks everyone also for all your help on this topic, really appreciated.

[starwonder]

Just thought I'd let you helpful people know that I realised today that I really wanted a OOUK so I went to the factory itself and bought one! 

Thanks everyone for helping me focus my decision making, I'm sure I'll be back again when it arrives for help on how to work it!!!