Polar scope on EQ5 mount

[Keypix]

Hi 

I Hope someone can advise me.  I have been debating for almost a year now between the Skywatcher 250px DOB and the 200p on an EQ5 mount.  Both are similar in price and at my budget level.

I am about ready to shake off the moths from my wallet before the end of the month and still in a quandary of which to buy. I have no ambitions whatsoever to do any astrophotography so I know for sure it will purely be used for observational purposes. 

After much much researching (read googling), that the most realistically manageable magnification is really going to be around 200x after which the objects are going to be flying out of the viewfinder too quickly.  This is part of where my dilemma comes in, whether I will be able to keep the DOB moving by hand steadily enough to make observation useful. The EQ5 mount has the advantage here of using the control knob to rotate the scope and also the option of adding motors at a later date for not too much of an outlay.

Many sites & books state that an 8 inch reflector is good, adequate, more than enough for a relative amateur like me, and I am well likely to go with that concept.  In fact 'Turn Left at Orion' one of my first books states that everything in the book is viewable with an 8 inch scope in the kind of semi polluted sky's I have here on the outskirts of Manchester (UK).

I only have experience with a 6 inch reflector at the moment (kindly loaned from a friend) which is on a similar but smaller EQ mount, so would appreciate some collective wisdom whether the advantage of extra aperture of the 250px Dob will out way the disadvantage of the smaller aperture 200p and of not having the EQ mount.  Also would be interested to hear from someone who has experience of both types of scope/mounts how difficult it is really to move/nudge the DOB at high magnification.

The weight and size are a not an issue and occasionally I will be taking it to a dark site for better viewing.  

One last thing, reading up on the specs from 2 suppliers 'First Light Optics' and 'WEX Photographic'. One states 'Built in Polar Scope Holder' and the other states 'includes Polar Alignment Scope', both are the same price but i'm not sure if one is included and the other isn't.  Does anybody know if it comes with or without the Polar Scope as standard?

Thanks for reading through my babble and look forward to hearing some views.

Thanks

Kiran

[GuillermoBarrancos]

I found out that a full GoTo Upgrade package for the Skywatcher DOB´s is in the Works. Saw it on the Robtics shop site yesterday that it was announced by Skywatcher.

So that would mean, that if you go for 250p dob (flextube?), you would be able to Upgrade it to GoTo later on as well.

And if Skywatcher doesn´t come through With these Upgrade packages, there are plenty of thirdparty solutions on market already to add tracking to a dob Scope.

Especially like you said, that you are not interested in Astrophotography at all! Then an Alt-Az mounted dob Scope is easier. You get more aperture for the same price as an EQ mounted Scope!

More aperture is always good!

[knobby]

I found out that a full GoTo Upgrade package for the Skywatcher DOB´s is in the Works. Saw it on the Robtics shop site yesterday that it was announced by Skywatcher.

So that would mean, that if you go for 250p dob (flextube?), you would be able to Upgrade it to GoTo later on as well.

And if Skywatcher doesn´t come through With these Upgrade packages, there are plenty of thirdparty solutions on market already to add tracking to a dob Scope.

Especially like you said, that you are not interested in Astrophotography at all! Then an Alt-Az mounted dob Scope is easier. You get more aperture for the same price as an EQ mounted Scope!

More aperture is always good!

Interesting :-)