Assist my choice of telescope please!

[eniacs]

I've been looking for a scope around the 1k mark and have found a couple. One is £850, the other £1400.

After initially thinking I would like some astrophotography to go with it, I think this can wait a few years to allow for visual observing first.

The £850;

8" meade LX200 with the newer acf optics. + few extras dew controller etc.

Other option;

10" meade LX90 CST with a wedge thrown in as well.

Reading reviews its hard to tell whether the ACF optics are a huge extra, it seems some of the reviews have been paid for by Meade! They are glowing whilst other reviews from users list only a minor difference and only if using for photography.

What are peoples opinions on this?

[ronin]

One person can just carry the 8", I would say the 10" is questionable.

Even with the 8" although one can carry it it will be a LOT better for there to be a second person to assist with various actions - I would not like to level the tripod without someone holding on to the scope, and lifting and placing the scope on a levelled tripod is not a one person action. You are carrying the whole thing and trying to position it just right would be difficult or impossible.

If you had a pier again it takes 2, one to get the 8" up and the second person needs to get the scope into position, located and tightened down.

I have done this more then once, so it is from experience. Meade did not make lightweight scopes. From experience of 8" and bigger it takes 2 people to safely/easily carry a 10" and again someone to get the thing located properly.

It could easily end up of you having a 8" or 10" Meade and seeing less then someone with an 80mm refractor. You could end up not using it.

If you have a pier and an observatory then either is an option.

[Ahab]

If you eventually want to get into astrophotography why not just get a decent refractor?

[Gazabone]

I think Main Sequence has it about right. I am lucky enough to have a Celestron C8 and love using it. If it's big apature you're after, have you thought of one of the larger GoTo Dobs that are on the market these days? Although they may be more clumsy to manhandle, you don't have to get them very high of the ground unlike popping a SCT on top of its mount.

Having said that, although I have a Skywatcher 250P, it's not GoTo but it's a heck of a lot easier to set up than either my nexstar or AVX mount. If I'm taking it out in the back garden, I don't even bother to take it out of its mount, it goes out in one go, remove the dust covers, stick in an eyepiece and it's good to go.

I think, bottom line, is it's personal choice, personally if I had the cash to go scope shopping with, I would visit a shop that stocks the ones you're considering to see if you can get some real hands on experience to sus how able you are of manhandling the bigger OTAs. I thought my 6SE was a bit of a beast.....then I got my C8 and the 6SE seems very lightweight now!

[swamp thing]

For £1400 you could have one of  these  This will blow an 8" or 10" SCT away visually. For me this would be a no brainer. Remember your not paying for better views with a SCT you are paying for more optical elements, thats all. SCT are not superior to regular newts in any way through the eyepiece.

[eniacs]

Thanks for the suggestions, but arent the dobs less popular due to their size and issues with transporting? I know the 10inch SCT is not going to be light as a feather either, but it will at least fit in my car's boot. 

I had visions of using the scope in the garden and popping out to darker skies occasionally and also taking it on camping trips when the area will be a dark sky area. All these require a smaller package than the huge dobs scopes.

[CSM]

I would have thought that in Plymouth there is a chance that light pollution isn't too bad, depending on where you are.  In which case perhaps you don't need to worry too much about portability for your main scope.  In any case I strongly suggest that you go to a Star Party with Plymouth Astronomical Society and discuss everything with them.  You will also be able to see various scopes as well.

[eniacs]

Well im not going to tell you light pollution is as bad as central london... Plymouth is a bright city lit by thousands of high pressure sodium yellow lamps. Sadly the dark objects in the night sky are obscured by this. Many miles need to be travelled to get to a very dark site.

However I think I may be able to view the brighter planets from the garden, getting a scope to try this out is key.

[D4N]

Sodium lamps aren't so bad, LP filters do a good job of getting rid of those. It's the white lights that you need to worry about.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[eniacs]

CSM; Thats a handy link, thanks.

D4n; No one round here can afford fancy white light lighting lol. Its plymouth, Im sure half the yellow lighting is coming from candles and fires lol.