Searching for a telescope, need advice

[LukeSkywatcher]

(Any EQ system ( just for visual observations ) is a complete waste of time for in my opinion!)

ree. If you have an EQ system, you may as well put it to good use and do some imaging. Otherwise purely for visual, there are cheaper and easier systems . Sure you can use an EQ for purely observing but im just not a fan. 

[RononDex]

Wow, thanks a lot for this ton of responses. I am reading through all of them right now.

Thanks a lot for your efforts.

Also astro-photography is just secondary or a nice to have. Primarly I want to focus on watching them by myself .

You have already chosen a very nice observational 5" scope in the APO120 Refractor, which will cover a lot of what you want to observe. Mounted on a suitable equatorial driven mount, can give good results with astrophotography. For your information there is a dedicated reducer/flattener available for this scope, to reduce the f7.5 down to f6.37.

That sounds interesting. As far as I know lower f will make it better for DSO observations?

Seems like I have still lots of research to do.

However in general you would advice me against the telescope I linked in the first post and rather go for a newton for the same price?

[brantuk]

Lower f-ratio will make dso imaging quicker - it won't make any difference to observing. For observing the focal length and field of view and aperture are more important. This is one of the big differences between imaging and observing.

[happy-kat]

Get the telescope that you feel will encourage you to get out there and enjoy.

Think about where you will keep the telescope and distance to where you observe, are there stairs.

[happy-kat]

I think this read it timely, ED120 or 6inch newt.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/249189-ed120-or-150-f6-newt/#entry2714143

[RononDex]

I found the scope "Celestron Advanced VX C8 SCT" now which looks pretty good for its price:

http://www.teleskophandel.ch/celestron-advanced-p-6865.html

I am not sure about the tripod yet though. Does anyone have experence with that tripod which it comes with?

[brantuk]

I had the older (now discontinued) CG5GT mount - the VX is the upgraded version of this. They both have the same 2" tubular steel tripod which is rock solid. Just don't over tighten the legs or they can jam.

If they do jam they can be fixed by disassembling rather than take a mallet to it, which will dent the tube and make matters worse. Most of the tripods in this price range have a similar locking mechanism. But treated well they are very strong and effective and will support the 8" tube and accessories with ease.

[KenG]

What nobody's mentioned is ease of use. It is a universal law that the bigger/heavier/more complicated the scope is to assemble - and to take down - the less and less you'll use it. My short tube Newt needs three trips to the car - one for the tripod, one for the tube and one for everything else, whereas my ETX does it in one, and believe me, if I want to do an hour's observing after a day's work, it's any easy choice as to which one I'll choose.