Which Scope?

[FuNMoNsTeR]

Hello All!....   Newby Alert     Ok i bet this has been asked at least a zillion and one times but which scope is going to give me the best bang for my bucks? I just moved to Portugal and the prices of scopes here is astronomical (pardon the pun). I had my eye on a Meade LX90 1,799 dollars in the states but they are 3,000 euros here for just the 8 inch. After reading this site and some other sources i have decided it may be better to buy a Dob scope. I have found a GSO deluxe 12inch dob here in Portugal for 999 euros. Is this scope highly rated? I read in old threads that the quality of GSO mirrors may be suspect, is this still the case? I am out in the countryside here in Portugal so light pollution is minimal. I feel i will be more drawn to viewing deep space objects rather than planets. This will be my first scope. Any and all advice is heartily welcomed  

[Starfisher]

if your not sure look for other brands. that is what i would do

[John]

Hello and welcome to the forum

I think GSO have overcome their earlier problems with mirror overcoatings now.

The scope you are interested in is sold in the UK under the Revelation Branding. I think it is the same:

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation-12---F-5-M-CRF-Premium-Dobsonian--White--2-1.html

They offer good value and a lot of performance for visual observing for the money. These are very large and quite heavy scopes though (any 12" aperture scope is large and heavy of course) and they don't have any drives or GOTO systems on them so you need to find objects and track them yourself. You will need to move it in 2 sections (they come apart easily) and I would not want to go up and down lots of stairs with one !

There are links to more information and feedback on these 12 inch scopes here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/229002-revelation-dobsonians/

Hope that helps !

[FuNMoNsTeR]

Thanks for the links....i will read through them thoroughly. I know the 12 inch Dob is a large piece of kit. I do not plan on moving the scope around as the house is perched on a mountainside and i have a pretty much unobstructed view for about 270 degrees. I thought about buying from the UK or USA but was worried about import duty and possible damage whilst in transit. The only supplier i can find here is Portugal is Astrofoto.com.pt If you check their site you will see what i mean about prices here in Portugal. Like i said i wanted a Meade lx90 goto scope. Will a 12 inch dob produce comparable quality images?  Many Thanks again  

[FuNMoNsTeR]

After reading the reviews, i have been somewhat put off the GSO/revelation 12inch deluxe dob. i do not fancy having to replace springs or run the risk of having mirrors re-coated after 2 years. Is there any information/reviews on here for the Orion XT 10 classic dobsonian? Many Thanks again for any help.

[John]

The Orion XT Classic is made by the same company that make the Skywatcher 250PX and has the same optics. The 250PX is a very popular scope on here for good reasons

The Orion versions tend to be more expensive in the UK than the Skywatcher ones so you see more of the Skywatchers around.

I was observing with a Skywatcher 250PX recently under dark skies and it produced really excellent views

Both these scopes are quite a bit smaller and more portable than the 12" versions.

While I think GSO have improved their overcoatings on their mirrors now I tend to share your concerns about the primary collimation springs being weak. This has been a well known issue with GSO scopes, especially the 12" ones, for nearly a decade now but they don't seem to have acted on it despite making improvements to other aspects of the scopes.

Mind you, I think there are tweaks and improvements that can be made to all dobsonians to be honest with you !