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Greetings from Northern Illinois

lightdrive

By lightdrive
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lightdrive

lightdrive

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Hi everyone,

My 8" Dob and I have been battling Chicago light pollution together for the last decade or so. It's never let me down, but over the past few years I've been finding out how true it is that the best scope for you is the one you use most often. Lately, the thought of setting up 40+ lbs of telescope and waiting for it to acclimate has unfortunately kept me inside or settling for binoculars more often than I'd like. It's my first telescope and I love it, and it's perfect for when I've got time to settle in for a full night observing session, but other responsibilities have made those opportunities rare. 

I want to get back into observing regularly, and with a birthday coming up I've been thinking about treating myself to something a little more portable (and less likely for my neighbors to confuse for artillery). I've been researching my options but I've still got plenty of questions. I know I can count on my fellow stargazers to help me out and this forum looked like a great place to start.

Hope you're all too occupied with clear skies to read this!

Alex

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dwarfnebula

dwarfnebula

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Alex, 

First off, welcome to the forum . I know exactly  what mean. I have a 10 inch Coulter Odyssey dobsonian from the mid 1980's that weighs close to 60 lbs.  Last spring I picked up a used Meade Ds2090 90mm refractor for the same reason you are looking at options.  I wake up for work early and weekend evenings always seem to have other commitments or unfavorable weather. Having a scope that is easy to move and does not require a lot of time to reach outside temperatures encourages me to observe on nights when an extended observing is not practical. 

Rick 

 

 

 

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lightdrive

lightdrive

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Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

8 hours ago, Sirius Starwatcher said:

Hello Alex and welcome to SGL. Are you in a position to try before you buy where you are or will you purchase on research and recommendations only. Good luck with your choice and look forward to hearing all about your new purchase.

I may try to attend an event hosted by local astronomy society and hopefully check out some options in action. I've also got a couple of brick and mortar stores I can visit. For now, online research and recommendations are helping me narrow down my choices.

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lightdrive

lightdrive

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16 hours ago, orion25 said:

Big welcome from the South (Georgia)! So, are you wanting something portable to look at planets and bright DSOs or deep sky fuzzies?

Planets and brighter DSOs. I don't have an especially dark sky, and if there's something challenging I really need to see, I can always try to hunt it down with my 8" dobsonian. 

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orion25

orion25

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I'm a big fan of Cassegrains. I have two, the smaller of which is my main on-the-go scope. It's an Orion 127mm Mak-Cass. With tripod, counterweights and all it's about 40 lbs. and is easy to break down and reassemble. There are smaller models, like the 90mm and the 102mm that are lighter. I haven't experienced too much trouble with cool down time (I just set up 30 minutes before I plan to observe in the colder months), and a dew cap is a Mak's best friend. Now, there's also the refractor route, but get one from a reputable telescope dealer (like Orion, hehe). A good 90mm frac is not very expensive and extremely light: http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Refractor-Telescopes/Refractor-Telescopes-for-Beginners/Orion-StarBlast-90mm-Altazimuth-Travel-Refractor-Telescope/pc/1/c/10/sc/331/p/103111.uts  How much are you willing to spend? Do you want go-to? 

 

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