Your perfect 2 scope setup

[mark81]

Hi all, having owned my first scope for only 5 months, I have been going through what I guess everyone goes through.... Thinking about what scope I will be getting next .  I have come to realise that for the perfect set up you would need at the very minimum 2 scopes.  I think I would go for the SW 100ED and then a nice 12" dob.. what's your perfect two?  

Lookin forward to searching all your answers on FLO

[John]

For quite a while I found that a 4" ED refractor (Vixen in my case) and a 10" dob were a very complimantary duo. A mild case of aperture fever for both types then led me to a Skywatcher ED120 and a 12" Orion Optics based dob. I've still got the Vixen and have added more refractors to join it and the ED120 but if I had to restrain myself to the ED120 and the 12" dob I'd be able to keep myself pretty content 

Edit: I'm assuming that you are talking about visual astronomy. Thats all I do.

[cloudsweeper]

I've got a decent two (see sig.), although an apochromatic frac would be a nice upgrade.  But I long ago realised that two is just not perfect at all: I need three!  

A largish aperture manual Dob would complete the stable nicely.  Then there's the dedicated solar 'scope..........

(SCT - general purpose, high mag, narrowish field, but with GoTo; frac - ease of use, lovely widefiled views; Dob - for fainter/DSO targets and improved resolution.)

Doug.

[JeremyS]

13 minutes ago, mark81 said:

Hi all, having owned my first scope for only 5 months, I have been going through what I guess everyone goes through.... Thinking about what scope I will be getting next .  I have come to realise that for the perfect set up you would need at the very minimum 2 scopes.  I think I would go for the SW 100ED and then a nice 12" dob.. what's your perfect two?  

It depends what your observing preferences are: visual, CCD, if you want to travel with the scope etc etc etc. My main two scopes are:

C11 on computerised EQ to do CCD photometry of variable stars, where aperture is important to get the fainter objects

Takahashi FS102, 4-inch refractor for visual planetary observing

But I also have a few more (in particular small scopes and binos for travelling with). After all, why stop at two?

[Simoncwr]

As above really, the further you vanish down the rabbit hole.... I restarted with a TV85 and added a C925 as my “perfect duo”. The TV is easily my most used scope so no regrets there but I do have a Tak FCDL inbound to replace it for home grab and go. Then theres the APM 152 and the WO 61 as a starter imaging scope.. not quite sure what to say really but for visual I suspect the Tak and C will end up mostly on the mounts

Best of luck lol

Simon

[DirkSteele]

Making me choose between those in my signature would be like asking someone to pick one of their children over the others in their family!

 

If you push me, my LZOS 180mm triplet in a permanent observatory (the second part of that still has to happen), and probably my FC-76 as it can travel anywhere as it splits in two.  If you let me have a third I don't own....a 20" dob!  Yes I know, something with a mirror (traditionally only used for shaving ?)

[Obsession 30]

If I only had to choose two scopes from my collection then it would have to be my 18” and 30” Obsession Telescopes, but to be honest I think you need three or four to be happy ? 

[Simoncwr]

I think its well worth buying Skywatcher etc until you really work out where your interests lie. Spend the big bucks later on your true love lol.

Simon

[mikeDnight]

If all there was to choose from was SkyWatcher, you wouldn't go far wrong. Great scopes at great prices and there's something to suit everyone!

[Timebandit]

 

 

I thought I would be happy with one scope ed 120.?

But then after going with the VX14 , I thought I would be happy with two scopes??

But needing a grab and go with a bit of aperture , the VX8 was introduced.???

I can now say I am happy and content with the above. So I think I could not go back to just two. Greedy ???

 

 

 

 

[Alan White]

Just two?
I presently have 3 and want more.
Somehow the controlling factor always comes down to cold hard cash,
or the lack of it being freely available.

But I would like a nice bigger reflector 250- 300mm, I have a 150mm at present.
But I would like a bigger refractor, I have a 80mm ED at present.
But I would also like a longer FL scope too.
 

But I suppose I could slum it with a 100mm Takahashi if I had too ?

[Simoncwr]

I wish DHL would deliver mine so I could join this ghetto lol. Reality says we are blessed with the rise of quality Chinese optics. Just remember that without the precursors produced by Televue/Tak et al we would still be looking through horrible gear at top end prices.... exactly what turned me away from this hobby 30 years ago thankyou Meade Newtonian lol

[Simoncwr]

Back on topic though n having really thought about it I would buy a SW120ED and a SW 300 flextube dob. Serms like a great do it all without breaking the bank for visual

[Peter Drew]

Large solar telescope and large Dobsonian. Neither available from FLO unfortunately.

[Timebandit]

5 minutes ago, Simoncwr said:

Back on topic though n having really thought about it I would buy a SW120ED and a SW 300 flextube dob. Serms like a great do it all without breaking the bank for visual

 

That's a very potent set up?

The 120ed would be  great for planetary and lunar and double stars

And the 300p with far more aperture and light gathering ability would be great for DSO. Especially at a Dark site.

 

 

[Charic]

1 hour ago, mark81 said:

I think I would go for the SW 100ED and then a nice 12" dob..

Sounds like a plan!

I almost bought the TAL 100RS but was 'advised' for my needs that the Skyliner would probably be better? but I would like to try an 80-100ED Frac.
Now I have the 8" Skyliner,  would a 12" be better? for sure,almost a certainty, but only after I have tried the 12" aside my 8" under identical observing conditions, and preferably from my own garden.

If the 12" showed a significant advantage  during the test, it would be a no brainer as to what I would do next, but unlike my tests with 'better' eyepieces, in which they showed little if any difference, I'd  be dismayed if the larger scope was not visually much better ( bigger is better, right, when it comes to visual observation)  but without that trial, I wont be buying one just  yet.

Also I don't have perfect conditions  from my observatory, but I'm well within easy reach of much darker sites,  and the 8" alone can be a struggle.
I don't really want to travel  somewhere just to use my scope, I want the best  I can get from my home. If the 12" improves the image quality and image size at home, I'd be more than delighted, knowing that when I do venture away, it will only get better from the darker site.

In principle, I'd be happy with the two scopes you mentioned, but not sure they'd be the perfect setup under my present conditions, the wait continues.

[DaveS]

My current two scope setup is a 130 f/7 and 80 f/4.4 with a selection of cameras. I also have my 180 mak for lunar / planetary and meg90 for solar.

Got a hankering after a TEC180 for galaxies.

[scarp15]

In terms of your plan, the SW100 will make a lighter mounted grab and go set up, unless you feel you can invest to mount the 120ED. Each will complement a 12" Flex-tube dob. For wide field sweeps, perhaps include a pair of binoculars to. 

[bish]

I am always changing my mind on kit. I would love a big dob,  20"+, and a decent Ha solar scope. The problem with this is that my 10" dob is such a handy size that I couldn't part with it,  and would still like a small white light set up.

[Paz]

2 hours ago, mark81 said:

 I think I would go for the SW 100ED and then a nice 12" dob.. what's your perfect two?

That is a really good combination if it has to be 2 scopes, a medium sized apo that is in or around grab and go territory, plus the biggest dob you can handle by yourself.

I would go for an apo refractor in the range 100-120mm and keep my vx14.

[Stu]

Hmm, just two is tricky.

During the day, Tak FC100DC with Baader CoolWedge and binoviewers side by side on an Ercole Mount with a 100mm PST Mod, again with binoviewers is a pretty potent mixture for both white light and Ha solar observing. Highly portable too.

I think I would then want a truss dob between 12 and 16” for some deep sky stuff. Sorry, that’s still three

It’s also nice to put something with a bit more aperture next to the Tak at night for widefield and then higher powers, so a C8 Edge or C925 would be nice

Thats four though......  if pushed I would stick with my original two, Tak and PST Mod.

[GavStar]

1) Baader 95mm travel companion APO refractor for grab and go views and also easy overseas travel (no need to remove focuser or dewshield and decent aperture). Also great for widefield views.

2) 16 inch skyvision Goto Dob for dark site viewing of DSOs.

I don’t have either of these though...(and neither are available from FLO)

[Mark at Beaufort]

At one stage I had about 8 scopes but the UK climate dictated that I needed to reduce my collection. I am fairly happy at the moment with my 12" Dob and a 5" Heritage Newt. However, I cannot forget day time observing with a PST with Double stack. Then just over the last few days I have been thinking of a good grab and go refractor for white light. Choosing two scopes is difficult.

[Space Hopper]

1. Orion Optics 12" Dob.   I've got that, i'm very happy with it, and i can look forward to modding it in due course.

2. Tec 140 FL      I've not got this, but it will be mine one day. It will be my retirement scope.

[25585]

For a very long time my 2 working scopes were a Tele Vue Genesis 4 inch F5 500mm refractor & Celestron 8 inch C8 F10 2000mm SCT. The former was used most. Both are handleable but recently I have gone back to Dobsonians.

10 inch F6 Dob & my Tele Vue refractor are probably my perfect pair. I would like a TV NP101 some day.