Do I upgrade to 12 inch or stay at 8 inch

[AlanThorpe]

I have and enjoy my 8 inch newtonian reflector on eq mount.

A 12 inch Dob has come up for sale and I am tempted. 

It is large! I am thinking derigging it for storage. It comes supplied with a custom trolley. 

I enjoy the 8 inch for planetary and some hit and mostly miss DSO viewing!

Pretty dark skies here and south facing site for the planets.

What would you do, stick with what I have or change?

[John]

Personally I have found having a 12 inch dobsonian for the past 8-9 years has been the most rewarding phase in my 40years in the the hobby of astronomy. Yes it's large but it is manageable and pretty quick to set up / tear down.

A 4 inch aperture increase makes a really noticeable difference to deep sky observation.

I have a nice garden and can keep the scope within a short carry (in two parts) of where I observe though.

So for me, I would go for it !

 

[AlanThorpe]

5 minutes ago, John said:

Personally I have found having a 12 inch dobsonian for the past 8-9 years has been the most rewarding phase in my 40years in the the hobby of astronomy. Yes it's large but it is manageable and pretty quick to set up / tear down.

A 4 inch aperture increase makes a really noticeable difference to deep sky observation.

I have a nice garden and can keep the scope within a short carry (in two parts) of where I observe though.

So for me, I would go for it !

 

Thank you very much indeed John!! 

Leaning towards investing!

[niallk]

I went up by the same 1.5x diameter factor (from a 10" to 15"), and the extra aperture is really great on DSO's.

I'd say chance it!  It should be good on planets, and offer more on DSOs.  You only live once 😉

[faulksy]

as john and niallk. go for it. bigger is always better. if you can store it you wont have any regrets

[Merlin66]

Alan,

over the years I’ve used many scopes, 6” to 29”.

In my opinion the 10” Dobby is close to the sweet spot. Ease of use v’s capability.

The 12” is very good but definitely a handful to use.

Your call, but do consider the best telescope you have, is the one you use!!
 

[steppenwolf]

Definitely go for it as that amount of extra ‘light grab’ will make a noticeable difference.

[AlanThorpe]

On 20/07/2021 at 07:47, niallk said:

I went up by the same 1.5x diameter factor (from a 10" to 15"), and the extra aperture is really great on DSO's.

I'd say chance it!  It should be good on planets, and offer more on DSOs.  You only live once 😉

Thanks NiallK! You-re right, we only live once!! I have enjoyed the 8 inch for 9 years, so why not! 

Edited July 22, 2021 by AlanThorpe

[AlanThorpe]

On 20/07/2021 at 09:02, Merlin66 said:

Alan,

over the years I’ve used many scopes, 6” to 29”.

In my opinion the 10” Dobby is close to the sweet spot. Ease of use v’s capability.

The 12” is very good but definitely a handful to use.

Your call, but do consider the best telescope you have, is the one you use!!
 

Thanks Merlin66, good advice that, I am weighing it all up!!

[AlanThorpe]

On 20/07/2021 at 07:58, faulksy said:

as john and niallk. go for it. bigger is always better. if you can store it you wont have any regrets

Thanks Faulksy!!

[John]

I ought to qualify my earlier post a little by adding that I've owned two 12 inch dobs and one was not a good choice because it was far too heavy but the 2nd one (my current one) was much lighter and much more practical all round.

If I had not found the lighter 12 inch, I would have stuck with 10 inches. I need to move a scope around a bit now and then where I observe.

So practicality should come into the decision as well I think.

[AlanThorpe]

10 hours ago, John said:

I ought to qualify my earlier post a little by adding that I've owned two 12 inch dobs and one was not a good choice because it was far too heavy but the 2nd one (my current one) was much lighter and much more practical all round.

If I had not found the lighter 12 inch, I would have stuck with 10 inches. I need to move a scope around a bit now and then where I observe.

So practicality should come into the decision as well I think.

Thanks very much John, really appreciate your advice and also everyone else who kindly has replied!

[ollypenrice]

The wheelbarrow handle/trolley solution is a good one and if it works in your location then you'll enjoy a 12 inch.

Olly

[AlanThorpe]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

The wheelbarrow handle/trolley solution is a good one and if it works in your location then you'll enjoy a 12 inch.

Olly

Thanks Olly!

It actually comes with a custom trolley and everything. But for day to to day use at the house, I would break it down to mount and tube and asemble then.

2 miles away is a perfect unobstructed site where the trolley could come in very handy though!

[200pman]

As long as you can carry it.fine.

[jacobingonzo]

yes- my 12" dob is great to use but seriously need to consider the humping around- especially the size of your vehicle if you are traveling to a dark sky site

 

J

[AngryDonkey]

Or maybe go for a travel one. There are some downsides like less stability and no tracking but I find I use mine a lot more because it is easy to transport and quick to setup. I have space for it on most camping trips even if all the family and the dog want to join 🤣

[AlanThorpe]

2 hours ago, AngryDonkey said:

Or maybe go for a travel one. There are some downsides like less stability and no tracking but I find I use mine a lot more because it is easy to transport and quick to setup. I have space for it on most camping trips even if all the family and the dog want to join 🤣

Wow that is some scope there, lovely!

Fantastic engineering.

[Piero]

As long as you can move it around easily, the larger aperture will show you the same objects brighter at the same magnification. If built decently, it will also offer more resolution.

I would also go for it. 🙂

[nfotis]

On 22/07/2021 at 20:09, AngryDonkey said:

Or maybe go for a travel one. There are some downsides like less stability and no tracking but I find I use mine a lot more because it is easy to transport and quick to setup. I have space for it on most camping trips even if all the family and the dog want to join 🤣

 

It looks quite nice (albeit a bit expensive - I noticed that the 8" and 10" cost almost the same).

What were your experiences? I haven't seen many reviews/impressions from that range.

N.F.

 

[kirkster501]

A 12" Dob is a big scope.  Please be mindful of this.

[John]

5 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

A 12" Dob is a big scope.  Please be mindful of this.

That's a fair point. Here is my 12 inch F/5.3 with me for scale - I'm 1.8 metres tall:

[kirkster501]

Yes John, absolutely.  Some people, lost in aperture fever, do not seem to realise how *hugely* the telescope increases in physical size for an extra few inches worth of aperture, that depending on the skies may not actually make that much difference.  I'm not intending to dampen Alan's spirt, just making him aware how big these 12" scopes are and be aware that it may no longer pass a spouse's acceptance!  An 8" can be hidden in the broom cupboard.  A 12" may not.  And the 14" and 16" are colossal.

[AlanThorpe]

Thanks everyone for the really helpful replies!

I have decided to resist the urge to upscale and keep at 8 for time being!!

Thanks again, really helpful to hear all opinions!!

[AlanThorpe]

On 25/07/2021 at 17:08, John said:

That's a fair point. Here is my 12 inch F/5.3 with me for scale - I'm 1.8 metres tall:

Lovely scope!!