Existential dilemma

[pvaz]

I'm in a cross road to my future in the hobby.

By summer next year, after the house construction is done, I can probably spend up to 2000€ (~1800£) on new gear.

So here are my options:

1) Stick with visual and get a 14" SkyWatcher dob. I have a garage and can leave the scope ready and roll it and have it ready for observation in an instant. Limiting mag from my backyard goes around 5.5 on new moon. Here are my questions about this option:

- How much of a difference will the 14" make to my 8"?

- Can I expect to see structure in over 10 galaxies?

- Will most DSOs stay pretty much the same faint fuzzies or will I see a lot more structure in them?

2) For the same money I can build a small obsy and get an EQ6 and an ED80. Or maybe even start with small baby steps, get the EQ6 (future proof), build the obsy and mount a manfrotto ball head with a mod canon DSLR with a regular lens. Then have a few months practice doing wide-field before adding a scope to the equation.

Imaging will be a long road and with my limited time I'll probably be limited to producing 3 or 4 quality images per year, assuming I can learn everything involved, but usually I'm fast at learning complicated stuff.

I can build the obsy over the flat roof of the garage or open a clearing in a small wood I got in the back of the house and have it there, further from the few street lights.

I still have some months to mature the ideas and I know this is a choice I got to make myself, but I would greatly appreciate your inputs. My main fear is to invest all the money on a big dob and then find there's little difference to my 8" except for a handful of objects. If that's what's bound to happen then going straight to imaging would be the next logical step.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'd go for the 14" scope. If you build the obs.....your 8" scope is still only going to be an 8" scope.

[yeti monster]

I'd expect a HUGE difference with the leap from 8" to 14".

When I moved up from 114mm to 250mm I was bowled flat! However, I am now hankering for a tracking mount and obsy with which to progress my fledgling astropiccies. If you are intent on remaining at your current address, I'd say, build the obsy and get a good mount set up. Keep the dob mount for venturing with your scope maybe, or have a seperate travel set up.

Choices choices eh????

[pete_l]

I'd wait until your house is ready. Building work always costs more than expected, often takes longer, too. So don't go counting your spare cash, or chickens, just yet. Wait until the money is in your hand - then decide. You never know - you may even end up with MORE to spend, though it's more likely you'll discover three new comets flying in formation on your first night out with the new 'scope.

[Beulah]

I'd wait until your house is ready. Building work always costs more than expected, often takes longer, too. So don't go counting your spare cash, or chickens, just yet. Wait until the money is in your hand - then decide. You never know - you may even end up with MORE to spend, though it's more likely you'll discover three new comets flying in formation on your first night out with the new 'scope.

Great advice. Somehow, we always underestimate time and money when it comes to domestic construction work...

[LukeSkywatcher]

Great advice. Somehow, we always underestimate time and money when it comes to domestic construction work...

To solve that you need to get a written contract of just how long and how much the building project is expected to take. Then if the project runs over budget or time you are legally within your rights to introduce penalties (withholding cash) for running over time and the quote you got on paper is the only amount that you are obliged to pay.

[Doc]

I also agree when we built our extension you think off a figure and treble it, and then you are somewhere near.

But if you have got spare cash then with mag 5.5 skies I would get the big dob, it will blow your socks off.

[Moonshane]

good advice re wait and see but when you do I think a 14" scope will be mind blowingly different to an 8". I can only compare a 6" f5 to a 12" f5 and the views are just not in the same world. the 12" has 4x the light gathering area of the 6", and the 14" has 3x but it will be astonishing how different the views are. at a dark site too I expect you'll be seeing masses of detail in most targets.

[pvaz]

Sound advice on the house. That's the plan. I'll wait 'till all is done and ready and then invest on astronomy. If things go off track on the house I'll have to postpone the plan 'till the end of next year.

I think I'll enjoy visual more then imaging but on the other hand I would also like to try it.

Whatever I choose, I'll probably have to stick with it. I could easily find a buyer for an EQ6 if I don't get along with imaging, but then the shipping from a remote location in Azores will force me to drop the price a lot, so that the buyer will actually save money getting it s/h from me.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I think I'll enjoy visual more then imaging but on the other hand I would also like to try it.

Kill two birds with one stone. Enjoy the visual aspect of a 14" scope and then the imaging side of it also. It means you will have to go to an EQ mount rather then a Dob mount.

[pvaz]

I think I'll enjoy visual more then imaging but on the other hand I would also like to try it.

Kill two birds with one stone. Enjoy the visual aspect of a 14" scope and then the imaging side of it also. It means you will have to go to an EQ mount rather then a Dob mount.

The 14" is 1.6m long and I think is well over the weight limit of an EQ6.

It does track, even on a dob mount, so I could probably get away with some planetary imaging.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The 14" is 1.6m long and I think is well over the weight limit of an EQ6.

It does track, even on a dob mount, so I could probably get away with some planetary imaging.

I'm a visual kind of guy and the difference between 8" and 14" is (i am guessing)......................OUTSTANDING.

[Doc]

When I eventually got more 16" under dark skies at Kelling, which I thought were proberly mag 5.8 the view was outstanding, in fact jaw dropping.

To see the open jaw of the pacman and the cocoon nebula was brilliant.

[pvaz]

When I eventually got more 16" under dark skies at Kelling, which I thought were proberly mag 5.8 the view was outstanding, in fact jaw dropping.

To see the open jaw of the pacman and the cocoon nebula was brilliant.

I think I'll probably go for the big dob then. Right now my time is very limited, I often bring work home, I just enrolled on an economy/management 3 years course which I been skimping, then I need to upgrade my Microsoft partner program level at the company which will make me travel to Lisbon a few times over the next year for courses/exams... and a few smaller stuff in between, like the Android EP calculator app I have in the drawer since August at 50% or an observation log app in silver light I left at 25% or so...

Did I just forget about some personal life?!

I suspect imaging is going to demand the kind of time and effort I can't fit into my life right now.