Help with upgrading choices

[Eric the Halibut]

Hello, this is my first proper post so please be gentle.

I have been finding my way around the skies in Tetbury for about a year now with a Celestron 6SE. The skies are reasonably unpolluted in my back garden and I would like to get a bigger scope now to hopefully get a better look at deep sky objects and generally improve the viewing - I believe that this is commonly referred to as aperture fever.

I am thinking of 2 options: 1) Skyliner 250 goto dobsonian (I really like the goto on the 6SE) or 2) 9.25 inch Celestron SCT on either the fork mount or possibly the CGEM mount.

I know that option 2 is more than double the cost of option 1 but does that mean that I will get anything like twice as good quality images? Also it is confusing when doing a search on the forum at each option about exactly how portable these scopes are. I suspect that option 1 is reasonably portable as I could park the scope in my dining room in the folded up state (which is how I tend to use the 6SE). But option 2 is quite a lot heavier and some folks say it is reasonably manageable and some say the reverse. Any opinions gratefully received.

[swamp thing]

Hi Alex

IMO. If your main interest is DSO then aperture rules. Go for the 10"Dob.

Plus if you can afford double the price you'll get some kick a**e eyepieces too.

10" Dob is a great tool for DSO.

Regards Steve

[malc-c]

If you are thinking of spending that sort of money then you should consider what / how you observe. If you want to venture into imaging then the 9.25" Celestron on a GEM mount would be the better option. If visual observing then the dob would give more aperture for your money. But there are a lot of scopes in the same price range as the 9.25" Celestron.

You could go up to 14" dob goto, or for £1400 a 10" newtonian on a EQ6 ( Explorer 250 PDS EQ6 Pro GOTO Mount With Free DVD | Telescopes | Rother Valley Optics)

Or for around £1800 a Maksutov-Newtonian on the same mount....

Or as Steve says, stick with the 10" DOB and a host of accessories

[rowan46]

if you have a c6 you know how nice the optics are on celestron sct's but if its for dso's the dob shades it for me. the wider view from the dob should be that bit nicer. and spend the extra on a couple of televue eyepieces. some dealers are doing 20% off at the moment

[Eric the Halibut]

Thanks for the information. I am tending to lean towards the dob solution now with some decent eyepieces. I would really like to know just how portable these scopes really are. Is the 10 inch flextube dob reasonable to handle over short distances ie from my dining rool to the garden? I rang several telescope shops within reasonable travelling distance and not one had a model that I could actually go and look at which is dissappointing and a bit surprising.

[John]

I've owned 8", 10" and 12" dobsonians. The 8" was very portable, the 10" fairly portable (bend your knees, keep your back straight !!) but the 12" had to be moved in 2 sections and the optical tube section on it's own weighed as much as the whole of the 10" !.

So, for me, the 10" was the largest portable one.

My viewing situation sounds similar to yours - I keep the scopes in the dining room and carry them out of the french doors into the garden.

There was a thread last week in this section where members posted pictures of themselves with their scopes so you can get an idea of sizes from there.

Hope that helps a bit

[umadog]

I'd go for a 10 or 12 inch Dob. Skip the goto--it's more fun to learn the sky. Spend what you save on eyepieces and filters (a UHC and an OII will go down a treat).

[swamp thing]

I would really like to know just how portable these scopes really are. Is the 10 inch flextube dob reasonable to handle over short distances ie from my dining rool to the garden?

Kinda depends how strong you are. For example i carry my 16" up and down the stairs every time i wanna use it, but that would probably be too much for some. It really depends on the individual.

I would get in touch with your local astronomy society, someones bound to have a 10" you can have a look round and through.

Regards

Steve

[John]

.... i carry my 16" up and down the stairs every time i wanna use it....

In one piece - you must be extremely strong !. I could just about carry the OTA of my Meade Lightbridge 12" out onto the garden - I would definately not have been happy trying any steps with it.

Most 16" users and many 12" users fit wheels and wheely bars to their scopes to move them around.

[swamp thing]

No John, not in one piece.

Don't think it would be possible not just cause of the weight but the size too. Its a lightbridge so the ground board is a hefty lump to get up and down stairs.

Regards Steve

[John]

No John, not in one piece.

Don't think it would be possible not just cause of the weight but the size too. Its a lightbridge so the ground board is a hefty lump to get up and down stairs.

Regards Steve

I was going to ask if you could post a Youtube video of you carrying the LB16 in one piece Steve - that would be worth seeing

The bases are more awkward than the tubes I reckon

I was fairly impressed with the weight of the 12" mirror when I took it out for a clean - the 16" must bea a real lump

[simon955]

When I upgraded from a SE6 (which i still have) I went for a 12" manual dob. I love it, finding objects wasnt the problem I anticipated, ok its not as fast and easy as goto. By the time I input time date location in the celestron I have already found and observed 2 objects in the dob.

[Wobbly Bob]

I

Most 16" users and many 12" users fit wheels and wheely bars to their scopes to move them around.

You beat me to it John. Thats how i move my 10" about, I would also give the GOTO a miss, fit the Dob with a Telrad and go starhopping. The are many guides plus software that display the Telrad bullseye, possibly the best way to learn the sky IMO.

[swamp thing]

I was fairly impressed with the weight of the 12" mirror when I took it out for a clean - the 16" must bea a real lump

Yeah you wouldn't wanna drop it on ya foot:eek:

Regards steve