12'' dob or 11'' cpc

[paul mc c]

Just wondered which would be your choice a 12'' Lightbridge or a Celestron 11 cpc,i know the price dosnt compare but for a telescope to keep for a very long time,which would you choose.

[brianb]

How much / how far to you have to move it? What objects are you most interested in observing? Do you have power at your site, or are you prepared to buy a decent large capacity deep cycle battery?

[paul mc c]

I will be using at home,from the garage to the lawn,power is ok,love deep sky but also love planets when around,i own a 12'' dob which i am very happy with but have got to thinking about the SCT with the view to have something permantly set up.

[Doc]

There is alot of difference in the price as well. Are you willing to do a few DIY jobs as well as the LB will need some.

C11 with watec or minitron and a remote set up.

[paul mc c]

I have mods done on the LB ie springs,bobsnobs shroud ect i am not fussed on imaging i would rather sketch what i see the c11 is previously owned so price wouldnt be as new.

[ollypenrice]

I was using our 10 inch SCT visually the other night. I don't take it out that much these days. The planetary views are pretty good but even with a 26 Nagler I felt very limited by the narrow field. It is compact and convenient but so restricted as to field of view. I found it frustrating.

Olly

[brantuk]

If you're into sketching then for planets use the Sct, for dso's use the LB. It's not a rule - just a comment on general use. Check out Talitha's (Carol Lakomiak) column in Sky at Night magazine and her equipment. She's used Sct's and /Maks for years and just got a 16" LB. I think you're going to want one of each lol

[twotter]

I'm going to vote for the 12" dob as the long term prospect.

Aperture rules (obviously ), but it is the simplicity of the dob that gives it the edge for me. Any maintenance issues are likely to be easier, not to mention cheaper, to deal with.

In any case, after <insert favourite end of civilisation scenario> there won't be any electicity for the CPC, and the dark skies will be fantastic!

[Rusty Strings]

If you're intending a remote system with a watec or mintron video camera, then aperture isn't the issue it is with observing. The cameras internally stack a number of images before sending them out to a TV/laptop, the result is a far brighter more detailed image. I recently heard someone describe a 5" refractor with a mintron having the effective light grasp of a 16" reflector. Sure a 16" reflector with a mintron would be better but you need an equatorial mount an that would be very impractical.

I'd go with the C11 on an EQ mount.

[swamp thing]

Hi

If you love the 12" Dob and are not fussed on imaging then personally I wouldn't even consider the 11".

Regards Steve

[paul mc c]

Thanks everyone for the advice,as i say i like the simplicity of the dob,i owned a 8'' sct before that which was a great scope,but the difference in light the dob gives and the wide field views just dont compare.

I suppose" the grass is always greener on the other side" story got me thinking about the c11, but i think i will stick with the dob in the end and get a obsy to keep it in.

Many thanks Paul