Thanks for the heads up Screwdriverone, but I really do not go for the mail order stuff. I have very limited time,and dearly love to browse, so I thought the 10" @ $549 still good value, and I used it that very night. I would be devestated if I waited a week for something and the mirror was broken in transit or something. I would like a 12", but think I might hire one for planned nights. The 10" alone is one heavy cannon to lug into the backyard even I find, I am going to glenc's wheel thread he mentioned (thanks for that) to apply the principal to the 10". Us old fellas can't lift like we used to LOL
Although I didn't realise that the 12" was less bending over, wish I had known that as that would certanly have been a major consideration, but as I said, locally the 12" was more than double the price of the 10", and I was told the difference was not at the eyepiece, but
the eypiece at that size. Can anyone clarify/expand on that? I spent the differerence between a 10 and a 12 on a set of Meade eyepieces, good compass, filters and a 3x barlow, which it seems woks real well with my new 14mm eyepiece. Not a patch on some of the closeups I have seen on the photography section in here, but I assume there is a few tricks for a beginer to learn to get that close. It dead set looks like some members have flown, landed on the moon, and spent a few days in Jupiters orbit with camera in hand!!! The Hubble would be jealous!! The talent here amazes me.
I must say I am more than happy with the 10". I am just amazed at messier objects, and I really am taken with the large eyepiece, although I only have a 32mm, it really is impressive on clusters and the like. I have never seen the Milky Way in the way that my Dob showed it to me. I really was amazed (and continue to remain that way). The range of eyepieces is just great too, they offer a very satisying diversity.