I would appreciate some feedback to counter the path I'm on. Is my thinking crazy?
Background. Twenty years ago I owned an Intes 150mm Mak and a Vixen Super Polaris mount. It was good fun and only used for visual. Long story but moved back to America (no comments on that pls
) and sold it. Now back in Australia for good and thinking about my next (last?) purchase to get back into the hobby. This time I plan to mix it up with imaging as well as visual observing from the farm in Johanna, VIC (dark skies, though 1km from the Southern Ocean so could be challenging wrt seeing). I might even build a small shed with roll-off roof so I can leave it configured between observing sessions.
I'm searching for a used Tak TSA-120 and am thinking of buying new an iOptron CEM60. There doesn't seem to be anyone who's owned this scope that hasn't loved it. When I've bought the best quality I could afford at the time, I've rarely regretted it, so that's what I have in mind now. If I need to sell the gear later for some reason, I reckon the value would be relatively well preserved. I think the mount might be overkill, but it would give me flexibility in future.
I don't intend to focus solely on particular targets, e.g. planets, deep-sky, etc. but instead want a good all-rounder that will grow with me as I re-develop some of those lost skills.
So-- Crazy or rational?
dave