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stick with the motorised option no matter what anyone tells you.. and if you are getting anything larger than a 10inch, an SCT is easier to handle and better with tracking.. even my 12inch Meade lx90 tests my boundaries for weight.. anything heavier, would have stayed in the closet.. and I must tell you very frankly, my initial budget for a telescope was $15000.. but after careful consideration, I went for something that cost a third of my budget.. not due to economics, but due to ergonomics as a visual scope... Would I have loved a 16inch Meade lx200? Sure I would.. but would not have been able to lift it.. for me, I would consider a large scope if I had someone else in the house who was interested in astronomy (who will help me lift and set it up) or if I had a permanent observatory.. and also the larger your scope, especially with Dobsonian, the more expensive your eyepieces.. as all have very short focal ratios.. and manual tracking becomes a nightmare in large dobs for a beginner...
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