Is 12" worth it in a light polluted area? + Should I get another goto telescope?
Hello,
I currently own a tiny little 6" telescope lol. But I love that thing and had it for over a year now so I'm looking to upgrade. Every forum says we should go for the largest aperture we can purchase but I wonder if a 12" is worth it in a light polluted area as the price jump from 10" to 12" is huge. I live in the suburbs so I think it's like a bortle 7 or so. I don't take my telescope when I travel so I'm only a backyard astronomer.
Even though I'm looking at buying the Skywatcher collapsible dob, I think it would be very bulky and heavy. I'm a petite girl and I find my current telescope quite difficult to carry (but then again I try to store and also carry it in one piece) and often have my dad help me with it. But as you can probably tell I have caught the aperture fever so the 12" sounds very tempting to me so I'm willing to make sacrifices haha. I still want to be realistic though because there's no point in buying a telescope that will sit and collect dust because of its weight. I haven't seen a 12" telescope before so I really don't know how big they are.
Btw with my current telescope I can't move it around by hand if I want to. Would I be able to do that with the Skywatcher goto dobsonians? I thought I'd be able to do that with my current telescope but I was disappointed when I couldn't. I actually prefer locating objects by myself as I'm trying to learn the sky, but at the same time what if I want to see other objects in the sky which I don't know how to find! Do you think my 6" computerised telescope will do the job just fine if that happens? I want to make the right decision, computerised telescopes aren't cheap and I don't really have a steady income yet
The 12" SW GoTo collapsible Dob is a big heavy beast; I would go for the 10",
you'll love it, and yes you can move it by hand. Which ever one you choose,
if you need help from your dad with the 6", you'll most certainly need help with it.
raymo
IMHO if greater aperture and associated benefits are your aim, doubling it should be the absolute minimum. Even then, objects will only be twice as big, at the same brightness. Keep that I mind when planning for the logistics around using and storing a 12" dob.
I’ve owned a 10” dob which was used in Sydney under Bortle 8 skies and enjoyed great views of planets , moon, clusters etc.... a great scope !!
I currently have a Skywatcher 12” Goto dob which I use down at my dark site Bortle 3 to 4 skies and the views are unbelievable complimented with my range of Televue eye pieces
I can manage my 12” with a parcel trolley ok but it’s only being moved out of the garage and plonked down 8 metres away on a concrete driveway
I’m nearly 60 , weigh 70kgs and in good health
Sounds like a 10” Goto would be more than suitable depending on your site conditions( level or incline, type of ground, concrete, pavers , grass , pebbles etc.. ) distance from storage location to observing location) and storage facility
I don’t think you will see a huge difference between the 12” to the 10” in Bortle 8 skies
Agree with Raymo , I’d suggest the 10” Goto dob and consider your site conditions etc...
Thumbs up to the Skywatcher dobs , once levelled and 2 star aligned , their Goto and tracking are excellent
Hope the above helps
to IIS You joined over a year ago, but this is your first post!
If we knew a little more about your backyard, we could offer better advice. We could offer you some solutions on how to make a scope easier to move about, even if you are petit You may find a solution that could leave dad alone Inexpensive solutions too. Together you could find a 10" may suit you better, or it could be a 12".
I'll be sending you a private message shortly.
Alex.
Last edited by mental4astro; 26-06-2019 at 08:54 PM.
I suggest for ease of use and phenomenal views a 100mm refractor ,Aperture isn’t always the best way you get the best enjoyment out of this wonderful hobby,I live in Sydney so you shouldn’t be far away and I’m willing to let you and your father come to my house and view through my stuff before you make a decision
I have the 10" collapsible Goto dob from SkyWatcher
I love it to bits. I've only had it a year, so am still learning
Some observations.
I'm 5"8 and lugging the base around is best with help. I'm planning on making wheels to help that
The tube itself is ok but can be a bit cumbersome of traveling.
As you mentioned you only stay in the backyard, this would be less of an issue.
I found the Goto works well and you can move by hand, although with a little force. Slewing with the hand controller is fairly quick though as speed is adjustable for rapid or fine movement.
I have a few pic in my Astrobin account (link in sig.), taken through my scope with a phone. Should give an idea of what I can see.
Happy to answer any questions you may have, but I find the 10" is a good mix of size and performance.
Hi Cygnus,
A lot depends on how bright your backyard really is.
A 12" dob will show you galaxies that your 6" won't, but the view may well be yuk compared to out at a dark sky site, because the background is brightened too. Your 6" may actually give you more pleasing views at a dark site than the 12" in a light polluted back yard.
I've never owned a computerised telescope, as I can't see the point of them. I use sky atlases instead. You current 6" should easily be able to show you around 500 or more of the brighter deep sky objects from your backyard. Have you seen them all yet?
Some DSOs like planetary nebulas are tough to see without a narrow-band/UHC filter, particularly the small ones (by "blinking" the filter). And that narrowband filter makes normal emission nebula more contrasty, as if you had a bigger telescope.
One final point - when the telescope is a struggle to pull out and set up - Netflix or YouTube suddenly becomes a lot more attractive.
Regards,
Renato
I have had a 10'' dob and could not wait to get rid of it field curvature constant nudging etc, have a look through a refractor around the 4'' mark before decisions made,Easy to set up and pull down so used often .
Easiest way to find out before buying would be to visit one of the Astro clubs observing nights and specifically find a similar 12” dob, see what it can show, what it’s like to set up, and how big/heavy.
IMHO the larger aperture scopes are most suitable if you have a dark sky site where aperture is everything for DSOs. In suburbia there’s not a lot to be gained by going beyond an 8-10” aperture - the usual targets are moon, planets, clusters etc. where magnification really counts. Hence my choice of scope.
The other aspect in suburbia is the best scope is one you like to use - a lot - to many that means quick and easy to set up.
Thank you so much for your helpful responses everyone! I think quoting everyone would make it confusing to read so I'll just reply on this post
The photos from the 10" Skywatcher dob that TwistedRider posted are very nice. I'm starting to think that maybe a 10" telescope would be better for me because of its size and everything else, but I'll still try to look at a 12" telescope if I can and then make a decision. I still have some time left to decide. I checked a light pollution map and it says that the area I live in is Bortle 7. I don't go to any dark sites but I may do that in the future though.
I'll look into getting a trolley, that would make life so much easier. The area I use my telescope in has solid ground and the place I'll be storing my new telescope in won't be too far from there. My 6" telescope requires carrying it a longer distance as I store it inside the house and that is something I definitely won't be doing with the new one!
Also, I wish I could get a refractor telescope! They're just so expensive For now I just want to explore the sky and see a bit better than what I'm able to see now so my focus is larger aperture and some new equipment to make my experience better
I have two questions for ya'll, what size is your telescope/your most used telescope (if you have more than one)? And what are some must have equipment/upgrades for a telescope that you can't do without?
Do you have a Celestron 6SE or something of that ilk?
My most used telescope is a 4" refractor, it's far from cheap but the views it throws up are great. I also live under bortle 7 skies and usually limit myself to looking at planets, the moon, double stars and star clusters (mostly open star clusters) because these four objects aren't really affected by light pollution.
A 5" refractor under bortle 3 skies will show more detail in galaxies and go deeper (show fainter things) than a 12" under bortle 7 skies.
So, I'd say it depends on where your interests lie in what you'd like to be observing?
As an overall useful go-to I'd suggest the 10". It'll be a significant step up from the 6" but the components aren't too difficult to move around. Although I haven't done it with a dob but with two different telescopes moving from an 8" to 10" wasn't just simply an increase in 2" of size but a near doubling weight! When go-to gets added it becomes really noticeable. I've had a 16" push-to dob and a 12" go-to dob, and the 16" was easier to transport and move around and took up similar amounts of space.
Welcome, Cygnus !
A 12" scope can be useful in a light polluted area, as long it is transportable.
When you can dismantle it quickly, put in in your car and drive to Blue Mountains or even closer (e.g. Springwood) and stay a weekend there, you have lots of fun with the galactic center almost overhead in mid winter.
When you have a wheel cart, you can move your Dob easily through your backyard.
There's not a lot of difference between the 8" and the 10" in terms of "luggability". You really notice the jump to the 12" and it seems a much bigger telescope for some reason. Better views of course.
I have only recently gotten into astronomy and after much research my fist scope is a Skywatcher 10 inch collapsible dobsonian telescope.
I bought it second hand and it is Great! I live in a suburban area with a lot of light pollution and I am amazed at what I can see. I have also taken it to a darker sky area and it was mind blowing! It is easily transported. The tube collapses to easily fit in the boot or across the back seat of my sedan and the Dob base sits nicely in the front passenger seat.
I don’t have a lot of experience with other scopes but I have been really happy with this scope. I modified the base to include a Lazy Susan bearing and built a stand to raise the height of the scope (I’m over 6 feet tall) and also use a collapsible trolley to easily manoeuvre it on its stand all in one piece.
I have a 12" Dob, a 10" Dob and a 110mm refractor. Each has its advantages. A 12" Dob is the handling limit for a fit, normal sized man. So, if you're a "petite" girl, it's too big. Unless ......... I fitted "wheelbarrow" handles and lawnmower wheels to my mount and virtually eliminated setup time and effort. Of course you need a concrete pad or timber deck, with concrete paths and no steps from the storage point. You can source DIY info for such setups on the internet.
A 10" Dob sounds like a better option. I got mine when my leg was amputated and I could no longer pull the 12" apart to get it into the car for travel to dark sky sites. My wife can (just) carry and assemble the 10". The 110mm refractor is, of course, easier to set up. But it would cost about twice as much as the 10" and doesn't have the same light-gathering power (which definitely can be used in a light-polluted city).
I would question the advantages of the collapsible Dobs. Yes, they can be broken down into smaller pieces, but this requires setup/dismantling time. Every minute of setup/dismantling time is a disincentive and hence I suspect it would thus be used less, unless you're very keen. Also, there may be issues with keeping dust off the mirror and they also cost a bit more than the solid-tube versions of the same scope.
As others have suggested, try to get a look at all the alternatives at a star party or at least go to a scope shop, where you can see the alternatives side-by-side. Good luck!
I have had big SCTs (C9.25 and CPC1100), small Maks (SE4 and Mak6") and a range of others,
I have used them in my backyard and at very dark sites.
Recently, I have had a 10" SW (Skywatcher) collapsible DOB.
Sold it and bought a 12" SW Collapsible DOB with GoTo
Sold it and bought another 10" SW Collapsible DOB with Argo Navis.
The 10" SW collapsible DOB is my favourite. And the cheapest.
It gives better views than even the 11" SCT.
The 12" GoTo was proving just too heavy for me.
The 10" (non-GoTo) is easy to setup and move and store.
NOTE: SW Collapsibles do NOT take any extra time to setup.
They are Not like a Truss tube scope. (ie: They collapse, not come apart)
And they hold collimation pretty damn good even over bumpy roads.
One of my first scopes was a SW 8" Newtonian (solid tube ) on EQ5 mount.
I would never recommend that to anyone.
So much harder to move around than a SW collapsible.
As previously mentioned, you need to visit someone with it and pick it up and try it out.
You can come and have a go with mine if you want to.
(I'm surprised no one closer has offered.)
Finally, the Argo system is the best.
Its push to, so no heavy motors on your Alt and Az axis.
That makes a huge difference in weight. (Why I sold my GoTo).
And its Southern Hemisphere friendly. Made right here in NSW. (Thanks Gary).
Good luck with your choices. (Don't got EQ mount if you want to do visual)
PM me if you want more info.
Regards
Allan
to IIS 
You joined over a year ago, but this is your first post! 
Inexpensive solutions too. Together you could find a 10" may suit you better, or it could be a 12".
For now I just want to explore the sky and see a bit better than what I'm able to see now so my focus is larger aperture and some new equipment to make my experience better 
