hi everyone
thanks for the input
I have been to Bintel...which has really helped me after seeing all the scopes! I cant believe how big they get!
firstly...size of the scope/mount, and ability to set it up and pack it away easily, and ease of use, is something that is on the top of my list in combination with having a reasonable aperture (150mm is what seems the best compromise for me) to enable me to do some exploring.
so whilst i can see why everyone loves the Dobs, and they are cheap, i have ruled it out, as they are big and take up a lot of space (yes i know 'ease of use' gets the ticks...but it still takes up alot of space).
The scope that seems to be the best fit for me at this stage is the Skywatcher BD150X750 newtonian reflector or Bintel 6" f5 newtonian reflector (they tell me they are pretty much the same scope)
the tripod/mount can be folded away easily, and the scope put into a bag/box
the aspect i am confused about is the actual mount!??
and i am seeking input/advice on this if anyone can give me any
in the shop, the skywatcher BD150 was sitting on a EQ3 mount...($729)
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/...oductview.aspx.
in the shop, the Bintel 6" was sitting on a Celestron Advanced GT GOTO mount...($1,100)
both i guess can sit on either mount
Do i need a GOTO?...i am not really thinking it is crucial for me now, at this stage looking at planets, moon e.t.c is my main focus, and im sure i can find them easily enough...i also dont really think i will get into the photo side of things...so maybe it just adds another complexity to my ease of use/set up, pack away criteria
which maybe leaves me with the EQ3 mount
from looking at many posts on this site...a clear winner for ease of use seems to be the Alt/Az mount...and ease of use is one of my criteria
the guy in Bintel didnt really say there was a decent Alt/Az mount for this scope??
and on the Andrews site...the Skwatcher comes with the same EQ3 mount
so can anyone give me some advice on this??
1. would an Alt/Az mount really be more user friendly for me?? why do they not package them with one? could anyone recommend a different more user friendly mount than the EQ3 for this scope if that is the case? is the EQ3 less user friendly?
2. is there another reflector scope worth looking at which would be similar?
3. i still have really seen the SCT's as they only had one there....and he didnt really point me in that direction...should i keep exploring that option?
any advice really appreciated
thanks!