I can't answer your main question, Quokka, but I would like to point out that everyone here will tell you to go for the biggest aperture you can. The one thing they won't tell you is that there is a marked increase in weight as you increase the aperture, and that this can have a direct bearing on the convenience of moving the scope around and, ultimately, on how often you choose to use it. What I want to say is that this does not apply very much to the 6 vs 8 inch dobs . The image brightness is markedly greater in an 8 inch over a 6 inch dob, but the weight and size differences are not nearly as marked as, say, between an 8 inch and a 10 inch dob.
Basically, what I'm saying is that, although I don't believe bigger is always better, I do believe you don't save much in weight, size, or convenience by choosing a 6 inch rather than an 8 inch. That is, unless you have some physical limitation yourself.
Have you joined a club yet? That's the best way to tell. Good luck.
Cheers,
Brian.
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