[Iddon]

Have read the previous posts - great advice there especially the one leading to the 8" Dobs - thanks.

Have set myself about a $1000 budget. Initial plan is to limit myself and use this first scope for at least a year before buying something more serious once I know the ropes (and once I know that I will stick with the program!)

So this is a learning scope, and I would like to learn the full range of finding and tracking techniques and methods. This being the case, my initial inclination is for a reasonable Newtonian on a suitable EQ mount - however I would be happy to hear from the community if you think that the full range of skills and techniques can be learnt on a Dobs.

My initial and rather uneducated (naive) intent is to use Star Atlas Pro to assist learning the sky, and to take initial lessons from there out onto the scope. Is this a good technique? And is doing this more effective with a Dobs or a Newt-EQ ??

I do like the idea of measuring angles and using 'navigation' techniques to find my way around the sky, rather than only doing 'hopping', however, as I said, this my be a naive view as I am yet to practice any of this.

I can live with an inferior view during this learning phase, knowing that if hooked, in a year or so will move up to something more sophistocated.

So my initial pluck is between the following:
Celestron Starhopper 8" for about $800
Celestron C6N on CG4 EQ - about $770 (150x750mm)
Guan Sheng GS-660 200mm x 800mm $1000
SkyWatcher 200X1000PEQ5 $999.00 (have read a poor review..)
OP500 Optex 150x750 $995

I have heard the GS-660 has decent optics.....
So, does my plan above warrant one of the Newtonian EQ scopes, or is the Dobs still the way to go ?