[Kokatha man]

Hi Mischa and Mike - I can sympathise with your thoughts Mischa; to Mike I would say that there are many people who just enjoy the visceral pleasures of "star-watching" and just want a "plonk and go" tool. Definitely no offence Mike - and I'm a 2 bob each way man; but a lot of people never get to actually enjoy AA, weighted down with everyone's expectations of "what they should do/get/use."

I've got a 10"dob and although manageable (glad I didn't get a 12") it is pushing the limits (I'm older but not too darn weaker - you should try getting up onto my viewing platform) and if you want optimum performance you need regular collimating with a newt: especially if it's bumped around a bit.

The only real question you need to ask yourself Mischa is do you want some sort of tracking ability - very handy when you ramp up the magnification, or for sharing views with others!

Some goto/tracking mounts are very simple whilst others need more sophisticated/involved setup procedures, and then there's the cost.

Can't comment on the maks but I can tell you (and reviews in IIS and other forums will confirm this) that the Skywatcher achromatic refractors deliver a darn good result regardless of some opinions: I've got an f8 150mm, but it seems the shorties are no slouches either - and much easier/better as "plonk and go's" than most anythimg else. Very forgiving of transport too.

The 100mm (or the 120/150mm shorties at very comp prices at Andrews) are an ideal scope for anyone who just wants to maximise their ability to just "get out there and be entranced."

Cheers, Darryl.