[QUOTE=davidpretorius
My second project like so many other dob guys is to try and motorize the dob (both movement and focusing) to be able to "goto". My feeling is that I will have to buy Mick Pinners equatorial Mount after giving up in disgust and asimov can say "you youngsters, I told you so!"[/QUOTE]
No David, I never will say 'I told you so'. Everyone need's to learn their own way. I never had any advise from anyone when I got into this, all the choice's Iv'e made thus far, have been my own doing. It's the 'hind-sight' thing.....Oh if only I hadn't bought that...hadn't done this & so on. Had there been such a thing as a dob back in my day, I dare say I would have gone down that road too. But I just know....EVENTUALLY I would have up-graded to an EQ mount.
Even if it has no tracking motor on it, I feel if you HAVE to 'nudge' a scope to follow the object....then I would rather be nudging the damn thing on ONE axis, rather than TWO!
A little story for ya: Age 14, I made my 8" reflector on EQ mount....ground our own primary as well (Which turned out to be NOT figured properly = RS view's) Came across an 8" for-sale coupla years later....but it was on a altazimuth mount (a bit like a dob)..... bought it. The mirror was FANTASTIC! Used it as it was for awhile (on the Alt. mount) Now after using an EQ mount, this Alt. mount was a real pain to use! Why put up with this crap when Iv'e got an EQ mount!!?! So I swapped the optic's over, & sold the Alt reflector I bought, with my crappy mirror in it.
But hey! This is your first scope Dave! Just get out there & enjoy it, & the skie's, ok?? Lets face it....If youv'e never used an EQ mount....you wont know what your missing, therefore the dob will be a joy to use!!
I find it real hard to give advise or give my opinion, because 9 times out of 10 someone will say...'I dont agree with that' Well, I'm not asking them to agree, lol....Just reporting the fact's as I know them, or as it happened to me.