Thread: I'm baaack
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Old 24-07-2005, 12:12 PM
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Starkler (Geoff)
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Melbourne
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Welcome back

What do you get by buying a cheap eq mounted scope over spending the same amount on a dobsonian?
  • less intuitive and more difficult pointing. Having to rotate the tube and contort yourself into odd positions to look into the eyepiece.
  • a much heavier and more cumbersome setup due to counterweights etc
  • a less stable platform causing wobbles and difficult focusing. Using such a scope at high magnifications will be frustrating.
  • less money being devoted to aperture and optics. You really want the most aperture you can afford.
  • Ok you do get tracking but forget astrophotography with such mounts, its really not hard to track with a dob after a small amount of practice

There seems to be a perception that a dobsonian is a poor mans scope that is lacking. This is unfortunate. Why throw any of the limited resources into a crappy cheap mount and make life difficult for yourself?

There is certainly one scope you should NOT buy. The fr1400x150 acheives its 1400mm focal length by means of a built in plastic barlow and has a spherical mirror ie it is optical trash definately to be avoided.

Last edited by Starkler; 24-07-2005 at 12:28 PM.
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