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manageability Matt... A 24kg, 1.5m long OTA is a hassle and a half. a 12.4kg 60cm long OTA isn't a worry in the world. Price of the Newt was attractive, but add in the cost of custom made rings / couple of extra counter weights etc. etc.. Sure its not $3600 but its still getting up there. Collimation is something that even after having done it a few times now, its still annoying to have to do it regularly, and tricky at times..
Finally I also wanted whichever large aperture scope I bought to be used for visual work/planetary imaging and DSO imaging. A 12" Newt on an EQ6 is not an observers dream, and DSO imaging would be out of the question due to the weight of the tube alone being right on the EQ6's limit. guide scope/camera/guide cam etc etc.. you're asking for headaches.. And for DSO's you need to shorten the tube in order to reach focus, however for planetary/observing, that modification is not exactly the best of plans...
It finally came down to the choice of a Meade 12" LX200 ACF or the Celestron C11. Meade = more expensive/heavier and according to many reviews, whilst they are great scopes, the quality compared to the C11 is somewhat lacking...
The 11" SCT + guide scope/guide cam/QHY8/side by side bar etc comes in lighter than the 12" OTA alone.
It was a tough decision... but I am quite sure I've made the right decision based on budget and planed useage of the scope...
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