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Andrew, I agree with the others, the ED80, while nice as a grab & go and good for Atsrophotography, doesn't have much light gathering power.
A good starting point is something around 8 inches (200mm) of aperture.
I don't really understand why you think a dob would be unsuitable, they are simple to use and maintain and provide the best value for your dollars. A $400 8 inch dob will give as views as good or better than a $3000 SCT.
There are a number of groups around the state, I suggest you get along to one of the regular new moon get togethers and have a look through some of the equipment before making a choice.
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