Thanks for all your advice, guys. So I haven't had a chance to get out to the shop to have a look at these scopes in person, but from what you've all said, at this point I'm looking at:
- 10" SW dob for $639 - portable
- 10" collapsible SW dob for $850 - very portable
- 12" SW dob for $760 - awkward
- 12" collapsible SW dob for $1500 - expensive
Gotta say I'm leaning towards the 12" full tube anyway but I can only make the decision after I have a feel of one. Is it THAT much bulkier and heavier than the 10?
Could I ask you guys to also address my query about eyepieces and filters? That definitely affects my decision in terms of expense. I am sure everyone has a different opinion, particularly on eyepieces, but I'd like to know how much I should be spending on them with my purchase - how many, Barlow, what types, what brands, etc. Particularly given my vision:
I don't know if it is relevant, but I am very short-sighted (-12) and have poor night vision with quite a bit of fuzz/static in my visual field (hence the desire for a larger aperture - even with a 12" I won't see quite the dazzling view that some of you blokes do - the static "interference" in my visual field means that stars that are less bright are very difficult to distinguish from the static.) The reason I mention this is particularly because the shortsightedness means I am unable to, for example, use my binoculars without glasses on - it won't turn enough to focus clearly for me. Will this be a problem with eyepieces on the scope?
Kind regards
deepskybondi
