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Clive, I'll get a pic tomorrow morning for you, PM me your email address and I'll email it through... I'm hoping to hit M16 as my first target for the 8" RC, this will be tackling one of the darker targets in the sky, the only issue with regards to comparing that result with say, your potential results or DSLR users is that my ST9 is VERY sensitive.. (one of the reasons I wasnt phased about the scope being F/8, with a large obstruction.) I do look forward to getting to know this scope... And sure, they do need a little money spent to bring them up to a perfectly workable imaging system, there are cheaper ways to fix these problems.. You could upgrade to a different focuser and have a flange made to fit between the focuser and the OTA.. Using something like the WO SCT focuser, you'd be looking at less than half the cost of the feather touch upgrade.. As for balancing the scope, ADM accessories sell a 3.5lb counterweight that will clamp to the vixen dovetail rail for US$59. With that fitted to the front of the dovetail I think that would provide plenty of weight to balance the scope... TrevorW had a good idea too.... He used a dovetail clamp with a 60mm finder scope converted as a guide scope using Orion SSAG attached to the front of the scopes dovetail to balance it up.. A great plan in my opinion...
I think with regards to guiding regimes, you'd find that with your G11, guiding this 8" F/8 scope would be easier than your 12" F/5 scope. Consider the fact that the RC OTA weighs in at slightly less than 7kgs, and has a 1624mm focal length, where as the 12" would weigh closer to 20~25kgs with rings etc, and a focal length of 1500mm... The focal length is similar, but the extreme weight difference would definitely make life easier... The mount would be under much less load, and therefor should perform better... wind would be less of a problem..
That was my thinking when I bought it.. its 126mm shorter F/L than my C11 @ F/6.3, but weighs less than half... making life easier all round.
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