|
Hi Jessica,
Andrews Comms has the Nexstar 8SE for $2699 which isnt a heavy (Equatorial mounts are VERY HEAVY) GEM mount and is almost as big as the 10" dob you had. Because you can lock on to an object and it tracks after an easy alignment procedure and without having to polar align it first, you will have more time viewing and less setting up etc.
With the GOTO function and the nice compact size, the 8SE is pretty good value and the SCT can magnify quite a bit more than other 8" scopes of the same aperture.
I have heard a lot of good things about the orange tube Celestrons and a lot of owners rave about how good they are AND the whole thing including the tripod only weighs 15kg so it should be light and portable for you.
That's where I would spend the dosh if I were you.
Cheers
Chris
|