[floyd_2 (Dean)]

Hi Colin,
I'm lucky enough to own three scopes now. Each has a different purpose.

10" Meade LX200GPS SCT: Great for visual, but I use it almost solely for photography. A lot of people seem to grow out of SCT scopes when they move on to photography and head towards refractors on a GEM.

80mm Stellarvue Refractor: Can be used for visual but has limited deep sky use. Great for bright objects, but 80mm has limited resolving power. Used mostly as a guidescope on my LX200GPS, but also as an awesome grab and go. Lovely scope - but I think you would very quickly grow out of an 80mm as your primary scope. If you're observing in the suburbs and intend to use filters like UHC or OIII, an 80mm isn't really pulling in enough light and objects will appear very dull.

14" Truss Dobsonian with Navigation Comp (like an argo): Not for photography. Awesome for deep sky and bright objects alike. Excellent resolving power and about the biggest scope one person can handle with ease.

I guess at the end of the day you need to think about what you want to do in astronomy. If you're a deep sky enthusiast, you should probably consider the largest dob that you can afford and handle. Aperture is king. Certainly an Argo is a huge help for beginners and seasoned astronomers alike. You can spend more time observing, and less time reading charts and star hopping.

The other big consideration for me has always been portability. If it's difficult / heavy to move and set up, you'll probably think twice about observing each time.

It's a tough decision you have to make, and you have a great budget. I'm sure you'll have a great time with the guys and their scopes. I guess your other alternative is to buy a scope to suit your current needs, and then trade up as your needs change rather than trying to purchase a scope that can fit the bill for all purposes.

Don't forget to set aside some money for eyepieces and accessories like filters, collimation gear etc.

Dean