Just been doing a little research...
SkyWatcher 200mm (8") Dobsonian solid tube (model SW680):
- York Optical: $599
- Oz Scopes: $495
- Andrews Communications: couldn't find it on the website
SkyWatcher 200mm (8") Collapsible Dobsonian:
- York Optical: $649 (for a SkyWatcher SWFLEXDOB-8)
- Oz Scopes: $650 (for a SkyWatcher Black Diamond 8" Collabsible - model SKY-FLEXDOB-8)
- Andrews Communications: $499 (for a SkyWatcher FLEX-DOB BD 8")
I'm leaning towards getting a collapsible dobsonian because it is more compact and looks a lot cooler
. A few questions though...
I pulled the above information off the respective websites of each shop. For the collapsibe dobsonians I've listed, are these all the exact same SkyWatcher model? They seem to have slightly different model numbers and names??? Would getting one of these SkyWatcher collapsible dobs be a safe purchase? Are they well known and reliable?
Just thinking over the possible accessories I'd need to get. Perhaps someone could give me some advice on what accessories I'd most likely need straight away for the collapsibe dobsonian?
As I see it, I may very weel need to get certain accessories at the same time, being:
- Collimater device (to correct the mirrors before use)
- Light shroud (to keep out stray light)
- Barlow lens (the make everything bigger!)
These things will obviously add up in price and may put me off a bit. Can someone let me know how much these accessories are, and what is a good recommendation for a man on a budget?
Later stuff to buy may well include (???):
- Telgrad finder
- Right angle finder
- Replace the eye pieces for better quality ones
- Crayford focuser
- Camera attachment + lense to help camera focus into eyepiece
Any thoughts?
Well, hope someone can help me out here...