Quote:
Originally Posted by Hotdog
Of course all this works out quite a bit more expensive (and somewhat less versatile) than the standard beginner's Dob. It looks like $700-$800 for the OTA, and then of course I'd need a suitable mount too. I'm thinking alt-az for the sake of simplicity, but it'd need to be fairly heavy duty to support these 6-7kg telescopes, especially with high magnifications. Maybe an Skywatcher AZ4 or SkyTee, or a GSO/Bintel Sky View II, another $400 or so.
So, am I being foolish in considering a 150 mm Mak instead of a 250 mm Dob? Is there something else that would suit my situation better, for example a small ED refractor?
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Seems like you have thought this through and a 150mm Mak should provide years of enjoyment but i will add my 2c on these to queries.
As a Mak has a rather narrow FOV I would suggest going for slo-mo controls. The Sky View mounts appear quite good but you could also look at the Vixen Portamount or Saxon AZ4 which is a Portamount clone. I own the Skywatcher AZ4 and while it is very solid (mine has a 1.75" steel tripod) i find myself occasionally thinking slo-mo would make observing the planets easier. This is with a Megrez 90 that has a very generous FOV. For DSO's and panning the Milky Way it is superb and very smooth but balance is critical at high mags with planets.
Small ED refractors are also very nice but can be very expensive. If i were in your shoes i would buy one of the Synta 100ED's. Why? I love refractors. Pin sharp stars, wider FOV, better contrast, will reach ambient temp much faster etc. For $1099 with case, diagonal and an eyepice the Skywatcher may be worth a look. Sure you won't see as deep as the Mak will collect more light but this is lessened slightly due to the Mak's central obstruction. I was in a similar situation as you when i bought my Megrez 90 but i have a 12" dob to seriously observe DSO's so aperture was not as critical. Due to size restrictions my 12" lives out in the country at a dark site and the Megrez with me for grab n go stuff in the city. A 150mm Mak will likely be my third (and last) scope to squeeze that extra detail out of the planets. That would not be the case though if only i could afford that 5" refractor
Hope this helps.