Quote:
Originally Posted by vanwonky
OK. Off tomorrow to check some out.
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speaking as somebody who bought their first scope less than 6 months ago, I feel I can add some value to your decision making process there.
I (more or less) followed conventional wisdom and bought a nice dobsonian telescope. I failed to follow conventional wisdom in that I bought a 10 inch rather than an 8 inch. As a result, I've found that while it gives wonderful views, it is quite heavy, making it difficult to move around the backyard, and does take a bit of time to set up (because I'm anal about proper collimation). It is also somewhat of a waste, as all it's light gathering power is overwhelmed by the light pollution of the area I'm in.
As a result, the Dalek is going to be saved for the times when I can head down to my astro group's dark sky site once or twice a month, and I'm getting myself a small(ish) refractor on an alt-az mount for grab and go suburban viewing of the planets, moon and brighter objects. This refractor may later be used for the first stages of astrophotography.
In a roundabout sort of way, I'm trying to point out that if you get involved in this hobby for a reasonable length of time, chances are you'll end up with more than one scope.
To ensure that you STAY in the hobby for a reasonable length of time, have a real long think about whether you really want anything bigger than 8 inches for your first scope. It makes a helluvah difference.
It also needs to be said that my dad still calls me "Mr Puny-verse" so your mileage may vary.
