Hi there! I am new of IIS which seems to be a great forum!
A bit of background on me: I am not totally new to astronomy having practised it in my teens and 20s with a refractor (75mn, equatorial mount). My experience is mostly in the northern hemisphere. I now live in the southern Adelaide hills where I have a good night sky to the south east.
I am now very keen to return to astronomy, but I am experiencing the typical beginner's dilemma in relation to what to buy. Having done some web research, I am set on a dobsonian because it delivers decent aperture for reasonable prices. I also like its simplicity of use. I am leaning towards Sky-Watcher because of the consistent positive reviews I have seen on the web. A collapsible seems a good option as I have limited storage room in my garage. I have a budget of $1500 to $2000, including accessories.
Here are my options as I see them:
- Buy a SW 10" GOTO for $1499 (Andrews Comm.)
- Buy a SW 12" manual for $1299 (Andrews)
- Spend an extra $500 and buy a SW 12" GOTO for $1999 (Andrews)
At this stage I feel that I should get the 10 GOTO, but I am sill unsure. Here are my questions:
- Is there a very noticeable difference between a 10" and a 12" Dobs in terms of performance?
- Is GOTO a big advantage compared to manual for someone like me who is relatively unfamiliar with the southern skies but not very tech minded. In other words is GOTO straightforward in terms of set up and use?
- Does at 12" fit in a Corolla sedan?
- I am set on Sky-Watcher but should I consider other brands?
Sorry for the long post. I would be very appreciative of your help and advice.
Cheers,
Eric