Quote:
Originally Posted by catweazel
hello
I'm a beginner, but want to start with something respectable and fairly easy to setup.
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If you're going to observe with others a 10" dobsonian will show you just as much as a 10" fork mount Meade and be much easier to set up and move. The lack of goto wouldn't be missed if other observers are there to help with finding objects.
If your heart is set on a schmidt cassegrain, take the 12" off the list - too heavy. If you're fit and strong the fork mount C11 is an easy scope to use (optical tube and fork weigh ~65 pounds). Next choice would be the Meade 10"LX90 at about 50 pounds for the fork and optical tube.
The Meade and Celestron goto systems are both easy to use. The Meade acf optics show much nicer stars towards the edge of the field of view but the image in the middle of the field of view is the same. I'd go with the largest aperture (widest scope) that you are comfortable carrying. I wouldn't recommend a goto equatorial mount for a beginner.