Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley
Wow, sounds like a very memorable experience. I've never owned a Dob and I am interested in getting one. What would you recommend? I am thinking around the 12 inch size and not too heavy.
Greg.
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Hi Greg,
I know you've always bought hi quality refractors and are well aware that you "get what you pay for" with optical equipment.
What's your rough budget and timeframe? Do you just want to get something "reasonable" so you can use a dob and see if it's something you want to put more money into to get a good one down the track for visual use, or do you want to dive in at the deep end and get a high quality one straight off. Obviously a $2,000 12" Skywatcher or GSO isn't the equal of a 12" Zambuto mirrored SDM with Servocat. A $10k plus SDM isn't 5 times better than a $2k Skywatcher, or GSO, but it is certainly better in every respect, including optics, smoothness of motion, tracking and longevity. You can also get a mass produced Asian built scope pretty quickly. You will wait a couple of years for an SDM with a Zambuto mirror. SDM's do come up 2nd hand on Icetrades "occasionally" at bargain prices.
Cheers
John B