Scope recommendations?

[Finski]

I've only ever owned a 6" and 10" dobsonian scope, I had to let go of my 10" a while back but want to get back into star gazing, I need something more portable so I was looking for recommendations for a scope I could hopefully find second hand.

What sort of scope would be a significant and worthwhile step up from my 10x50 binoculars? Any suggestions would be great!

[mura_gadi (Steve)]

If you were happy with what the 6" had to offer, I think the 6" goto table top recommended by Martin(I think) is the bench mark to beat.

For portability, functionality, aperture and price it represents a great option against a lot of criteria.


Steve
https://www.astroanarchy.com.au/tele...so_Dob150.html

[barryehc (Barry)]

Originally Posted by Finski

I've only ever owned a 6" and 10" dobsonian scope, I had to let go of my 10" a while back but want to get back into star gazing, I need something more portable so I was looking for recommendations for a scope I could hopefully find second hand.

What sort of scope would be a significant and worthwhile step up from my 10x50 binoculars? Any suggestions would be great!

For being portable it's hard to beat the Schmidt Cassegraine design. One of the eight inch size would be a start. The problem with binoculars is that they have a great field of view, hard to match in a telescope.
barry

[glend (Glen)]

Can you clarify your objectives? If you were happy with the Dobs, you may find any sort of SCT expensive and complicated, requiring a tracking mount really to get the next out of it, then there is the fact that they are dew magnets, requiring corrector heaters, etc etc.
In my experience a 8" f5 Dob is a sweet spot, plenty of reach, light enough to handle, no mount required for visual use. If you want to go do imaging, then a 8" f5 Newt is also a great alrounder.

[Eldest_Sibling (Alan)]

Originally Posted by Finski

What sort of scope would be a significant and worthwhile step up from my 10x50 binoculars? Any suggestions would be great!

At minimum in a refractor, an 80mm, at f/6 and above; although, a 70mm achromat at f/13 would challenge the 80mm, and for several reasons, like this Meade of my own...

https://i.imgur.com/JLcRCBX.jpg

In a Newtonian, a 114mm f/8...

https://i.imgur.com/QqTFWfw.jpg

...albeit with a sphere, yet at f/8.

Incidentally, those are the old designs, from the 1600s, and from where most of the telescopes you see online originated, including the two I've shown.

Maksutov- and Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes are modern, enhanced types of the classical-Cassegrain from the 1600s; the Maksutov originating in 1941, and the Schmidt in the 1950s. Have you ever had either one of those?

It's interesting in that there have been no truly new designs of telescopes since the 1600s.

[Startrek (Martin)]

My youngest daughters father in law just bought a Skywatcher 8” Goto dob from Andrews for $1600 including some eye pieces ( my recommendation to him ) He’s 71 years old and uses a small collapsible parcel trolley to move it from the garage to his observing position 5m away
He absolutely loves using it ( prior to that he had a 10” Bintel GSO push nudge manual Dob which was getting to difficulty to move around )
It collapses into a compact unit and easily fits in the back of his small Mitsubishi SUV ( if he chooses to go to a dark site )
Best bang for buck
Alignment takes 10min
Goto works well , just minor centering to do
Optics are good
He has both ends of the market in regard to eye pieces Skywatcher Plössl’s 10mm, 25mm and Televue Nagler 22mm , Delite 7mm , GSO superview 30mm

Thoroughly recommend the 8” Goto collapsible

Cheers
Martin

PS: I have a Skywatcher 12” Goto dob at my dark site ( a beast compared to the little 8” )