Ok so trawling around i have narrowed my first telescope choice focus to most likely be an 8" dob. I am aware of their advantages for a beginner such as myself, but how do they go when you are trying to set one up on uneven ground? as i am very green i have no idea how top heavy an 8" or 10" Dob would be?
I also would like to dabble a little with astrophotography with my canon are dobsonians not ideal for this? Is it true that refractors are better suited?
And is the dobsonian hole an annoying problem for people? Its a big universe there is always something to look at yes?
Also what are peoples experiences with buying second hand equipment from this site and others? I am thinking that for the price of a new 8" or 10" DOB i might be able to get an equivalent powered second hand scope on a GEM. I was reading something about mirrors needing to be recoated?
Thanks dave I have been reading through a few of the articles including the two part "how to select your first telescope" article and read a few of the reviews of some scopes. Based on peoples replies to threads such as mine i landed on a dobsonian however since realizing the prices of scopes in the US i have opened up my options now to some computerized models that are not as massive as a dob.
Im heading the advice of the mantra in the above mentioned article "the best scope is the one that allows you to see the most objects and the scope that you see the most objects with is the one you will use the most."
Dobs are the weapon of choice for many visual observers, generally if you want to photograph hen a driven equatorial mount is usually used, quick grabs of the moon and Jupiter can be had with a dob, but don't expect the close up sort of images of Jupiter.
Second hand can be hit and miss, you need to know the value of an item, just because its second hand doesnt mean its cheap, I tend to try to buy from those I know, those I don't particularly well, if they are a regular poster, chances are they know someone who will vouch for them that you may know. Otherwise it pays to have a look and see the quality. 99% of the items are generally good, and people represent themselves honestly. But as always ...... Caveat emptor . Usually items will come with pictures, but know your product and it's problems.... Ie rusty surfaces , scratches, dings, loose drives, etc and ask all e pertinent questions, get them to post close up shots of the mirrors, objective surfaces, focusers etc. If they are genuine they wont mind, in fact would be happy to do so.
I have bought 5000 dollar scopes unseen as I got a good referral from someone who knew the seller, and it turned up fine,
when i first set up my mount properly (with help of the Cometguy LOL) took us 2 hours to get it set up but shelley with her dob... only took... idk... 20 seconds!! and she was up and running before i could get the camera on the damned scope... haha Love the simplicity of dob... good luck
I've had my skywatcher dob for about 6 months. I went this way because i wanted a quick setup and best aperture for $. I have not been dissapointed at all. I was initially worried about the whole 'push and pull' to align because my last scope was a cheapie and terribly hard to see anything. The dob has outperformed all my expectations. It is heavy so i have aquired a hand trolley and covered it in foam to protect the scope and i take it inside and out up a few stairs with ease. I use it on a slightly sloping gravel driveway and on an even more sloping grassed area i mowed on the vacant block next door. Even on sloping ground it's quite useful.
I'm now on the next step, getting through all the eyepiece reviews and choosing some better eyepieces!
I've had my skywatcher dob for about 6 months. I went this way because i wanted a quick setup and best aperture for $. I have not been dissapointed at all. I was initially worried about the whole 'push and pull' to align because my last scope was a cheapie and terribly hard to see anything. The dob has outperformed all my expectations. It is heavy so i have aquired a hand trolley and covered it in foam to protect the scope and i take it inside and out up a few stairs with ease. I use it on a slightly sloping gravel driveway and on an even more sloping grassed area i mowed on the vacant block next door. Even on sloping ground it's quite useful.
I'm now on the next step, getting through all the eyepiece reviews and choosing some better eyepieces!
but shelley with her dob... only took... idk... 20 seconds!! and she was up and running before i could get the camera on the damned scope... haha Love the simplicity of dob... good luck
