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  #21  
Old 30-01-2010, 10:44 PM
liljpo (Jessica)
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Australia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Screwdriverone View Post
Hi Jessica,

Andrews Comms has the Nexstar 8SE for $2699 which isnt a heavy (Equatorial mounts are VERY HEAVY) GEM mount and is almost as big as the 10" dob you had. Because you can lock on to an object and it tracks after an easy alignment procedure and without having to polar align it first, you will have more time viewing and less setting up etc.

With the GOTO function and the nice compact size, the 8SE is pretty good value and the SCT can magnify quite a bit more than other 8" scopes of the same aperture.

I have heard a lot of good things about the orange tube Celestrons and a lot of owners rave about how good they are AND the whole thing including the tripod only weighs 15kg so it should be light and portable for you.

That's where I would spend the dosh if I were you.

Cheers

Chris

BTW thanks for the tip Chris!
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  #22  
Old 30-01-2010, 11:08 PM
casstony
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Definitely shop around, but before purchasing from afar give a local shop the chance to match the best price plus postage - if you need after sales service it's convenient to be able to drive to the shop.
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  #23  
Old 30-01-2010, 11:33 PM
casstony
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Quote:
Originally Posted by liljpo View Post
Now Im sure i have narrowed it down to these three. The Saxon Maksutov 8 inch, Celestron Nexstar 8 SE Computerized Cassegrain Telescope, or the Meade LX90-SC 8" Schmidt Cassegrain?????

Which would you choose????
Since you didn't find the 10" dob to have sufficient portability, the 8SE would be my choice. The LX90 isn't much more portable than the dob.
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  #24  
Old 31-01-2010, 09:45 AM
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stephenb (Stephen)
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Having owned both a 10" Dob and an LX90 8" I would say that the LX90 8" would be easier setup, say, moving from the spare room to the back yard, and also easier to transport in a car.

The 10" Dob breaks down into two parts: the tube and the rocker box, which I felt were both "large volume" parts. The rocker box was a bit of a pain to transport because of its size, shape and volume.

The LX90 also breaks down into 2 parts, the tripod, and the OTS/fork. Like all tripods, it folds down and is long and narrow. I felt it was a better size to transport in the car.

The three main differences with the LX90 8" and the 8SE are:

  • With the 6SE/8SE needs power at all times. You cannot use it without power. As a result, you cannot "freely" move the scope with or without any power. i.e. there is no clutch to disengage to freely move the scope without the aide of the computer. For 99% of people who just want a beaut GOTO scope to find objects for them, then this is not a problem, so don't get too hung up on this. The 8SE needs constant power at all times to use.
  • Because the 8SE has a single fork, it is almost useless with any form of long exporuse imaging. Some people have been successful with short exposures imaging, but it is not a scope designed for imaging. There are some experts on Cloudy Nights who have successfully imaged with a 6SE/8SE but they have spent a bit of time and persistance with it. IMO, probably best spend you energy enjoying visual observing!
The dual fork of the LX90 make for a more stable design and some imaging can be acheived. Not as good as an equatorial mount but far easier to acheive.
Both scopes arrive from their manufacturer in standard cardboard boxes and packing foam. This is okay for a while, and if you are not planning to take your scope to dark sky locations, these boxes will be fine to use (Never throw out the original box your scope arrived in).

If you plan to do a lot of transporting is a car, I would suggest the softcases from Sirius Technologies. IMO, they are reasonably priced at around USD$220 (I don't know the shipping cost, sorry),



If you are going to buy a GOTO such as the 8SE or LX90 8", I strongly urge you to consider where you purchase it from and how easy it would be if you needed to send back the scope for after sales repairs/warranty repairs. If you buy it interstate and you need to send back the scope, even under warranty, YOU pay for the postage and that cost can outweigh any discounts you received when you initially purchased the scope.

I, personally, have always shopped locally and have had great service from my local dealer, and have never shopped interstate for big ticket items. But that's my opinion only and that's what I call peace of mind.

Quote:
Originally Posted by casstony View Post
Since you didn't find the 10" dob to have sufficient portability, the 8SE would be my choice. The LX90 isn't much more portable than the dob.
I agree with Tony, I would choose the 8SE over the 6SE, but what I would strongly suggest you do, is try to hook up with a club or individuals in your area who own both of these models and see if the owners would allow you to join them for an evening of observing. That way you can "touch and feel" the scope in person!

In the end, which is better? The 8SE or the LX90 8"??? They are both on a par in my opinion, for visual observing.
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