If I may join in... several have had a suprising first light with this little scope. If you're handy, building a tripod is another option to the "mini" dob mount. Interest in it has started a looooong ongoing thread on CN. Cool down is minimal, holds collimation well, costumer service is good, and its portable. Cant use for daytime views though. The only con in my opinion. some minor modifications (light shroud) and its a real keeper. Oh, it does sport a helical focuser though.

http://store.astronomerswithoutbord...roducts_id=4&zenid=dqaop3hce7csf0dapi246u45i1

 

Oh yeah, and it's for a good cause. ↑

 

That is very cool! I would love to get my hands on that OTA. I'll bet it would be a great candidate for my ball-mount tripod!

 

Astro_Padawan,

Did you buy a scope?

 

I started out 40+ yrs. ago with a 50mm tasco refractor and a manual eq mount but, it didn't kill the experience . but, experience is what is needed and an 8 inch dob will give you that " WOW" moment over and over. It's a journey that keeps going even after your 1st light and a money pit , you keep throwing money in. It's a wonderful hobby with so much to learn.

 

I've yet to pull the trigger on a scope, and being a noob on a fixed (S.S.) income, I'm thinking that I don't want to spend $ on something I'll want to go beyond in a year. That said, I'm looking hard at an 8" EQ Newt. I figure it has great potential for upgrade, and I'll learn much as I go along, and it will afford me the best views for the money- especially if I invest in quality accessories & oculars along the way.

 

The 8 in. is a modest aperture wit

 

My 8 in. newt. was a long time coming 4 yrs. after learning what I needed to know about an eq mount. I also had an 80mmf11 refractor on an eq 1 mount{ole shaky} was ok as long as I didn't touch it after I focused on a lunar/ planetary target. It took a lot of patients, my buddy had an old lxd55 that made all my dreams come true " I could actually do this stuff" with my handicaps. It takes time and patience and a lot of luck with the atmosphere. The 8 in. "Black Widow" {that's it's name} does a wonderful job at higher mag. because of the secondary mirror obstruction. The Jupiter is with a 3x and a Spc900nc webcam and M31 and m110 {60s} screengrab light sub is with an old mono dsi lll and then it died .

 

Am I correct in assuming you are a senior, like me? I feel it is very important, at any age, to assess our strength and physical condition when choosing our gear. Some are unfortunate to have physical limitations at younger ages, while some are fortunate to be strong and in good shape in their golden years. If there is one thing about telescopes it is that in real life they can be a lot bigger and clumsier to handle than the pictures in the ads may suggest.

In my case, I'm a senior in pretty good shape (for my age) and have scopes ranging from a little 60mm to a 10" Dob. The bulk of my observing from home is with my small to medium size scopes: 70mm and 102mm refractors and 127mm Maksutov. The larger scopes are nice to have, and are a joy to use on evenings when the skies are clear and I have the time and energy to set them up and wait for them to acclimate. But, the majority of nights the skies are not so pristine and I just don't have the time or energy for the bigger scopes. The smaller scopes get used a lot because of the ease of setup.

So, I'm not recommending any scope. Rather, what I do recommend is selecting a scope that is realistically a good fit for you. I would rather see someone get a good, small 80mm refractor on a lightweight Alt-Az mount that will get used every clear evening, as opposed to a large scope that has the potential to show you tremendous detail, but won't because it is too much of a pain to get out and ends up sitting in a corner gathering dust.

Ed D

 

Thanks Ed. While I can physically handle that reflector, I'm not disposed to staying out of the sky for as long as it takes to save for it. I'll be going with a 90mm EQ this payday and it's one that allows for 2" upgrade so I will have some 2" EPs, etc when I do finally get the 8".