Anonymous
Unregistered
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ok so i want to buy a new scope and i can't decide which one. i'll bet that no one has read that before!!  i'm fotunate to live in an area of excellent seeing and intend on building an observatory next spring. portability is not an issue. my choices are either a discovery 15 pdhq w/dsc or an meade 12" lx-200 smt gps or any suggestions? i'm most interested in visual planetary and dso observations so i'm leaning towards the dob but the extra features of the lx are tempting, the ability to do some imaging would be nice. also will the dob be too much for planetary work? any advice would be appreciated
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Ricky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/09/03
Posts: 2556
Loc: Nor Cal
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Hi there and welcome to CN! Since you are building an observatory i'd go with an eq or fork mounted scope. Depending upon your budget I might suggest shopping for a mount first (you cant get one big enough) and then look at otas. I know you mentioned mainly visual use but going this route will allow you to dabble in some imaging if you so choose to at a later time. However, for a purely visual use its hard to beat those LARGE aperature dobs!
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Regards Ricky
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MN61, TS65EDQ, Mini Borg 50
Orion Sirius Heq5, Antares PED30
Phillips TouCam Pro II, DFK21au618.as, Atik 16
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imjeffp
Aluminum Falcon
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 6103
Loc: Cedar Park, Texas
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Quote:
Since you are building an observatory i'd go with an eq or fork mounted scope.
Seconded.
C11-SNGT or NS11 or the 12" LX200.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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i guess one of my hang-ups is that i get the impression right or wrong that the computer scopes are glitchy. the scope shack as i like to call it will not have any electricity for climate control so i worry about the electronics.
Edited by darkskiesmaine (10/27/04 01:55 PM)
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 30716
Loc: NE Ohio
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Quote:
Quote:
Since you are building an observatory i'd go with an eq or fork mounted scope.
Seconded.
C11-SNGT or NS11 or the 12" LX200.
Thirded. I like big Dobs but they aren't ideal for observatory use unless the walls are REALLY far away.
I like Jeff's suggestions. There are significant advantages to a GEM in an observatory but a GEM of quality comparable to the forkmounts he lists would be much more expensive; a CGE at least. You can always get more bang for a given buck with a forkmount.
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John C
Battle Cry of Reno
http://www.wadsworthobservatory.com
My Cloudy Nights gallery
AT12RC
AT65EDQ
QSI683WSG-8
Roper Scientific Quantix 6303E "project" camera
mystery EQ mount on the way
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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john,jeff, how do you like your lx-200's?
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 30716
Loc: NE Ohio
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Quote:
john,jeff, how do you like your lx-200's?
I'm very, very pleased with mine. It's the earlier, so-called Classic version. On the used market, the Classics (both 10" and 12") are an unbeatable value. In a fixed location, the newer version is less advantageous than in portable use.
I also really liked the later GPS versions I had (10" and 14"), and the NX11GPS, though I mostly used the 10" and 11" in the field.
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John C
Battle Cry of Reno
http://www.wadsworthobservatory.com
My Cloudy Nights gallery
AT12RC
AT65EDQ
QSI683WSG-8
Roper Scientific Quantix 6303E "project" camera
mystery EQ mount on the way
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bierbelly
Postmaster
Reged: 01/23/04
Posts: 6179
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
i guess one of my hang-ups is that i get the impression right or wrong that the computer scopes are glitchy. the scope shack as i like to call it will not have any electricity for climate control so i worry about the electronics.
I've wondered about the survivability of the electronics inside an un-heated/-cooled/-humidity-controlled box too. Haven't gotten many answers.
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12" DSH
8" f/4 Vega MakNewt
6" MN66
TV85
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jfaaz
sage
Reged: 05/13/04
Posts: 445
Loc: Connecticut
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Why not the 17.5" PREMIUM DHQ f/5 Dobsonian Reflector?
http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=3060&m=70
The tube height would probably clear most small observatories ceilings. The views under a dark sky with that scope would be jaw-dropping. 
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Jon
XT10i
8" Homemade Dob
6" DSH
WO ZS80/CG-4
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imjeffp
Aluminum Falcon
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 6103
Loc: Cedar Park, Texas
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Quote:
jeff, how do you like your lx-200
LOVE IT! Like John's, mine is a Classic, but I don't miss the GPS. It's as big and heavy as I would want to schlep around. The 10" is big enough to resolve clusters, and I get nearly a 1° FOV with a 22mm, 68° eyepiece paired with the f/6.3 focal reducer. The mount is plenty stable for visual use, even in a breeze. Someday I'll attempt some photography with it.
I'm still a fan of GEMs, since there's something right about a mount moving the same way the sky moves, but sitting at a fork-mounted SCT is a very comfortable viewing position.
(Click my name for some pics.)
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BluewaterObserva
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 5748
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Man, as much as I love big fast newts. In that situation, I'd have to say go for the 12" LX200. It is just more observatory class than a dob. 1000's of these in unheated, un-enviromental'd observatories around the world. The electronics on the LX200 line and the Celestron SCT's as well, do not tend to be glitchy at all in my experiences.
They charge for it, and you get what you pay for in general with these scopes / mounts / computers / electronics
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loo27
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/30/04
Posts: 536
Loc: GA
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There's a guy I know named Mark Lancaste who is selling a Meade 14" SCT on fork mounts for $3500, you couldn't ask for a better deal for an observatory scope....check the astromart.
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Cliff
50mm Binoculars
102mm NexStar GT Refractor
Tomlin Industries 6" f/6 Newtonian
C9.25 XLT + CG-5GT
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I have a 12" LX200 GPS and love it! Wouldnt trade it for the world. To answer your question regarding the cold dampness of outside. We have a modified tent that we use sometimes in the winter for observing. Last winter the LX was left out there quite often (unless there was a storm comming) and never ever had a problem. The hand box gets a bit cold and then the display will be a bit slow. But dead on target no glitches! I have to agree with the above posts if this will be in an obsevetory get the LX.
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Yaquina
sage
Reged: 09/07/04
Posts: 358
Loc: Newport, OR
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A Dobsonian mount reflector will definitely give you the most bang for your buck, especially for DSO's. For the cost of an LX200 you can buy a very nice, large Dobsonian. A large Dobsonian will blow away an SCT on DSO's.
Clear skies, Mike
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Explore Scientific 80mm ED APO
Orion XT10 Classic (many mods)
9x63 Meade Bino's
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