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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Would someone please compare these 3 telescopes. I think the big drawbacks to the larger sizes are weight, portability, and the hassle factor, as well as increasing cost.
What improvement and how much better are the visuals with the 12" as compared to the 10" and 8".
I get the impression from reading posts on this forum that the 8" seems popular as a good step up from a beginning telescope, but if one is going to spend the money for the larger scopes that most people opt for the LX200 series.
My use would be for visuals - especially lunar, planets, and constellation stars, in a mid size city in the backyard with mild to moderate light pollution, with my son and daughter and maybe a reluctant wife.
Thanks,
DanS
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7006
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Hi Dan and welcome to CN. Great to hear the son and daughter are involved (the wife will come around).
For visual use the LX90 is a fine scope platform. I have always been partial to scopes in the 10" range for best all around performance. Deepsky even works well at this size. The Moon and planets will be just fine. The 8" is a great size too but the step to the 10" is not that great cost and size wise. The 12" is getting serious both in performance and cost.
Any of those will serve you well.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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I agree with Jerry. The LX90 is a great, easy to use visual scope, i've just sold my 8" LX200 but a 10" LX90 is certainly something i'd consider in the future. 10" is still just about portable and a good step up from the 8", the 12" 'scopes are pretty hard to move. In an observatory they'd be good, but for me (setting up/tearing down each night) it would be too much weight to shift.
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Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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bluesman
sage
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 211
Loc: N Yorkshire. UK
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Ditto the comments.
Dan, you really need to see these in the flesh so to speak. I bought a 12gps (I would imagine the LX90 OTA/forks are in the same weight area) and my intention was to use it portably. That lasted about a year. Don't get me wrong, it can be done, and done by one reasonably fit person, but its a real pain. Especially at 3am on a cold winter morning!
I really would have sold it on if I hadn't built a permanent home for it.
To be honest I'd go with the 8" for true portability, even this scope can be a bit of a handful if you ever add the wedge.
Ed
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Kim Miau
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/17/06
Posts: 1133
Loc: Kluang, Johor, Malaysia
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I am a 8" LX90 owner. If I have enough money, I would go for 10" as I can carry 8" with ease, so 10" is. However, since your children are involved, it's better to opt for a more portable scope. How old are your children?
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-Robin
QHY CCD
My Astronomy Blog - http://www.astronomynotes.net
Meade 8" LX90 + LPI + QHY5 + Denk's Power x Switch S2 Diagonal
More equipments @ here
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upsguy
Uff da
Reged: 10/01/05
Posts: 3104
Loc: schaumburg, il.
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i also have a 8" lx90 and a friend of mine has a 12" lx200. the difference is huge! size-wise and view-wise. physically you need to be able to lift some more weight than the 8" (i don't know the specs) if i could afford it, i'd get the 12" IMO.
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Jim
Meade lx90 8" uhtc
Meade 80mm refractor
Orion 70mm refractor
Barska 15x70
Obies 11x56
Canon 400D
Canon SX100IS
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thanks for all the feedback. I am leaning towards a lx90 10" to split the difference between portability and visibility, so to speak. However, in September my local astronomy club, the Sangamon Astronomical Society and the St. Louis Astronomical Society will hold their annual star Party:
Illinois Dark Skies Star Party 2006
September 21st - 24th
Hopefully I can check out some different scopes and solidify my choice. Kim, my children are 7 and 5. Telescope portability for them is not a concern, its called Papa.
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Hi Dan - i'd really recommend finding an 8", 10" and 12" that you're allowed to lift, that'll make the choice a lot clearer to you. A good store will let you, but a star party is a good choice too.
If there's doubt in daytime then i'd say forget it, to me moving a 'scope around in the dark adds 25% or so to the 'daytime weight' (if you see what I mean, obviously it isn't really heavier, but moving a 'scope at night is harder than in daylight). When I got my 8" LX200 I tried lifting a 10" as well, that was alright in the shop, at night ... I decided no, I still think I made the right choice there. But i'm a 5' 10", 10 stone wimp 
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Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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Kim Miau
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/17/06
Posts: 1133
Loc: Kluang, Johor, Malaysia
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Quote:
Thanks for all the feedback. I am leaning towards a lx90 10" to split the difference between portability and visibility, so to speak. However, in September my local astronomy club, the Sangamon Astronomical Society and the St. Louis Astronomical Society will hold their annual star Party:
Illinois Dark Skies Star Party 2006
September 21st - 24th
Hopefully I can check out some different scopes and solidify my choice. Kim, my children are 7 and 5. Telescope portability for them is not a concern, its called Papa.
I see. I would suggest a 10" then. Make sure that portability doesn't discourage you from this hobby. Most of the people quit just because that they find it lazy to take such a monster at every session.
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-Robin
QHY CCD
My Astronomy Blog - http://www.astronomynotes.net
Meade 8" LX90 + LPI + QHY5 + Denk's Power x Switch S2 Diagonal
More equipments @ here
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bluesman
sage
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 211
Loc: N Yorkshire. UK
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Dan, one of the other solutions is to leave the scope set up on some kind of 'trolly affair'. This has been adopted by a lot of folk and I'm sure there are testimonials on CN. I'm sure kicking off a new thread with that as the subject line would drag out the suspects! This approach would require a level area from where its going to be housed but would mean being able to invest in a bigger scope.
Just a thought worth considering.
Ed
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