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mike597
newbie
Reged: 08/25/08
Posts: 3
Loc: Southern California
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Hello everyone! I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting this site over the past few months, seems like I have learned so much in a short time. I have been using an orion 10" dob for about 4 years but when I moving a few months ago it was ruined, time for an upgrade! I have had refractors before, but am pretty set on an equatorial reflector. I have been looking at all the brands I am familiar with but have not been able to find anything bigger than a 10" (250mm), that is until tonight when I stumbled upon Skywatcher and their 300P (a 12"). I noticed they aren't available anywhere but in Europe, anyone know why or anything about these? The majority of what I do is visual, although I do play around with my SLR camera as well. I looked into the 16" from Meade but they stopped making them.
Thanks for the help!
here is a link to the one I found:
Skywatcher 300P
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Starman1
Vendor - Scope City
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 10960
Loc: Los Angeles
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Mike,
Welcome to Cloudy Nights!
Now, to the scope: such a scope (which requires a ladder, IIRC) would, even if it didn't overload the mount severely (11.8" newtonian OTA has to be at least 50 lbs, probably 60+), which it likely does, would be a very inconvenient and shimmy-prone scope with which to photograph, and even less user-friendly for the visual observer.
Seriously, you really don't want this scope.
Lets say you put a 12" dob on an equatorial platform:
--you can take photos
--the eyepiece will always be convenient visually--no ladder required
--the center of gravity will be substantially lower and there will be less shimmy.
--you can add digital setting circles if you require a computer to find stuff.
--it will cost half as much
--it will be way easier to lift and transport
--you can add tracking without a platform
--you will have more money left over to upgrade eyepieces, focuser, etc.
--it will be at least as good in a wind, and probably better
That doesn't mean Skywatcher won't eventually bring this into the States, but they already are bringing in a 12" dob, and its collapsible tube has created a lot of buzz.
For 1500 pounds ($2670 today), you can get a respectable 15-17.5" dob (new and used). Now that's light gathering!
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Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie
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doug76
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 2650
Loc: SE Louisiana
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You might want to rethink this. I read a review on this particular piece of gear, and the consensus was the mount was just adequate for visual. A 12" f/5 really needs a bigger mount. I fear you would it almost unusable in any kind of a breeze, and besides that, it's going to be darned heavy! I looked into this sort of thing a couple of years ago, and wound up getting a 12" f/5 Dob, then motorizing the base. Much cheaper, much steadier.
Doug
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Doug
The Truckstop Astronomer
Meade 12" Lightbridge/Dob Driver II
Celestron C6 SCT
Celestron C6R/Moonlight focuser
Celestron XLT150
Astro-Tech AT80EDT
TOWA 60/700 (under construction)
Celestron CG5-ASGT, CG-4
Celestron Nexstar SE (large)
Meade SWA 34mm
Televue Panoptic 24mm
Pentax XW 10mm, 7mm
------------------------
Astro-Tech AT66ED
Celestron Nexstar SE (small)
Televue Plossl 32mm
Smart Astronomy Solar System 14.5mm
BO/TMB Planetary 9mm, 7mm, 5mm, 4mm, 3.2mm, 2.5mm
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Davekyn
member
Reged: 08/23/08
Posts: 66
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Would not some of us under 6 foot also need a ladder of some sort for a 16inch dob?
How about not extending the legs on the tripod all the way & an instead only enough to keep the scope off the ground?
How about using the scope in the confines of a tent like observatory or shelter of some sort?
There must be ways around it? What a shame...I thought this thing was too go to be true:
Oh well?
Edited by Davekyn (09/04/08 01:22 AM)
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BluewaterObserva
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 4763
Loc: Zuni Mtns, NM
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I'd love to be able to play with one of these setups some time. 
Really, this size is probably SCT territory just from a use-ability view point.
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mike597
newbie
Reged: 08/25/08
Posts: 3
Loc: Southern California
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I finally have a good sized back yard in a pretty dark area, so my plan is to put it in a small dome. So mobility isn't really an issue. The mount was my primary concern as well, thanks for the heads up! I have found a few mounts that are larger, but I haven't been able to find this in an OTA. If I go that route and get a mount separately, are there any OTAs in this size that you all recommend? I would really love to get one of those Meade 16" models, too bad they were discontinued...
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InkDark
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 1506
Loc: Montreal, Canada
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What about a Dob on an EQ platform?
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Jimmy
"Rarely Have So Many Understood So Little About So Much" - Palle Yourgrau
"...since that time, I have not complained about the weather one single time. I’m glad there is weather." – Alan Bean, Apollo 12
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BluewaterObserva
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 4763
Loc: Zuni Mtns, NM
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I run a 17.5" F/4.1 Discovery on my old Starfinder 16 EQ mount with apiggy backed 5" refractor. The mount sucks by EQ standards, really only visual use even before I loaded it up.
I mean, now I can measure my PE with a yard stick.
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mike597
newbie
Reged: 08/25/08
Posts: 3
Loc: Southern California
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Feel free to laugh really hard, but I wasn't thinking about that being an option simply because I didn't think mounting rings would be available for an application like that...
Edited by mike597 (09/04/08 03:27 PM)
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BluewaterObserva
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 4763
Loc: Zuni Mtns, NM
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All I had to do was use longer 1/2" threaded rod than the stock. Like a one minute replacement.
On the stock starfinder 16 mount, the steel straps end in a receptacle for standard 1/2 threaded rod, this then goes into the cradle and is secured with a standard 1/2" threaded nut.
Interestingly enough both OTA's end up with the same exact focal length.
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