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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: 10917
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: 2479
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
Celestron CG5-ASGT, CG-4
Celestron Nexstar SE (large)
Meade SWA 34mm
Televue Panoptic 24mm
Pentax XW 10mm, 7mm
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Astro-Tech AT66ED
Celestron Nexstar SE (small)
Televue Plossl 32mm
Smart Astronomy Solar System 14.5mm
BO/TMB Planetary 9mm, 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
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 1451
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
What do you mean by “Saving the Earth”? The Earth is not in danger! Don’t worry about the planet it will be here long after we are extinct...
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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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