john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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10" or 12" dob for red zone
#5672623 - 02/10/13 04:14 PM
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Hi all, I'm a noob and wanted opinions on getting a 10" or 12" for my back yard red zone in LA. I have a 80mm orion right now that i play with in my backyard, 90% of viewing is done there. Im lazy and like to just pull it out and look. The dob will be stored in my detached garage so cool down will not be a problem however the difference in price between the orion 10g and 12g is 500 clams and i really dont want to waste the money if the red zone is going to keep me from resolving good views. And besides a 10g and a paracorr equal just the 12g by itself. Thanks all in advance. I'm also still young and strapping enough to muscle both so weight isn't an issue.
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Raginar
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/19/10
Loc: Rapid CIty, SD
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672630 - 02/10/13 04:19 PM
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Welcome to CN!!! 
The difference isn't going to be where you live but really what you want to deal with weight-wise. A 12" dob (solid tube) is listed on Orion's website @ nearly 83#. I'm sure a 10" is a little better than that.
Size matters for resolving detail but if it hinders you dragging it outside.. and I realize you think 80# won't bother you... trust me, it gets old and will detract from you using your scope. I'm military, healthy, and it caused me to build a ROR shed so I didn't have to setup constantly!
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john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: Raginar]
#5672638 - 02/10/13 04:23 PM
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i'm putting it on wheels so i dont even have to lift it.
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john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672641 - 02/10/13 04:26 PM
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My real concern is the extra money for the 12 if it is not going to be worth the money in my LA backyard
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Madratter
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/14/13
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672654 - 02/10/13 04:34 PM
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You could be in downtown Chicago and the 12" would show more if you take it out. That last part is the key. The 12" isn't necessarily better if you don't take it out as often as you would the 10".
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john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: Madratter]
#5672676 - 02/10/13 04:48 PM
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Thats what I'm looking for, just to know that the 12 is really worth the extra money. If my red zone is not going to have much of an effect than I will be getting the 12.
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kenrenard
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/13/12
Loc: Dunmore, PA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672736 - 02/10/13 05:32 PM
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I think if you are putting wheels on it should show more. You can always take it out quickly if its on wheels I have my dob on a hand truck and it makes a quick setup with no effort. If you don't mind the size might as well go for it.
Ken
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kenrenard
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/13/12
Loc: Dunmore, PA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: kenrenard]
#5672741 - 02/10/13 05:35 PM
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You also may want to ask around about either buying a per flocked or flocking the tube yourself from what I have read it helps with seeing in the city.
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john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: kenrenard]
#5672761 - 02/10/13 05:50 PM
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I will check into that, I would like to do as much as I can, since I can't turn off LA's lights.
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City Kid
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/06/09
Loc: Northern Indiana
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672783 - 02/10/13 06:00 PM
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As long as size and weight isn't an issue I would go with the 12". The difference in views between a 10" and 12" aren't jaw dropping but the difference is noticeable. Just be sure the difference in size truly doesn't matter. I have an 8", 10", and 12.5" dobs and the difference in size between the 10" and the 12.5" seems huge compared to the difference between the 8" and 10".
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Pinbout
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/22/10
Loc: Montclair
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672790 - 02/10/13 06:07 PM
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Quote:
Im lazy and like to just pull it out and look.
then I'd get a 8in f6. it will show you a lot with little effort, a nice eyepiece sitting height.
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GeneT
Ely Kid
Reged: 11/07/08
Loc: South Texas
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672799 - 02/10/13 06:15 PM
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Given your circumstances, I would recommend the 12.
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john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: Pinbout]
#5672802 - 02/10/13 06:17 PM
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With my 80mm I get to be lazy and just pick it up. With the dob I will just roll it out 
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672898 - 02/10/13 07:16 PM
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Quote:
With my 80mm I get to be lazy and just pick it up. With the dob I will just roll it out
Sometime in the future you may decide to take your scope, load up your car or truck and head out for some clear, dark skies. This is when the 12 inch longer Tube of the 12 inch can be a problem. A 10 inch F/5 fits across the back seat of most cars, the large, longer tube of the 12 inch F/5 can be a problem.
Jon
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TexasRed
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/17/11
Loc: East Texas
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5672926 - 02/10/13 07:37 PM
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I got my XT12g a few months before moving to my current blue zone while I was still living in the heart of Dallas/Ft. Worth area, which is a large white zone. I set it up there in my front yard across the street from a street light just to test it out and expected to be able to see very little. I was amazed at what that scope could find and show me even from such a bad location!
Get the 12". The extra aperture is definitely worth it, if the size and weight is not a problem.
You'll also want Orion's SkyGlow filter (the imaging filter is a little better) and their UltraBlock filter. The UltraBlock filter is especially useful and effective for a wide variety of targets.
Flocking is really only useful for reducing the damage done to your views by stray light entering the tube. A homemade "dew shield" extending the tube by an exta foot or so will be just as helpful. Having a spot to observe where you will be shielded from direct light will be essential. If you don't have one, plan to drape something over your head or wear something with a hood to block light from your eyes.
Aperture rules when it comes to cutting through light pollution for everything except galaxies. No filter but dark skies will help with those. Your 12" will definitely not be wasted, though.
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Mike4242
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/02/11
Loc: Memphis, TN
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5672942 - 02/10/13 07:45 PM
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IMO, a 10" F/5 dob is the largest that remains easily portable. My 10" F/4.7 fits across the backseat of my VW Jetta just barely. There's no way I could get a 12" in there for transport to the club's dark site unless I got a truss tube. An observing buddy of mine has the Orion truss tube 12" goto dob and the size difference between mine and his is pretty big. His set up time is considerably longer too since he has to assemble the trusses and collimate. The 12" does show slightly brighter images, but it is by no means a jaw dropping difference.
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JohnMurphyRN
sage
Reged: 09/09/12
Loc: Near St Louis
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: Mike4242]
#5672961 - 02/10/13 07:57 PM
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I have a solid tube 12.5". Fits in passenger seat of my truck. I use it as much as I would a 10". It fits through my back door and my 17.5" doesn't, so it gets used when the ground is mushy and I don't want to roll the 17.5" around the wet grass.
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john@dps
member
Reged: 02/06/13
Loc: Granada Hills, CA
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: JohnMurphyRN]
#5672988 - 02/10/13 08:21 PM
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Transporting is not a problem either, I have a ford flex and two crew cab pickup trucks. All the seats fold in the flex and when their down it is over 8' long. Though I don't see myself going anywhere but a few times a year, maybe. I'm glad the opinions are for the 12" because I really wanted the largest I could afford. I'm also lucky in the fact I view from behind my garage which has no stray light sources.
Edited by john@dps (02/10/13 08:27 PM)
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PhaedrusUpshaw
member
Reged: 04/21/12
Loc: Southwestern Indiana
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: john@dps]
#5673301 - 02/10/13 11:36 PM
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Aperture rules, with all other considerations being equal, aperture rules!
Clear skies,
Bill
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newtoskies
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/15/12
Loc: SE Ma.
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Re: 10" or 12" dob for red zone
[Re: PhaedrusUpshaw]
#5673431 - 02/11/13 02:04 AM
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Both are good dobs, go with the 12". I missed out on a 12" solid tube on CL. Wish I had grabbed it now.
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