On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 15:47:20 GMT, Rob Knop wrote:

What I'm looking for is a fork-mount 8" Schmidt-Cass which has an
equatorial mount and a clock drive. I don't need goto, I don't even
need a hand paddle. I do need the cost to stay reasonable.

A german mount is also probably too much of a mess and a pain to ask the
kids in this lab to deal with.

There always is the used instrument market.

A GEM is no harder to use than a fork. I think the eyepiece is a
little more accessible with a GEM than with a fork. When you look at
higher declinations with a fork mount you have to get close to it.
With a GEM you can stand a little to the side.