Greetings all,

I have had the bug for years to buy a good telescope. In the past,
the amount of research required has deterred my desire, but a few
months ago I decided to forge ahead.

I was hoping to hear from some of the more respected members of this
community to assist me with a dilemma - choosing the right telescope.

As an amateur/beginner, I am interested in purchasing a quality goto
scope (that I will be happy with for many years, and not get the
"upgrade bug" every year), and my research tells me that SCT is the
way to go. The feature set, and the comments from newsgroups, have
given the lean to Celestron, and I have decided on either the 8i or
the C9-1/4SGT. I have seen and heard many comments about both, which
have both helped and hindered my effort to make a decision.

It might be good to mention that I am not interested in
astrophotography.

Weight is certainly a factor. At roughly $2000, I want something that
I will use regularly, rather than be reluctant to lug it into the
yard, or nearby Skyline Drive. For this reason, the 8i fits the bill
nicely - good optics, computerized goto, lightweight. I have read
both pro and con statements on the single fork mount, and have
dismissed the negatives as a detriment to my choosing this scope,
largely because I don't anticipate hanging huge amounts of gear from
it.

However, most people I have spoken with say that the increased
aperture of the 9 1/4, well within my budget, is the way to go.

I have just a few questions - thank you for putting up with my
ramblings in setting the stage this far.

1) The 9 1/4 clearly will require disassembly and reassembly for
transporting, unless perhaps I can handle it for the short trips to
the yard. Is it a long, complicated process for one person to remount
the scope on the CG-5 mount?

2) Is the CG-5 mount and tripod adequate? I have read so many
different sides to this story, my head is about to explode!

3) The single fork mount on the 8i looks to be relatively
troublefree, while the equatorial CG-5 mount looks about as
intimidating as Elizabeth Hurley. Any comments?

4) Will the increased aperture make that much of a difference to me,
as an amateur? The price difference of roughly $400 is not a factor,
and doesn't necessarily fit in the equation.

5) Would one definitely go for the Starbright XLT coatings as a
feature enhancement?

6) GPS - is it really worth it? I have a small handheld Garmin Etrex
that I use for hiking - won't this suffice, or is the added
convenience of the optional GPS worth it? The same GPS addon will
work with both scopes, part #93963, for $199.

7) Lastly, I am extremely interested in how shops derive their prices
- for the first time, I have seen virtually no difference in price
from internet shops, which leads me to believe that Celestron (and
Meade) dictate retail prices. Is this true.
Interestingly enough, though, Anacortes lists the Nexstar 8i with
Starbright XLT for $1324, and the same scope with free tripod and free
computerized hand controller for $1424. I tried several times to
contact them to determine what was "free" for $100, but haven't heard
a response. Hmmmm.

It must be stated that I live in a remote area of Virginia, and would
have to drive a minimum of 80 miles just to see these scopes in a
retail store. I don't count that as an option - and, I have already
decided what I want. In addition, astronomy clubs aren't exactly
coming out of the woodwork here in banjo-pickin territory, and the one
time I ran across one on Skyline Drive (I was doing a full moon bike
ride) were so elitist that they would not acknowledge me until I
finally fibbed on an interest to join their club (again, they
travelled 50+ miles). So, I have tried that route, and while it would
be great to participate, it is simply not feasible.

Thanks much for any thoughts, comments, facts that might help me make
a decision. I am extremely excited about getting into this hobby, and
eager to begin.

Regards,

J. Carbone
Washington, VA