I wouldn't bother going out of the yard on a moonlit night unless there were
some event that I couldn't see below my horizon (comets come to mind). I
also find that observing the moon is a perfect way to satisfy the itch to
get outside and do something interesting with my equipment.

My kids like to look at the moon through the telescope as well, so I often
just use the ST80 on the UniStar Light. It easily lowers to their viewing
height, and the views are good enough for me as well. Not to mention how
easy it is to walk it out the backyard all in one piece.

That said, the view of the moon through the 8" SCT is superb and through the
12.5" Meade reflector it's absolutely amazing. Both are crisp, clear, and
well resolved to the limit of the local atmosphere. I just have to want to
put in the extra effort to get those views, which for the moon turns out to
more often than not, not be the case. The ST80 views are perfectly fine, and
the ease of setting up and breaking down just adds to the pleasure of the
experience.
--
-Stephen Paul