On 12 Oct 2003 07:31:51 -0700, (david) ...reflected:

If you had a limit of $3000, what scope setup would you buy and why?
No, I haven't won the lottery...

...but you obviously have $3000 burning a hole in your pocket.

8^)

The answer is simple...well, for me anyway:

A Parks 8" f/5 or 10" f/5 Newtonian on either their "Superior"
equatorial mounting or a similarly substantive mount by another
maker, like the Losmandy G11 for instance, perhaps.

Why?

Why, to have something more, and a lot more, to observe once you
quickly exhaust the Moon and the planets. Though, there would
still be a plethora of double and multiple star systems to gaze upon
with a lesser instrument; and by "lesser" I refer to aperture, and
specifically to various and sundry apochromatic refractors incurring
similar expenditures. Still...

But don't get an f/4! You'd be asking for trouble; f/5 and slower,
only.

Of course, then there's Parks's 12.5" f/5 Superior...and for a "paltry"...

....$4,599.95.

Now, that's what I call a "YEEHAW!" 'scope...

"Billy Joe Bob! Toss me 'nuther beer! I done got that thar Whirly Pool
swirly thang in thuh eyepace!"

Alan