Telescope upgrade ???

Pardon for crashing the party here :-)

I've had a Mead EXT80 for a while and I'm on the cusp of an upgrade.
I'm interested in combined viewing of moon, planets and deep sky. My
biggest limitation is my location. North NJ. Lots of lights. Once
in a while I drive up to NY state, but I'm almost always setting up by
my house. My max budget is say $1,500. I want a motorized scope for
sure. I have also read mixed reports on GPS models. Half the time
they dont work. After researching what appears to be available, I've
narrowed it down to two.

1. Celestron NexStar 8SE (8" Schmidt-Cassegrain). This seems to be a
decent all around value. I can also add the GPS module later on if I
like. Also less expensive than the Meade 8" models...

2. Orion SkyQuest XT10g (10" dobson) with "go to". A better bet for
deep sky, but I dont know how it would work out with all the light
sources where I live. I'm also not at all sure about how well the "go
to" motor will work on that. Again.. I've heard mixed reviews. Also
no chance of adding a GPS as far as I know...

Any comments or suggestions ???

Thanx in advance...

(Michael) wrote:
Pardon for crashing the party here :-)

I've had a Mead EXT80 for a while and I'm on the cusp of an upgrade.
I'm interested in combined viewing of moon, planets and deep sky. My
biggest limitation is my location. North NJ. Lots of lights. Once
in a while I drive up to NY state, but I'm almost always setting up by
my house. My max budget is say $1,500. I want a motorized scope for
sure. I have also read mixed reports on GPS models. Half the time
they dont work. After researching what appears to be available, I've
narrowed it down to two.

1. Celestron NexStar 8SE (8" Schmidt-Cassegrain). This seems to be a
decent all around value. I can also add the GPS module later on if I
like. Also less expensive than the Meade 8" models...

2. Orion SkyQuest XT10g (10" dobson) with "go to". A better bet for
deep sky, but I dont know how it would work out with all the light
sources where I live. I'm also not at all sure about how well the "go
to" motor will work on that. Again.. I've heard mixed reviews. Also
no chance of adding a GPS as far as I know...

Any comments or suggestions ???

I think you might get more responses in sci.astro.amateur, since it's
at least ostensibly about using gear of that nature. As a caveat,
respondents might be a little more likely to integrate esoteric
theories of gravity and cosmology into their recommendations...

I volunteer somewhere with an XT10 sans "goto" and it's a pretty
unwieldy thing to be toting around. I'd suggest going somewhere that
sells it and actually getting a feel for the size of the tube before
you decide.

-Dan

--
djb@ | Dan Birchall, Night Operation Assistant, Subaru Telescope/NAOJ.
naoj | Views I express are my own, obviously not those of my employer.
..org | Our atmospheric inversion layer keeps silly people below 3000m.

On 16/06/2010 20:56, Michael wrote:
Pardon for crashing the party here :-)

I've had a Mead EXT80 for a while and I'm on the cusp of an upgrade.
I'm interested in combined viewing of moon, planets and deep sky. My
biggest limitation is my location. North NJ. Lots of lights. Once
in a while I drive up to NY state, but I'm almost always setting up by
my house. My max budget is say $1,500. I want a motorized scope for
sure. I have also read mixed reports on GPS models. Half the time
they dont work. After researching what appears to be available, I've
narrowed it down to two.

1. Celestron NexStar 8SE (8" Schmidt-Cassegrain). This seems to be a
decent all around value. I can also add the GPS module later on if I
like. Also less expensive than the Meade 8" models...

GPS on a telescope is pretty much silly unless you intend to observe
from the back of a moving flatbed truck! At best on the LX200 series it
allows Meade to reset the incorrectly loaded realtime clocks with an
accurate satellite time and avoid user error putting in a couple of
numbers that can be read off any detailed walking map. Provided you have
kit with two (or more) star alignment the instrument can sort itself out
if you can point it to the right stars.

2. Orion SkyQuest XT10g (10" dobson) with "go to". A better bet for
deep sky, but I dont know how it would work out with all the light
sources where I live. I'm also not at all sure about how well the "go
to" motor will work on that. Again.. I've heard mixed reviews. Also
no chance of adding a GPS as far as I know...

Any comments or suggestions ???

If you want portability then 8" is as big as you should go. There are
folks who eat 3 shredded wheat for breakfast who will tell you that
yomping across marshland in the pitch dark with a 10" SCT is easy.

I have a 10" SCT and carry it the least distance I can get away with.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Martin Brown wrote:
On 16/06/2010 20:56, Michael wrote:
... GPS on a telescope is pretty much silly unless you intend to observe
from the back of a moving flatbed truck! ...

Might come in handy if you're chasing an asteroid occultation though.

On Jun 16, 3:56*pm, Michael wrote:
Pardon for crashing the party here :-)

I've had a Mead EXT80 for a while and I'm on the cusp of an upgrade.
I'm interested in combined viewing of moon, planets and deep sky. *My
biggest limitation is my location. *North NJ. *Lots of lights. *Once
in a while I drive up to NY state, but I'm almost always setting up by
my house. *My max budget is say $1,500. *I want a motorized scope for
sure. *I have also read mixed reports on GPS models. Half the time
they dont work. *After researching what appears to be available, I've
narrowed it down to two.

1. Celestron NexStar 8SE (8" Schmidt-Cassegrain). This seems to be a
decent all around value. *I can also add the GPS module later on if I
like. *Also less expensive than the Meade 8" models...

2. Orion SkyQuest XT10g (10" dobson) with "go to". *A better bet for
deep sky, but I dont know how it would work out with all the light
sources where I live. *I'm also not at all sure about how well the "go
to" motor will work on that. *Again.. I've heard mixed reviews. *Also
no chance of adding a GPS as far as I know...

Any comments or suggestions ???

Thanx in advance...

Thanx for the input to the people that responded. I'm going to pay a
visit to a local astronomy club at their next public meeting in a few
days. I'm told there are usually about 30 telescopes on a typical
night. It should help me get a better idea of what to do before I
spend 2 g's

On Jun 17, 8:51*am, Michael wrote:

... I'm going to pay a
visit to a local astronomy club at their next public meeting in a few
days. *I'm told there are usually about 30 telescopes on a typical
night. *It should help me get a better idea of what to do before I
spend 2 g's

That is exactly the thing to do, there is no substitute for personally
using the various telescope designs usually encountered at a star
party.

\Paul A

On 17/06/2010 16:51, Michael wrote:
On Jun 16, 3:56 pm, wrote:
Pardon for crashing the party here :-)

I've had a Mead EXT80 for a while and I'm on the cusp of an upgrade.
I'm interested in combined viewing of moon, planets and deep sky. My
biggest limitation is my location. North NJ. Lots of lights. Once
in a while I drive up to NY state, but I'm almost always setting up by
my house. My max budget is say $1,500. I want a motorized scope for
sure. I have also read mixed reports on GPS models. Half the time
they dont work. After researching what appears to be available, I've
narrowed it down to two.

1. Celestron NexStar 8SE (8" Schmidt-Cassegrain). This seems to be a
decent all around value. I can also add the GPS module later on if I
like. Also less expensive than the Meade 8" models...

2. Orion SkyQuest XT10g (10" dobson) with "go to". A better bet for
deep sky, but I dont know how it would work out with all the light
sources where I live. I'm also not at all sure about how well the "go
to" motor will work on that. Again.. I've heard mixed reviews. Also
no chance of adding a GPS as far as I know...

Any comments or suggestions ???

Thanx in advance...

Thanx for the input to the people that responded. I'm going to pay a
visit to a local astronomy club at their next public meeting in a few
days. I'm told there are usually about 30 telescopes on a typical
night. It should help me get a better idea of what to do before I
spend 2 g's

It is worth pointing out here that provided you don't mind buying second
hand and know what you are looking at there are some real bargains to be
had in nearly mint condition around late February time. Your local astro
club may well have someone who could help you.

Regards,
Martin Brown