Sound advice, but do "shop around" by trying out other people's scopes at a star-party first, as others have suggested. Optical and mechanical considerations aside, be sure you get a scope that you can handle physically, and won't be discouraged from transporting or setting-up due to size or complexities of assembly. The best telescope is the one that gets used most often. A friend of mine once purchased a 16" telescope, thinking only of the brighter views and increased resolution when compared to the 10" he had been using. After he got it, he quickly realized that it was physically just too much telescope for him to handle, and it was soon sold. Of course by then he'd sold the 10" as well, to help fund the 16", and ended up with nothing but a monetary loss of several hundred dollars. The lesson is to do the research first, and make some new friends in the process. --- Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote:
It's hard for a beginner to go wrong with a Dob.
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