decision time

[roky1141]

hi -- about 15 yrs ago i bought an orion xt10 skyquest intelliscope -- at that time i was living in an airstream in the desert, so the scope was ideal in that setting -- but since then i'm moved to a place where the sky is obscured by a lot of trees, and i really don't feel like lugging that big scope out of town somewhere -- on the other hand, i just came back from another trip into the 4 corners area, with excellent viewing conditions -- but no scope -- so i'm thinking of selling the 10", to down-size to something i can set up at my campsite -- but before i do, i have no idea what to ask for my orion, before i advertise locally(too big to ship) -- i don't care if someone gets a good deal, in fact, i like that -- but i don't want to be foolish either -- any suggestions of what i might expect? -- i did make a repair to the base(chipboard does not hold up well), and after that had a problem with the computer locator, but i think i can fix that -- also, any scope suggestions re: downsizing -- and if you think i should keep the orion, i'll consider that -- thanks for any advice.
as i read this over, i think i should also say that at this time, i am not an avid enthusiast, as many of you are -- i'm just a casual user who'd like to have a telescope i could take with me when i go camping -- could that change, and then i'd start going to star parties at the Cosmic Campground about 60 miles north of here? -- could happen -- and then maybe i'd regret selling the orion -- but i definitely want to start with a smaller scope for camping, cause in the current situation i'm doing no viewing at all, and i know i'd be doing it when i camp.

[helicon]

Hi and Welcome to TSS. I think a portable 4" refractor might be a good scope for your circumstances - powerful enough to show objects but still quite portable, and should perform well under dark skies on deep sky objects and from your home, on the moon and planets. Let's see what some other folks think!

[Lowjiber]

-- i'm just a casual user who'd like to have a telescope i could take with me when i go camping -- could that change, and then i'd start going to star parties at the Cosmic Campground about 60 miles north of here? -- could happen -- and then maybe i'd regret selling the orion -- but i definitely want to start with a smaller scope for camping, cause in the current situation i'm doing no viewing at all, and i know i'd be doing it when i camp.

When it comes to star parties, there is no doubt aperture rules... Keep your Dob.

I agree with Michael above. A good 100mm refractor on a decent az/alt mount is perfect for taking along on a camping trip.

Clear Skies

[Bigzmey]

Welcome on board!
I agree with Michael and John. 100mm refractor on a manual (ES Twilight I) or GoTo (SW AZGti) mount is a nice grab and go setup and will show you a lot under dark skies. At home it will be good on Moon, planets, doubles and carbons.

Another nice option is 6" or 8" SCT. They are compact and lightweight, can ride on the same mounts as 100mm refractor and equally great on Moon, planets and DSOs. If you plan to do DSO observing on regular basis I would take 6-8" SCT over 100mm frac.

[Ylem]

Welcome to TSS!

I would recommend an 8 or 6 inch SCT.

I had an XT10, and I sometimes miss it.
I down graded to an 8" SCT and it comes close to what the 10 did.

[Bigzmey]

Welcome to TSS!

I would recommend an 8 or 6 inch SCT.

I had an XT10, and I sometimes miss it.
I down graded to an 8" SCT and it comes close to what the 10 did.

If I would only have one scope that would be 8" SCT. It is a light bucket but so small and lightweight.

[Thefatkitty]

Hi and welcome to TSS!

I agree with the above comments, a 4" frac or an 8" SCT for sure. I used to have a Celestron 4" achro, and it showed a lot and was light/portable. Problem was, at f/6 and being an achro, it showed false color on brighter stars and a lot of green on the Moon/planets. I actually gave it to my nephew, he was so happy and still is; I guess it depends on how much CA you can put up with; but like John said; perfect on a camping trip

I recently acquired an 8" SCT from a member on here, and I absolutely love it. However, at 12lbs (just the scope, no diagonal or eyepiece), it requires a bit more mount than the 4" frac did; which weighed in at 5.5lbs, to be stable.


I also still have my Skywatcher 10" which I bought as a "rescue" for $300. The base needed work, much like yours. I ended up cutting 5-1/4" off the bottom of the base and replacing the top part of the azimuth section. It's now the height and weight of an 8", yet it's still work to take it out and much space in the car.

At f/10 focal length, I believe the SCT has a deeper "reach" than my f/5 10", at least from what I've seen so far. The 10" is definitely a wider field of view, at least from memory, but I'd have to get both out together to make a fair comparison. If the skies ever clear here...

If you can, I'd go for an 8" SCT. I've included a pic for comparison. Since I don't have the 4" frac anymore, I substituted my 80mm which rides on the same mount the 4" did; an older CG4.

The 10" is f/5, the 8" is f/10, and the 80mm (3.1") is f/11.6. BTW, please excuse the mess that is my basement...

The SCT is for sure the space saver and with the power to please!

I hope this helps, and best of luck on your decision. Please let us all know how it goes and what you decide on

All the best,

[Bigzmey]

Nice shot Mark! A picture really worth a thousand words.