How to prioritize these upgrades...

I'm trying to decide which things to put on my new scope. It's hard to do (surprise, surprise) and I can't afford them all--that would be too easy. It's time to poll the audience. I'm putting in prices because they're extremely relevant.


For a 12.5" dob, how would YOU rank these? And why?

THE LIST (in no special order)

-Paracorr, $275
-2-speed Moonlite (instead of 1-speed), $100
-Wide angle EPs--probably Panoptics--instead of Plossls, $150 per 'trade'
-Sky Commander, $500 or so installed
-Moonlite tri-knob upgrade for 2-speed, $40
-Filter slide to encourage actually using the damn things, $150 including new 2" moon and planetary filter
-Tracking platform, $500
-'Observing' chair instead of cheap 'regular' chair, $150
-Low-end 46mm field stop 'finder EP', $50
-Right angle 9x50 finder to supplement Rigel, $75

All opinions encouraged. Thanks!

Chair, first, and then DSCs (for me):

Trying to find diffuse objects in suburban skies, DSCs are a tremendous help. With my limited horizons and bright skies I rarely have enough stars to reliably hop to a target and even if I do, the poor contrast makes it very difficult to find an object by sweeping. OTOH, if the DSCs can put an object into the FOV, then I can concentrate my efforts on seeing if it is at all visible. On an unusually clear night, I was able to see M110 this way, after several previous attempts failed.

Allen

1. Observing chair (only if you aren't using a ladder)
2. EP's
3. filter slide
4. tracking platform
5. 2-speed focuser (and the tri-knob)
6. Finder EP (don't need it, but could be fun)
7. RA finder

I don't really like DSC's
Paracorr is optional at f/5

Erik,
Consider this...
-Make an observing chair or get a mechanics stool from Home Depot, etc. I have a Starbound, but find it slow to adjust, will be making one soon.
-Sky commander, very accurate, you won't need 'finder ep' or 9x50 finder.
-Consider a Feathertouch focuser.
-Get Nagler EPs. You probably won't need a Paracorr then. And when you change scopes you won't need to change EPs,you'll already have the best. I would rather have a few Naglers/Pans than several lesser EPs. Scopes come and go, but good eyepieces are forever.
-Filter slide, make sure the EPs you use don't bring the focuser tube too far into the tube to hit the slide or just skip and get the tracking platform.
Have fun, Ralph S.

Erik --

Observing style factors in a lot here. For instance, do you enjoy seeing lots of different things in a night, or studying a few things at length?

If lots, I'd say: DSCs, wide angle EPs, filter slide, RACI finder.

If few, I'd say: chair, tracking platform, DSCs, 2-speed focuser.

One last wrinkle: I find myself feeling rushed with a non-tracking scope, whether I've got a wide FOV or a narrow one (the only difference is that I really am rushed in a narrow one -- but I "feel" rushed in either). So I'd rather have Plossls and a tracking platform than Pans/Naglers. But if you don't feel rushed, and don't get a tracking platform, then I'd have to put wide angle EPs pretty high up the list.

-- Jeff.