Upgrading to a SCT questions

Hey all -

I just graduated high school so I'm off to college next year in north central Missouri. They have some nice dark skies out there so I will want to bring a scope. I currently have an f/6 Discovery 8" dob which I love, but it is decently large and would take up a corner in my dorm room.

I recently came across a friend in need who's selling a Meade 10" LX50 GPS that appears to be in very good condition, and which he's willing to part with for $1000 (everything included, tripod, etc). I would love to have a tracking system on a scope, and an SCT would be easier to transport in my Civic.

Would this be a good move on my part to sell my dob and buy the SCT by throwing in some more cash? Would the 10" SCT provide any noticeable light gathering ability advantage over the 8" dob? Would it take up less space in my dorm room?

Thanks,
Casey

Casey,
It would take up as much or more space, and would be a lot less portable. Remember, the tube and forks should have a case around it, and the tripod itself will be about as bulky as a Dob. A 10 inch Schmidt Cass is getting pretty heavy.

You would probably get a little more light grasp, but lose some in contrast. It is not a big enough step up to make the change.

It's drive can follow the stars, but it is not quite the level you need for consistent astrophotography, and pushing a Dob is not that hard.

I'd say skip it.

Alex

Have you used the 10" LX50? Are you ready to collimate often and wait hours for cooldown? Does image shift irritate you? How about dew control (shield, heater, battery, etc.) Also much longer to setup and teardown.

The SCT has less efficient light transmission (corrector, secondary, diagonal mirror) plus a larger central obstruction. Resolution will be better, but don't expect wow factor for brightness compared to the 8" f/6 Discovery.

If you want portable 10" aperture, get another Dob, like the XT10.

>> LX50 GPS <<

Eh? Did Meade come out with another GPS model? I thought the LX50s were a closed-out line.

With either of these big scopes in your tiny dorm room you will be regarded as an odd person—the kind of nerd who allows random enthusiasms to intrude on his life because he lacks any appropriate sense of proportion. In other words, you will be viewed by your college classmates in exactly the way they would view us, the proportion-challenged denizens of this forum.

Are you ready for this? If not, perhaps you should consider a Pronto, which would store readily out of sight in a bureau drawer, astonish your dates with its wide-field views, and mark you as a cool guy with a neat tool.

Steve

I own an 8" LX50 and it weighs in at 47 lbs. (just the OTA and fork mount/drive base).

I normally grab my 4.5" short tube refractor most nights as it's just too easy to grab and view.

But I do love my SCT as well. I can't imagine lugging a 10" SCT beast around. I'd love a 10" SCT if I had a permanent location for it.

Personally I think you'd tire of hauling it around to set it up...but that's just me. Then again i'm getting closer to 50 and I really don't have the time to mess with a large scope that much.

Great scope though. I'd pick it up and haul it out, set it up...use it and pack it up and then haul it in again and see if you want to do that every time before you buy it.

I have the 10" LX50, sort of. I took the OTA off the fork and put it on a CI700 GEM. The fork and OTA combination was just too bulky and heavy (about 56 lbs). I did not like heaving that thing on to the wedge. Trying to line up the bolt with the slot on the wedge is not the kind of excitement I want from this hobby. In its present configuration, the heaviest single component (EQ head) is 35 lbs.

Your 8" dob may actually require less space. The forks, OTA, tripod/wedge on the 10" LX50 takes up quite a bit of space. I would save my money and keep the 8" dob.

One other thing, the fork mount on the 10" LX50 will not be as stable in the wind as your 8" dob. This is another reason why I dumped the fork and put my OTA on a GEM. If you want tracking, why not get an EQ platform for your dob?

Nat Chotinun
Santa Fe, NM