trying to decide

I want to buy a telescope for my daughter,as she has been interested in astronomy for awhile, she is 11. I'm trying to decide between the orion xt8 classic or the intelliscope model without the controller for now until she learns the sky alittle better. I'm leaning toward the intelliscope model. Am I being foolish, my thinking is if I get the intelliscope I always have the option to get the contoller later so we could find some objects easier. also I live on long island which has alot of light pollution. Your opinions would be gretly apprecited

An 8" Dob is an excellent choice!

If you can afford the difference, it makes sense to me to get the intelliscope, and try it out for a while without the object locator.

On the other hand, you could spend the difference between the two scopes on some nice binoculars that would help her learn the sky to the point that the locator was not necessary. (My choice would be the 8x42 UltraViews.) Then, use the money saved by not getting the controller for a 1x viewer and a 9x50 Right Angle Correct Image finder (and a SkyAtlas 2000).

I'd base your decision on what would be the least frustrating for both of you. Personally, I find reading manuals and memorizing procedures for electronic devices frustrating, but you and your daughter may be different, and find star hopping more frustrating. Certainly, light pollution makes it more difficult to find guideposts naked-eye, but, IMHO, binoculars and a good finderscope can make up for that quite nicely.

Still, I would not call it foolish to think that the object finder could come in handy later on. I know the sky fairly well, and was gratified one evening that someone next to me had an intelliscope to help find a tiny nebula that I was just a little off in remembering where it was.

Hugh Bartlett

Hi Steve. Well I got an XT10"i for my 10 year old a little over a year ago with the computer, an am glad I did. From the first night out we were looking at DSO, having the computer helped keep her interest until she was able to learn the sky. Now she takes one of her "4" scopes out, and has a ball, and if for some reason she can't find what she was looking for on her own, she can always start up the computer and see where she went wrong. I think it's a great learning tool, if you don't depend on it 100% of the time.

Bob

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I would agree that the 8" XTi would be a good choice. But I think that the Locator would be a great help for a young child. They can get frustrated easily by not finding objects. With the locator they can find them easily and even with light pollution. Children understand computers quite well and would pick up on how to align and use it very fast. It is much easier to find two stars in a light polluted back yard than to find a DSO. Plus, I feel that people do learn the sky by finding them with help and them remembering where they were found by looking in the finder.
My $.02