Hi folks- As the Utah observing season approaches, I find myself considering a small Dob. I haven't observed with any of you yet, so you don't know my current gear. I have a NexStar 8" SCT with a few mods. I've also got a couple of smaller scopes and a couple of pairs of big binos. My eyepieces are pretty much in the midrange--Ultimas and Axioms mainly. But I've never had a Dob. The time is approaching when I'm through paying for my kid's college, but for the next couple of years I'm on a budget. When that's all done, I'm going to buy myself a nice 'scope. But I'm not sure what I'm going to want at the time. I certainly like owning a tracking SCT, especially for high-power views. But I also like the bright, widefield views I've had with other people's Dobs. So it seems to me that a cheap Dob would be a good thing to have for a couple of years, just to help me make up my mind. Believe me, I'm aware of all the arguments against and in favor of various types of scopes, so we can stay out of the philosophical area. I'm pretty much a visual guy. I spend too much time in front of the computer as it is, so I'm unlikely to take up astrophotography in any serious way. I'm just wondering what experience people in the club have had with some of the bargain 10" Dobs. I've been considering both the Orion 10" (made by Synta in China) and the 10" from Hardin Optical (Guan Sheng from Taiwan). I've also thought about the inexpensive Dobs from Discovery, although they're a bit pricier. I'm just not going to build one myself. Don't mind sticking in a piece of Teflon here and there, but I"m strictly a tweaker. So if anyone can comment on these or similar little cheapies, I'd be much obliged. Sure enjoyed our one day of Spring yesterday. Michael Michael Carnes 8673 Scottish Drive Sandy, UT 84093 http://home.earthlink.net/~moogiebird/