Joe. A 12" will gather a huge amount of light when compared with the other standard Mead/Celestron cat type scopes. But it will also gather a huge amount of light pollution as well. If your main use will be in the Salt Lake /Utah/Davis county area, you may be disappointed. Too, a 12" is heavy. You may want to take a look at building an "observatory" to avoid the chore of setting it up each time. Just my .02 Barney B. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Bauman" <bau@desnews.com> To: <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2003 2:52 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] URGENT request for advice
Dear fellow astronomy fans, I am on the verge of buying one of Meade's 12 inch GPS-ers with all the trimmin's. As I am sure many know, they are on sale, and for an extra $65 you get what looks like a great set of eyepieces. Tomorrow I will make up my mind most likely. Anyway, I have two questions for you:
1, Someone mentioned reflectors as being better. So here I go again with reflectors vs. catadioptric. For the same kind of buck (say $3,500-ish), what brand reflector is preferable that will track and do the job as well? I'm not interested in spending any more for a really great tripod and tracker; the price should include everything. Do reflectors track as well? Are they harder to set up? Also, do you think reflectors' well-known propensity for needing recolumnation frequently is a problem? Is their larger profile likely to be a hassle during breezy nights? Any other thoughts, pro or con, would be highly appreciated.
2. A sales rep I called cited "two to four weeks" of backlog at the Meade factory. Is this realistic?
Best wishes, Joe
Joe Bauman science & military reporter Deseret News bau@desnews.com (801) 237-2169
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