Hi Randy , thx for your remarks . I've actually been leaning toward a Dobson . I have been visiting Focus Scientific these last months . They have a 12" Dob with the " Goto " tracker . It's used, looks mint and a good price . But you raise a good point to find objects in space by myself rather then depending on a mechanical instrument .? I agree , best way to learn is to find it yourself.?
For a starter you can't beat an 8-10 inch Dobsonian with a telrad finder.
I still miss my fast 8-inch Dob from La Maison de l'Astronomie in Mtl.? It was about 200 mm shorter than the standard f6 Dobs on the market and gave wonderful wide views and could pull in bright galaxies from my back yard in west Ottawa.? Under truly dark skies, it beheld wonders indeed.
Also, as a beginner the simple pointing mechanism helped me learn to star hop and learn my way around the night sky.
A good star atlas (or planetarium software -- I like the free and open source, Stellarium) are a must-have unless you are using a go-to scope.
If you want to try before you buy, you can rent a scope, fairly affordably from Focus Scientific (maybe they suspended this under Covid?) at:
1891 Merivale Rd. Unit 4, Bentley Entrance, Ottawa ON K2G 1E5, Canada
Phone: +1 613 723 1350
Hi OAF members , novice astronomer seeking advice for starter telescope . Any recommendations .... type / sellers ?
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