Where to purchase my first scope?

Hi All!

This is my first post so be gentle with me! :lol:

Been a stargazer with a cheap pair of 10x50 binos for many years but now have more free time, more money and a brother prepared to go halvos on the cost of a scope. Thus we've decided on our first scope and its a whopper.

The Orion SkyQuest XT12 IntelliScope with Object Locator. ie 12in Dob
Seems to fit the bill quite nicely with decent optics, large apeture, and handy Object Locator ( 'Push To' ). Luckily I have access to my old mans commercial Nissan Xtrail as this scope won't fit in my own or my brothers cars for when we start going to starparties or dark sky sites.

I thought about going for a 10in version but that would be a 'push too' (no pun intended :lol: ) to fit in either car. I really don't want to go smaller than 10in. I also looked at Truss', specifically the Meade 12in Light Bridge. Should get that in either car but we would have to do without the object locator and set up, though easy, takes a lot of the pick up and go out of it. I figure I will store the scope outside in a mini shed both from a short cool down perspective and from a lack of space in the house perspective :lol: Having to put a scope together takes the sponenaeity out of it whereas with a full tube scope its just a case of lifting it out of the shed. I figure I would use it more with little set-up involved and isn't there a saying, "The best Scope is the one you use the most"?

Thinking about this shed from argos

Plastic Shed

Anyway I've emailed North Down Telescopes and Andromeda and neither replied but to be honest I don't think either stock the orions anyway.

So it looks like a European retailer as I couldn't find any UK retailers for the Orions either.

The first place I found was this crowd from Germany

www.astroshop.de/en/telescopes/orion/dobson/intelli-scope-12

Has anyone heard of them or dealt with them?

Also heard about

www.telescope-service.de/OrionUSA/dobs/dobs.html#In12

from User GrayArea over on boards.ie and I see them mentioned here too.

Don't know who to go with tbh. The astroshop site looks more professional and offers secure online ordering as well as stock level/supply estimate but I don't know if anyone here has used them, whereas telescope-service has been recommended but the site is more amateurish with offline ordering.

Any advice??

Finally, can anyone recommend a selection of EP's I should get. For planetary, DSO and widefield Milkyway type viewing. Also Moon, Sun and Planetary filters and maybe even some nebula and light polution filters (Suburban Bray back Yard location) Don't want to go mad on eyepieces price wise just yet though, so I am talking 1-100 euro eyepieces rather then 100-1000 euro EP's :lol:

I hope someone can answer some or all my questions

Thanks in advance!

Keith

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I've been dealing with Telescope Service for several years now and they have been 100% reliable, as well as being very helpful when asked for advice.

It's quite likely that the same can be said of Astroshop but I don't know.

I'd second everything said about telescope -service, very friendly, reliable efficient and an excellent level of service

Welcome Keith.

A 12" scope for a first scope is quite a step and if you go ahead with the purchase you won't be disappointed.

Like John I've dealt with Telescope-Service and found them to be extremely helpful. Never having dealt with Astroshop I can't comment.

On the subject of eyepieces, there is no single eyepiece that will do all you ask, personally I have Hyperions for wide field views, orthoscopics for the moon and Plossls for everything in between.

Filters for the moon are neutral density filters that cut down on the glare. Planetary filters are coloured filters, each colour being specific to a planet to bring out the best details. I have a Baader UHC filter for light pollution and can't find fault with it. For the sun you have to be careful, a solar filter has to be fitted over the aperture, in the case of a dob over the open end, filters that fit over the eyepiece are to be avoided at all costs as they are dangerous due to being damaged by the sun's heat. There are many places that sell Baader Astrosolar sheets, they can be made into an excellent solar filter, for a 12" dob an off axis filter of 6 or 8 inches will suffice.

Telescope-Service sell a wide range of filters, eyepieces and scopes and they will most likely offer a discount for the amount of goods you are planning to purchase.

Get down to a local astronomy club, IAS and SDAS are the closest to Bray, keep checking the forums for meetings.

Finally, enjoy the hobby and all the joy it will bring.

All I can say Keith (welcome btw) is you picked a dinger of a scope for your
first scope. Ye will not be let down.
Have you looked thru other smaller scopes yet?
The worry would be you would look into the 12'' and go mah, I'm sure we can do better (and believe me, it will never stop!)

But A 12'' dob is a super scope. (why did you go for that one over the Meade Lightbridge BTW?)

best of luck with the new gear.

Thats a fine scope and the controller looks really nice !
This scope has digital setting circles, is there any way of motorizing it ?
When you get it, let us know how you get on with it. !