> Serious mirror flop
> OTA Swing through limit = Huge case
> Heavy and awkward
>
I agree, the mirror does have noticeable flop, but with a little tweaking,
much of it can be alleviated.


> Unless you are permanently mounting a 12", do not dismiss the weight
> issue. I am 6' 3" and 220 lb. and I do not shy away from heavy lifting.
> At 75 lbs. the 12" will cause many users back injury at some point. It
> is awkward to dead lift this much weight anyway, but getting it up on
> the tripod will tax many users strength and stamina. To boot, screwing
> in the rod while holding it with one hand on the tripod is not fun
> either. I found that I didn't mind setting it up (Rested in the early
> evening while still light) but I learned to despise the breakdown after
> a long night of observing. Especially if it was cold out, it was all I
> could muster to wrestle the 12" back into its case without hurting
> yourself or the scope.
>
I couldn't disagree more. The 12" is only 10 lbs. more than the 10" scope.
If you can lift a 10", then you should have no trouble with a 12". I am 6'
0", 185 lbs and have no trouble at all lifting a 12" scope on ......and off
after a night of observing. And as far as screwing in the screw, if you
level the base before lifting the scope on, it will just sit there while you
tighten it down. Anyone that is in halfway decent shape should have no
trouble at all with moving this scope around, on the other hand, if you sit
around eating hoho's and chips watching your computer monitor all day, then
yes, you might have a bit of trouble. 75 lbs really isnt that much weight
to lift.


> If you really have a bad case of aperture fever, seriously consider
> building or buying a big dob and keep the 10" for portable or CCD use.
>
IMHO it all boils down to the individual as to how portable this scope is.
Do what your heart tells you to do. If it says, get the 12" then get it.
On the other hand if it says 10" then buy that one. I suggest you don't buy
something that will make you regret the purchase in the end. The last thing
you want to do is buy a 10" and then every time you use it think silently to
yourself.....gee, I wonder how this would look in a 12". The next thing you
know, you will be selling your 10" for far less than it's worth and buying a
12" anyway.

I think your best bet would be to try to observe both scopes in the field
with their owners. Take a look at what they seem to be like to handle.
Make up your own mind if you think you can handle it or not. Don't listen
to how others say it's impossible to handle. As you can see, different
people have different opinions. This gentleman is even bigger than me and
can't handle a 12". In the end it all boils down to the individual at hand.
If you do some careful investigating instead of asking for opinions, you
will indeed know what you as an individual can tolerate and make a wise
purchase based on that information.

Good luck,

View index by [date] [author] [subject]
Previous message: Re: [M]: Comparison request - LX200 10" vs. 12", Bill Arnett
Next message: [M]: ETX Focus, Pete
Next message in thread: Re: [M]: Comparison request - LX200 10" vs. 12", Bob Parks
Previous message in thread: Re: [M]: Comparison request - LX200 10" vs. 12", Bill Arnett