[Chaos-l] Dob buying advice notacable

[mdlemon at lemons-bend.com]

Can't argue with Michael's analysis. I own a 10" Zhumell tube dob  
myself and it has done banner service. It's easy to setup, easy to  
maintain, and can observe all but the very faintest of the faint.

As for eyepieces, while I've had the privilege of enjoying a Nagler in  
my dob, I get just as much enjoyment from my basic Zhumell 26mm  
widefield. It's sharp almost to the edge and gives a nice field of  
view (FOV).

In the higher mags, while I've used a 4mm in my scope, and it can be  
amazing on a good night on the moon or a planet, such high mags are  
difficult to get a good night for. Just a 25-30mm that has a 70+ FOV  
and a good 15-17mm will do you fine.

Collimation is the biggest hurdle...at least it was for me. There's a  
good bit to learn about how everything works in a reflector. I  
splurged for the Catseye (http://www.catseyecollimation.com/) tools  
and they are well worth it. They explain everything in detail in  
addition to being solidly built to last a lifetime. You will never  
need another set of collimation tools.

Mike