Hi,

Here's some stuff ...

My (one of the earliest) Celestron NexStar does not have any
manual-override.  I found that to be a serious shortcoming.  When I
don't feel like hooking up the battery or listening to the motor, I
can't use this one.  If you buy any "goto" scope, I recommend holding
out for manual operation ability..

I have trouble thinking of any 8" scope as "compact".  Even my
NexStar, which is a 5", hardly qualifies as "compact".  I have a Meade
ETX 90 RA (approx. 3.5" - mine's not a "goto" but Meade does have a
"goto" in that size) is my "compact" scope.  

You decrease size/weight, but also decrease light-gathering when you
get a smaller scope.  It's a trade-off

If your scope will be doing a lot of traveling, you'll be needing to
collimate (adjust the alignment) more often than usual.  So whatever
you buy, make sure collimation isn't a PITA.

Do lots of research before you buy.  Better yet, find a local
astronomy club and go to one of their "open" nights ... you can see
lots of different scopes in real-life use (and get lots of different
opinions about your own situation).

B(&S)
'87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
SoCal

On Mon, 02 May 2005 07:31:52 -0700, you wrote:

>I know the almighty list counts a few amateur
>astronomers among our ranks, so I'm seeking any advice
>you can offer.
>
>My wife and Westy traveling partner has recently
>gotten the astronomy bug, and is interested in a good
>quality telescope suitable for viewing, and perhaps
>eventually photographing, planets and other heavenly
>bodies.
>
>We'd like something relatively compact enough to fit
>in the Westy for weekends spent camping and stargazing
>in the north woods, so she's presently leaning toward
>a Schmitt-Cassegrain design, probably in the 8-inch
>range, but we are open to other suggestions.
>
>� Other telescope designs or brands to consider?
>� Is one design significantly more durable and
>therefore better suited to backwoods travel than the
>others?
>� Is one design better for astrophotography than
>another?
>� Do most telescope celestial navigation computers
>have a manual-override function to enable manual
>navigation?
>
>Any advice would be appreciated, and if this subject
>is considered too oblique for the Vanagon List, please
>pmail with any responses.
>
>Thanks!
>
>Jeffrey Earl
>1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
>http://www.vanthology.com/
>
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