It's very possible I mentally added $100 to the price of the binocular viewer, too; it's been about as long since I've price checked it as it has since you did, 'cos it always struck me as extravagant anyway. But then, once you have the motor and a Schmidt corrector plate most other things just leave me thinking That's money I could've spent on more aperture. 
Can definitely see how access to a pro observatory might spoil you a bit; maybe you can get out to Yerkes some time. As you may know, it's got the first of three telescopes Hale built that were, in succession, the largest on Earth until Keck was completed (and at 40" it's STILL the largest refractor. ) Ironic there are people who actually WANT to be in Iraq (though it seems pretty crappy in terms of elevation) but then, that's where astronomy began, right?
Can definitely see how access to a pro observatory might spoil you a bit; maybe you can get out to Yerkes some time. As you may know, it's got the first of three telescopes Hale built that were, in succession, the largest on Earth until Keck was completed (and at 40" it's STILL the largest refractor. ) Ironic there are people who actually WANT to be in Iraq (though it seems pretty crappy in terms of elevation) but then, that's where astronomy began, right?Not sure I'd call it a 'pro' observatory, our college of education wheedled the funds off of NASA then realized they had no idea what to do with it and basically unloaded it on us, we had either a 12 or 14" Schmidt inside a building with just a bit bigger than a shed with rotating dome.
As far as new ones go, my take is always the same: If you've got a decent sized motorized reflector now there's no reason to buy another until/unless you're ready for an 8" SCT, and no real reason for amateurs to get more unless they just have a few thousand dollars burning a hole in their pocket. It's too bad EBay's such a crap shoot, because you can often find an 8" SCT with tripod and motor for $500 or so, but wtf knows what condition it's REALLY in, or how it will arrive? I did see a good example of the price differences between various designs just now though: For what a motorized 8" SCT with database costs new, Orion will sell you a 14" Dobsonian. But you're really painting yourself into a corner with a Dob, and I wouldn't spend two grand doing that even if I could. 
Of course most people with a few thousand bucks in their pocket who decide to burn it on a telescope get one of those wretched display piece with a wooden tripod all covered in brass. Which usually ends up sitting next to the table whose only purpose is hold some obsidian and ivory chess board they also never use.
My guess is a scope off ebay, a high quality one at least, would probably be in good condition, except for the eye candy types mentioned above you don't usually see expensive optics in the hands of people who actually would be selling it. The ones selling it probably really love astronomy and just upgraded or need the cash, rich types who got it for show and tell don't need to sell them.
Not really sure why anyone would by a dobsonian, make one, sure, but buy one of them? Always look like someone couldn't decide if they were building a water heater or a cannon.
Yeah, that's the thing, the software is great (Celestrons "The Sky" was my preferred retail one when I was "in the biz" ) but in the field it's only worthwhile if you have a laptop (not great for preserving night vision) or print out the charts in a redlight format. The one I linked has the standard skywheel on the front that you can set for time and date, but then you open it up and it has four pages of redlight maps for each season, a two page spread above and another below the ecliptic, with listings of coordinates and features printed below the maps in two columns. Also the first few pages were devoted to charts telling which planets were in what constellations for the next 5-10 years (hence mine is a little out of date, too, but it's easy to tell whether they were in retrograde and follow them through to where they should be now. ) It is laminated, 'natch. That, of course, seems to have gotten MORE expensive; we sold ours for $10 and even the fonts were the same, it just didn't have a company name on it.
Usually got that 'red light' button for the software so you can haul the laptop along, but I suspect I'd end up blinding myself trying to open up media player or decide to take notes in blinding white MS Word.
Brand naming always kicks up prices, but for optics they usually deserve it, no Nike or Abercrombie Fitch thingy going on there. I don't know, I got so much astro-junk lying around I can pretty much come up with what I need, of course, I'm also used to having a laminator or atleast laminating sheets. Of course, I suppose the common sense thing to do would be to print a red light chart off then stick it one of thousands of document protectors I have lying around protecting manuals that were printed in 1990 for equipment that hasn't been produced in over a decade. I'm pretty sure if I finally torched all those old MS-Dos and Win95 manuals and such I could heat my house for a month.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
Biggest and Brightest Full Moon of 2010 Tonight
- 29/01/2010 06:22:59 PM
751 Views
you will have to tell me how it was we are suppossed to get rain all night *NM*
- 29/01/2010 07:18:13 PM
262 Views
I thought it was looking pretty big and bright at 5pm today... *NM*
- 29/01/2010 07:20:28 PM
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that was very interesting. *NM*
The illusion always seemed pretty simply explained to me.
- 30/01/2010 03:02:05 AM
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I was, naturally, interested in seeing it. Clouds thwarted my plans.
- 30/01/2010 10:24:16 PM
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Re: I was, naturally, interested in seeing it. Clouds thwarted my plans.
- 31/01/2010 02:10:30 AM
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You'd be suprised how much you can see with "ordinary" binoculars.
- 31/01/2010 05:11:00 AM
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Likely wise, though it also reminds me of one those expensive addons I mentioned.
- 31/01/2010 05:16:56 AM
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Celestron sells a stereo bino set for $200
- 31/01/2010 07:38:33 AM
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Heh, it may have actually gone DOWN, I believe.
- 31/01/2010 12:49:15 PM
577 Views
Anemiconomy, I'll have to steal that
- 31/01/2010 02:03:12 PM
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Stealing my one liners is all the rage these days.
- 31/01/2010 02:38:54 PM
478 Views
- 31/01/2010 02:38:54 PM
478 Views
Theft is flattery
- 31/01/2010 06:20:31 PM
562 Views
- 31/01/2010 06:20:31 PM
562 Views
Only when confessed and not contorted into caricature.
- 01/02/2010 06:52:30 AM
490 Views
- 01/02/2010 06:52:30 AM
490 Views
I feel your pain, people steal my jokes than give wretched deliveries
- 01/02/2010 09:04:25 AM
587 Views
At least they retain rather than perverting the sense.
- 03/02/2010 06:44:37 AM
997 Views
Regrettably not
- 03/02/2010 02:31:56 PM
493 Views
Re: Regrettably not
- 15/02/2010 08:54:34 AM
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The two of you old farts should really jump ship to Slackware
- 15/02/2010 02:59:47 PM
392 Views
I should have moondog give me a Linux tutorial one day is what I SHOULD do.
- 15/02/2010 03:03:56 PM
382 Views
