3 " apo's

Hi all, very interesting thread on the 4" achro vs. 3" apo.
I'm in the same boat and heavily leaning toward the 3" apo.
Besides I can't afford anything bigger. Even then I'll have to save my pennies for a while.
So can anyone with a 3" apo say from 76mm to 80mm give me any tips? I have an 8" dob, but being newly divorced and a single father now I don't have much more than 1/2 hour or so to observe at any one time. I'm mainly into planets and open clusters. I need something with fat cool down time and something I can grab and go. At what powers can I expect to achieve on planets?
Main contenders at this time is the Tak FS78 (Are they still making this scope?)
Stellarvue 80L and the TV76.
Any and all comments appreciated.
Thanks,
Jason

I'd spring for a used Takahashi FS78 they turn up on Astromart from time to time. They are really great on the moon and planets and in Dark skies really perform very well. Even the new price is not too bad. Typically these scope sell for 80 to 90 percent new anyway's. Next size up if the Takahashi FS102 but then the price starts to run away not unless you can get ome for say $1500 or less I'd go for the FS78

Clear Skies
Dwight L Bogan

Hi Jason,
I've got a 4" APO (TV102) and a 3" Achro (SV80 f9.4) and have found that the smaller scope sees much more use because it's handier and not so demanding of the mount. As a result, I'm in the process of acquiring a used FS78. Hopefully it will be here in a week or so. My understanding is that no more FS-78s will be made; but there may be a few new ones still lurking on the shelf somewhere.

Looked hard at the SV80L, particularly with the sale price that's good til the end of May. If the FS78 hadn't come up, I might've sprung for one, but $1500+ is alot to have tied up in a 3" refractor....so is $1000, for that matter.
Bob