Scope advice

OK, it's time for me to buy a new telescope.

I currently have a very nice setup that is specialized for
astrophotography (90mm APO refractor, Tak EM-200 mount, 80mm guide
scope, digital SLR, webcam, RoboFocus, lots of associated
electronics). The whole thing weighs about 120 pounds and will
barely fit into my car when packed up. It also takes about 1/2 hour
to set up and tear down, and consumes so much power that it is hard
to power by battery. As a result I never take it anywhere, never go
to any of the TAC Page Mill observing nights, and never go to star parties.

This is the only scope I've ever owned.

Here's what I'm looking for in a new scope:

- Small enough that it will comfortably fit in a midsize car without
a lot of effort. It also needs to fit in my airplane, which is
probably about the same size.
- Light enough that it can be carried by a relatively small person in
one or two trips. This probably means less than 40 pounds per piece,
and less than 80 pounds total.
- Very quick to set up and tear down. Minimal collimination needed each time.
- Does not require any power to be operated (although power could be
an option for more advanced features).
- As good light gathering as I can get based on other
constraints. My night vision is lousy and I need all the help I can get.
- Is comfortable to look through for a 5'5" tall person without a
ladder or without crouching over all the time.
- Inexpensive! I've spent so much on my astrophoto setup, I'm only
willing to spend, at most, $1000 on this scope (I already have good
eyepieces and filters and whatnot).

I'm not an advanced observer. I haven't seen all of the Messier
objects and I'm not collecting thousands of faint fuzzies. But I do
want something that isn't going to fall apart, will work well at star
parties, and is easily portable. I'd also like it to have enough
capability that it will grow with me over the years as I become a
better observer.

A few of the scopes I've thought about include the Meade 10"
LightBridge or Orion SkyQuest XT10.

I would love a Plettstone but they're just a little out of my price
range - sorry :-)

Suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Rob

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