Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Help me pick a Dob


Recommended Posts

Hi. Currently I am using a 5" / 1050mm reflector. Wanted to graduate to a 10" dob now. Only for visual observation...no imaging. Should I opt for a 10" Orion Dob or a 10" Skywatcher. I will really appreciate expert advise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 27
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Orion, the US Orion, do not make scopes they tend to purchase the items elsewhere and usually Orion buy from Synta that is Skywatcher. So they may add on better items, focuser etc but the basic oprtics are very likely to be identical to Skywatcher.

If you locate the Orion website have a look at the assorted scopes on offer, they bear a very great similarity to Skywatcher equipment, with "Orion" on them, Orion.

Additionally there may be a problem with spares from Orion, they supply only to whover bought the scope originally and if you want an item you may well be expected to supply proof of original purchase. Orion do not make life easy for their customers.

If you are going to a 10" make sure you understand how big it is. It may be 2x the diameter but it will be 8 to 10 times the weight of the present 5". So not as easy to transport and carry round. I suspect more people give up astronomy because they buy a scope that is too big then give up because their scope is too small.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This should be a personel choice read the reviews from both camps orion or,skywatcher it's up to you telling people what scope,they need is crazy as if they not happy when it arrives then they to blame

I,would,choose the one that as a parabolic mirror ,a good focuser is it possible to have a look at any of these scopes before you purchase ?

Pat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the Skywatcher solid tube 10" and have been very happy with it. As with any Dob, a few DIY tweaks improve things. I fitted a rubber bump stop inside the base to stop the tube thumping into the wood when packing away. I made a dew shield from a length of camping mat foam and sticky Velcro tabs. Every Dob needs a knob to help with pointing :) The next upgrade will be a Lacerta dual speed focuser.

I have never used an Orion USA Dob but from the descriptions and specifications, I expect it to be very similar to the Skywatcher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 8" SW and a 8" Orion (USA), they are both very good optically and probably have mirrors from the same source. The big plus for the Orion is that it can be upgraded to the "Intelliscope" manual GOTO which is a very nice feature. The 10" versions should be similar.  :smiley:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not used the Orion Dob. The Skywatcher version is a nice enough bit of kit. It's a good functional scope that performs well.

Thanks Steve. Since you are using SW, your feedback will help a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Orion, the US Orion, do not make scopes they tend to purchase the items elsewhere and usually Orion buy from Synta that is Skywatcher. So they may add on better items, focuser etc but the basic oprtics are very likely to be identical to Skywatcher.

If you locate the Orion website have a look at the assorted scopes on offer, they bear a very great similarity to Skywatcher equipment, with "Orion" on them, Orion.

Additionally there may be a problem with spares from Orion, they supply only to whover bought the scope originally and if you want an item you may well be expected to supply proof of original purchase. Orion do not make life easy for their customers.

If you are going to a 10" make sure you understand how big it is. It may be 2x the diameter but it will be 8 to 10 times the weight of the present 5". So not as easy to transport and carry round. I suspect more people give up astronomy because they buy a scope that is too big then give up because their scope is too small.

Thanks a ton for advice. Really appreciate it. If the optics are similar, then I guess SW should be good...for better customer service. I would kind of agree with your observations. I have spoken with the dealers of Orion & SW in India. SW seems to be more customer oriented. About accessories like a better focuser, SW has agreed to provide a dual focuser...on additional cost of coarse. Thanks again for your valuable feedback.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This should be a personel choice read the reviews from both camps orion or,skywatcher it's up to you telling people what scope,they need is crazy as if they not happy when it arrives then they to blame

I,would,choose the one that as a parabolic mirror ,a good focuser is it possible to have a look at any of these scopes before you purchase ?

Pat

Hi. Both Orion & SW offer parabolic mirrors and crayford focuser. Its just the dob mount that differs. Orion offers a mettalic dob mount while SW offers a wooden mount. Advantage with Orion's mount is that it can be upgraded to a GO TO system later. But I am not interested in a GO TO system. the fun and experience of watching a celestial object is thrilling after it is found with some effort. Besides, several times, I have bumped across some interesting objects while searching for some another object. Thanks again for you advice.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a 10" Skywatcher flex tube DOB that was easy to transport. I had to collimate it every time for imaging but for visual it was very good.

Peter

Thanks Peter. I guess I will go by your personal experience of SW. Thanks for clearing my doubts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the Skywatcher solid tube 10" and have been very happy with it. As with any Dob, a few DIY tweaks improve things. I fitted a rubber bump stop inside the base to stop the tube thumping into the wood when packing away. I made a dew shield from a length of camping mat foam and sticky Velcro tabs. Every Dob needs a knob to help with pointing :) The next upgrade will be a Lacerta dual speed focuser.

I have never used an Orion USA Dob but from the descriptions and specifications, I expect it to be very similar to the Skywatcher.

Thanks. Basis your feedback (and other's those have replied), I guess I'll go in for SW. Your feedback has been really helpful. Thx again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have recently obtained the Skywatcher 10'' full tube version and find I can lift and move the whole thing relatively easily. Never tried an Orion scope however, but can vouch for the Skywatcher one. Focuser might need changing for some people, but fine for me for now. I have gone for a Telrad as the finderscope is simply awkward although works fine. I am extremely happy with mine so if you went for it, I am sure you will feel the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have recently obtained the Skywatcher 10'' full tube version and find I can lift and move the whole thing relatively easily. Never tried an Orion scope however, but can vouch for the Skywatcher one. Focuser might need changing for some people, but fine for me for now. I have gone for a Telrad as the finderscope is simply awkward although works fine. I am extremely happy with mine so if you went for it, I am sure you will feel the same.

Thanks for the feedback. Guess I'll close on SW solid tube with a Dob mount. Your feedback was reassuring. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Orion, the US Orion, do not make scopes they tend to purchase the items elsewhere and usually Orion buy from Synta that is Skywatcher. So they may add on better items, focuser etc but the basic oprtics are very likely to be identical to Skywatcher.

If you locate the Orion website have a look at the assorted scopes on offer, they bear a very great similarity to Skywatcher equipment, with "Orion" on them, Orion.

Additionally there may be a problem with spares from Orion, they supply only to whover bought the scope originally and if you want an item you may well be expected to supply proof of original purchase. Orion do not make life easy for their customers.

If you are going to a 10" make sure you understand how big it is. It may be 2x the diameter but it will be 8 to 10 times the weight of the present 5". So not as easy to transport and carry round. I suspect more people give up astronomy because they buy a scope that is too big then give up because their scope is too small.

Do you mind if I ask what the difference is between "Orion" and "US Orion", if any?

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you mind if I ask what the difference is between "Orion" and "US Orion", if any?

Thanks!

I believe that they are separate companies. Orion Optics UK make some very nice looking scopes and specialise in really good optics (this does come at a cost!). Orion (US) make nice scopes but are rather more mass market like Sky Watcher.

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Guys, what if take an EQ6 mount with the 10" f/4.8 1200mm OTA? What do you suggest, a dobsonian would better with a 10" or a dual axis motor driven EQ6 equatorial mount. I have heard that big aperture scopes shake a lot in equatorial mounts. Is this problem also there with EQ6 mount ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks all. My 10" skywatcher donson has arrived yesterday. Looking forward to explore the skies....

Congratulations! Superb news.

Looking forward to hearing your reports on it. I am currently thinking about changing my cumbersome 8" equatorial newt for a slightly larger dob to make it simpler to set up and pack down. Always love listening to people's views of the scopes available.

Paul

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks all. My 10" skywatcher donson has arrived yesterday. Looking forward to explore the skies....

Congratulations on your new scope. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it! :happy7:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The beauty of this dob is the ease of use. It simply needs taking outside and off you go. I have ordered a weatherproof cover for mine which should make it even easier for me to to use as i can leave it out for a day or so and even the short cool down time is reduced. The saying that the best scope is the one you use the most absolutely applies to this scope I think, as any evening at home with a break in the clouds means I can be nudging across the skies.

The recommendations I would give though are a telrad (or equivalent finder) to assist in getting to what you want to see quickly, and some decent eyepieces, as this scope is fast, and while the supplied eyepieces are not bad, better ones make a big difference in a scope like this.

Congratulations on a great piece of equipment, hope you like it as much as I do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Its a good telescope indeed. Even since, it has arrived, I have been focusing on the ring nebula in Lyra (though observed other objects also, but serious observation was for the Ring Nebula). Shows the Ring Nebula a fuzzy ring at 42x. At this power, the inside hole is visible clearly with averted vision. However, the hole and the ring shape becomes distinct and very clear as the power is increased gradually to 90x, 120x, 160x. At 240x, the nebula fills the FOV, but the image shimmers a lot.....I guess due to atmospheric turbulence.

Epsilon lyrae breaks up and shows its 4 starts at 120x. 

On the whole, the telescope is a great piece but doesn't holds up to perfect collimation.  The primary has to be collimated every time before use, though the collimation goes only slightly off the mark. I have purchased a laser collimator which is really handy in collimation in minutes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.