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Very happy with it! Wish the sky were clear, but as we all know, when we buy astro equipment, it's cloudy! Argh! The telescope was collected from David Lukehurst at noon and then we travelled back to Cambridge. John Nichol primary mirror: 37mm thickness, Suprax. Hilux coated. Optics 1/8 PV wavefront 1/27 wave RMS. Strehl .95. Secondary mirror: 62mm MA. Here a few photos:

Hi all, This is my first post here so apologies if this isn’t the right topic to post this thread on. I’m a fairly new astronomer and use a Skywatcher 200P Dobsonian Classic, and had great fun with it. I’ve so far been able to get great views of Jupiter, The Moon, the Pleiades and also the Orion Nebula. All have been imaged from a heavily light-polluted location (central Tyne and Wear) but I don’t feel this has impeded viewing significantly. Saturn is currently in the evening sky, but it has been too low to image with the scope. I’ve also tried to find Uranus, the Pinwheel Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy, but it is difficult to locate any of these due to the light pollution washing out certain stars I intend to use as waypoints in the sky to locate these objects. Consequently, I’m looking for a sufficiently dark location in or near the North East with an unobstructed view of the West/South-West sky (hopefully to see Saturn before it disappears this month). I know of a few good areas with almost zero light pollution locally, namely Derwent and Kielder reservoirs, although their hilly locales still make it difficult to see objects low in the sky. Does anybody here have suggestions over appropriate locations? I’m happy to travel an hour or more, as long as the roads are safe and I won’t have to carry my huge Dobsonian too far from a parking location! Thanks in advance and all the best, JM.

Hi everyone, I'm new here. Great site! I'm also almost new to this whole thing. I just got my new 12 inch SW dobsonian telescope (upgraded from 6'' SW DOB). I had followed all the steps in setting up the telescope. I hope I've done nothing wrong in setting it up. I've came into a disappointment after trying to view through 25mm because everything came out blurry! Can understand the light is there but blurry. Also did the laser collimation as well but still of no avail. Can someone please help me out? I'm very confused and frustrated. Much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

The first two photos were taken using my BST StarGuider 3.2mm ED EP. The middle one was using a 25mm MA EP. The last two were taking with a 10mm MA EP. I was just holding the phone to the eyepiece, using the zoom and exposure compensation. I have no control of the ISO with this phone, even using the Open Camera app.

Hi! I'm Fran Not so long ago I took a picture of the ISS I never thought I was going to be able to get with the equipment I have. After saving for a long time, I was able to buy my first scope, an OTA Skywatcher 200P. I adapted it to be used in a dobsonian base because it was the cheapest way I had to get it to work. One night, I thought it might be cool to try to aim and record with my phone an ISS pass overhead. During the first attempt, I messed up the focus extremely bad but you can't imagine how happy I was to get a white blob in a frame that only I knew was the ISS. The following afternoon I tried again. This time the flyby was almost exactly overhead and the night was crystal clear. So I manually tracked the station looking through the finder scope and recording it with my phone at 1080p 60fps. Without much expectations I downloaded the files into my computer to review them. And was shocked with the results. The video was processed with PIPP, AutoStakkert and RegiStax. If someone told me the image was taken with a phone and manually tracked with a shitty dobsonian base I would not believe him! I got really lucky that night, but I can not be happier with the results. I believe I got to the edge of what I can accomplish with the equipment that I was able to buy. I'm not sure if ext step up should be a real camera or a mount. Anyway, any of them are too expensive If you want to see the frames before processing (and some nice shots of the moon that night), I'll leave a link to the video where I show them: Thank you so much for reading it all. Cheers, Fran

200p skyliner.

Hi All, My Skyliner 200p OTA will fit in my car, but the Skywatcher mount that came with it will not. Are there any foldaway Dob mounts out there? Or any diy projects? Ta, Neil.

Hi, never posted in the imaging section before but heres a Moon shot taken on a 150p dob with a Nikon D300 at iso 800 1/320 second. Mirror lock up and timer delay. D300 was attached with a 2 x Barlow so had to take a piccie of the bottom and then the top half of the Moon as it was too big ( and no I couldn't have moved back a bit !) and then stitched in photoshop

Hello. I am in the middle of deciding what telescope should be my next. Previously i had a 2 inch (I believe) Bresser refractor telescope. I am super in to astronomy, and now I want something big and awesome. I've been looking at the skywatcher explorer 250pds (for which i would seperately buy an equatorial mount, would the eq5 do?) and the skywatcher skyliner 250(which is mounted on a dob) I'm torn between a dobsonian and an equatorial. My biggest concern about a dobsonian would be that I wouldn't be able to stand up, and would have to bring some kind of table to wherever I'm observing from. If any of you would be kind enough to help clear this up for me, I would be very thankful. Best regards

I picked up my new (and first ever) dob from Nottingham yesterday. Its a 20" f3.6 Lukehurst dobsonian. It has a 1/10 wave mirror. David Lukehurst gave a quick demo of the scopes features and answered my questions on collimation. Then it was time to dismantle and put all the pieces into my car. I had taken some duvets and pilllows to allow me to get everything packed in and there wasn't much room to spare... Everything was unloaded into my garage just before dark. Today I have been making up some wiring to connect the various "enhancements" that will increase my use of the scope. David had fitted the powered ground board, 10K encoders and Nexus controller plus UTA dew controller unit (he cleverly wired the dew controlled up through one of the hollow trusses which is a neat solution) & secondary heater. He has added a few pass through holes in the corners that made it easier to get the cables out to the mirror box to connect up the fan & UTA dew system. Once that was complete, I got my neighbour to help me carry the mirror box from the garage down to my shed (obsy). Assembly was a breeze as David numbers each side and each of the trusses so you get them on the correct side (easy). I added the shroud then attempted collimation using the Howie Glatter laser & tublug. The secondary was almost spot on and the primary took a half turn before the triangle shaped centre spot appeared in the tublug display. I gave the Nexus a test with a false alignment on the sun and practised some push pull to find the imaginary mercury and mars. All seemed to be working fine. Just had time to fit my astro systems scope coat and see how much spare material there was as the coat is for an f5 longer scope. Anyway, too much cover seems to make the job of putting it on much easier Now, I just need a clear spell to get out and align the finder then we should be away! Alan

I recently came across this website on constructing equatorial platforms for my 10" dobsonian telescope. http://www.reinervogel.net/index_e.html?/Plattform/Plattform_e.html I realise that there is a UK company that has restarted limited production but I wondered if anyone has experience of: (a) using a similar platform. (b) making one. I am intrigued by the concept and challenge of self build and would appreciate any tips. John

Hi, After a lot of research I purchased my first advanced telescope a 12inch Orion SkyQuest Open Truss Dobsonian. Being into astronomy for years now this is the first gaint telescope I am using. Today was first light and I was rather confused as to what I was seeing. Comparing my tiny 4inch view of Jupiter with the view from this 12inch; it was nearly similar! So the question is which eyepieces should I use to get better detail? I have a 28mm, 32mm, 15mm, 6mm etc. and a Baader zooming hyperion. I viewed Jupiter from both the telescopes using a 32mm wide angle eyepiece. This is probably a really rookie question so go soft on me Which eyepieces and of which make should I attach to fully utilize the capability of this telescope? I tried the Baader and the 15mm and the 32mm for seeing Jupiter tonight. Any help would be highly HIGHLY appreciated. Clear Skies, Div

Hello all! I am mounting an Explore Scientific 8x50 Right Angle Erect Image Illuminated Finder Scope on my Skywatcher Dobsonian. The original Skywatcher mount only had one bolt hole. The Explore Scientific base requires two bolts. I was told to make sure to have the primary mirror cover in place and to place a cotton sock over the secondary mirror. My concern is drilling into the tube itself. Are there any other precautions I need to take so that that it doesn’t look like it was drilled by a bunch of Wallys? LoL! Greg

Attempt number 2 at processing Jupiter. Finding it incredibly frustrating trying to image with my current set up, so have invested in 'Making Every Photon Count' to help me decide what I should upgrade to! Composite image of Jupiter and 3 of its Galilean moons Canon 70d, 8" Dobsonian (prime focus and manually tracked) 1 x 30 sec video, stacked, for Jupiter I attempted eyepiece projection, but couldn't achieve focus... no doubt I am doing something wrong, but couldn't work out what!

Hello stargazers, I've been stalking this forum for a good couple months now in my search for a telescope. My main focus will be the visual observing of planets and DSOs. I like photography might plan that later if possible (i'd like it to be). The skies where i live is somewhat polluted but not so much. I can easily spot most constellations with the naked eye if my drive my car on a hill outside the city. I was thinking about one of the models below. I'd like the get the best bang for the buck and minimize the risk of being disappointed and then wanting a more expensive tube later on. I'd like to learn the sky by heart thus steering clear of a GOTO for now. I'm not going to buy anything right now because I'm putting some hard earned cash in a pair of binos first. My options: (but I'm open to any and all suggestions!) Skywatcher Skymax 150 PRO €569.37 + Skywatcher EQ5 Deluxe €269.02 Objective Lens Diameter: 150mm Telescope Focal Length: 1800mm (f/12) EQ5 because it's a good stable mount that I basically can keep using if I ever upgrade the OTA Skywatcher Skyliner 250PX Dobsonian €463.49 Diameter of Primary Mirror: 254mm Telescope Focal Length: 1200mm (f/4.7) Celestron Omni XLT 127 €647.16 Objective Lens Diameter: 127mm Telescope Focal Length: 1250 mm (f/10) Skywatcher Skymax 127 OTA €274.42 + Skywatcher EQ5 Deluxe €269.02 (Or EQ3-2 for €442.96) Diameter of Primary Mirror: 127mm Telescope Focal Length: 1500mm (f/11.81) I might also get the less stable EQ3-2 for a 100 euros less. But again, the EQ5 is a good investment I believe Skywatcher Explorer 200P EQ5 €504.55 Diameter of Primary Mirror: 200mm Telescope Focal Length: 1000mm (f/5) I got all the prices from FLO. Some questions that I still have: (thanks for staying with me so long) - Would you be able to see some DSOs with anything up from f/10? - Is a dew shield necessary if i live in the Netherlands? - I know its been asked a lot but what eyepieces would you recommend? FLO recommend BSTs. Then again which lengths? I thinks thats all for now:) Thanks so much for checking this post out. Clear skies to you all!

Hey guys, i need your help once more. I was planning on getting the orion xx12g so i could do some visual observation but planetary imaging as well. If I were to connect a webcam such as the neximage, does anyone know if I can focus the camera or if I would need to get a barlow? I live in Woodstock Ny so light pollution is not very strong (on charts I think its a dark green zone). Would i need to get a 4x or 2x powermate/barlow? If anyone can help me that would be great. thanks

I decided to try imaging Jupiter for the first time last night - this was the result. Nothing spectacular, but it's a start I guess! I'm wondering if anyone can give me any tips on how to get more detail? I took this using a Canon 70d attached to an 8" Dobsonian at prime focus 1 x 30 sec video Stabilised in PIPP Stacked in Registax Wavelet adjustments Am I missing something? I mean, I'm happy with the result considering the video was terrible, but I'm sure there's something more I could be doing. Would adding a barlow lens give better results?

Hello all! I just installed this Lacerta 1:10 Micro Transmission focuser on my 8” Skywatcher Dobsonian. It is a direct replacement for the stock focuser and works extremely well. I was surprised at how easy it was to install! Ordered it from 365Astronomy and got fast shipping.

Hi all, I want to share with you my so far best image of Saturn, taken using: 305/1500 goto dob Skywatcher QHY-5 mono IR-UV block filter Baader barlow 2.25 Registax, stack of 40 images, postprocessing

I need a a really accurate,easy to use collimating tool. I have a used laser collimator but it does not fit snugly in the focuser so I feel it’s not very accurate. The idea of collimating causes me some anxiety anyway, so accurate and easy is the key! Can any of you offer any suggestions to help me out?

The boxes arrived a while back and packed in alongside was the cloud curse of the new scope. Build quality was good and the base was easy to assemble if you used the video instructions on the Orion website. The instructions in the box are not so good. I was torn between the 10" and the 12" but opted for the 10" mainly for handling reasons. This is a big heavy bit of kit and it is easy to handle if you take the tube off and move it in two bits. Assembled I can just manage to pick it up and waddle the 10 meters from the garage to the deck. In the upright position I just bend my knees and place my hands at the top of the holes in the side panel and lift. In the book they show a different method which I think risks your scope and back.... I like the shape of the base... much nicer than a bland boxy thing. Collimation was achieved using the supplied collimation cap. Three big locking screws and big adjustment screws made this quite an easy task. Having been used to an 8"SCT collimation was not one of my core skills so I acquired a Baader Lazer collimator , followed the instructions to the letter, adjusted the scope to "LASER" standard and being a cynic checked it with the collimation cap. It Looked horrid so did it all again with the cap and sent the Baader back. The star test on polaris last night was GREAT.... First Light..... The conditions were......100% very thin high cloud with some thicker bits mixed in. A little light pollution from the village street lights . Vega , almost overhead was visible and so was Ursa Major . Others played hide and seek to the naked eye. Now to upset some of you.... The 9x50 right angled finderscope is very good and gives nice views. Later I found myself just cruising round using this to explore. It is not however easy to instinctively align to the area you want to look at. I have a knee problem and am not going to get down on the deck to sight up the tube for a rough guide. I have fitted an Orion double scope bracket and the second slot now boasts a laser finder from Rother Valley Optics. A few tweaks to match the laser to the cross hairs on the finder scope and away we go. Point the beam at Mizar (laser on for about a second), Check Mizar is centered on the cross hairs of the finder and focus with my Panaview 26mm and focus........ Mizar splits as it appears dead center in the ep. Its so easy and so accurate and its my solution to the limits of a 90 degree finder and a bad knee but please guys dont take it to a star party it upsets some of the neighbors and take care where you point it. I live under an airway and inside an airfield Air Traffic Zone so I look and listen before use. Moving this beast around Alt and Az is very easy and very controlled...I LIKE IT Next on to Polaris to do my star test which was good. Just about to enjoy some stargazing and the cloud thickened....well its the curse of any new scope. So off to bed with the alarm set for silly o clock to wait for Orion to rise. More in hope than expectation I rose to find Orion just visible through the cloud. With naked eye I could just see M42 as a lighter patch in the high thin cloud. Lets have a look then ... WOW I am impressed. The light grasp of this pulls in a fair view of M42 with the Trapesium clearly visible. So what did first light with this scope teach me. 1. I LOVE DOBS 2. Its worth getting the scope out even with high cloud..its surprising what you can still see . 3. Laser Collimation is not for me. This scope is nice to use and gives great views ( I haven't commented on the standard ep's that come packaged, you need something better). I haven't tried the push-to setup yet but will comment when seeing is conducive to hunting DSO's.

Anyone fancy a punt on this 10" dobsonian. Needs TLC but cheap. No connection with seller of course. https://www.gumtree.com/p/telescopes/10-dobsonian-reflector-telescope-custom-built/1308162351

Hi there, Jon from Montreal, just saying hi. Got my first REAL telescope today. Skywatcher Classic 200P Dobsonian 8". I say real cause the 2 other telescopes I've own have been bought at art store or toys r us. Unfortunately I have yet to use my new Dob' due to all this cloud cover, hopefully it will clear up at least for the weekend. If any one has any advice to give me, about eye pieces etc.. feel free to