Which dob to get?

[Ryall]

Hiya folks,

I was originally intending to get a 12in meade lightbridge dob, but the site I ordered it from fell through and Im reading more into other dobs, mostly the skywater skyliner 300p flextube.

Which one would you consider better and why? Looking for a 12in for sure and doesn't need to be goto and transportation isn't too big an issue as long as its compacts down to something

Any advice you could give I would be grateful!

Ryall

[richbyers]

i would get that one right there-the 300 flextube looks awesome....

[knobby]

http://stargazerslounge.com/member-equipment-reviews/72379-skywatcher-skyliner-300p-flextube.html#post1151989

this will be of use ...

if you do get one would you post a picture of the roller bearing on the mount ?

there is a lot of modding going on with the smaller / cheaper dob mounts ( see thread http://stargazerslounge.com/discussions-mounts/158264-just-finished-modding-my-dob-base.html )

it would be interesting to se how our diy compares to the Skywatcher version.

Good luck with your choice

Great scope huge but manageable ?

[Mike73]

Ryall

The 300P is a big old lump but still easily manageable for one person.

I can't compare it to the Meade LB but have tested how it fits in my car and it fits easily (Astra mkv).

knobby

I only put the scope together yesterday and completely forgot to take photos of the SW lazy susan. Its basically a very thin lazy susan but with rollers instead of ball bearings, this is sandwiched between two plates of ali so its a lot smoother than the DIY job I did on my 8".

I'II strip it down this afternoon and add some pics to the thread you mentioned.

[JamesM]

I regularly observe with some 'older' guys all who have 12" dobs including the Meade, a Skywatcher and an Orion Optics U.K. Regarding transportation, none of these scopes prove a problem in transporting to a dark and can be easily moved and assembled. From an observational perspective, I prefer the Orion Optics because of its Hilux coating, which in my personal view does contribute to a brighter image, based on using the same eyepiece, on the same object through each of the above scopes. It is more expensive but I am offering this opinion by way of helping you frame your final choice.

James

[Ryall]

Seems to be favouring the skywatcher and I hadn't heard of the Orion brand before now but looking at it would be out of my price range a little bit. Thanks for the advice though!

[Lifeisgood0414]

hi guys, i am a newbie too, but i have been doing astronomy for many years( gosh! this looks so similar to astronomyforum.net!!)

i have meade lightbridge... it is the "beast"

i highly recommend it!!

i don't really recommend heritage... they are portable, but they don't have good optics...

hope this helps!!

andrew

[paul mc c]

I owned a 12'' Light Bridge and loved it,had some amazing views or the planets, provided the collomation was good, and replaced it with an Orion Optics U.K 12'' which is expensive (the mirrors alone cost more than a new L. but the difference in the views was clear to see.If this is your first scope then you wont be disapointed in the L.B or the Flexi tube

[knobby]

Ryall

The 300P is a big old lump but still easily manageable for one person.

I can't compare it to the Meade LB but have tested how it fits in my car and it fits easily (Astra mkv).

knobby

I only put the scope together yesterday and completely forgot to take photos of the SW lazy susan. Its basically a very thin lazy susan but with rollers instead of ball bearings, this is sandwiched between two plates of ali so its a lot smoother than the DIY job I did on my 8".

I'II strip it down this afternoon and add some pics to the thread you mentioned.

Really .... you don't have to strip it down! Just for me. Just snap it if you strip it for any reason. Glad you like it :-)

[Ryall]

Thank you all for the responses! Much as I would love the orion dob it's not too pratical at the moment, Are they a good brand though to consider for future telescopes?

I've decided ill get the skywatcher, Can anyone suggest good accessories to the scope? already ordered the light shroud, and have the 7mm and 12mm celestron X-Cel LX EP's but no decent DSO EP can any be recommended? or any other accesories that would be a nice addition to the scope?