Orion Skyquest XX14i, worth it?

[emadmoussa]

I 'm in two minds about this scope. While at first sight seems quite a hassle to set up, I might be able to get a very good deal on this one..about £250 cheaper than original price...wonder how it measures up against the Skywatcher Flexible 350P...

Any advice will be much appreciated.

[John]

I like the design of the Orion more than the SW Flextube and the Intelliscope "push to" has a very good reputation. The optics are the same as the SW 350 though as it's made by the same company (Synta). Is the extra price justified over the SW Flextube ?. Depends on how much you prefer the Orion design and features I guess.

[emadmoussa]

I'm certain the optics are very good. My major concern is how easy it is to assemble and drag around.

It is slightly cheaper than the Flexible 350P...

[Moonshane]

it looks like a matter of tightening 12 handwheels. not difficult?

[emadmoussa]

Does anybody know if the focuser has compression rings?

[Moonshane]

it looks like you use a 2" extension tube from the pic so you could presumably out one in with compression rings if it doesn't have them?

[John]

According to the Orion (USA) website, the tube weighs 63 1/2 lbs and the mount 44 1/2 lbs and fully assembled (ie: with finder) it seems to top out at 120 lbs. That seems to be in "wheely bars" territory to me and probably around the same as the Skywatcher 350 Flextube.

Here is the link:

http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/Truss-Tube-Dobsonians/Orion-SkyQuest-XX14i-IntelliScope-Truss-Dobsonian-Telescope/pc/1/c/12/sc/29/p/102018.uts?refineByCategoryId=29

Orion scopes are usually quite a bit more expensive than their Skywatcher equivalents in the UK so if you can get it cheaper it sounds like a good deal.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

What I like about these Orion dobs, is that they can be fully dissassembled (base included) and that (if you are interested) you can get a matching case set, to store everything away safely and for easy transportation.

[emadmoussa]

I'm starting to think these scopes are better than I thought they were. They say the tube fully assembled is around 30Kg - as opposed to 26Kg for Flextube 350P. I pretty much doubt this minor difference in weight will stop me grabbing the whole assembled OTA and plunk it on the base I guess I've got 10-15 years of such strength ... then I'll sell the scope : D

[faulksy]

you can do it now, just get one of those plastic cards its like free of charge then

[emadmoussa]

you can do it now, just get one of those plastic cards its like free of charge then

Can't do, currently in the process of purchasing a house and there will be a lot of moving...so new house = new scope

[emadmoussa]

it looks like you use a 2" extension tube from the pic so you could presumably out one in with compression rings if it doesn't have them?

Errm...yep indeed, a 2" extension will be the solution.

I also noticed the base doesn't have roller bearings (my previous dobs all had roller bearings) and I don't know what to expect from Teflon pads...any thoughts?

[Moonshane]

they are all I use on my builds.

[Dude_with_the_tube]

emad,i have a skywatcher 14" go to and the build quality is superb.you cant compare it to older skywatcher models.massive step up.14 " has roller bearings or so called Lazy Susan on the bottom and on go to version they are using Orions decoders and go-to technology with hand adjustable tension.Go-To is very accurate and i never had any issues with it.You can use this scope as fully go-to,push to or just in manual mode.original focuser is OK to use,but will require extension tubes as such i swapped my one out to Moonlite.i think Dan did the same with his.But this is an upgrade you can do later down the road and is not the "really" big necessity.Takes me max 5 mins to complitely strip the scope down and rebuild.I store the scope in house so every time i have to carry it in and out,but i found it not being an issue.Side plates when removed are not heavy,even my 13 years old son can carry them.Base itself is quite large and is about 20 odd kg but this gives the scope superb stability.when i was on the market for my upgrade to 14" i choose Skywatcher because i liked the idea of collapsible tube and 14" tube you can still carry and put on base yourself,but thats as well is the max weight i would carry.i wouldnt take collapsible 16"! For 16"+ if you are on your own, i would take truss design,but not for 14" as I think it is too fiddly.But thats entirely my personal opinion.Mirror wise,they are the same quality as orions as both scopes are made by Synta.All down to price and options you want:manual,push-to or go-to with all other options included.

[emadmoussa]

In principle I narrowed down my options to the Skywatcher Flextube 14" and the Orion xx14i.. the main reason I was asking about the Orion is because there's a possibility I might be able to get a brand new one slightly cheaper than the Flextube. I'll wait and see...Like Faulksy says, I'm worse than women trying to pick shoes..

[faulksy]

I also noticed the base doesn't have roller bearings (my previous dobs all had roller bearings) and I don't know what to expect from Teflon pads...any thoughts?

teflon is standard on 00 dob bases as well

[Avocette]

I've removed the original-fit roller bearing from my 300p Flextube and replaced it with six 50mm teflon furniture sliders half way out from the centre bolt to the edge of the base. A spray of Sailkote on the upper face in contact with the teflon and it gives a much better 'feel' for adjustment instead of spinning off!

[AlexB67]

Whatever you buy, it does look nicely styled, not that it should matter, but I  do like the curvy mount, a nice bit of kit  . 

If this is going to be you only workhorse scope though for most observing from home and wanting it to be as grab and go as possible, I am not sure I would be that  keen on the truss poles having to assemble everytime, though it may take a few mintutes I guess. One nice thing about the flextube is that is is slide and go, so pretty much like a solid tube, especially with the astrozap you can leave on.

Now that you are back to the 14 inch zone the second hand OO must also be back in the circle, a good deal lighter. Am I helping or stirring the pot     

[emadmoussa]

If this is going to be you only workhorse scope though for most observing from home and wanting it to be as grab and go as possible, I am not sure I would be that  keen on the truss poles having to assemble everytime, though it may take a few mintutes I guess. One nice thing about the flextube is that is is slide and go, so pretty much like a solid tube, especially with the astrozap you can leave on.

Indeed...

If I happened to get the Orion XX14i, the OTA will have to be fully assembled all the time and just trolley it out whenever needed.

[Moonshane]

if it's being left in situ all the time, why do you need to dismantle?

[AlexB67]

if it's being left in situ all the time, why do you need to dismantle?

Very true.  In fact I thought the same thing about the ES 16 inch when Emad mentioned that one and considered it. The ES 16 once assembled would be lighter too than this 14 inch and smaller  around the base I expect ( my impression anyway from pics)

[emadmoussa]

And since lugging and assembling will determine whether or not I'm bothered to go out, I'll stick with the easiest solution; Orion permanently assembled or Flextube 350P.