Best dobsonian under 500€ to target DSOs

[Jazzmatazz]

Hi guys,

I currently own a Astromaster 130/650 and i'm looking for some more detail on DSOs. I'm thinking to go for a dobsonian as budget-aperture is my main focus, right?

What would you guys recomend up to a 500€ budget??

Thank you all!!!

[mister_wavey]

well, with Dobs, bigger aperture is usually the key to the best views. A 10" (250mm) looks to maybe be beyond your budget (if new), but second hand is anyone's guess. It feels like an 8" dob is the best you can get new for your budget.

There are other factors to consider: portability and saving money out of your budget for eyepieces.

For portability, I can carry my XT10 base and OTA separately around my garden, or wheel them around together on a trolley I built from plywood and castors. The OTA weight isn't difficult for a normal adult male, but I wouldn't want to have to use stairs, etc.

[Kropster]

Something like a Skywatcher 250 dobsonian would get you a lot of aperture for your money.

[swamp thing]

As has been said a 10" is where i would be looking to put my money.

From a 5" the difference would  be impressive to say the least. I went from a 4.5" to a 10" and it was a staggering upgrade.

[dweller25]

Hello Jazzmatazz,

I would look around for a large used Dobsonian, 10" or above....

[estwing]

Hello Jazzmatazz,

I would look around for a large used Dobsonian, 10" or above....

ditto...

[Jazzmatazz]

Thank you Guys for your comments!

I know I was talking about a dobson, but I found this Scope near me with the asking price of 400€, i think i can get it for 350€.

In terms of Aperture I think its a great upgrade but i'm not sure about the brand "Konus", i'm having trouble finding reviews on it, or even a oficial presentation...

Would you give your advice on it please? How does the set up look to you? Mount, tripod and OTA? 

Do you know the tube personally, or even the brand?

Any info is welcome!

Thank you!

[Kropster]

It looks like one of the tube clamps has broken. Can you buy spares?

Also, think about whether you will be able to motorise it at a later date. Is it possible?

[russ.will]

I can't see that being a good buy. The mount doesn't look meaty enough for a 10" newt and by the time you've bought the missing slow-motion controls/motors, new tube rings, etc, you'll be back to 500E easily.

For 500E (plus shipping), you can get a GSO 10" Dob brand new from TS is Germany. I've even seen Skywatcher Flex-Tubes going in the UK for £500/600E (ish) and with a bit of patience, a 12" solid tube could be easily found, be it GSO or SW.

Russell

[John]

I agree with Russell. That Konus is undermounted and does not look to be in very good condition. Not good use of 350 Euros I feel. I'd probably avoid it even if it was half that price.

I've owned two Konus scopes and they were clones of Skywatchers and decent scopes but they also have some not so good scopes under that branding I'm afraid.

[Jazzmatazz]

Thank you guys!!! I Found a Orion Skyquest xt8 dobsonian, ANY thoughts on that particular scope? They're selling for 390€, for a 8" seems a good deal, no?

I Know It's a tough question but, do you thing i should go for a 10"?? Is the detail os DSOs worth it? Portability is important but i feel any dobson will be easier to move arround (home-backyard-home) than my Astromaster 130eq. I mean, from the vídeos i've seen it seems that dobsons are easilly disassembled, right? Can you Share some of your exeperience???

Thank you!

[FenlandPaul]

Hi Jazzmatazz

The Konus does seem expensive. I tend to agree with Russ; you can get the GSO 10" for a little over your budget (http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1192_GSO-10-Zoll-f-5-Dobson-Teleskop-Deluxe-mit-verbesserter-Ausstattung.html). This is the 10" version of my new Revelation 12, with which I'm delighted. I used to have an 8.75" newtonian; the difference between that and the 12" is huge in terms of detail of what you can see on DSOs; I imagine the 10" will be somewhere inbetween, which would still give you stunning views. Between that and something on the second hand market, I think it will be well worth you hanging on and waiting for the right deal.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Paul

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jazzmatazz]

Thank you guys for your precious feedback!

I was browsing http://www.teleskop-express.de/  and it seems to me that the cheapest 10" scope is this one http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p42_GSO-Dobsonian-Telescope-250C---10-inch-aperture-with-fine-Crayford-focuser.html

It's the first i've seen with a fan on the primary (the other sites and scopes dont mention it on other models such as SkyQuest) is the fan really important for visual observation??

Would you give you opinion on that GSO??

Thanks a lot guys!!!!

[John]

The Telescope Express 10" dobsonian is made by GSO and are the same as the Revelation dobsonians that used to be sold by Telescope House here in the UK and contain the same optics and mirror cells that the Meade Lighbridge dobsonians use.

I think all the GSO dobsonians have small fans behind the primary mirror. They help speed up the cool down time for the scopes.

Telescope House are doing their Revelation 10" dobsonians for £399 which is more or less the same price as the Telescope Express one:

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation-10---F-5-M-CRF-Premium-Dobsonian--White-.html#aBC191

[swamp thing]

is the fan really important for visual observation??

Im probably going to be a little controversial here and say no. IMO fans are a waste of time. I had one on a scope and it made zip difference to anything except in aiding the primary to dew up and become unusable.

I have no intention of ever fitting one to any of my home built scopes.

[John]

Im probably going to be a little controversial here and say no. IMO fans are a waste of time. I had one on a scope and it made zip difference to anything except in aiding the primary to dew up and become unusable.

I have no intention of ever fitting one to any of my home built scopes.

I agree Steve. I have one on the back of my 12" dob but I've never used it, other than to test that it works.

[mister_wavey]

Thank you guys!!! I Found a Orion Skyquest xt8 dobsonian, ANY thoughts on that particular scope? They're selling for 390€, for a 8" seems a good deal, no?

I Know It's a tough question but, do you thing i should go for a 10"?? Is the detail os DSOs worth it? Portability is important but i feel any dobson will be easier to move arround (home-backyard-home) than my Astromaster 130eq. I mean, from the vídeos i've seen it seems that dobsons are easilly disassembled, right? Can you Share some of your exeperience???

Thank you!

I adore my classic xt10, and don't intend to ever sell it, even with a 16" in the same shed.

[mister_wavey]

Im probably going to be a little controversial here and say no. IMO fans are a waste of time. I had one on a scope and it made zip difference to anything except in aiding the primary to dew up and become unusable.

I have no intention of ever fitting one to any of my home built scopes.

I've got one on both of my scopes because it's the 'done thing'. Perhaps I'll try one with and one without one day and compare.

[Jazzmatazz]

I've got one on both of my scopes because it's the 'done thing'. Perhaps I'll try one with and one without one day and compare.

The 10" Skyquest has a fan?

[mister_wavey]

Mine does. Fitted by me. Removed the metal base plate, replaced with plastic one with a hole in and a fan suspended outside.

[FenlandPaul]

If you store your dob in an unheated shed or garage I wouldn't worry about a fan. There would still be plenty to see at lower power while the mirror stabilises even if you kept it indoors.

It's a nice to have, but I don't think it's a must-have.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Kropster]

Orion seem to be a decent brand....much better buy than the Konus.

As for fans... one of the nice things about using a dob is not having the hassle of power supplies or batteries, so a fan may not be worth the extra complication.

[Jazzmatazz]

just found a 12" dobson second hand! =)))))