Orion Reflectors?

[amgray04]

Any personal opinions on Orion reflectors? I see have upgradeable mirror coating available for better contrast, but worth the money?

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[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have heard good reports of reflectors from both outfits referred to as Orion (UK and US companies). I haven't looked through them, however.

[Peter Drew]

Assuming you mean Orion UK, their reflectors feature very good optics and lightweight optical tube assemblies. Optics are available in ever increasing quality depending on budget, I think the optics are now already upgraded with the Hilux coatings.    

[Laurie61]

I have an OO UK scope with hi lux coatings, ideally you would need to do a side by side test of scopes with and without but my 300 mm does give nice, bright, contrasty views and I am very happy with it.   

[callisto]

I have OO 10" dob and I am very, very happy with its performance 

[John]

My dob is a 12" F/5.3 Orion Optics with Hilux coatings. As per the above owners, the tube mechanicals are good enough, the scope is quite a bit lighter than the chinese equivalents and the optics are very nice indeed.

They cost a lot to buy new though so I'd recommend looking out for something on the used market

[ChrisLX200]

My dob is a 12" F/5.3 Orion Optics with Hilux coatings. As per the above owners, the tube mechanicals are good enough, the scope is quite a bit lighter than the chinese equivalents and the optics are very nice indeed.

They cost a lot to buy new though so I'd recommend looking out for something on the used market

I have the same OTA, but mine is an EQ mounted scope. OO make excellent optics and you can specify a higher grade (accuracy) figure if you wish but at much higher cost.

ChrisH

['persue' ?] :-)

[Moonshane]

I have three oouk scopes and all are excellent for the reasons above. I tend to upgrade the focuser and have made two of my own bases. I also recommend used due to prices being given so reasonable.

[John]

....['persue' ?] :-)

Point taken - sig updated

[Dave In Vermont]

Most of the Orion USA reflectors are made by Synta and re-branded by Orion. Mine, which I bought in 2000-ish, was a GSO. And a top-flight GSO at that. Orion had assumed these were Synta, and priced them as if they were. When they found out their error, they pulled them from the market. Ha! I got one for cheap.

Most reviews I've read say people are very happy with the Synta reflectors. The many out there in the used markets aren't there due to their not being capable instruments. Rather it's due to people losing interest or deciding to upgrade. As John stated - look at used ones for a bargain.

A mirror in-a-tube,

Dave

[D Wright]

I have a second hand Orion GX250 reflector on a vixen GP motorized mount and I am delighted with the mount and the optics, however the mechanical and build quality leave a lot to be desired. The focuser is especially bad aswell as the mirror cell. Fortunately both are easily replacable which is what I am going to do as soon as I can afford it. The mirror cell is a solid lump of cast aluminium with the adjusting bolts screwed straight through it, which doesn't help with cool down. The focuser just isn't solid enough and is only held on with 2 screws on the centre axis of the tube. When collimating the scope I can move the focuser around and  the laser spot moves on the primary. All that said it is still avery nice scope and when collimated it provides some stunning views.

[John]

The GX were Orion Optics original range I seem to recall - I have a brocure from the late 1980's with that line in it. I'll bet the optics were still good though

Somtimes OO used Vixen mounts with these scopes and they were nice !. OO's own "home grown" equatorial did the job but was a little basic.

[Tyson M]

I have an 8 inch Newtonian F4.9 with Orion (US) EQ mount.    The scope is very good. The mount is very good. The set up together has it drawbacks and its advantages, like all telescopes. 

I am keeping the mount, probably selling the OTA locally here in Canada. This has nothing to do with anything besides me wanting to image and needing a whole list of expensive additions  and downsizing the OTA for the mount to work better. 

I may still keep the newt for imaging once I purchase a very large high quality mount and if they're are no bites on the sale. There is really nothing wrong with it.

With an 8 inch dob I could see someone using that quite happily for a long long time for its simplicity and portability. 

[Tyson M]

And in the future once I have an observatory out at a dark site, I will be returning to Orion for a large goto dobsonian.

I would like the 16". Orion customer service is amazing as well, which instills buyer confidence. I've read countless reviews on their site, telescope.com

[John]

We need to be aware that we are talking of two different companies in this thread, Orion Optics (UK) and Orion (USA). The UK company makes their own optics and scopes. The US one imports from the far east, often from Synta who make the Skywatcher scopes but sometimes from other companies as well. Orion (US) seems to enjoy a good reputation for service in the USA but their products are usually more expensive than their Skywatcher equivalents here in the UK.

Orion Optics (UK) scopes are a lot more expensive than the Orion (US) or Skywatcher equivalents.

[Tyson M]

 I guess I should read about the "locations" under their profile avatar for those reason. Thanks John

[nightfisher]

If getting an OO UK newt, get a used one, save all the hassle of dealing with OO direct

[rl]

Aahhh, the old argument again....

You buy Orion UK for the optics and accept the fact that the mechanics will be a "project" although they are a lot better than what they were. I've had several of theirs with the upgraded glass and have never been disappointed with the optical results since they began properly testing the mirrors on a Zygo interferometer about 10 years ago. I wouldn't touch anything pre-zygo; I have a 12"f/4 mirror of theirs made circa 1998 which I had tested in 2012 because I was very suspicious of the results. It measured nearly 1 wavelength p-v with 0,25 wavelength RMS....dreadful. Ditto an old OMC140 which was useless. They were embarrassed enough to offer me a discount on a modern 1/10 wave tested replacement which is simply magic when conditions permit.

The Rayleigh 1/4 wave criterion requires a Strehl ratio of 80%; you lose about 20% because of scattering off the secondary so you need a primary with a strehl approaching 100% for the scope as a whole to be good to 1/4 wave. Their 1/8 and 1/10 wave do approach 100%

Beware the 9-point mirror cells which in practise are only 3-points because the 3 groups of 3 don't float....you can't guarantee all 9 points will make contact.

There is not much point in saving on the mirror because the standard mirror is only marginally better if at all compared with the synta ones, and their scopes depreciate fast, so best bought as a long term investment in the hobby.

RL