SKY-WATCHER SKYLINER-200P or BRESSER MESSIER DOBSONIAN 8-INCH

[Pixies]

Just now, Ricochet said:

Consider the placement of it before you commit to sticking it to the tube. Most people pair it with a RACI finder so you have to make sure that they don't impede each other. 

Another option is a Rigel Quikfinder, which has a much smaller footprint.

[johninderby]

The Baader finder shoe is a direct bolt on for the Bresser then you can use any regular finder bracket with a Synta type fitting.

As to focusers here is the same hexafoc focuser with the 1/10 fine focus option.

https://www.telescopehouse.com/explore-scientific-2-5-hex-focuser-with-1-10-gear-reduction.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpdTa-YLe6gIVy7HtCh064gkuEAQYASABEgKlV_D_BwE

And here is the Skywatcher focuser.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-1252-rack-pinion-focuser.html

Just a slight difference. 😁

I replaced the base on my 10” Bresser with a marine ply one.

[garthbooks]

On 16/07/2016 at 11:34, Ricochet said:

The finder shoes on the Bresser only fit the finder foot on the included RDF. I don't know if a Meade type shoe would fit the same holes but a Synta shoe doesn't fit (the holes are the wrong orientation). I fitted a Synta shoe next to one of the the RDF shoes which required drilling a couple of new holes (after removing the mirrors of course).

 

Crayford focusers are better than cheap rack and pinion focusers but the Bresser hexafoc is absolutely solid with no slop or backlash. The Skywatcher on the other hand has a bit of notoriety for focuser slop, hence the regularity with which you see them with upgraded focusers. Neither are dual speed like the Revelation but you can buy a 10:1 gear ratio for the Bresser, although the single speed is good enough that I haven't got around to it yet. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/bresser-messier-1-10-gear-set-for-hex-focuser.html

 

My ES FL 8 arrived today. One of the first things I'm gonna do is change out the red dot finder to decent finder scope. I have to get the adapter from scope stuff to convert the shoe to work with an Orion finder-scope. Next I'm gonna add a Telrad. I think I found a nice place for it to fit. Assembly of the scope wasn't too bad. However, it did look like the base was put together before and there are a couple of chips/dents in the formica. This was bought sold and shipped by Amazon so I'll have to contact them. Though I like the size of the base and the weight wasn't bad, the base is not really that great and I probable will have to glue it permanently together like many others have. Before I do that though I have to make sure it is in square. As of now it racks and the bearings pop off the track (Very Frustrating). Overall it seems like a good dob, I chose it because of what I saw Ricochet was able to do as well as "Spacetime with Robert" (check out his youtube channel) he does a review of the 10" dob version of this. So there are some faults to the scope, but I really like and need to be able to rotate the OTA. There are not many dobs that you can do that with. Rotating the OTA helps me not to have to crane my neck (Cervical stenosis).  Mark from Astrogoods is building me a custom base and clamshell bearings foe my Apertura AD10. It is 16 pounds lighter and much stronger than the original base. I'm gonna see if he can make an extra set of bearings to fit on the ES 8 then I can use his custom base for my two dob telescopes. The collimation was off about an inch of center. Took me awhile to get it back in, definitely need to get Bob's knobs. Primary wasn't too bad. Gonna try and take it out tonight and see how it performs. I'll keep you updated. 

[Ricochet]

1 hour ago, garthbooks said:

As of now it racks and the bearings pop off the track

This is not right. Are you sure that you have properly tightened the fasteners that hold it together? The large fasteners that go in the sides of the base are like a pair of hooks that grab onto the head of the parts that go through the end grain. My base has always been quite solid with nothing other than the supplied fixings. 

[johninderby]

You just need the Baader universal finder shoe which is a straight forward bolt on replacement.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/baader-universal-quick-release-finder-shoe-base.html

The base should be rock solid it the fasteners have been rotated properly to lock the pins in place.

Edited July 27, 2020 by johninderby

[garthbooks]

10 hours ago, Ricochet said:

This is not right. Are you sure that you have properly tightened the fasteners that hold it together? The large fasteners that go in the sides of the base are like a pair of hooks that grab onto the head of the parts that go through the end grain. My base has always been quite solid with nothing other than the supplied fixings. 

yes I'm sure. watch the video with spacetime with Robert: 

He mentions it in the beginning, bad fasteners. He glued his together as well. 

[johninderby]

You are reporting a problem that has never been reported by any Btrsser dob owner that I am aware of  in their reports on their new dobs so it is very strange as the fastening system is as I mentioned solid so perhaps the Explore Scientific version isn’t quite the same and is using different spec fasteners. 🤔

Also it seems like the scope was donated so not a new scope. Perhaps the original owner had taken the base apart a lot and worn out the fasteners or been heavy handed and overtightened the fastners.

Edited July 28, 2020 by johninderby

[garthbooks]

13 hours ago, johninderby said:

You are reporting a problem that has never been reported by any Btrsser dob owner that I am aware of  in their reports on their new dobs so it is very strange as the fastening system is as I mentioned solid so perhaps the Explore Scientific version isn’t quite the same and is using different spec fasteners. 🤔

Also it seems like the scope was donated so not a new scope. Perhaps the original owner had taken the base apart a lot and worn out the fasteners or been heavy handed and overtightened the fastners.

It wasn't donated. Robert was donating it.