NEW StellaLyra Dobsonian Telescopes

[johninderby]

Astroshop carries the same GSO 16” truss dob but couldn’t find the same one in NA.

https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/gso-dobson-telescope-n-406-1829-truss-dob/p,61027

[John]

13 minutes ago, johninderby said:

As they are made by GSO it should be possible for some retailer in North America to order similar spec scopes. 

I think the Zhumell range is practically the same, at least in the 8, 10 and 12 inch sizes.

 

[johninderby]

You can find this version of the GSO 16” dob in NA though.

 

[faulksy]

24 minutes ago, johninderby said:

You can find this version of the GSO 16” dob in NA though.

 

shame its not a truss though

[faulksy]

the truss holders on the mirror box use the same design as moonlight. very nice

[doublevodka]

These look very interesting! They also seem to have all the usual dob upgrades already included, how about lending @Chris the 8 inch one for a review? I think that's likely to be the one most people will go for, just based on the 8 inch Skywatcher being so popular (slightly cheeky request I admit, but since he works for you now 😉)

[niallk]

Looks like a helluva lot of scope at a great price point 👍

[niallk]

Looks like a helluva lot of scope at a great price point 👍

[Fraunhoffer]

A decent focuser right off the bat too.
... Locks up wallet quickly ....

[johninderby]

Prefer the Bresser dobs as they have a better CNC R&P focuser and the proper big alt bearings but they only do a 6, 8 and 10 inch and availbilty is a problem at the moment  for the 8 and 10”.

Do like the look of the 16” though which looks to be a great scope for the money. 

[FLO]

13 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Will these be available in North America? Local shops rather than shipped from UK, I mean.

I will be surprised if at least one NA retailer is not selling the same (a different brand and probably some minor spec' differences). If not then we will happily ship to the US. 

[FLO]

16 hours ago, johninderby said:

Astroshop carries the same GSO 16” truss dob but couldn’t find the same one in NA.

They have chosen a regular straight finderscope for theirs (the StellaLyra model has a Right-Angle Correct Image finderscope). 

[FLO]

On 11/08/2021 at 11:20, johninderby said:

Prefer the Bresser dobs as they have a better CNC R&P focuser and the proper big alt bearings but they only do a 6, 8 and 10 inch and availability is a problem at the moment  for the 8 and 10”.

I know you are a big fan of Bresser Messier Dobsonian telescopes (we stock those too). 

Bresser Dobsonians have a single-speed R&P focuser (a dual-speed upgrade kit is available separately).

StellaLyra Dobsonians (8" and larger) are fitted with a dual-speed Crayford focuser (no need for an upgrade kit). I would not say one is "better" than the other but as a visual astronomer I prefer dual-speed Crayford focusers for their smoother more precise focus action and no image shift. If I were an astrophotographer or intended fitting a heavy DSLR camera, I might think differently. 

Regarding "proper big alt bearings" vs GSO's CNC-machined metal plates with tension adjustment. Surely that too is personal preference. 

Bresser Dobsonians include a 6x30 Finder Scope, a 1.25" 25mm SPL eyepiece and a solar filter. 

StellaLyra Dobsonians (8" upwards) include a larger 8x50 Right-Angled Correct Image finderscope, 1.25" 9mm Plössl and 2" 30mm SuperView eyepieces. 

Bresser Dobsonians have tube-rings so it is easier to remove the OTA then fit it to a GEQ mount, though I am not sure how many will choose to do that. And their base is assembled using furniture fasteners so can be disassembled for transport, but again I am not sure how many will want to do that (my Dob base fits the car boot fully assembled and the OTA across the backseat). 

Both are good Dobsonian telescopes.

We stock both 🙂 

Steve 

 

[Stu]

22 minutes ago, FLO said:

Regarding "proper big alt bearings" vs GSO's CNC-machined metal plates with tension adjustment. Surely that too is personal preference. 

I bought a Zhummel Z12 for our club which uses the same tensioning system and it works very well. Quite easy to remove and refit the OTA to the base, and they act as useful handles to pick it up by. The tensioning works well too.

It looks like there is some adjustment for balance point (there is a scale on the plate), is that correct? Looks like a handy feature that the Zhummel didn’t have.

[FLO]

Just now, Stu said:

It looks like there is some adjustment for balance point (there is a scale on the plate), is that correct? Looks like a handy feature that the Zhummel didn’t have.

Yes, the the telescope can be moved forwards and backwards for balance. 

This photo shows the mechanism. 

 

[johninderby]

A bit off topic but is Skywatcher ever going to upgrade their solid tube dobs now that other dobs with a lot of added features are readily available. 🤔

Must stop looking at that 16” dob. 😁

Edited August 11, 2021 by johninderby

[JeremyS]

5 minutes ago, FLO said:

Yes, the the telescope can be moved forwards and backwards for balance. 

This photo shows the mechanism. 

 

Am I correct in thinking that to remove the OTA, you simply need to lift it off the base, I.e. don’t need to unscrew anything (like I have to with my SW 150)? Thus the whole OTA, plus bearings and bearing housing comes off as a unit?

[JeremyS]

4 minutes ago, johninderby said:

A bit off topic but is Skywatcher ever going to upgrade their solid tube dobs now that other dobs with a lot of added features are readily available. 🤔

Must stop looking at that 16” dob. 😁

Go on John, you know you want to 

[FLO]

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

A bit off topic but is Skywatcher ever going to upgrade their solid tube dobs now that other dobs with a lot of added features are readily available. 🤔

Must stop looking at that 16” dob. 😁

Sky-Watcher's UK distributor hasn't mentioned any upgrades and we are unable to speak directly with Synta (Sky-Watcher's parent company). 

[FLO]

2 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Am I correct in thinking that to remove the OTA, you simply need to lift it off the base, I.e. don’t need to unscrew anything (like I have to with my SW 150)? Thus the whole OTA, plus bearings and bearing housing comes off as a unit?

Yes 🙂 

[johninderby]

39 minutes ago, FLO said:

Sky-Watcher's UK distributor hasn't mentioned any upgrades and we are unable to speak directly with Synta (Sky-Watcher's parent company). 

Probably selling well enough that SW don’t feel the urgent need to update. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by johninderby

[Barry-W-Fenner]

16" model all out of stock folks!

[JeremyS]

1 minute ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

16" model all out of stock folks!

Hah! Was that you John Handleby?

[johninderby]

4 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Hah! Was that you John Handleby?

If only 😁 

Maybe next year? 🤔

[FLO]

19 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

16" model all out of stock folks!

Sorry about that. During these extraordinary times we were unable to source more of the 16" model. 

Our website product page currently says 90-120x working days (approx 4-6x months) but I suspect more will arrive in around four months. 

All other models are currently in stock 🙂