Stellalyra vs SW 6"

[Shure]

Hi All,

 

It's been a while since I was last on here and I've regretted selling my 250PX ever since!

The good news is that I now have an enthusitatic 8 years old daughter keen to get into the hobby which naturally enables me to dive back in 🙂

I'm looking at a telescope for her to use but also to be used by the rest of the family and a level of portability is key so I'm keeping it to no larger than 6".  I'm also drawn to the simplicity and cost effectiveness of dobs and the two I'm considering are the Stellalyra and the SW150p heritage.

 

Obvious differences aside such as flextube and focal length between the two, is there much that sways the decision towards which one?

It feels like there probably isn't a bad decision here and it's ultimately if you want the flex vs fixed tube in regards to portability/storage. I believe you get an extra eyepiece on the SW but that's not a deal breaker.

 

Thanks

Chris

[bosun21]

If I were you I would go for the Stella Lyra for several reasons. Firstly it has a focal length of 1200mm making it an f8 which will make it a) better for observing the planets b) making it much kinder to inexpensive eyepieces c) making it easier to collimate for beginners d) It has a 1.25 Crayford style focuser and not a helical focuser like the skywatcher 

The only reason I could be swayed to the Skywatcher is if the compactness is important to me. Whichever one you choose I hope you enjoy it ( oh and your daughter as well)

[johninderby]

There is a very nice Bresser 6” dob ib the sales section.

 

[bosun21]

I forgot about the Bresser 6” Dobsonian in the for sale section that johninderby has just pointed out. All the points I highlighted in my previous post are relevant for this scope as well. And it’s at a good price 

[johninderby]

You should note that the eyepieces that come with most dobs are very low end cheap eyepieces and are the first thing most people replace with something better so don’t bother about how many eyepieces are included.

[cajen2]

I agree with @bosun21: if the size or portability of the SL or Bresser are not an issue, then go for one of those.

I've recently bought the SW Heritage 150p and:

pros: light and very easy to store or stow away.

cons: you'll need some form of light shield if you suffer from street lighting, etc (most people make their own). The helical focuser and RDF aren't ideal.

I'm happy with the SW as size and stowability is important to me, so I get the max aperture for the size.

 

[Shure]

Thanks for the advice guys, I've gone for the StellaLyra.

I would have gone for the Bresser in the classifieds if it was a little bit closer but that's a great deal for someone!

[cajen2]

@Shure how's the StellaLyra? I have to confess that I'm eyeing up the 8" version as an upgrade to my SW 150p.

[Shure]

@cajen2 It's still early days, I've not been out as much as I'd have liked so far and I also need to pick up a couple of half decent eyepieces but for what I have used it for so far with the stock eyepiece I'm very impressed.

I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy another, certainly no lesser in quality compared to the Skywatchers as far as I can tell.

 

[cajen2]

2 hours ago, Shure said:

@cajen2 It's still early days, I've not been out as much as I'd have liked so far and I also need to pick up a couple of half decent eyepieces but for what I have used it for so far with the stock eyepiece I'm very impressed.

I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy another, certainly no lesser in quality compared to the Skywatchers as far as I can tell.

 

Hmmm, the 8" is supposed to be even better, at least in its accessories. Thanks for that.