Taurus T400 Dobson F4.5 FL1800mm

[Simon128D]

Hello all, 
Back in August of 2021 I placed an order for the scope mentioned (Taurus T400 ultra light Dob) from the unknown company based in Poland. 
There is next to nothing about these scopes online so I am hoping to change that a little and document my journey from ordering this to receiving it and possibly a user review. 

https://www.taurustelescopes.com/en/telescopes/

I only came across this company via a friend telling about them and linking me to an advert in Astronomy Now, or some similar magazine. 
What caught my attention first was the beautiful wood design, it was very striking and upon looking into the design further what really got my attention was the the primary mirror cell and their deign for collimation. 
Instead of fussing with knobs or alan keys at the rear of the cell, the mirror housing has three beautiful looking wheels that can be turned clockwise and anti clockwise, with ease of use while wearing gloves. So on other words, the entire scope is tool free and can be setup and collimated while wearing gloves. 
The design was so unique to me that it stayed in my mind for the longest time and then about a year after I decided that it was time for me to get my, dream, large Dob while I am still young enough and have the physical ability to enjoy such an instrument. 
I remembered the Taurus ad and after trying to find more info about them it was not much but I did find a few reviews taken from an astro magazine either in Germany or Poland, that was translated. A read of that gave me confidence that this was a quality instrument and performed very well. 
This is the review: 
https://www.taurustelescopes.com/test_EN.pdf

I wanted to know more about their optics and looking into the history of that I found out that when they were fresh and starting up they were using Orion Optics UK mirrors. That can be a good or bad thing, I personally have had an awful experience with Orion Optics and my 10" Newt mirrors but when it was resolved the mirrors are incredible.
Now that they are an established scope maker they make their own mirrors and seem to be proud about them. I will be very interested in seeing how they look and preform. (I am very fussy when it comes to mirrors) 
I was hoping to get an 18" but the only options for me was 16" or 20", so I decided on the 16" - knowing that the 20" would be just that much too heavy and too high for comfortable use. 

Another thing that impressed me is that every scope is custom made to order. That would also mean a long wait time (five months for me) but knowing your are not getting a mass produced instrument, that its hand made and checked from start to finished is that little bit of special you'd want when spending a lot of money on what you hope to be your dream scope. 
It makes you think of Obsession or Hubble Optics and I am hoping Taurus can be up there or even best the big guys, even if just a little. The prices are certainly a huge winner.

I decided to order via Astroshop.de as I had heard about their excellent customer service and high standards so I placed an order with them in late August 21, as a means of having a reputable company to deal with should anything go wrong in delivery.  
This is the very model I went with 
https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/taurus-dobson-telescope-n-404-1800-t400-standard-smh-dsc-dob/p,71575

I got word yesterday that my scope has been shipped out! If all goes well I hope to have it in about a week.

I plan to document the experience as much as I can and probably try to do an unboxing, setup, overview, first light and in the end first thoughts and long term user review. 

If this companies scopes are as good as I am expecting them to be then I want to do my part in helping them become more well known. 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Simon128D

[cajen2]

That looks gorgeous, Simon! Really looking forward to your first light report! 👍❤️

[cajen2]

 

If those are the specs for the "Standard" model, what must the "Pro" be like? 😛

Following!

Edited January 25, 2022 by cajen2

[johninderby]

Have you seen this?

 

[Simon128D]

2 hours ago, johninderby said:

Have you seen this?

 

No I haven't, thank you for sharing. Awful to see the truss legs get damaged. Hopefully won't happen with me. Everything does look lovely in those photos aside from that. 

I love the wooden crate it comes in. I also ordered the padded storage bags so hoping I can store the scope in the crate and just be able to lift it in and out. 

[johninderby]

They are an interesting brand but allmost totally unknown in the UK which is a pity. 

Edited January 25, 2022 by johninderby

[Simon128D]

That is why I thought I would start a thread here, so anyone else doing web searches may fine this, and others, containing the kind of info and real hands on details a potential buyer would want to know. 

[bomberbaz]

I have used my Taurus 350Pro several times and as @johninderby as already linked to my out of box post, I am a very proud and happy owner of it. It is exquisite in use and as you have already found out, bespoke to yourself.

I recently went up to Galloway to the astronomy centre and Mike who runs the centre positively drooled over it. A resounding vote of confidence.

Below is the report I made on the back of my visit.

 

[niallk]

Beautiful looking instruments! 😎😛

[Simon128D]

16 hours ago, bomberbaz said:

I have used my Taurus 350Pro several times and as @johninderby as already linked to my out of box post, I am a very proud and happy owner of it. It is exquisite in use and as you have already found out, bespoke to yourself.

I recently went up to Galloway to the astronomy centre and Mike who runs the centre positively drooled over it. A resounding vote of confidence.

Below is the report I made on the back of my visit.

 

Thank you Baz, excellent to hear you're so happy with yours. 
Galloway is one of those places I hope to visit sometime in the near future. Before Covid was already making a go at visit dark sky locations around the UK and Ireland. 
I am lucky to say that I live in Bortle 4 skies, with B3 only 7 miles from me and B2 locations with in 2 and three hour drives. 

Hopefully, some time next week I will be as happy as you are. 

[Simon128D]

It finally arrived. Came early this morning, took me a bit by surprise as I was meant to be phoned to arrange delivery but there was a bloomin' big lorry outside my place and sure enough it was for me.

I am super impressed by how well put together and secure the whole pallet was. I could tell right away there was no delivery concerns. 

I couldn't leave it sitting outside with rain on the way so I had to act quickly to get it all inside. Once I got all the screws out from the box lid I was very impressed with how the scope was packaged. There wasn't a mm of movement in there, everything was so tightly packet and neatly done. 10 out of 10 

Once I got all out I took it all inside to spend the afternoon on the sofa. 

I took the liberty of giving everything a quality check and wood, finish and feel of everything is exquisite, so very beautiful. 
I had to have a peek at the primary mirror and see what it was like, so I took the cover off and that's when my heart sank a little. I don't know what went wrong here but one whole side of the mirror is filthy. It would be easy to assume that tap or bottled water got spilled on it and wasn't noticed so dried out. What ever it was it is looking like a petri dish in a lab.
I have good experience cleaning mirrors. I've cleaned several 10" mirrors, one 12" and my own 14" mirror once to excellent results, so I could take this out and clean it but I will not do that until I have discussed it with both Taurus and Astroshop and see what the outcome is but getting mirrors in this state is not acceptable, certainly not at this money. 

I have already sent emails to Astroshop and Taurus and will await their responses. 

You can see for yourself in these photos: 

Setting this disappointment aside I am delighted by the build quality and design. The collimation process is original and stunning to use. The collimation after assembly was almost bang on and only needed the minor adjustment you'd expect after breaking down and building up a truss style Dob. 

I cannot wait for first light but with the weather now the first few weeks of February are a wash out it seems. 
At least I can practice the assembly and break down process and develop a routine and some muscle memory. 

I did get it assembled this evening to get a good look and boy is it an impressive instrument. Hasn't sunk in yet that it's mine lol 

Edited February 1, 2022 by Simon128D

[cajen2]

Oh no, really heartbreaking, Simon. I can guess how much you were looking forward to this day. Hope it gets sorted out quickly for you.

[Simon128D]

Thanks Cajen, 6 months in the waiting and now I will probably have to go through another 3 months of trying to get a primary mirror replaced but at least it will be usable should I get a clear night before something - hopefully something - is arranged. 

[cajen2]

I don't think I'd be quite so philosophical, Simon! Surely they should have a spare mirror they could send out by return?

Clive

Edited February 1, 2022 by cajen2

[cajen2]

Everything else looks gorgeous, though. More pix please!

[Simon128D]

I have been taking videos of all and will put together a full video. It might be a while as I have no editing skills but when it is I will post it up.

There will be more pics too 😁

[cajen2]

Excellent! I'm not convinced I'd let that cat anywhere near it, though. My partner's cat just loves new wood to sharpen its claws on.....😡

[Simon128D]

Oh don't worry, my kitty has little interest in anything apart from me and his food. 😄 Besides, the scope is all broken down and in their padded bags right now. 

[cajen2]

....if you say so.....there again, I never trust cats! 😄

[cajen2]

I bought a new marine aquarium with a glossy piano white cabinet. The first night, the wretched feline had clawed the doors.....😡

[Simon128D]

14 hours ago, cajen2 said:

I bought a new marine aquarium with a glossy piano white cabinet. The first night, the wretched feline had clawed the doors.....😡

My I suggest getting a tank like this next time lol
 

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by Simon128D

[cajen2]

Not a chance!

[Simon128D]

Thought I would throw this video on here. 

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by Simon128D

[Simon128D]

I set the scope up last night to do a dry test of the DSC system and also to find an assembly and disassemblely routine. 

I am so impressed with the build quality. The action of movement in RA is incredible, smoothness like no other. The scope feels like it was balanced for the heaviest of eyepieces. Even with a 31mm Nag in the focuser balance is excellent, yet the base allows for three different setups so the primary mirror acts as a counter weight and yet you can buy a full counter weight system for these scopes. Maybe its needed in the smaller apertures but certainly not here. 

I took some photos when I got all set up, it was an impressively imposing beast, making my living room seem very cramped lol. 

Thrilled to say the DSC appeared to be working perfectly, I couldn't get it to connect to Bluetooth but I think that is more to do with my S21 Ultra security not liking it. It worked fine over the WiFi connection. 
I was hoping Stellarium Plus would have worked but sadly it seems that app only supports NextStar and LX200 scopes, so I went and bought Sky Safari Plus and that worked just fine. Not a fan of the latter app as I think Stellarium has a much cleaner and professional look with a nicer UI to work with but that's just a personal preference. 

Some good news regards the mirror. I am having a box sent over so I can return the mirror, either for repair or replacement. From my own personal experience with cleaning several mirrors, it looks like permanent damage to me. 

Here's a few more photos of the setup. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still hoping I can get a cheeky first light before the mirror gets sent back. Looking possible for a good clear spell tonight but with strong winds and as damp as a shower rooms sponge, so not sure on that. 

[cajen2]

Wow, it certainly looks the business inside! 👍