Levenhuk Dobson telescope N 200/1200 Ra 200N DOB - any reviews ??

[Lila]

Hello everyone,

I am about to purchase my very first telescope and, as you might expect, I am overwhelmed by the diversity of brands and models on the market! I have already figured out that I want an 8" dobsonian telescope and that I'd like the accessories to include 2 eye pieces (so that I don't have to spend more money on another eye piece right away, as a lot of 8" dobs are sold with just a 25 mm eye piece i.e. Orion XT, Skywatcher, Bresser..)

A strong contender is the following:

Levenhuk Dobson telescope N 200/1200 Ra 200N DOB (astroshop.eu)

It comes with 2 eyes pieces (Plössl 9mm, Super View 30mm), an optical 8x50 finderscope, and lots of other "fancy" specs like a primary mirror cooling fan and a 2" dual speed Crayford focusing system. It's currently being sold from Astroshop at £419 instead of £590. 

Is this too good to be true? Has anyone used this telescope before? I am struggling to find any reviews on this telescope and on Levenhuk's telescopes in general. They seem to mostly distribute their materials in US and eastern Europe, which may explain the lack of reviews on the forums I have checked. I would really appreciate any insight you may have on this telescope/ or brand as I am trying to work out if this a genuinely good telescope before making the big purchase....!

[cajen2]

That looks to me to be identical to my StellaLyra 8". Available from FLO for a similar price.

I'm extremely pleased with mine, if that holds any weight for you. It is 'genuinely good'!

Edited March 17, 2022 by cajen2

[cajen2]

These are made by GSO in Taiwan and marketed under various names: StellaLyra, Orion (USA), Zhumell and Levenhuk.

 They're all basically the same scope, though accessories can vary. Mine has the same spec as the one you're looking at, I think, except the SL has a rather better RACI finder.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellalyra-telescopes/stellalyra-8-f6-dobsonian.html

Edited March 17, 2022 by cajen2

[doublevodka]

If you look at the two side by side they are identical apart from branding and the one from FLO comes with a RACI finder

From what I've seen on the forum they are very well thought of and have some nice upgrades compared to the Skywatcher 8 inch, so looks a good buy to me! To add the RACI and Dual speed crayford alone would put a significant dent in the wallet

[Carbon Brush]

From my expeience, a RACI finder on a big reflector is a 'must have'.
A mod/upgrade  I have made to all the reflectors I have owned.
The finder eyepiece can be next to the scope eyepiece.
With a straight finder you have to bend at (I think) a funny angle.

Having said that. finders are a personal choice and others would not necessarily agree!

Good luck with your first scope and keep asking the questions.

David.
 

[Lila]

Thanks everyone for your advice! So you would be quite confident that since they look indentical and are both manufactured by GSO and then branded differently those 2 telescopes will roughly be of the same quality? I am a little cautious as dobs from Omegon, another brand manufactured by GSO, are getting some bad reviews (based on what I have read on other forums..) 

 

7 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

Good luck with your first scope and keep asking the questions.

Thanks!!

[Carbon Brush]

If you buy the FLO (StellaLyra) variant, it is a low risk purchase.
I have been using them for (I think) about 15 years.
They are very good about putting problems right and product returns.
Look at the supplier reviews on this site.

HTH, David.

[Mr Spock]

If you want to buy in the UK and avoid import costs, then the StellaLyra version from FLO is your best bet https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellalyra-telescopes/stellalyra-8-f6-dobsonian.html

Apart from being an excellent quality scope (see what other members here have posted about it) you have FLO's legendary customer service.
The StellaLyra also has the RACI finder, which, trust me, you will need. Straight through finders are awkward to look though without being a contortionist 😜

[Guest]

That will be a fine first scope.  Easy to assemble and you will have pretty decent views with it.