Which dobsonian? Skywatcher, Bresser, StellaLyra?

[fijidave]

Good morning,

Looking for some advice on a first telescope.  I've pretty much decided on an 8" dobsonian as being a good starting point and with a budget of approx £4-500 I've whittled it down to three....

Skywatcher 200p (£379 at FLO)

StellaLyra 8" (£459 at FLO)

Bresser-Messier 8" (£469 at FLO)

Is there any reason to go for one brand over another? Looking at the specs on the FLO website it looks like the StellaLyra has the benefit of a dual speed focuser, right angled finderscope and cooling fan (is that an essential?). The Besser comes with a solar filter and has a 2.5" R&P Hex-focuser - are there any benefits to that focuser over the dual speed on the StellaLyra?

In terms of the dobsonian mounts - does anyone have any advice regarding the 3 scopes, or are the all much of a muchness? 

Any advice is very gratefully received, thanks

Dave

 

[AstroKeith]

A good selection to choose from.

For me the Bresser stands out. The 'proper' altitude bearings and decent focuser are the discriminators. The solar filter is a good bonus too.

The altitude balance point can be adjusted too. Cheaper commercial dobsonians do suffer from poor altitude bearings. The Skywatcher is difficult to get right. The StellaLyra better.

The lack of two speeds on the focuser wouldn't be an issue for me, since although I have one, I dont use it .

Get a red dot finder too.

[Astronomist]

I have the 10" version of the Bresser, and can report it is a very well built scope, the oversized Hexafoc focuser is a improvement over the skywatcher's somewhat less refined stock Crayford.                                                                                                                    the Bresser's large altitude bearings are very smooth, and I assume probably better than the other options, although I have also heard good things about the GSO (stellalyra) needle roller altitude bearings. You will probably want a Telrad or Rigel Quikfinder, as the included flexi-plastic finder on the bresser is close to useless.   in terms of optical quality, all the scopes on your list should be almost exactly the same.

clear skies,

Harry

ps the dual speed focuser is available as an addon for the Bresser  here

Edited December 10, 2022 by Astronomist

[PeterStudz]

I agree with @AstroKeith. With regards to the solar filter it does depend on how much you enjoy solar viewing in white light. When I started I didn’t think I’d be that interested but in the end it’s turned out to be one of the things both me and my daughter really like. And to save costs I ended up doing some DIY and making my own.

As for the fan. It’ll will speed up cool down time. However, I almost always spend that time with binoculars, scanning the sky. Maybe planning a star hop, relaxing (that’s surprisingly important) and learning my way around the nights sky. I’ve found that in itself quite rewarding.

I have a Skywatcher Skyliner 200p Dob. But it was given to me free, without a base and with other issues. Over time I put it back together, and customised it to my requirements. This Dob has been around for a while so quite a few bargains come up on the second hand market. If you are lucky enough to find one of these then you can use the money saved on customisation and upgrades. And doing so over time spreads out the costs and will hopefully give you something that works for you. Eg I love a carry handle on my Dob. So I drilled a couple of holes in the tube and fitted one. 

Good luck with what ever you purchase. In the end I don’t think you can go far wrong with the above choices. 

[fijidave]

Thanks everyone!

[Mr Spock]

Had one of these for a while. Nice, but...

This is even better. Far superior build quality and superb optics (the most important thing)

[bosun21]

It’s got to be between the Stella Lyra and the Bresser. These two are superior to the Skywatcher. The optics are great on the Stella Lyra although I have never looked through the Bresser. The Bresser has large altitude bearings which is a large plus. The difference in the focusers is minimal IMO, unless you intend to fit a heavy camera etc. In which case the Bressers R&P would be the better focuser.

[Mart29]

Honestly,  there isn't much between them. The difference in optic quality,  I doubt you would pick up on.  More importantly would be the eyepiece.  The cheaper one with a decent eyepiece would be 10x better than the others with the standard eyepiece.  

I have a 200p and see amazing details with good eyepieces.  

I attach some images taken off my phone with no stacking or editing at all. 

Mars was 2 nights ago.  Remember the eyepiece views show more detail than these photos . So any of your choices will be fine if you invest in a decent eyepiece or two!  

Edited December 16, 2022 by Mart29

[cajen2]

As Mr S says, the StellaLyra is very well built and equipped. I have the 8" and I honestly can't fault it, especially the azimuth bearings, which are silky smooth. I find it better than the SW in all respects. I've never used the Bresser, so can't comment there.

[Mike Q]

I would probably opt for the SL myself since it is a twin to my Orion Skyline.  It will boil down to what comes with it.  For me the one with a RACI would be the winner.  I do like the dual speed focuser that comes on the GSO scooes.  Its nice to have when you need it 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Mike Q

[Spile]

When I got the Skywatcher 200P, the StellaLyra didn’t exist. It’s a great telescope as my review shows https://astro.catshill.com/skywatcher-200p-review/ but it has cost me over £130 to upgrade the focuser and add the RACI. That’s why I recommend the StellaLyra. It’s extremely well built and had just one downside compared to the SW - it can’t be carried in one piece.

[cajen2]

Personally, I wouldn't want to carry mine in one piece.....but there again, I'm ancient! 😉

It was the dual-speed focuser and the RACI that sold the SL to me. I'd never go back to a single-speed focuser again and I just can't crawl around on the ground to use a straight-through finder. The fan is nice to have: I've used it a few times when I was in a hurry, but not essential.

Edited December 16, 2022 by cajen2

[Second Time Around]

Before I bought my 8 inch Dob I examined several makes in showrooms to get a hands on feel.  (The Stella Lyra is FLO's own brand version of one of the two GSOs I tried).

As pointed out above, the quality of the optics is very similar.  You'll probably add different accessories to all of these models to get your ideal scope, and some of the supplied accessories you may not keep anyway. 

But almost certainly you'll keep the mount.   Unless you make your own, replacing a mount is expensive, even if you can find one.  So in the long run I feel the mount is by far the most important consideration. 

The mount that stood out was the Bresser.  As Keith posted above, the Bresser is better than the GSO and a lot better than the Skywatcher.  I'd add that the altitude rings also make it easier to carry the tube assembly in one hand.  Had I not found a secondhand OOUK Dob, I'd have bought the Bresser myself.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Second Time Around

[Carbon Brush]

Ref @cajen2  I just can't crawl around on the ground to use a straight-through finder.

Agree absolutely. A right angle finder has always been a 'must have' on various newts I have owned.
If you need to buy one, you can always keep it for your next (bigger?) scope.