200mm Manual Dobsonian. SkyWatcher or StellaLyra

[Lurcher]

Hi all,

I own a couple of GoTo Dobsonians, but I would like to get a 200mm manual Dobsonian which I can then use silently in the garden without the noise of the motors, and which I'll be able to pack away quickly when I'm finished. (Or just cover and leave out).

I've been looking at the 200mm SkyWatcher Classic Dobsonian, and the 200mm StellaLyra Dobsonian. 

The StellaLyra looks like a good scope, apart from one small niggle, which is that the diameter of the base is 560mm, which is just fractionally smaller than the base on my 300mm GoTo Dob. This seems a bit over-the-top and unnecessairly cumbersome for a 200mm scope.

Can anyone tell me the diameter of the SkyWatcher base please? I can't find that dimension anywhere online. It would be great to know how it compares.

And any other thoughts or comments if anyone has any experience of either scope much appreciated! I'm completely undecided. (At the moment I can get he SkyWatcher dob for £100 less than the StellaLyra scope, with a damaged box on FLO). 

Many thanks,

Martin .

[Steve Ward]

I was very impressed by the Stellalyra dobs at the IAS this year (on the FLO stand) 

The roller bearings made the action silky smooth , much more refined than the Skywatcher I used to own.

If I were after a new Dobsonian it would definitely be the Stellalyra I'd opt for.

[cajen2]

Never had the SW but I thoroughly recommend the SL. Has all the accessories you need and that az bearing is a beaut.

[bosun21]

My 12" Stella Lyra dobsonian base is approx 600mm the same as yours. Regarding the 200mm choice I have owned both and the Stella Lyra is a no brainer for me. The dual speed focuser, RACI and the smooth roller bearing azimuth movement more than makes up the £100 difference you can get by snagging the return from FLO.

[Ratlet]

I got the Stellalyra 10".  My only regret is I didn't get one sooner.  Very well made and a pleasure to use.

I did upgrade the az bearing on mine and it does provide a better experience but the bearing that comes with it is very smooth anyway.

It feels very well built and the dual speed focuser is very nice to use.

[Rallemikken]

The StellaLyra has the best base and the best focuser. The SkyWatcher has the best and most robust primary mirror cell. The secondary mirror holder on the StellaLyra has  a design that makes it safer for beginners, you can't rotate it freely. Overall, I'd take the StellaLyra, despite a few design flaws.

[RobertI]

I guess the other option is the Celestron Starsense 200mm dob - it’s £150 more than the StellaLyra and you don’t get a dual speed focuser, but the the Starsense is fab in my opinion.

[Lurcher]

Wow, thanks everyone for your fantastic replies, and for replying so promptly. 

I had read good things about the bearings on the StellaLyra, so it was great to have so many comments confirming that. Many thanks.

I haven't looked at the starsense, so I will have a look at that. I was wondering if a push-to scope might be an idea as it still wouldn't use motors, and so would still be quiet. But I think (and I might regret saying this), but I quite like the thought of forcing myself to occasionally find things without any aids! But thanks I will have a look.

Thanks to you all. .

Martin. 

 

[bosun21]

29 minutes ago, Rallemikken said:

The StellaLyra has the best base and the best focuser. The SkyWatcher has the best and most robust primary mirror cell. The secondary mirror holder on the StellaLyra has  a design that makes it safer for beginners, you can't rotate it freely. Overall, I'd take the StellaLyra, despite a few design flaws.

All you need to do is fit a washer between the secondary holder and adjustment screws. I did this mod to both my 8” and 12” SL dobsonians.

[Mandy D]

2 hours ago, Lurcher said:

Can anyone tell me the diameter of the SkyWatcher base please? I can't find that dimension anywhere online. It would be great to know how it compares.

 

It is 520 mm on the 150, 200 and 250. They all use the same base and side panels,  just with different separations between the side panels for the different OTAs.

[Lurcher]

1 hour ago, Mandy D said:

It is 520 mm on the 150, 200 and 250. They all use the same base and side panels,  just with different separations between the side panels for the different OTAs.

Ahh that's brilliant. Many thanks for that. 

So it's only 40mm less then!

That's good to know thanks. 

[Carbon Brush]

I have owned various reflectors using dob or EQ mount.
I can't comment on SW vs SL as none have been SL.

However, a RACI finder and dual speed focus have (to me) been very worthwhile features.
Also, the SW dobs have benefitted from a bit of 'adjustment' on rotating parts.
The nice thing about a reflector on dob mount is you can easily 'fettle' any problems.

Good luck with whichever you choose.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Carbon Brush
Spelling misteak!

[Louis D]

Is the Bresser/Explore FirstLight/JOC Dobsonian series so bad that no one mentions them as worthwhile of a look?  I haven't tried one in person, but I like the look of those altitude trunnions and rotatable tube.  I believe the focuser can be upgraded to dual speed.

[Spile]

It’s possible to upgrade the Skywatcher by adding a RACI and a dual speed focuser but if you are buying new then it makes more sense to get the StellaLyra. I speak as a happy 200P owner…https://astro.catshill.com/skywatcher-200p-review/

 

[Lurcher]

On 03/08/2023 at 09:11, Carbon Brush said:

Good luck with whichever you choose.

Many thanks!

[Lurcher]

On 03/08/2023 at 13:17, Louis D said:

Is the Bresser/Explore FirstLight/JOC Dobsonian series so bad that no one mentions them as worthwhile of a look?

I did have a look at the Bresser dobsonians. I liked the look of that one first too. I then discounted it for one reason or another.  I'm afraid I can't remember for the life of me why I ruled that one out now. 

Ultimately, it came down to which ones  were readily available in the UK, other people's reviews, and price! 

[Lurcher]

On 03/08/2023 at 22:10, Spile said:

It’s possible to upgrade the Skywatcher by adding a RACI and a dual speed focuser but if you are buying new then it makes more sense to get the StellaLyra. I speak as a happy 200P owner…https://astro.catshill.com/skywatcher-200p-review/

 

Many thanks for your reply! I'm very much looking forward to being the owner of a 200mm manual scope too! Cheers!

[Mr Spock]

I use a 12" StellaLyra after using a 10" Skywatcher Flextube. One thing to mention is the quality of the optics. While this only refers to the scope I have, the StellaLyra 12", I find the image quality and sharpness to be that of premium optics. The Skywatcher was quite good, but this 12" I have is outstanding. Like all premium optics, with excellent seeing conditions it just soaks up magnification without loosing sharpness or image quality.

There's no guarantee other scopes will perform the same, but, I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

I use a 12" StellaLyra after using a 10" Skywatcher Flextube. One thing to mention is the quality of the optics. While this only refers to the scope I have, the StellaLyra 12", I find the image quality and sharpness to be that of premium optics. The Skywatcher was quite good, but this 12" I have is outstanding. Like all premium optics, with excellent seeing conditions it just soaks up magnification without loosing sharpness or image quality.

There's no guarantee other scopes will perform the same, but, I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

The GSO mirrors (the StellaLyra Dobs are GSO made) must be quite good because Teeter Telescopes used to list them as the base option for their telescopes prior to ending production.

[Lurcher]

On 07/08/2023 at 09:10, Mr Spock said:

I use a 12" StellaLyra after using a 10" Skywatcher Flextube. One thing to mention is the quality of the optics.

Many thanks for this. 

I have now decided to go for the Stella Lyra, and looking forward to giving it a try.

I own a 12" SkyWatcher Flextube GoTo and have found the optics on that pretty good, so although my StellaLyra will be smaller, I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like!

Thanks!

[bosun21]

I used to own the 8" Stella Lyra dobsonian and now own the 12". The optics on both of them were/are excellent. I think you can buy with confidence.

[Pixies]

On 03/08/2023 at 13:17, Louis D said:

Is the Bresser/Explore FirstLight/JOC Dobsonian series so bad that no one mentions them as worthwhile of a look?  I haven't tried one in person, but I like the look of those altitude trunnions and rotatable tube.  I believe the focuser can be upgraded to dual speed.

I bought one back in 2020. I was going for the SW but there were none available. I've no regrets and after having used a few SW dobs, am glad I chose the Bresser,

The alt bearings are very smooth and require no adjustment. I use a couple of magnetic weights to adjust balance when using very heavy eyepieces, it doesn't use the friction adjustment like the SW does, so remains easy to move.

The best thing is the quality of the Hexafoc focusser, which is a beast. The plastic straight through finder is an abomination though and would be the first thing to be replaced. Some older models came with a RDF. 

 

I think the lack of ownership is mainly due to supply issues that Bresser had during the pandemic. They were unavailable for about a year. However, in the US, they are known as the Explore Scientific Firstlight dob: https://explorescientificusa.com/collections/reflectors/products/explore-firstlight-8-dobsonian-telescope-package-fl-dob0806-02-pk

 

If I was making the choice now, it would be between the Bresser and the Stella Lyra and probably I'd go for the latter. If the Bresser came with a decent RACI, then it would be the Bresser.

[Mr Spock]

It's swings and roundabouts isn't it. Now, if I could have the StellaLyra OTA with the Bresser mount... 

[Lurcher]

Many thanks all. I now own the 8" Stella Lyra and am really happy with it. I must post a review, but so far I've only had the one excuse to use it and was hoping for a bit more than that by the time I write anything!

(I was at the Herstmonceux Observatory Science Festival this weekend and saw the Bresser Dobsonian there on the trade stands. It's a nice, clean and smart looking scope! - And as I want to change to small finderscope on the StellaLyra one day . . . . I do wonder if the Bresser might've been a good choice for me?? It's so hard to choose unless you can have three or four scopes delivered to your door to try out and then choose one isn't it!?).

Many thanks for all your replies. I'm looking forward to using it a bit more now!

[Spile]

7 hours ago, Lurcher said:

And as I want to change to small finderscope on the StellaLyra one day

Why would you want to change the RACI?