best dobs on the market

[david b]

Im thinking of buying a dobsonian telescope, which manufacturer is reguarded as being the best, or are there mostly all the same in quality.

[dweller25]

These manufacturers may be of interest .....

1. Skywatcher Skyliner - mass produced but optically good and great value for money.

2. Meade Lightbridge - mass produced but optically good and great value for money.

3. Revelation - mass produced but optically good and great value for money.

4. Orion Optics - expensive but with options on optical quality, check out their customer service feedback

5. David Lukehurst - very expensive - hand built to any spec you want.

[John]

As well as the choices in dweller25's excellent summary there is a German supplier called Telescope Service (TS) who sell some dobs on e.bay and on their own website:

Welcome to Telescope-Service

The TS dobs are made by the same manufacturer as the Revelation ones (GSO in Taiwan) which is incidentally where the Meade Lightbridge's are manufactured as well - they all share the same optics and mirror cells I believe.

Another option is the Orion (USA) dobsonians which are made by Synta, the company behind Skywatcher and Celestron. Their Intelliscope dobsonians have a good reputation. Here is a UK supplier for them:

SCS Astro Ltd - Large Range of Telescopes

[johninderby]

These manufacturers may be of interest .....

1. Skywatcher Skyliner - mass produced but optically good and great value for money.

2. Meade Lightbridge - mass produced but optically good and great value for money.

3. Revelation - mass produced but optically good and great value for money.

4. Orion Optics - expensive but with options on optical quality, check out their customer service feedback

5. David Lukehurst - very expensive - hand built to any spec you want.

The Orion Optics UK dobs (even the small ones) are also "hand built to any spec you want". Yes you can order a "standard" one on-line but if you want any changes made you just have to ask. For example you can have any focuser you want installed at the factory, get a longer tube to provide better light shielding of the focuser, get a heavier weight tube or have the tube finished in any colour or any other optical or mechanical alterations made. And as to their customer service they will sort out any problem you might have, period.

John