Skywatcher 10" Dob


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Brand and Model:Skywatcher 10" Dob
Price ($USD):?$599 ($869 Can)
Type:Newtonian
Attributes: un-checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:10"
f Ratio:f/5
Focal Length:1200
Finder:9x50
Electric Power:
Mount:
Tripod:
Weight (lbs):
Dimensions (w/h/d):
Description:

Vote Highlights Vote
Skywatcher 10" Dob
Very good value for the price.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:9 Mount:9 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=588346


Skywatcher 10" Dob
this is my second sky watcher dob having up-graded my 6".
as ie've already owned one this scope took me and my girlfriend 15 minutes to assemble and load into her truck.
the mount is stable, although some vaseline on the pivot point and contact points between the 2 bases doesn't hurt!
the 2" eyepiece is an affordable throw in, i like it because the double cluster in perseus is framed nicely.
i'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend who shows more than just a passing fancy in astronomy so she's more than willing to drive us an hour out of town(victoria, bc canada) to go to our fave dark sky local. this is where this scope shines!
there is structure in m81 and subtle colour in the orion nebula
as far as planetary viewing goes the moon is amazing and i can easily split saturns rings, as well as make out different bands on its surface.
this scope came collimated right out of the box, and to me seems to be well made. i wholeheartedly recommend sky-watcher to those on a budget, or dob fans like myself

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:7 Mount:8 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=330639


Skywatcher 10" Dob
[webmaster note: vote moved from description]

Just unpacked the scope today. Assembly of the base was very quick and simple, very well thought out. Each stage of the assembly came with its own bag of hardware...nice. Got it together in about 20 minutes. Movement seems quite smooth and the tension control handle seems to work as advertised, allowing one to adjust the tension in the altitude bearing to compensate for heavier eyepieces (the scope comes with a 2 inch ???brand eyepiece). The eyepiece seems passable. Ok, now for the fun bit. I have heard that these scopes in the 8" aperture have been arriving well-collimated. I put the laser on mine and nearly took out an eye! All three fasteners on the rear of the mirror cell were loose and the secondary was not even close to centered under the focuser. Quite disappointing, mine was built on Friday I think. On the upside, the primary mirror is marked to ease collimation, and the rear cell can be adjusted without tools. Another very nice feature and a big improvement over my last Skywatcher. Now to get down to some viewing. Oops, the bolts holding the side bearings are loose, causing all kinds of backlash...must tighten that tomorrow.
All things considered I think that this scope is a fabulous bargain, and I look forward to getting it out under darker skies. There are obviously some quality control issues to tackle during assembly, but the components as provided are very nicely finished, and a twist of a screwdriver here and there leaves one with a very sturdy and obviously well thought-out dob. Small nits to pick...I find the finderscope stalk a tad short, and the focusing knobs are tight to the optical tube. But I'll tell you what. I can't imagine getting more bang for the buck ANWWHERE. Everything that the Orion XT10 is, with the addition of the clever tension handle.

Overall Rating: No Vote
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=137303

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