Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian

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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
a good beginer scope , if your serios about sticking with the hobby. orion has corrected most former reviews , on its dob line with the new skyquest , assembles easy , collimation for me seemed very easy, with the collimating eyepiece. the star test was fine . the base is a bit stiff to turn , but i need to redo the assembly as i have played with the tightness of bolts, probably to much .Its a beatifull package, and im thrilled with mine .

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
A pleasure to use. Very solid all the way around. The optics are nice (somewhat undercorrected but not really noticeable, especially given the price) but the mechanical contruction is where the SkyQuest stands out. Very solid and smooth movement. The focuser is fantastic. Decent enough finder. Easy to carry around as a single unit. I wish I'd bought the 8" model, but other than that I love it. Worth spending a few more bucks versus the competition.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
I purchased this 'scope for my daughter after looking through our club's XT8. I was not dissapointed! This telescope is every bit as goood as the 8 inch model, and in fact maybe MORE impressive for a 6 inch then the eight is for it's size class. Those of you who bought this 'scope and are now wishing you had bought the eight, take heart. This telescope gives nearly identical planetary images as the eight inch model, (owing to it's longer focal length), and stellar and deep sky images are the best I've seen in this size class.

Comparing the XT8 & XT6 at a club meeting, viewing M-42, we shuttled people between the two 'scopes blind folded. Very few folks could see alot of difference in the images (yeah I know, 77 percent more light gathering ability, yadda, yadda, yadda) what you see in the eyepiece is not always what the math tells you that you should see. All in all, an excellent little telescope. I told my daughter if she ever wants to sell it, to come to me first!

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39675

Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
This scope performed well for me right out of the box the same day the components arrived via UPS. Assembly was simple. I found the collimating instructions provided with the optional collimating eyepiece were not quite the same as the instructions in the scope's manual. The collimating eyepiece instructions had a step for adjusting the spider's vanes that seemed out of place. I eventually used the steps in the scope's manual...no problem.

I had no significant experience with telescopes before. But I saw M57, M13, and the double-double that first night. (The Year-Round Messier Marathon Field Guide by Harvard Pennington was very helpful!) I've used it 4 times in the week since I bought it. Be sure to get it with that half-price barlow that Orion offers. It has a good, useful finder that is well-positioned for me...I like to use the same eye at the finder and eyepiece. One gripe: the finder bracket slips if you grab it.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Wonderful optics for a scope in this price range. I agree with the gentleman above, take heart, this is a fine little scope. I own a 10 inch scope that I absolutely love, yet I still see myself spending a great deal of time with this little 6 inch XT. It just so light and convenient. The deep sky images are plenty bright to show a great amount of detail on many objects, and the scope handles high power remarkedly well. My only real complaint is the stiffness of the mount, although this is a workable item.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39677

Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
I love my XT-6. The telescope is well built, and the focuser is great.This was my 1st telescope purchase in about a decade, and I couldn't be happier. It provides great views of the M Objects and even a few NGC's that I have been able to locate. The ease of use is fantastic, and is eminently portable and quickly set up. The correc-tension springs work as advertised, allowing a change of eyepieces or the addition of a barlow without affecting balance. The downside is the base motions are rather "jerky" when using high power(definately takes a little more than a "gentle nudge" to move the az) , but I have read that if you make "washers" from a plastic milk jug and use them between the bottom plates it can help smooth the motions. Collimation is easy and takes just a minute or two, but I wish they had included thumbscrews instead of phillips - it would make the job much easier. I don't have anything to compare it to (except my old Sears Tasco 650X scope which couldn't even dream of coming close in useability or viewability), but I believe it to be a very capable, inexpensive scope that will keep me happy for quite some time. Highly recommended for an old "newbie" like myself!

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39678 

if you want i think you can replace the phillips screws with knobs you can buy online.  just search google for "bobs knobs"

i think you'll find what you want there.


>I love my XT-6. The telescope is well built, and the focuser is great.This was my 1st telescope purchase in about a decade, and I couldn't be happier. It provides great views of the M Objects and even a few NGC's that I have been able to locate. The ease of use is fantastic, and is eminently portable and quickly set up. The correc-tension springs work as advertised, allowing a change of eyepieces or the addition of a barlow without affecting balance. The downside is the base motions are rather "jerky" when using high power(definately takes a little more than a "gentle nudge" to move the az) , but I have read that if you make "washers" from a plastic milk jug and use them between the bottom plates it can help smooth the motions. Collimation is easy and takes just a minute or two, but I wish they had included thumbscrews instead of phillips - it would make the job much easier. I don't have anything to compare it to (except my old Sears Tasco 650X scope which couldn't even dream of coming close in useability or viewability), but I believe it to be a very capable, inexpensive scope that will keep me happy for quite some time. Highly recommended for an old "newbie" like myself!
Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Well-built model that is very portable. Easy to use, especially when used in conjuction with a Telrad sight. Offer greats views and is a fine product.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
This telescope is great. The mount is very stable. Easy to collimate even without a collimating eyepiece. Great optics, shows a whole range of objects clearly and brightly.

Shane

Overall Rating: 9
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Just upgraded from an Astroscan, and I think that *this* is the 'scope that maximizes aperture and portability in a reflector. Easy for an adult to carry, which means you'll use it a lot. Versatile, great optics for this price range, wonderful views of planets, M objects, and double stars. Finder is good but a little awkward to use -- I combine it with a Quikfinder. Perfect all-around telescope, I couldn't be happier.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Got my first chance to look through one of these at our last club meeting this past weekend. This telescope has to be one of the best kept secrets out there.
I was really impressed with the images of Jupiter, and Saturn. I've looked through much bigger and more expensive telescopes that did not have anywhere near the planetary performance of this little telescope.

I felt that the deep sky images were also very impressive for a 6 inch, and the star test looked pretty good in and out. There are sure alot worse ways to spend $369.00 dollars in this hobby. A bargain compared to many other choices out there. Beginners take note..... highly recomended.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
I have used both the 8" and 6" and the six seems to be as "powerful" as the eight. This is the best kept secret in the telescope market. Dont waste the extra money on the 8. This telescope is every bit as good. Excellent for a beginner and expert alike.

Buy this scope!!!

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
I compared this scope to a larger truss dob and a schmitt-cass. This scope outperformed the schmitt-cass and was nearly equal to the truss dob. The truss dob cost 5 times as much and was marginally better. The correct tension springs are great. I can carry the thing without worrying about dropping the OTA out of the mount. Yeah the mount is a little stiff, but it stays where you put it, with any eyepiece, anywhere you point it, without shaking, without vibrating. The optics will Ronchi test and star test good. It does all that was advertised in the catalog. The fit and finish is good, with all metal parts, no plastic.
It is a keeper.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
I just purchased my Orion Dob XT6 three weeks ago. I have been out twice on nights that I thought were terrible because of clouds and general haze. The haze was so bad that I could barely make out the man in the moon using my eyes. Upon looking through teh eyepiece for the first time, I was very impressed with the images I could see of the moon. So was my daughter. Even in cloud cover and looking through trees (no leaves), I could still see remarkable detail. Assembly and set up were great. My 5 year old daughter helped me and was very easy to do. Collimation? Yeah, I am new to this but hey, I want perfect and I think I have it. The star test showed perfectly round images. Additionally, I covered up all but 1/8th of the aperature while viewing the moon. I only saw a slight drop in brightness, NOT clarity. The image dimmed a bit but never lost clarity. Very impressed.
I sighted the finder scope in early evening on a street light in my apartment complex that was 100 yards away. I could clearly see a gnat that was stuck on the glass along with a hair / spiderweb that was next to it.

I also purchased the collimating eyepiece and a 2X shorty barlow. They were shipped a bit dirty but I cleaned them very easily.

I have not purchased any additional eyepieces....yet. But soon I think I will try the 17mm and the 7.5mm. Given the 2X barlow, that should give me a pretty decent range of powers.

I can only give it a 9 because I am not qualified to give it a 10. But I bet any expert who knows what to expect would rate it at least a 9. I read through this site for almost 5 hours before deciding to purchase the XT6. I am sure glad I did.
The Dobsonian XT6 is my first telescope. Should be yours too.
KPM

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Wonderful scope. Lots of attention to quality, easy to use and a great
starter set of accessories. Larger scopes would just be frustrating in
the semi-darkness of suburban skies. This pulls in about all you can get.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
The more I use this scope the more I like it. I now have five scopes including a 12.5 inch dob, yet the Orion XT6 remains one of my overall favorites. The images are sharp, bright and with excellent contrast, and you just cannot beat the convenience of it all. I originally rated this scope a 9, but it should have been a solid 10, especially considering it's price.

Overall Rating: No Vote
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Great quality scope. Bright and clear images. I am very satisfied. If you have dark skies, I recommend upgrading to the XT8 but for skies with some light pollution, this scope is it.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
the xt6 is turning into my favorite scope for ease of use ,decent optics,ihave st90.vx80,apstar12ed had a c-8&10" f5.6 dob,the xt6 has to be my fav for ease of use & 2nd to a/p12ed for fav child.only had to add 16' coffee table legs to base to make it easier to use+telrad better than orig finder.orig thought i should have got xt8 but after reading reviews of side by sides i guess xt6 a good descision.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Not to sound like a broken record, but this is probably the best beginners scope available. I have only had two problems--the mirror cell and the finder. The finder was an easy fix, just replaced it with a Rigel quickfinder (GREAT FINDER). The mirror cell is a bigger problem. There is significant astigmatism introduced by the "clips" that hold the primary. I still haven't been able to remove this after repeated adjustments. Also, since this is a beginners scope, collimation (the beginner's nightmare) could be much simplified if Orion would replace their two-screw system with a spring loaded wing nut design. Everyone knows how easy it is to "ring out" the notches in a screw head. However, don't let this deter you from buying this scope. I haven't seen any other small, factory dob that's as good as this one.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
Best bang for the buck-I'm just starting out in astronomy and I attended a few star parties. I have tried other scopes up to 20 inches and find that the XT6 is a great starter scope especially if you live under light polluted skies. Collmination was very easy for a beginner like me (buy the collmination tool and use the web on how to put the central dot on the mirror and keep the clips loose). The mount is excellent and smooth-the CorrecTension springs gives it just the right amount of friction and added portability. However, an upgrade to a 6x30 Right-Angle Correct-Image Finder Scope would have been nice. Once collminated the optics are very clear Saturns Cassini division are noticeable along with Jupiter and it's red spot. However, M57 (the ring nebula)is like a pinhead at 133X-don't be fooled by the photos in the magazines. Use this scope to get acclimated with astronomy and the maintenance of a newtonian-find double stars and faint fuzzies and then upgrade to an obsession scope.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 (Intelliscope) Dobsonian
I got this scope a month ago and it is awesome. I have fairly decent skies around me and it picks up so many good objects to look at and is very comfortable to use. It was a gift from my wife, daughter and step son for my birthday and they did some great research and got me just what I wanted.

I am adding a TELRAD finder to it and then I will be set.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 7 (Veritable Vote)
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