I am honored! The video that taught me how to collimate was: ruclips.net/video/8G98RTP6jbY/видео.html They also deal with having to rotate the secondary mirror, before making any adjustments! I actually had to do this once after my 114mm took a 3 foot fall onto asphalt. I hope you have clear skies wherever you are and thank you again :)
It's not really accurate to allign the primary mirror with a laser. Using a laser to allign the secondary mirror can only be done with an alligned laser. The one you use from Meade usually doesn't come alligned out of the box
@@DirkDirk1983 Hello! I have heard this about the laser collimators and it has me wanting to buy a visual collimator. Do you have any recommendations for how to check the accuracy for a faulty laser? So far I have found some diagrams but they all involve a jig. For me, I look for 4 points on bright stars to indicate good collimation. Let me know if you think this is a bad indicator. If I can not get 4 points on a bright star then I know something is off. With this double-checking in practice, (looking for 4 points and using a collimator) I have yet to provide a displeasing view that could not be brought to focus. I seem to be getting lucky with my collimators for the two I have owned seem to be reliable in this way even after months of use. At around 6:55 I actually switch to the Apertura collimator since my Meade collimator was out of batteries, but I am sure the argument applies to both. Thanks for pointing this stuff out!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Cool. Cool. Don't want to sound like a nagging b*tch Btw. A star test is always a good way to check your colimation. I always use a laser for the secondary. Now I use one from Farpoint. 2", Very accurate but not cheap. Before I used the one you used but from Omegon( i think they all come from te same factory) To allign the laser i Just turn it in the focusser ( focusser clamp Just clamps it enough to turn it) Then a imaginary circle will apear on your primary, then i turn it as much as the laser hits the top of the imaginary circle. Then adjust it down to the center of that imaginary circle. Give it a couple of tries and it's almost as good as the one from Farpoint. The one from Farpoint is heavy, fits in the 2" socket and is Just awesome to use. The beam of the laser is nice and small, and it comes with triangle primary mirror markings. For alligning the primary you really need to use a cheshire. I use a 12"f5 newton and if i compare collimating the primary with a laser and with a cheshire, the difference is a lot. I must apologize for my english. I'm using an old Phone now and it has only a check in my own language (Dutch) Love to watch your vids. There is a big gap of needing information now a days, between the pro's and the ones that Just started.
@@DirkDirk1983 Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! I have been looking for a visual collimator and the Chesire looks perfect!! Your tip for highlighting the adjustments needed on the laser collimator by looking for an imaginary circle outlined on the primary is GENIUS!!! I will try this out ASAP! Thank you again for this information. I have a 12" as well and if Farpoint is your recommendation then you got it! Also, your English is wonderful and I likewise apologize for not knowing Dutch and for implying in any way that you were nagging! I will try to watch out for that more! Thank you very much once again and Clear Skies to you!!
Hello d Ramsland, Thank you so much! I am currently working hard on a new video covering the Apertura AD10 and then another video covering the newest version of the ES10. Let me know if there's anything you wish I had explained further and I'll try to add it in! Clear skies! - Robert
This is the best explanation of the function of a Dobsonian telescope that I have found to date! The combination of enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject made for a very enjoyable and informative video. Please continue to make similar content as you are able, you have something special.
Thank you so much for the inspirational comment! I will definitely try to make the next video just as fun. Let me know if there is anything else I can go over in more detail. Thanks again and clear skies!!
Such a chill dude. Great video vibes and energy man! You taught me a lot in this video I just got my AD8 and I cannot wait. Of course it rains everyday for a week once I get mine……
Oh why thank you so much!! This was recorded without coffee, so typically I am bouncing off the walls lol. And yes, you found the hidden coupon with every piece of astro gear! CLOUDS!!!! Rain, snow, haze and smoke all love a good purchase, especially if it's your first. Now, if you ever have a chance to go to a star party... I highly recommend it! They are so much fun. Congratulations on your AD8 and feel free to join us any clear Sunday at Sunset, Taylor Dock! We'll try to go live tonight to share some of the fun we have around 8PM Pacific. Lastly, if you have any questions about your AD8 or telescope stuff in general please feel free to ask! Hope it's all cleared up for you by now and if not I'll see if my club and I can all blow really hard in your direction! :) Space!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 It was clear 3 days ago and for the first time I saw the Orion Nebula. The tiny little smudge of gas made me tear it was unbelievable. I joined an Astro club near me as well that I had no idea was extremely active with over 200 members. And they had a guest speaker from FermiLab the other week! Absolutely insane. I love this hobby and I love the channel.
Your enthusiasm is utterly infectious and you are a wonderful communicator. Dobsonians are great - a place my Dad is a member of has a 20" on a motorised mount that is just fantastic. They're so straightforward and even a beginner like me understands how it all works! Thank you.
Hey thank you so much!!! I totally agree, dobsonians are an awesome introduction to the field. The biggest I’ve looked through was this 10”. I can’t even imagine the views through a 20”! Congratulations!!!! & thanks again 🙂
Robert, I Collimated my 10" First Light for the first time yesterday, using this video as a guide. Took a little while, but I got it perfect! It was clear and cold (mid 40s) in Beaumont Tx last night, and Beaumont, around 90 miles East of Houston, is light polluted as heck! But, I took the scope out for her maiden flight! I haven't named her yet, but I loved that you do that, and would like to continue your tradition. Saturn was behind a tree, and Andromeda was over a very light polluted part of sky, but Orion was in perfect position! I found the Orion nebula, but thought at first my lense had some fog on it! Then when I realized that was gasses and clouds around the stars in the nebula, I was very excited! I ran and got my wife, and shared the view with her, and she was excited! I am using magnets as counterweight, they seem to be working fine. I owe you a debt of gratitude! Because of you, sharing your wealth of knowledge, especially about using dob based, Newt reflectors, I decided to finally try astronomy! I have always been interested, always wanted to, but was too intimidated to start! I cannot thank you enough! I'm sorry this is so long. I'm just excited, and it's causing me to be a bit loquacious! Yall have a wonderful, blessed and prosperous day!
Thanks so much, Paul! Congratulations on your first light!! I had been practicing with my scope for weeks before I finally saw Orion. Well done!! I hope your used a long-focal length eyepiece because It's pretty large! My dad saw it at low power earlier this year through his 12" and he was blown away. If you ever get into astrophotography here is an image I took recently with our 10" (no tracking!): instagram.com/p/Clvg9zCuMFQ/ Also, here are some other fun objects you could try to hunt down this season based on current difficulty: Planets - Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranaus, Neptune Double Stars - Polaris, Almach, Achird Clusters - Pleiades, Perseus Double Cluster, M36, M38, M44 Galaxies - Andromeda, M81, M82, M33 Nebulae - M1 I used a free program called Stellarium to simulate the night sky around your area and cherry picked what I would want to look at. If you get this program and learn how to use it, you can make lists like these each time you go out! Sometimes I waste time not knowing what to look for. Making a list before hand helps me get the most out of my scope. I'm glad your telescope is working and you were able to get it collimated! It sounds like you're going through the "Why haven't I bought one of these years ago???" phase and I can definitely relate!! Of course, if you have any questions I will be here and don't worry about lengthy responses, you should see my emails! As Phil Plait said: getting astronomer's to talk is the easy part. I look forward to hearing more about your journey through the cosmos and what you name your scope! Thanks again and enjoy the day!!
after so much confusion and not being able to understand collimation you showed me how to do it one two three and that's it now I know how. Thank you I appreciate how simple you made it
I just got a dobsonian for my kids. Plan to setup and hopefully do some Christmas stargazing. Your video was fantastic and answered so many of my questions!
Awesome! Congratulations on choosing such a great gift and let me know if I can answer any other questions that come up! Clear skies to you and the kids!!
Hey Dan, Thank you very much! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the video and CONGRATULATIONS on your new telescope!!! I just ordered a new telescope also as a birthday present to myself and I know the excitement!! It’s still two days from arriving and I am bouncing off the walls waiting to use it. I hope your 8” arrives in great condition AND you have clear skies to test it out with. I’ll be here if you need any help at all and thanks again! - Robert
As a new owner of a 10" dobsonian, I was having a tough time getting the primary mirror aligned. I came across your video and your explanation and demonstration just clicked with me. I really appreciate your video and thank you for the help!
Awesome, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! If you get stuck on anything feel free to email or comment back, I love to troubleshoot dobsonian problems. Clear skies and congratulations!!
After watching this review, I bought this telescope today! So much excellent information! It comes with a red dot view finder, but I definitely like the spotting scope with right angle lense.
Hello Paul, Thank you! I am glad you found the video useful! The red dot could be all you need once you get it aligned. The 8x50 Right Angle Correct Image (RACI) is definitely helpful but I still have to look down the length of the tube to aim it initially. If I know how to star-hop to a galaxy by eye, using a RACI sometimes feels redundant for me. What's awesome about the ES 10" is it comes with two finder shoes, allowing you to keep your red dot mounted if you decide to purchase a RACI or some other spotter. Using the two together is a wonderful setup. Currently I am using a Telrad and an 8x50 RACI and it's been a dream. Also, great choice! The Apertura AD10/Orion Skyline do offer more bells and whistles but the quality of the ES10 and it's versatility (along with it's current price) make it the best bang for your buck in my opinion. It's likely going to be the next scope we get once I donate our AD10. We used a Skywatcher 10" asfor over a year as well and the ES10 was my favorite dob out of the three. Wishing you many clear skies and if you have any questions I'll be here! Congratulations on your new dob!!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Again, I'm following your example! I bought the exact 10mm Hyperion modular eyepiece you are using around 13 minutes into the video. I see it can be 1.25 or 2 inches, depending on the adapter. Does it matter, which one to use to get the best view? Also, i see this you can screw additional lenses directly onto these eyepieces, to change their power without using a Barlow lense. Could you shed and light on this? I'm doing research right now, the scope, and everything I am getting to use with it will be opened on Christmas morning, after Santa leaves it under the tree! I live in Beaumont tx, about 90 miles East of Houston, so I have to go 20 or 30 miles North to escape light pollution, but I am very excited to start looking at the stars!
@@paulmurphy5489 Hello Paul, The 1.25" adapter has a slightly more cropped view, but is more magnified if I remember correctly. Both views are stunning! However, I would actually get the Baader Hyperion Zoom lens if you can afford it and cancel that order. The zoom lens goes from 8-24mm and to my eye is sharper at it's 10mm setting than the Hyperion 10mm Prime lens. I see less color-fringing around brighter objects using the Zoom lens. Currently it the only eyepiece I use other than a 2" 30mm Kellner. Here is a discussion online about it: www.cloudynights.com/topic/718701-baader-hyperion-mkiv-zoom-8-24mm/ There's also someone in the comments here that swears by it. Awesome all-in one eyepiece. If you are skeptical about the zoom functionality you can test the waters by trying out an Orion 7-21mm Zoom lens. It's much cheaper and is also an excellent eyepiece. Here is a discussion on that eyepiece: www.cloudynights.com/topic/713122-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-what-to-title-this-eyepiece-thread/ For barlows yes, you can unscrew the lens cell from the body and screw it directly onto an eyepiece as if it were a filter. This often reduces the magnification multiplier of the barlow due to the shorter distance between the eyepiece and the barlow lens. For instance, an x2 barlow lens used without it's barrel might perform more like an x1.75. Sorry for any confusing jargon and let me know what I could explain further!
I've got to say, this man is a great person. I've asked a question and the help and advice has been extremely helpful. He's taken the time to reply and they are very detailed replies. He probably thinks I'm a pest now. 😂 Absolutely appreciated 👍
Hey Carl, Thank you very much! When I use my telescopes I see a lot of inhospitable and desolate worlds. To me, this highlights that we are all in this together and how important it is for us to help one another whenever possible. It’s been very rewarding to be able to assist you in this hobby! I hope you get to enjoy the same sights I have over the years! Clear skies, - Robert
Love your video. I am just about 3 hours away in the Yakima Valley. I have a 12 inch Dob. Been trying to find some of the old members of the Yakima Astronomical Society. It disbanded almost 20 years ago. It was fun while it lasted. Hopefully can find some more locally into astronomy. Keep up the great work sharing the hobby.
Thank you so much and congratulations on your 12 inch Dob! I'm sorry to hear your city is lacking an Astronomy Club. I say start a new one! Our local club (the Whatcom Association for Celestial Observers) heads out to Table Mountain once a year to do a star party. I've never been, but it may be something to look into! They also do monthly star parties up here but like you said, it's 3 hours away. If you're ever in my area on a weekend and it's clear out, send me a message and we'll go stargazing! Maybe I can get your signature on the scope. Thanks again and clear skies!
Awesome!!! Here is a cool resource on visible objects with small binoculars: www.bridgendastro.org.uk/guides/Deep-Sky%20Objects%20for%20Binoculars%20and%20the%20Naked-Eye.pdf I've read from AstroBackyard that the 8" is a sweet spot for magnification and detail, and have to agree when it comes to our 8" ACF. Their size and costs are probably their most unattractive aspects. I am super curious how you enjoy an 8" as your first telescope! Let me know if you post any photos and how to follow you
Hello Louis, Thank you so much! They are both amazingly simplistic precision instruments that function best when operated with long hair ❤️ I’m kidding, Satriani would probably shred at this hobby, hah! Clear skies! - Robert
Im thinking of getting an 8 inch and have watched many videos and this is the best tell you what you need to know video i have seen thank you, will watch more of your videos
So incredibly helpful for someone interested in the hobby! I had no idea there was so much work to set it up but it totally makes sense how you tune it. Amazing piece of technology!
Heck yeah, I am glad you found it useful! It may seem like a lot of work stretched out here, but I promise it can all be done in under a minute! In fact, that might be a fun video. Telescope setup speed-runs :) I'm bet they're out there. However, if the work seems a little daunting, I have to recommend a Refractor or even a Catadioptric telescope. A refractor usually has their lens cemented in place, and collimated at the factory. I own one and it has provided perfect views for over 2 years now and has suffered plenty of abuse. However, they can get expensive! I just bought my Grandpa an Orion GoScope 80mm Refractor for looking at the Moon. I wanted to provide him with the simplest and least maintenance-requiring setup. Time will tell! The Catadioptric telescopes can also be expensive but require much less maintenance (at least my two have so far) than a Newtonian like this one. Welcome to Space, thank you VERY much and clear skies!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 I think this video should be mandatory to anyone buying their first entry level dobsonian telescope! In fact someone actually recommended this video on reddit which is how I found it. I like the little tinkering and adjusting in hobbies such as this. When you get it right, it is so satisfying! I love all the signatures on it too! Hopefully you get to 1000 very soon.
Thank you so much for a clear and concise walkthrough of Dobsonian collimation! That was the best description I've seen yet, and it makes space all the more accessible.
Hello Brandt, Thank you very much for the compliment! If you ever need to know more about collimation then here is a tutorial I found extremely useful: www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ Also, if you have any more questions, I'll be here! Clear skies! - Robert
Hello Robert, there are those who teach well and those who try to teach. Without a doubt you are the former. I am stunned and utterly thrilled with having found your video. It was exactly what anyone would love to watch. You are in the top 1% of teachers. I will subscribe to your channel and watch anything you produce that teaches me as you have just done with this video. The statement -Look no further -was created for perfection like that you showed here. Please stay safe and healthy and that means avoid the crowds who wish to gather around you to learn-that is until the virus is under control.
Holy tamale, thank you so much for your kind words! My parents had me watch lots of Carl Sagan, Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, Alex Filippenko, Michio Kaku, and more. I also enjoy learning from Molly Bentley, Chris Impey, Janna Levin, Phil Plait, Seth Shostak, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Carolyn Porco, and Charles Liu. All of them are excellent science communicators, and without their influence, I don't think this video would even exist! So credit must go to them as well :) I have been staying safe, received my first dose of the vaccine, and hope to return to the public in the Summer. In the meantime, we have been performing Live streams on our Instagram page. Here is a link: instagram.com/space_time_with_robert/channel/ I hope you are staying safe as well, Mr. Bailey. Clear skies and thanks again :)
Toujours un grand plaisir de regarder vos vidéos. Surtout continuez à partager vos connaissances. Bonjour de France ! Always a great pleasure to see your videos. Thank you very much Robert.
Merci beaucoup!!! @astro_art_contrast is my favorite astronomer from France. If you have Instagram I recommend their page! I'll try and make more videos in the future and thank you again :) Clear skies!
wow, this is great, Robert! Best tutorial on the Dobsonian that I've seen. It is just like having a knowledgeable friend showing you how to use it...so great!
Hey Tom, thank you so much!! I’m glad you found the video useful and I will try to make more. If there’s anything you felt I left out let me know & clear skies to you!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thanks Robert...looking forward to more videos. Right now, just trying to decide between ordering the 8" or 10". Your video just about has me convinced to go ahead with the 10 :)
@@TomFaulkenberry I haven’t looked through the 8” so I couldn’t give a fair comparison! I chose 10 because it was the most my car could fit! I have a 12” and it’s yet to see light due to ergonomic issues. I am very curious to know which you decide and how it works out for you!
I am trying to buy a first telescope and I've been reading and reading and watching shit on how to and what to. But this convinced me to consider an 8 inch dob from Bresser which I think is pretty much the same construction as the one you have here. I'll go for 8 inch coz the 10 won't fit in the trunk of the car, and I can mount it more easily on a cheaper eq mount in the future. Great video and nice pictures on your insta! Cheers!
Hello ewu2030, Thank you very much!! I'm happy to hear the video helped you come to a decision. Fitting a 10" in a trunk is not easy!! I feel like my Nissan Versa Note was built for hauling these scopes but once I had to fit it into a Chevy Malibu and the back seat was too short. It was a hassle getting it in and out of the trunk. I stopped at a 10" because like you, it was the biggest I could fit in the backseat of my Nissan. Mounting the 10" is no easier! I have an old Losmandy G11 from the 90s that I plan to mount our new ES10 on. I start sweating just looking at the tripod. An 8" would be much more manageable for astrophotography and you wouldn't need as serious of a tripod. Still, the tube is long and will require special attention to balancing compared to an 8" SCT for example, but the Bresser 8" newts are half the price and should be easier to maintain. It sounds like you thought this out well! And yes, as far as I can tell the Bresser and Explore Scientific dobs are identical in design. I will know soon enough because I just gambled by buying a Bresser 10:1 MicroFocuser upgrade for my ES10! If you end up posting pics of your astronomy adventures, I'd love to follow along! Lastly, here is a thread on CN where me and two others are sharing mods for our dobs! www.cloudynights.com/topic/857660-customizing-eartha-my-firstlight-10-inch-dobsonian/ Enjoy your new scope and let me know if there is anything you want help with!! - Robert
Been wanting to get a telescope for a while because I'm up late looking upwards a lot anyways, but just haven't committed yet until after seeing the Lunar Eclipse a few days ago. Thinking about a 12" Dobsonian and maybe a 4.5" as a companion. This video has really REALLY helped me to better understand what I'm getting into and has made me confident that, with a little practice, I can enjoy this a lot and I'm not just investing into a headache. Thank you for such an informative and entertaining video, cheers to Robert and everybody else out on the dock.
Oooooh Congratulations on witnessing the Lunar Eclipse!!! We saw it from Coulee City, WA. Lucky enough to get a time lapse :) instagram.com/tv/CdpxcvogxA9 I am glad you found the video helpful and yes YES YES a 12" and a 4.5" is an AWESOME setup!! The 12" may be all you need, as they typically come with a viewfinder that is 8x50. It's no 4.5" but it's large enough to see lunar craters, all of the Pleiades star cluster and even the Moons of Jupiter. The only issue is the cross-hairs that obstructs some of the view. Still, it's a very cheap solution to wanting a wider view :) Regardless, my 4.5" gets just as much play as our 10". You'll probably love them both! And no, it's no headache so long as you don't pour acid all over your mirrors. The technology is surprisingly simple and resilient. I've seen jaw-dropping views through a 40 year-old scope. Our 12" was an office decoration for 15 years and coated in nicotine tar when we picked it up (the one time acid was actually needed lol) and after some cleaning it's nearly good as new! But wait, there's more! astroanecdotes.com/2015/03/26/the-mcdonald-gun-shooting-incident/ So I love that you described it as an investment and not just a purchase. To me, they really ARE! Let me know if you want help with anything and welcome to space!!!
Wow, I'd heard the mirrors were tough, but multiple lead projectiles at, what I'm assuming was probably, around 1,230 feet per second is impressive for a few little dents, not to mention a hammer. I hope the gentleman feels a little better, at least about astronomy, now then he did then. The Eclipse started as I was getting off work and I pointed it out to a co worker, I went home and sat under a tree with a bottle of Coke Starlight and watched the whole thing from my back yard here in central Texas until it was over, it was fantastic and I really enjoyed getting to see it again in your time lapse. I had not at all considered the view finder, I'm sure that would do a similar job to the 4.5. I was considering something portable and more user friendly for hiking and that sort of thing, but I reckon that in that situation a 6" or even 8" would do that just as well or maybe even better a job and not cost or weigh really too much more. I really appreciate your response and I was kind of, really pleasantly, surprised when I saw it and the prevalent enthusiasm in it, thank you so much! When I have some new guy questions I'll definitely try to send them your way and maybe, eventually, some pictures with that 12".
Very helpful thanks. You made the tube lift look quite easy which surprised me. I’m trying to pick between the 8 and 10” with portability being the issue.
heck yeah thank you! I lift boxes for a living :) The ES10's tube is 11 pounds heavier than the ES8. I have an idea! Would it be helpful to grab a chair or another bulky object, then securely place enough weight on it to simulate the ES10's 36 pound tube and see how hard it is to move? If it causes strain, I would definitely get the 8". Lastly, the ES10 is about 60mm longer so if storage room is another issue, that's something to consider! Let me know if the experiment is a good idea and thanks again!
Thank you! I am glad you found the video helpful. If you get stuck on anything feel free to report back and we'll figure it out! Clear skies and keep looking up!
Great video man! You explain very well and simple how to collimate and use the viewfinder. This is a great telescope with great accesories! Greetings from Argentina, keep continue doing videos!!
It’s a lot of fun going over them all and remembering the events. Here is a photo of our current one instagram.com/p/CPyst20peZE/? And the first one: instagram.com/p/BmbbxRenLz7/?
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 nice, the trebd goes on. I was thinking of buying a 10" soon but I wondered if it would be possible to transport it shotgun? Because wife and kid in the back 😀. Have you ever tried it? I mean I can put down half the rear seets but it's better to have someone at the back with a kid
@@shalabazertheboltstruck8645 sorry for the late reply! In my Nissan 2014 Versa Note I was able to slide the passenger front seat back enough to fit the 10” tube. It rests against the edge of the seat and on the edge of tube. I can not get the tube flush against the floor and so although it is possible, I would have to reinforce it with pillows and straps. Checking the passenger side mirror is also awkward with the scope riding shotgun. I say go for it and drive around the neighborhood a little to test how well you strapped it in. Otherwise, perhaps you could rent a small trailer? Another suggestion would be a collapsible 10” tube. They are more expensive but it sounds like you could really use the function. My last suggestion would be to go for a smaller scope but no one wants to hear that 🙂 honestly though, small telescopes are awesome as well and great for the moon and star clusters. If you can someday, I say get a small scope if you don’t already have one! Hope this helps!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 no truble man, thanks a lot for the detailed RE but yeah I started to think an 8" will do it for now and maybe somwhere down the line something biger that can be disassembled. I have a 114mm it's my first and I freakin love it so I think arround summer will be the perfect time to go for some big boys 😀 I love observing visually so the thaught was, the biger the better but still the 8 will be a lot fun for a real start
@@shalabazertheboltstruck8645 I got to use a 8” and a 10” dob side by side and the group I was with felt that the 10” definitely showed more stars, more of Andromeda’s disc, and better details on the planets. The length of tubes were very similar so I’m worried if you got a 8” Newtonian tube you would run into the same issues having it ride shotgun as the 10”. But I have not tested it so this is just my paranoia I’m sharing :) One weird idea would be to get a big used box, shape it to the dimensions of a 10” or 8” tube and try and fit it in the front seat. The dimensions should be on the product page but I can take some measurements as well if you need any. But wait, are thinking you of an 8” Schmidt Cassegrain or other compact telescope? Because I have one (8” Meade LX65) and we LOVE IT! It does not collect as much light as the big dob but the contrast and clarity is superior to all my scopes. In a dark location it was the perfect traveling observatory and it would definitely fit in the front seat!
Jupiter will be in the evening sky for us in a few months and I can’t wait! Congratulations on your 8” dob & last night’s observations!! I am glad you found the video useful. If you happen to post any photos please let me know where so I can follow along & clear skies to you!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 hey Robert thanks for such a nice reply. I will be posting some videos I shot on my RUclips channel, will be posting the link here. Wishing you the very best!
Fantastic video. I'm planning to buy a telescope for my son and this video served as an amazing tutorial and I know exactly what I'm getting myself into now.
Hello Kappakumplete, Thank you so much! I hope you and your son have many clear nights ahead! Me and many other amateur astronomers would love to hear about your guys’ first views and any troubles you run into. You can share them with us at cloudynights.com if you like. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to the community and there is a lot of great advice. Stargazrers Lounge is also excellent. I’m always here as well so feel free to comment back any time for help! Lastly, if you decide to purchase your telescope through Highpoint Scientific or Orion, we have affiliate links in the videos description that will earn us a commission off any purchase you make at no extra cost to you! Thanks again and clear skies! - Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Hi Robert and thanks for the kind reply. I’ve narrowed my selection down to the Apertura AD8 or AD10. I promise to use your affiliate link when I make the purchase. Will also be sure to check out the website. I’ll take you up on your offer for advice. I live in a suburb of Dallas, TX which I’ve learned is horribly light polluted. In your opinion, is there still worthwhile enjoyment to be had in my area, or would I absolutely have to travel to better skies every time for my son to have a pleasant experience? That answer will largely influence if I buy an 8 inch or 10 inch due to ease of transport.
@@kappakumplete Hello Kappakumplete, Here is a useful tool for gauging how polluted your skies are with light: www.lightpollutionmap.info And here is an article explaining the bortle scale: skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/light-pollution-and-astronomy-the-bortle-dark-sky-scale/ Judging from the map, you would need to drive about 20 miles to reach Bortle 6 conditions, which is similar to the skies I have in my city. I have used both the AD10 and AD8 side-by-side in B6 conditions and the AD10 performed much better. Details on Planets were brighter and sharper despite the turbulence. We could see fainter stars in distant clusters and with more clarity. The contrast was about the same in both telescopes, however. At the end of the session, the owners of the AD8 wished they had gone for the AD10. Both the AD8 and AD10 take up similar amount of cargo space. Using them within the city, you will be restricted to brighter objects like our Moon and the neighboring planets. Still, the AD10 will likely perform better. Situations where the AD8 might perform equal to the AD10 are poor weather conditions. Otherwise, I think the AD10 is the superior choice. Here is a review with the AD10's exact measurements if you are concerned about storage: plateauterrace.blogspot.com/2012/10/apertura-ad10-dobsonian-reflector.html All that said, the AD8 is still an excellent telescope and for someone who is on a tighter budget, has less storage space or a lower lifting capacity, it's a great buy! Especially if you don't own a telescope at all. 8" vs 10" is a long-running debate actually and here is one discussion I found on cloudynights: www.cloudynights.com/topic/734164-apertura-ad8-vs-ad10-vs-dt10-for-first-telescope/ I hope that helps and feel free to ask as many questions as you like! - Robert
P.S. There are astronomy chairs that have adjustable heights. They are expensive but I recommend getting a good observing chair at some point. Observing with an Ad8/10 without a chair can be a physically demanding. You will be standing at the telescope, maintaining perfect balance and keeping your head steady while also focusing with your hands. Often hunched over with your neck crunched. To make the experience more comfortable and to rule out many variables that could ruin the view, a chair is a great investment! If you are handy with some wood then there are also schematics online for you to build your own. I can look them up for you if you like. That's all! - Robert
@@kappakumplete Sorry Kappa, I glossed over the first part of your question: Yes I think a 10” and an 8” are still a worthwhile investment even in the city. You will not have to travel with either to enjoy them. However, traveling a bit to darker areas will greatly increase their potential. Galaxies and feint Nebulae will be difficult for every telescope under light pollution. So to see these in good contrast it’s best to travel. However, visible planets, double stars and our Moon will still be a treat to look at, even under light pollution. Personally, I find stray-light to be more of a nuisance than light pollution. Finding a dark shaded area and using a dew-shield like this: www.highpointscientific.com/astrozap-flexible-dew-shield-for-meade-10-lxd75-or-lxd55-schmidt-newtonian-telescopes-az102 can remarkably increase the contrast. Lastly, here are some articles I found relating to your question: www.cloudynights.com/topic/559863-8-dob-in-bright-city-enough/ www.cloudynights.com/topic/420352-what-can-i-see-with-a-10-inch-dob/
What a great video! I bought the same telescope and I'm facing the some difficulties to get clear views, I will follow all your recommendations and tips and try it again Thank you
@@spacetimewithrobert4438hello 😊 Just a small question, have the impression you added a new adapter at 5:48 .. you indeed used a new adapter? if that's so, would be possible list some links for purchasing it, I would like to check 😊
@@dereksanders6775 Yes I do switch collimators during that scene because the Meade ran out of batteries. Today I use this: www.highpointscientific.com/hotech-2-sca-laser-collimator-with-cross-hair In the video I use this: www.highpointscientific.com/apertura-1-25-laser-collimator-with-45-angled-face-a-lc And here is a replica of the Meade collimator model: www.amazon.com/Astromania-Alignment-Generation-Collimator-Telescopes/dp/B01D8HMBCQ/ I also use an extension tube in this part of the video and in case you were referring to that. It should have come with your telescope but if not here it is: www.explorescientific.com/collections/all/products/explore-scientific-rack-and-pinion-focuser-2-extension-tube-esrpext2 Let me know if that helps or if I can explain anything further!
Great video; thanks for sharing your experience. I am a newby and have taken the refractor route. Thanks for providing a great reference and dispelling fears cocerning the collimating procedure.
Welcome to space! What refractor did you choose and why? Is it what you hoped for? I almost went the refactor route before my first 10”. It was collimation, among size and maintenance that deterred me and I’m glad to hear you’re not spooked by the process! I chose a refractor for my Grandpa for those reasons. Also, please me know if you post any photos so I can follow along! Thank you! ❤️
You don't have to mess with a fragile and easy to scratch or get dirty moon filter. Modify the telescope dust cap with a 3" to 4" off axis hole (or make a flat cap with a hole). By placing it fairly near the edge, you can rotate it so the spider vanes are not visible through the hole. This greatly reduces the light intensity without adding glass into the optical path. Also, the diffraction spikes will be gone. There is diffraction from the edge of the round hole, but since it is curved the result is smeared out over the image and not noticeable. Also make a small rotatable shutter you can use to close the hole when using the dust cap for its designed purpose. I built an off axis aperture cap for my 16" scope and it has 4 different sized holes, one in each quadrant of the cap. I just select the one that gives me the most desirable light intensity at the eyepiece. Added: Otherwise, great video.
Heck yeah that is a very interesting approach to dimming the view and removing the diffraction spikes! The Skywatcher Dobsonian's come with a capped hole in the dust cap. You can remove the smaller cap to let in a much smaller amount of light. I'm imagining this is what you are doing but at the eyepiece instead of the opening of the OTA. I love it! Another trick I would do in a pinch is cover half of the front of the tube with a cloth. This would cut the light intensity down by about half as a result. But this adds weight and throws the balance off. Same goes for the dust-cap hole design. Your method sounds way sneakier! Also CONGRATULATIONS on your 16"!!! I had a chance to look through one at a B2 site and holy heck that brings in some dim stars! We looked at M13 (along with many others, it was GoTo), and I had my first view of the Swan was that night through it. So much fun! Thanks again for the tip and I am glad you enjoyed the video!
We own two 14" dobs and their size limits our use. I usually take out the Skywatcher 120ed on an alt/az mount to use in the backyard or in the street in front of the house. I really enjoy the light buckets though and now I am looking to buy one of these same scopes when they're available again in a few months to keep ready to roll in our garage. I'm not exactly a newbie at this but I gotta tell ya, that was a great video. Thorough and easy to understand for anyone. Great job!
Wow, thank you so much! I wanted the video to answer any and all questions that a teacher may have before sharing the scope with their students. Having an experienced astronomer's input is SO valuable to me and I really appreciate it!! The biggest we've got is a 12" and indeed our 10" gets far more use due it's portability. I've actually yet to even look through the 12"! Anywho, thank you again :) Clear skies!
Thank you so much! Recently I have found out that there is a lot more to “perfect collimation” but for a quick alignment on new scopes this method should be fine! However, if your telescope has taken a fall or you have removed/replaced any mirror components, do check out AstroBaby’s guide here: www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/en/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ I purchased a Cheshire collimator and following that guide is very rewarding! Let me know if you need help with anything and clear skies!
I was surprised to find out the four points in Hubble images were caused by the same thing! I’d think a telescope that expensive could get around that design lol. Telescopes are just awesome, though, and I’m glad you’re involved in the field! Thank you very much and if you don’t: do collimate your collimator every now and then! It makes a huge difference on bigger scopes (to me). Let me know if you need any help & Clear skies!! ❤️
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thanks for the response, Robert. I have only just started as I have just purchased an 8inch Sky-watcher 200p Dobson. Always wanted one, but never got around to it until now. Something to do with the kids on winter nights. So I am waiting for that to arrive. In the meantime, I am going to purchase a collimator and pick up the other essentials over time. Any pointers or recommendations would be more than welcome.
@Thaum Nice! My first large telescope was a Skywatcher 10" Dob. The altitude bearings/clutch are easy to mess up. These are the twisty knobs on the sides that keep the tube from drifting up/down. If you tighten them too much, it may loosen the bolts inside the telescope. To re-tighten, you will have to reach inside and hold the bolt while you tighten the screws on the outside. Luckily you have little astronomers to help you! Balancing can be an issue if you end up using heavy eyepieces or a camera. These scopes have no way for you to adjust their center of balance, so a magnetized flashlight or a dedicated telescope weight may be a good investment. I'd test it before you make a purchase. I use a magnetized flashlight and stick it to the back of my scope. It acts as a nice counterweight and helps me clean up in the dark! The last bit of advice that I can think of is to let your telescope acclimate before use. If you can, let it sit outside for half an hour or so during twilight. Large telescopes are very sensitive to EVERYTHING! If there is too much of a temperature differential between the telescope and the outside air, then the materials may flex and squeeze during use, making things go out of focus often. The warping is minimal and will cause no damage. It should only affect where the perfect "focus point" is. Oh wait, there's more! If ya'll wear glasses or want to see things super zoomed-in, a Barlow lens is another good investment. It's essentially a magnifying glass that you attach to your eyepieces. The big bonus to a Barlow lens (to me) is that they also make it so you don't have to get your eye super close to the glass. Perfect for people wearing glasses! A good resource for all things relating to telescopes is cloudynights.com The people there are very responsive. Just watch out for the know-it-alls ;) There are lots more tips but for now, let me know if you get stuck on anything!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Hey Rob, sincere thanks for the detailed post. Lots of good nuggets in there. I heard that Dobs can give trouble with balance. Torch is a great idea. Much appreciated. If the rest of the community is anything like you, it would appear I am stepping into a good world. All the best.
I found this telescope on craigslist and, even though I can't actually afford it, decided to look it up anyway, which led me to this video! You made a lengthy video fun and entertaining to watch throughout the whole thing, and it makes me sad I can't go out there and watch the sky with y'all
Don't be sad! I gotchu! Here is where we post livestreams: instagram.com/space_time_with_robert/channel/ If tonight clears up I will share the Moon through a 12" Dobsonian tonight at 18:00 PST. Also, if you're in my area hit me up and I can lend you a scope or get you at the eyepiece of one. Thank you very much for the encouraging compliment and I hope to make more some day :) Clear skies
I just bought a 10" Dobsonian as my first telescope! Set up was only 30 minutes and collimation was super easy. The top of my dust cap to the mirror has two holes in the top. Looks like it may be used to filter light or something? Maybe I am just being silly. Any explanation of this would be greatly appreciated. Still working/learning/discovering! Seeing the craters on the moon last night was just awe inspiring. Too many clouds so we didn't get to see Saturn, hopefully tonight I will get to see rings!😊
Congratulations!!! It sounds like your dust cap doubles as Moon shade. If I'm picturing it in my head correctly, both holes appear capped but only one allows the cap to be removed. The other 'capped' hole should actually just be a protrusion allowing you to snugly fit the removed cap over it, creating a convenient storage solution for this removable cap. This new hole that you have created in your dust cap will then allow only a fraction of light coming from the moon to enter your telescope. This will greatly reduce it's brightness and be less straining on your eye. From what I have read, eye damage has not been recorded by long observations of the Moon without a filter, but people do find it difficult. It can be like looking at a flashlight in a dark room. Another solution is to instead use an ND filter that threads onto the bottom of your eyepieces that also reduces the light going into your eye. This is usually how people dim the moon but obstructing the front of the telescope also works. Once, we didn't have a dust cap with holes nor an ND filter for our eyepieces, so we draped a towel over the front of the telescope covering half the entrance. This worked great at reducing the light and making the views more comfortable. Let me know if that's not what those two knobs are on your dust cap and I hope this helps! If you have any further questions or thoughts I'd love to contribute!! Commenting here works or if you prefer my email is spacetimewithrobert@gmail.com and I really enjoy helping people get the most out of their telescopes. I hope y'all get to see Saturn and be sure to look out for a bright dot nearby! I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with "Titan". Hah! Clear skies!! - Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Oh you are just fantastic! That is apparently exactly what they are for! Thank you so much for your quick answer cannot wait to see the difference tonight in brightness to make moon viewing a little less "blinding." lol I am now bingeing your videos! lol
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Dang it. My Dobsonian 10 Skywatcher *did not come with the secondary mirror collimation screws!* Considering one must adjust collimation before each use if moving telescope you would think these would have come with it! WTH! Now I am missing Saturn again tonight. Also, how does one make sure they are buying the right size screws. Are they all the same? Any help is appreciated. Back to the store tomorrow.
@@Dobviews Oh no! You should be able to collimate it very easily with a screw driver still! I will aim the scope at a 45 degree angle to prevent dropping the screwdriver directly onto the mirror if it slips my grip when I do this. It does take longer and more care but it’s certainly possible and how we collimate many of our scopes! Surprisingly, only the ES10 has come with these convenient knobs. The other ones (Skywatcher, Apertura) did not. Apologies if you know all this already! Here are the knobs you are looking for I believe: www.highpointscientific.com/bobs-knobs-orion-5-10-newtonian-collimation-knobs-secondary-mirror-cnsec30 But double check with your vendor to see if these are the right modification. I’ll try to dig deeper on cloudynights.com and see what I find in the morning! I hope this helps! - Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Oh boy, guess I will be on a mission today. Thanks so much for your assistance. Not quite sure how they expect clients to properly use a scope without all of the items required, it is a tiny item but it should still be part of the original equipment sold! Kinda like selling a table but then when it arrives none of the bolts are included to put it together! 😡 Thank you so much for your help, as for the angle of approach... point the scope down or you'll end up with a frown! We must always ensure we allow gravity to be our friend instead of enemy! *Clear Skies!*
Thanks for the great video. I bought the 10" truss version of that scope (first real scope). I am looking forward to getting it set up and your video has given me a lot more confidence to do so. I just want to order the right angle finder and laser collimator first. Thank you again.
Heck yeah congratulations!! I hope your telescope came in good condition and you caught a glimpse of Saturn this year! If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I'm curious how you're enjoying the truss design and if collimation is any issue. Thanks again and clear skies!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Not too many clear skies here in Scotland lol. My partner has bought me an 8" Dobsonian so I'll be referring to your excellent video again when I'm setting it up. Thanks again.
Wow, I’m so glad I came across this! You explain how to use a dobsonian with such simple clarity. I am in the market to get a telescope and the bulk of the dobsonian is intimidating to me (esp living in a 3rd floor apartment!) However it doesn’t look too insane to set up, or too heavy. Collimating actually looks kinda fun😆 Thank you so much for making this!
Heck yeah I'm glad you found it useful! I lived on the 2nd floor at the time of this video and it can be a decent workout hauling it up and down lol. And it was worth it!! If you get stuck on anything or want any help let me know!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thanks for the reply!!! I got my Apertura AD10 yesterday :) Set it up last night and despite it being rainy, I still saw trees in detail far into town and saw planes flying. I can't wait to get it out this weekend when the skies are more clear. There's also a local astronomy club in NJ that my hubs found so we are going to go on Saturday night! So just learning how to use it now, really. Thanks to your video collimating it wasn't too hard! I got a Barlow Lens and it came with a 9mm which I read in your comments some people get a higher quality 9mm. It also came with a wide lens 30mm. Getting a case for this too I don't have to heave it so hard come up and down the stairs lol. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon! I read that Jupiter and Saturn are visible in the mornings which isn't really too great for me, so have to figure out what to search for in the evenings. Can't wait to be blown away!
@@auroreandream Congratulations on your new telescope!!! In case this is your first scope id like to share a ton of information: Aiming it around at trees is a GREAT way to practice using your scope!! Especially when it’s rainy/cloudy. If you practice on a clear day however, I would be careful not to aim at any shiny metal objects/glass that is reflecting direct sunlight. I haven’t heard of any horror stories about how dangerous this can be but I’ve also heard surfaces like snow can reflect UV. I’ve certainly caught a stray glare once in a while looking at mountains and so far I’m okay but I’d just like to share that caution! Let me know if I am wrong about any of this! Making sure the view finder is pointing at the same tree as the telescope is also great setup-practice! l like to align ours before each use by aiming at a distant radio tower or in the case of this video, the ‘H’ on our local Herald building. That 9mm that comes with the AD10 I found to be underwhelming and we never use it. We prefer our Baader Hyperion 10mm for up more zoomed in views. However, the 30mm 2” eyepiece is great! Without using the focuser extension barrel that comes with the AD10, I can only achieve focus by having the 30mm drawn slightly out of the focuser, with a few millimeters of its silver barrel showing. Once in place, we get the entire Pleiades star cluster in view. I am curious if that is the only way to get the 30mm to work properly. Let me know! If you have any trouble with your scope try searching your exact issue but add “cloudynights” to the search. That forum is a GOLDMINE! Also, I have a request: When you visit the astronomy group (congrats on finding them!), see if anyone has a zoom lens they can let you use or borrow. They seem to be great for beginners and I have taken to them myself. I want your guy’s opinion on it compared to the eyepieces you already have or any others you come across this weekend. The idea is you can twist the eyepiece to zoom in or out, nullifying the immediate need for a full set of eyepieces. For me this also reduces the risk of dropping eyepieces (I’m clumsy) and I get to spend more time sharing instead of swapping eyepieces. Here is a discussion I found talking about one in particular: www.cloudynights.com/topic/713122-i-don’t-know-what-to-title-this-eyepiece-thread/ And the culprit: www.telescope.com/Orion-E-Series-7-21mm-Zoom-Eyepiece/p/132267.uts Other than the zoom lens, I feel like finding the right eyepiece for a particular object (like Saturn or the Andromeda Galaxy) is like finding the right car to buy. It’s a personal journey that I currently have no end in sight for. But! I do know of a video that will help you decide should you start shopping: ruclips.net/video/na3NmOSMIX0/видео.html Lastly, the planets will be up later this summer! Mid-September Saturn and Jupiter will be visible after sunset. Luckily for us, these planets will also be close to opposition during this time!! This means they will be on OUR side of the Sun, closer to Earth and appearing larger in our telescopes! How I know this is from a free program called Stellarium. There is a really good phone app version as well, but it costs a few bucks and only has hundredth of the features available on the PC version. It can seem kind of clunky but it’s very useful! Oh and one last tip: when you have a clear night, aim your scope at the 2nd star in the handle of the Big Dipper. There you will discover a binary star system. Two stars orbiting each other. Despite there being no gas giants in our skies tonight, there are still TONS of little treasures like this all over. Stellarium can show you where they all are. Lots of people start with the “Messier Objects” list (M13, M14 and so on). M3 is a good one to look at right now. Once you find the double-star let me know what y’all think and hey WELCOME TO SPACE!!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Ahh thanks for your response!!! Yes, this is my first telescope! Have binoculars, but after that lunar eclipse we had last November I knew I wanted something higher quality, and 40th bday is next week so I just treated myself :D What a weekend we had, clear skies and awesome company! My hubs got a telescope as well to join in on the fun (Celestron Powerseeker 80AZS) and I’m lucking out because he has gone down the astronomy rabbit hole with me lol Quick story, there is an observatory in my town that is closed to the public right now. I thought this may be a good area to set up at night though because parks close after dark, yadda ya, didn’t want to step on any toes out there. Well we get to the observatory on Friday night and there were people in there! They had the dome open and they had the scope out. Someone walked out and we asked if we can set up there, and they let us in and showed us M3!!! Then, the sweetest man ever hung out with us for like an hour and showed us the celestial ropes. So much fun! He said he was going to this other observatory in NJ the next night, Jenny Jump UACNJ, and funny enough, we had tickets to go there too. So the next night when their presentation was over and people dispersed, we hung out with him with some other nice fellas. His telescope is top notch! Go to and high powered. They showed us Castor and taught us about how there are more stars that are actually a part of Castor. So much more too, the amount of information I took in this weekend and all the nice people we are meeting. Blown away! Realizing that lens play a BIG role in this too (I was also told I should get a Telrad). The 30mm the AD10 came with is great! I can focus pretty well with it, but when I pop in the 9mm it came with it get a little hazy I have trouble focusing it. I definitely had the 30mm focused out all the way, I’ll have to look next time to see if the silver of the barrel is showing. I didn’t get to play with any zoom lenses but I know that I want one! I’m going to have to study lenses and start to understand all the specifics and how they're designed. Thanks for that video link too that was really helpful. I was trying to get my scope in on the handle of the dipper too to see the binary star, but I was having trouble locating it my scope, the viewfinder wasn’t really helping. That’s why someone suggested the telrad. Did gaze at Vega and pretty sure Spica. I know there is a learning curve to this, and practice! Thank you so so much again for your response and the safety tips and all the other tips! Greatly appreciated!!!
@@auroreandream Heck yes Roothie, this was the report I was hoping for! You got to go to SPACE!! Okay so you saw M3!! And through an OBSERVATORY TELESCOPE?!? WOW! Pretty cool cluster, right? Did you see it with your telescope by chance? And if so, how did you feel it compared to an observatory telescope? Same with this astronomer's personal go-to scope. Do you think your money was well spent or should you have saved up for something similar to theirs? And congratulations as well on getting to meet some experienced astronomers! Phil Plait says the issue with astronomers is not getting them to talk, it's getting them to shut up! As you now know lol. He's known as the "Bad Astronomer" online and has a lot of great videos if you ever want to dive even deeper!! Running into experienced astronomers is one of the reasons I love taking our telescope to the docks. There's always someone with more experience walking around and willing to share it. This is how I learned how to find the Orion Nebula, Bode's and The Exploding Galaxy. Also how I learned about Telrads! Which I have and yes they are a BIG help!! Note: In Stellarium you can enable 'Telrad mode' and practice hunting objects at home using a simulated one! And and, congratulations to your husband for picking up the hobby and getting a 80mm! I LOVE our 80mm refractor (Alice). Our personal setup is a Meade 8" Schmidt Cassegrain (Henrietta) and Alice mounted simultaneously on an LX 65 go-to mount. Me and my girlfriend can trade views while both telescopes are automatically following at the same object. It's awesome. I think having two very different telescopes side by side with two observers is literally twice the fun. Do you think you will name yours? This week we got our Baader Hyperion Zoom lens. I only tested it on the Moon but holy cow if you have the money and end up preferring zoom lenses I highly recommend it!! optcorp.com/products/baader-8-24mm-hyperion-zoom-eyepiece Thanks again for reporting back and let me know if I can help with anything else and clear skies to you!!
What is the best camera to stick on this scope to take pictures ? affordable that is / cheap ? dont they have new gear u can stick on these to take pictures now ? u dont even need a camera etc ?
Hello Janah, For all dobsonians EXCEPT the Apertura AD10 a DSLR is a good way to start. Any DSLR will do. Just get a T-Ring and either a 1.25" or a 2" nosepiece to screw on to the T-Ring. So DSLR > T-Ring > Nosepiece. The DSLR goes into the focuser just like an eyepiece. Do this and you can get excellent photos of the Moon, planets, and even some entry-level Deep Sky Astrophotography. I currently use an Apertura AD10 which can NOT bring a DSLR to focus without a barlow lens. If you have an AD10 or don't own a DSLR, then a ZWO ASI 120 or 224 are good cameras to begin with. I haven't tried other brands but I've heard they are all great. Any
to clarify: the mirrors (also a hunk of glass) also have to be extraordinarily precise. it's cheaper because the glass doesn't have to be perfectly clear/transparent, you only need to make one curved surface instead of four precisely interrelated ones, and you can support it along its entire back surface instead of just its edge. They can also be much shorter--a 10" achromatic refractor would have to be enormous to avoid false color fringing, and an apochromat (vastly more expensive due to requiring an additional two curved surfaces in exotic glass) would still need to be pretty damn big. An achromatic refractor has two glass lens elements of different compositions and therefore four curved surfaces. The lens elements must not only be precisely curved on their own, they also must be curved precisely so they meet up just right with the other curves. An apochromatic refractor has three elements, one of an exotic low-dispersion glass, and all six curves must be specially made to work together. John Dobson "invented" the Dobsonian by making mirrors out of salvaged ship portholes. in ANY optical device you can only deviate from the mathematically correct curve by 1/1000th the width of a saran wrap. That's somewhere around 1/4th to 1/8th the wavelength of light you're observing with.
Heck yeah that is some CLARITY on the differences between refractor and reflecting lenses!! ❤️ that made perfect sense to me thank you so much! I didn’t know about the port hole glass he used either, that’s awesome! Clear skies!
Just ordered my first 8" dobsonian, very excited about it. Your video is gonna help me a lot setting it up! (youre reminding me so much of a young Dave Grohl btw haha) Greetings from Austria
Hah! I'd be happy with current Dave Grohl. Dude's a stud! And Congratulations on your first Dobsonian!!! If you run into any snags feel free to contact me. Hope to get your signature some day and clear skies to you in Austria!!
Hah thank you I hope others do the same with their dobs. Our current outreach scope is all black with multicolored metallic signatures. It looks amazing in the moonlight!
Hello! I have cleaned our 4.5" twice and our 12" twice. This telescope is in the care of the Explorations Academy and on my last inspection the mirror was still very clean and did not need any maintenance other than collimation. It's been in operation since Q4 of 2018. There are some wonderful tutorials out there, and here is what I found on cloudynights: www.cloudynights.com/topic/577895-cleaning-reflector-mirrors/ Personally, I think cleaning mirrors is really rewarding. Yes, you can mess it up and often I do perfer to just leave it be. But if the view is blurry or "foggy" after collimation, I take a closer look at the mirror's condition. Not using a flashlight, I will try and gauge how dirty it is with my eyes. If I see lots of residue almost like a film, with lots of spots across the surface, then I decide it's time. This was the case with my 4.5". After a few years acting as a loaner telescope, it became very dirty and I had slightly foggy views. It seemed like dew was building up on the mirror after use and allowing dust to dissolve into a sticky layer. Worse, there were hairs on the mirror. Hair on the mirror can usually be dusted off but if it becomes stuck, then the oils could start leaking onto your mirror. There were halos of oil surrounding the stuck hairs. To clean it, I used a drop of Dawn non-scented dish soap, warm water, facial tissues and my bare fingertips to remove all the gunk. Then, I gave it a distilled water rinse and let it drip-dry, removing larger water spots with the corner of a tissue. It looks as good as new! The 12" had been stored in an office where smoking was permitted. It's mirror was coated in nicotine tar and was very dusty. A whole other beast. At first I didn't notice the tar and carried out the same procedure as the 4.5". Even coated in nicotine, it still had enough light gathering power to show me the Orion Nebula in more color than my perfectly clean 10". My issue was achieving good focus. I inspected the mirror from an angle and thought the mirror's coating was slightly orange. That's when I realized what I was dealing with. I gave the whole mirror a distilled white vinegar bath and had to rub off the remaining tar. It took hours! Two small scratches came out of this near the edge, but now the mirror has a slight purple hue when I inspect it from the angle (which I believe is the right coating color) and provides wonderful views! I hope this helps you decide when it's time to clean your mirror and gauge the value you could get out of it. If you need any help, i'll be here! Thanks again and clear skies! - Robert
I have never tried, but I did find this post on cloudy nights and I hope it helps: www.cloudynights.com/topic/803119-removing-diffraction-spikes-on-a-newtonian-telescope/ Clear skies!!
@@deepmop6817 Haha thank you! It's a labor of love, and congratulations on your next telescope! For large scopes, I think a collimator is necessary. I assume it has something to do with how the telescope is handled and stored over time that requires it. I keep the big ones rolling around in the back seat 24/7, loosening the mirrors and exposing it to various temperatures, forcing me to collimate once a week minimum. For the crispiest views, it's definitely a worth-while purchase! :) If you post any photos through your Saxon please let me know where so I can follow. Thank you again and clear skies!!
Man this is the most thorough & informative tutorial on RUclips for this telescope! Thanks heaps man ! Im a beginner and bought one yesterday, it came with a 10 mm and 25mm eye piece . I haven't yet used the 25 mm. Can I see the rings of Saturn with those eye pieces ? Or do I have to buy those additional lenses that you have ?
Hey thank you so much sorry for the late reply! Yes you can definitely see the rings of Saturn with both of those eyepieces, however the 10 should give you a better view of the rings at 127x magnification. I would invest in a Barlow lens (the Meade x3 Barlow is my favorite for a cheap barlow) and then you should be able to spy the Cassini Division with no problem! By the way, to figure all this out I use astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ when I type in our dobson's specs (1270mm focal length with 254mm aperture) and eyepiece info (10mm) assuming your eyepiece is about 50 degrees FOV and I select Saturn as the object, I see a small Saturn. With a x2 barlow I see it much better. With an x3 it may be tricky tracking but looks like it would fill a good portion of your view at x381 mag. I hope that helps! Clear skies!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 wow , great info there , thanks for informative feedback,will look into purchasing that recommended barlow , and will look into that link , regards from Western Australia 🙂🤙🔭
Thanks Robert for all your insights.. Complete noob here. Can this type of telescope (dobson) be mounted later on a equatorial mount? being the idea to track the objects after we find it?
Yes! The Tube Rings come with a dovetail so you can do just that! However, the telescope is long and weighs about 30 pounds. You would need a very serious mount and good balance. Here is a post I found where people discuss mounting a 10" on EQ. www.cloudynights.com/topic/706430-eq-mount-for-a-10-inch-f55-newtonian/ Eventually after searching for mounts and motorization options, I settled with a smaller scope because it was cheaper and I could take photos of a larger area of the sky. I am curious which direction your research will take you! Thank you and clear skies!!
Robert, I saw someone using a magnet on the back of their Dob, for counterweight for the eyepieces they were using. If the scope got front heavy, they slid the magnet back, until they had equilibrium again. While it looks like a fast way to balance the scope, you would have to keep your cameras, phones, watches, and any kind of memory cards away from it, or they could be wiped out!! Maybe put the magnet on the bottom side of the scope? I just got mine in, and put it together! Due to rain, and cloudy skies, it hasn't left the living room yet!
Paul, of course you got the curse! It happens every time you get a new eyepiece or camera as well. Clouds roll in. Every time!!! Don't worry though, the stars shouldn't go far in the mean time :) Did you end up getting the Hyperion 10mm? And yes, magnets can be a worry!! I use a magnetic light for balancing and keep it in a separate part of my equipment bag. Once on the scope it usually rests in the middle or near the mirror. I haven't ever had to place mine up close near the camera, luckily! You could put the magnet on the underside and you should have no problem unless you were aiming straight up. But in that the case you won't need the balancing magnet. Also, those magnets are pricey! If you are crafty you could probably get away with something cheaper. Maybe line some felt on a magnet from a hardware store. The flashlight I use I got for free! Then there are bungee cords with weights you could use as well. Here is a post on cloudy nights with some fun innovations: www.cloudynights.com/topic/520205-how-do-you-counter-balance-a-dob/ Congratulations on your new dobsonian, by the way!!!! I hope the clouds go away soon!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Yes, I got the 10mm Hyperion! It looks and feels wonderful! Now to just get a chance to look through the dang thing! I've also been looking at zoom lenses. Probably and after Christmas buy, but they appear to be very versatile! I've been enjoying your videos! I love how you enthusiastically share your astronomy knowledge, and gear! Letting interested people look at amazing sights! I'm hoping one day, I can also share the stars and planets with others. First, I have to see the dang things myself!! Haha! Learn my new telescope, the best lenses to use for different things, and filters? I've been binging on videos, the more I watch, the more I realize how little I know!
@@paulmurphy5489 Hey Paul, For filters, I really love my Baader Variable Polarizing Filter. www.highpointscientific.com/baader-planetarium-1-25-double-polarizing-filter-fpol-1d They are pricey and to adjust the filter I have to take your eyepiece out of the focuser. Once I find the right setting for my eye, I usually leave it alone for the rest of the night. Orion makes one that is much cheaper: www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=5560 but will still require you to remove the eyepiece to make filter adjustments. When I bought my first 10" Dob I got a Meade Variable Polarizing filter. It's like a barlow lens and you get to adjust the brightness without removing the eyepiece. It's awesome. BUT!!! It adds focal length to your eyepieces, reducing your field of view, just like a barlow. I would guess it's a 1.25x-1.5x increase in magnification due to the extension barrel. And no, I could not modify it to have a shorter barrel. I tried. With it, I could never get a full lunar disc to show up in any of my eyepieces. Still awesome to see the image become dimmer while looking through the scope!! Thes standard 1.25" ND filters are great. Everyone seems to make them, I would just stay away from the green-tinted plastic ones. Here is a decent one: www.highpointscientific.com/celestron-1-25-neutral-density-moon-filter-94105 The problem I had with ND filters was deciding how much light I wanted to cut. Some block 10%, others 30%. This is why I chose the variable filter rather than owning 3-4 moon filters. I do not use any other filters other than my Moon filters. I have tried nebula-enhancing filters, and cheap (
Great video! Cleared my mind a lot but I was wondering about one last thing before buying my first dobsonian. Since I live in a bortle 8 city and would primarily observe from there, does it still make sense to buy a dob?
As long as you are content knowing that galaxies and other feint objects will be a challenge, then I would say yes! Planets, star clusters and our Moon will certainly shock your brain when you see how cool they look through a bigger telescope. However, galaxies and nebulae do require a darker sky to truly see their structure in my opinion. Here are some more opinions I found: www.cloudynights.com/topic/706777-what-should-i-look-for-in-a-bortle-8-area-this-time-of-the-year/ If you do not plan to travel to dark sites and deep sky objects are not your main goal, then a good sized refractor might be a better option! I personally would not go smaller than a 102mm and I have friends who had lots of fun with refractors in cityscapes. Dobsonians are still a good choice though! One more advantage of the refractor is that the smaller apeture is cheaper to purchase a solar filter for. If sunspots or planetary transits were an interest, refractors are well-suited for solar observations. I wish we had more data on this subject since all I have are authoratitive resources. Regardless, here is another opinion: John mentioned that a 10" or a 12" is "still very good in the cities." ruclips.net/video/snz7JJlSZvw/видео.html I have looked through an 8" and 10" side by side in bortle 5 and the 10" is worth the price, and is only a little larger when it comes to storing. So another option I will throw at you is to get a 10" instead of an 8". I feel like I see more moons and cloud belts on Jupiter through a 10". 12" is even better but the size and price difference are steep, in my opinion. If you can find a local club or a library that will lend our a telescope for you to test, I would do that first! Hope all this helps and I am glad you enjoyed the video. Please let me know if there is anything else we discuss! Clear skies.
Hi, I'm new to this channel. I have a 6" dob.its ok, but I'm thinking about getting a 10 inch . Just wondering what to go for though. 10" dob or a fair size refractor. Any thoughts? Thanks
Hello Carl! There is a LOT of variables I try to consider when deciding what telescope to get next. I feel like the most important thing to consider is if you have the space to store a 10" Dobsonian and how you plan to move it around. One thing that kills the hobby for people is how cumbersome these instruments can be. If you find your 6" to be a bother for your back or floor space, then going bigger might not be the best idea! However, if you don't mind the physical labor involved and/or have clever methods to make the setup more mobile, such as a dolly, then I say go for it! Now, whether you want a reflector or a refractor is a whole other conversation. Size and weight are definitely factors but what attracts a lot of folks towards Dobsonians are the price. It seems far cheaper to get a 6" reflector as opposed to a 6" refractor. But there are other factors, too. Such as quality of optics for astrophotography or maybe you hate the diffraction spikes that comes off of stars in newtonians (which is an easy fix!). Or maybe you just enjoy the look of them! I think Refractor owners have many good reasons for buying them. I can't wait to own a nice 5" APO some day. My main reason for buying a 10" Dobsonians? They have the most amount of space for gathering signatures! Here is a fun conversation on the subject: www.cloudynights.com/topic/535969-5-inch-apo-refractor-vs-810-inch-dobsonians/ Also, look around on that forum for more conversations about it if you can. That website is a goldmine for us space enthusiasts! Let me know if I can help any further, I love helping people choose their telescopes! Lastly, have you considered an SCT? I'd like to know what you think about them! - Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 thank you for your detailed reply. I've been looking at a nexstar STC.i think I may try one of them as well 😂 I have a spare room to put a big telescope, I'm so undecided wether or not to try an 8" dob or just go for the 10 inch. I'm only just getting into telescopes and I do enjoy viewing the sky. Not sure about astro photography yet. I'd just like to see mars and the polar caps. And some clearer images of planets. I'll keep you posted about the decision I make. Thank you once again. Very nice of you 😊
@@carlstevens4981 Hello Carl, If you have no problem with using your dob now and wouldn't mind using a bigger one, I would get the 10" instead of an 8". If you have a truck, dark skies and a big back yard, I would actually get a 12" instead. I've hung out with owners of an 8" dob and we used my 10" side by side. In the end we all agreed the 10" was superior. Both OTA's could be stored in the backseat of a small car. The base can fit in the back of a hatchback or ride shotgun. In a sports car its a tighter squeeze but luckily my Nissan Versa Note seems like it was built for hauling 10" dobs. 12" dobs are too big for my car, and that is another reason I went with a 10". If you are sick of manually finding objects, a GoTo setup like the Nexstar SCT would be a nice compromise. The 8" version is very expensive but these scopes are often people's dreamboat for decades. I have an 8" Meade SCT on an LX65 GoTo mount. It's one of my favorite personal setups! I baby that scope far more than my Dobs and also use it for planetary time lapses and messier marathons. LOVE my 8" SCT! I digress, an SCT GoTo is an excellent choice if you got the budget. It's also a very up-gradable system compared to a dobsonian. 10" Newtonians are kind of an expensive project to get mounted on anything other than a dobsonian base (for me). So if you go the dob route, you might be stuck with the manual push-to system for a bit. If you go the SCT route, you can more affordably upgrade your mount or even modify the one it comes with should you wish to explore more precise tracking for both visual and imaging. Of course, there are GoTo dobs but those are also very expensive. But they are really cool!! I'm hoping to try a 12" Collapsible GoTo someday. If you're wondering if you can do astrophotography with a 10" Dobsonian, the answer is yes!! Here is a photo of the Orion Nebula taken with our last 10" dob: instagram.com/p/Clvg9zCuMFQ/ How you remove diffraction spikes from newtonian images: www.cloudynights.com/topic/803119-removing-diffraction-spikes-on-a-newtonian-telescope/ I am still exploring the potential of the newtonian system but I think they are on par with SCTs when it comes to planetary views. Currently I am experimenting with fans and it seems to be improving my views at high magnification. So more to come on this subject, but I think you will love the planetary views through either an SCT or a Dob. Mars looks great through both, but with a big dobsonian you may want to purchase a filter to block some of the light. Dobsonians have naturally brighter views and planets shine like bright stars. Details can be washed out due to this. SCTs have much cleaner contrast and are typically ideal for planets and lunar viewing. Maksutov telescopes are by far the best planetary telescopes (in my opinion). They produce the sharpest views of any telescope. But of course there is a con to every pro with these darn things. Maksutovs have narrow fields of view due to their design. This means you can't zoom out far enough to see large star clusters and big galaxies like Andromeda. Dobsonians CAN zoom OUT very far and see all of Andromeda and the Pleiades for example and they can also zoom in very close to get crisp planetary views given they are acclimated (remember the fan thing?) and well-collimated. But again their views are very bright which can degrade the contrast unless you use a filter or find some way to dim the view. SCTs are right in the middle. They can't zoom out as far as a newtonian but they not as restricted as Maksutovs. They do not have the sharpness of a Maksutov but they have more contrast than the Newtonians. Now, if you're going for details like the polar ice caps, I think an 8" SCT or a 10" Dob will be just fine. I have seen it with both but more often with my 10" dob just be cause it's easier to setup. We think there is a negligent difference when it comes to details while looking at planets through either an SCT or a newtonian. If you like to modify stuff a lot, a Dob is a fun, inexpensive and very robust telescope to work on. It's an excellent choice for DIY types. An SCT is a little more jewel-like and can be a bit of a money-pit when it comes to tricking them out. Here is a video of Mars through the eyepiece of a 10" dob ruclips.net/video/YkEGw4CT2ow/видео.html I could go on and on! And I will. Let me know what else we can consider for your future telescope. Whatever you decide, there will always be a return opportunity should it not work out! - Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 you have no idea how grateful I am. You taken time to write me a very in-depth reply, very helpful too. I'm going for a smaller starsence explorer dx5. App enabled so it's easy to find things. Then I'll use both for a little while, then I'll go for the big 10" and I think that may do. I would maybe like to go the astrophotography route in the end. But I'm just enjoying the viewing at the moment. I'm super impressed with the photos from the 10" they look absolutely amazing, I only hope I can progress enough to make it pleasurable for me and keep me in love with the sky. Once again thank youso much for taking the time to reply. Very much appreciated. And that collimation advice was great. Very simple and to the point. Excellent. 😊
Robert hi not being mean but why did you put whole bunch names on your scope? i too have an astro channel and have 10 or 11 scopes. i would never do that to mine, i know dobs are not as expensive as other kind but it still cost almost $1000 cdn. Heres a question tho if i can. Do you care if you try to re sell that dob one day you will not only get the norm 30 to 50% from it being used BUT it be maybe even be 50% of the used price because of all thats on it?
From a financial point of view, your concern is entirely valid. However, the signatures have no adverse effects on the telescope's capabilities, and I do always ask that no one signs the lenses to keep it that way :) On the contrary, visitors often assume the telescope is worth double its original price. Of course, the telescope is not for sale since we already donated it to a local school! Moreover, the signatures obtained on each telescope are all extraordinary in value to me. Each one is someone's stamp of approval and proof that they had a chance to look through it! You see, we did not allow anyone to sign it that did not make an observation. Now, imagine if one of our visitors was so inspired by what they saw that they became a scientist. Next, imagine if that same visitor cured an infectious disease or made some profound mathematical discovery! Then, what would you say the telescope was worth with their signature on it? Lastly, with all their flare of personality, different shapes, sizes, orientations, and colors: the signatures remind me of the diverse makeup of the very universe we live in! To me, the signatures highlight that we are all important, we are all-stars, and that maybe we should all try to be more kind to one another. Then again, the value can be subjective :) Hope this helps! Clear skies!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 ok you know what robert you kinda changed my mind, i mean i still wont do it to mine but i understand on your and kinda agree now. Iam sure there be tons of people that could wanna sign my tak toa 150 but i like your idea on a dob. anyway i never seen a dob like yours and great it taught alot people our hobby cheers joe
On the other side of the finder scope There is a piece where are you take the bigger dust cap off and you can move the piece left or right vertically I’ve been trying to figure out what that piece is for would you know
It sounds like you may be twisting your viewfinder’s lens cell, which could be for focusing your viewfinder. Is this piece specifically attached to your viewfinder? Is it a lever, or a screw of some kind? If it’s easier, you can contact me on Instagram or Facebook to send me a photo of it. Congrats on getting a telescope!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Awesome thank you,I have a sky watcher collapsible 10” Dobsonian telescope, The piece came with it it does not have any screws or anything like that but you’re just able to adjust it by turning it left or right,
I used to think collimation was such a difficult thing but you’ve shown how easy it is. I’m from Pakistan and wants to buy a telescope after doing my research and knowing every aspect of it.
I am very glad you found it useful! Dobsonians are a remarkably simple technology. Easy to fix, tweak, modify and maintain. I hope your telescope comes in quickly along with many clear skies over Pakistan ❤️
Can you please List ALL the items including all the filters and different lenses..... So I may look into purchasing them :) Thank you...... I plan on purchasing a 16 or 20 inch version which fits perfectly near my second floor window balcony. :)
In this video I use a - GSO 8x50 Correct Image Viewfinder - Both a Meade Laser Collimator and an Apertura Laser Collimator - Baader Hyperion 10mm - Highpoint Scientific 32mm - Meade x3 Short Barrel Barlow Lens - Meade ND96 Moon Filter - Canon T2 Adapter Does this help? & Thank you so much! I hope your balcony observatory works out for you :) I used to have a window balcony and that is where I first saw Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon through my 114mm! What telescopes do you currently have out there?
I've been trying to find out what the pros/cons are of getting a collapsible dob vs one with a solid tube... anyone have any ideas? btw, I can tell the collapsible one would be more compact but that's about the only difference I can gleam lol
This was a big consideration for me when choosing the telescope. The clerk at the store actually recommended the truss tube version. Just so you know, I have never used a truss telescope. However, I did do some research and here is what I found to help make a decision: (Also, If anyone reads this and finds I am wrong about any of it, please correct me!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Awesome, thank you for the thorough reply! I haven't heard of a truss tube, is that like a truss rod on a guitar? like for stability of the tube? at any rate, the more I hear about solid/collapsible scopes, the more I think a sollid tube is right for me; I don't mind waiting for the mirror to acclimate, I like the ease of setting it up and from what I've seen they tend to be cheaper. Oh, and like you said, there's lots of signature space lol Also I heard with a solid tube (and a solar filter) you can look at the sun! So that sounds cool. btw, I'm leaning towards a 10" as well, that will be a huge upgrade from 6" and seems like it will still be manageable for me. Oh, one last thing... are there any particular brands you would recommend? Thanks again for your help and have a wonderful, clear day (or night rather lol)
@@SeanDS89 WHOOPS!!! I totally forgot about ACTUAL collapsible dobsonians, which is probably what you were asking about! For instance: I was imagining a telescope that requires assembly, and broke down into multiple parts, including truss bars. Not the type of telescope that is assembled at home, and only adjusted and fine-tuned during use, such as the Skywatcher 10" Flextube. The latter is a much harder comparison (for me) to make against a Solid Tube Dobsonian. If I had one, my car could fit another person, or another telescope! I could buy a shroud and get that covered in signatures. I could have more room in my apartment. I feel like the extra cost would be totally worth it. By the way, thanks for getting me to think about this. You have me seriously considering one for our show!! As for performance, I know this guy uses one: instagram.com/p/B-N385VpeMM ruclips.net/user/metrolinaszabi0323 is his youtube channel. He manages to get amazing shots of the ISS, planets, and the Moon. If you can, try and send him a message and see what he thinks about a flextube dobsonian for solar observing. It may not be that risky! He's probably looked into it. I would recommend starting a post on Cloudy Nights to let the experts weigh in if you want more input. Here is one post I found going over the differences between a flextube and a solid tube: www.cloudynights.com/topic/716049-difference-between-a-flextube-and-classic-dob/ For recommended brands: I have used Skywatcher, Explore Scientific, Apertura, Orion, Meade, Celestron and Hardin Optical. In my opinion they are all good! Despite Meade's turbulent recent history, their products are my favorite. I can't get over how good things look through their 8" ACF. However, the flextube design seems to only be provided by Skywatcher. Our first dobsonian was a Skywatcher 10" Solid Tube (John I) and we absolutely loved it!!! Covered it in 750+ signatures and it's now the flagship telescope for Bellingham High School. The main issue I had with it was re-tightening screws on the inside altitude bearings. They were very hard to reach. However, their flex-tube design would abolish that issue for me. For truss bar definition: I looked it up and it sounds like a Truss is just a structural support to make three or more compononets act as a sigle object. The difference between a telescope truss bar and a guitar truss bar is that you can bend the guitar truss to counter any bowing or warping in your fretboard via a hidden bolt. I am not sure if that fine-tuning is available in standard telescope truss bars, but I believe that's the major difference (let me know if I am wrong!) Otherwise, yes it is for support! For a fun "what would I do if I had a million dollars" google search: look up Truss Tube Ritchey Chretien Telescope
Very Nice Robert! I want to buy a Skywatcher Heritage 130 MM Dobson as my first telescope ( the European AWB OneSky). What do you think about it, and what accesories should i buy ( ocullars ,filters , Barlow,etc). The Skywatcher comes with two Super Oculars ,a 25 MM and a 10 MM. Thanks! 🙂🔭🔭🔭
Hello Alex and thank you! I have never owned a Skywatcher Heritage 130 MM Dobson but I have considered buying one for my Grandpa and I think it should make an excellent first telescope. Here is an article I found and Jon Isaacs (2nd post in the discussion) seems to think they are good as well but mentions the attention needed for collimation and cooldown(something I never mentioned in this video!). www.cloudynights.com/topic/636445-skywatcher-heritage-130p-vs-skywatcher-skymax-102-maksutov/ TLDR: - For me, I would first invest in a Moon filter and a Collimator tool. - Then, an X3 Barlow lens. I prefer Meade Short Focus Barlows. - Finally, I would get a 17mm eyepiece. The reason I chose X3 is because of this calculator astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ It's a tool I use for any telescope purchase I plan to make. The views simulated represent the size of the object in your eyepiece or camera, not the level of detail obtainable. For that, you need clear, steady skies, on top of good optics. When I select the 130mm Heritage, a 10mm eyepiece with 52 degrees FOV(the standard kind of eyepiece that comes with these telescopes, however I could not confirm the exact FOV), and try to simulate Jupiter at x65 magnification I get displeasing results. I would not be satisfied with that view if I wanted to see the Great Red Spot, for example. However, with an x3 Barlow lens added in the drop-down menu in the calculator, I get 195x and this is much better. Note: I typically need an object to be high in the sky, and a very clear and steady sky to not see complete rubbish at 195x. An X2 Barlow is another option but with the 10mm your magnification would only reach 130x, which is half the theoretical limit of your telescope. Another Note: the theoretical magnification limit would be Aperture MM * 2 (130*2 = 260) Another eyepiece, perhaps a 17mm, would also be a nice investment. You can simulate the views of any in the calculator! Alternatively, if you felt like switching eyepieces and re-attaching filters to be too much work (sometimes I do), then a Zoom lens might be a useful investment. I prefer the Meade one. However, with the truss design, I would not trusSt(hah) this telescope with much weight on the eyepiece and would probably stick with the more traditional eyepieces. But again, I have not owned one and can't say for sure. With the Moon filter, X3 Barlow, and maybe a 17mm eyepiece to fill the magnification gaps, I would be very happy (for years) with that telescope setup. I have so much fun with just basic setups, that I have still yet to explore the realm of color filters and how they help. So I cannot recommend any of thse, but I have read they can help with contrast and details while observing the Planets and the Moon. Lastly, a Collimator tool will be a necessary investment at some point. These kinds of telescopes do need maintenance and I would predict this one would need a bit more due to the truss design. I have had good luck so far with Laser collimators but look into other options such as visual collimators or how to collimator using just your eye. This may prove to be your most important investment in making this telescope last. Because of the open tube design, I would not trust this telescope with a Solar Filter and would not buy one. I hope this all helps and let me know if it doesnt and what needs more clarification :) Clear skies!
I'm thinking of getting my first telescope. But I am torn between so many options available. I live in a small apartment in the city. I can't drive out that much to dark places away from light pollution. Would it still be possible for me to do stargazing using a telescope? If so, which one might be a good starting point for me? Thanks!
Just so you know, I have never used one. However, I think this may be a good first telescope for you: www.telescope.com/Orion-StarMax-90mm-TableTop-Maksutov-Cassegrain-Telescope/p/102016.uts While Moongazing and Planetary views should be possible from your vantage point, I am not sure how bad your light pollution is! When I lived in my 700 square foot apartment on the 3rd story (with a balcony facing south) I had a lot of fun with a 114mm Table Top Dobsonian Telescope and a x3 Barlow Lens. Finding products in stock is tough at the moment, but here are two products I found in stock that should give you the same views I had: www.highpointscientific.com/zhumell-z114-portable-altazimuth-reflector-telescope-zhus002-1 www.highpointscientific.com/apertura-2-5x-barlow-lens-1-25-a-25xb1 With that kind of setup I could see the Andromeda Galaxy, Ring Nebula, Saturn's Rings, Jupiter's belts and Moons, and lots and lots of craters on the Moon. Fainter objects such as the Triangulum Galaxy or Flame Nebula may require a bigger telescope. Given that you are in a small apartment, a big telescope may take up too much space. Typically, the bigger your scope the deeper into space you can look. However, the bigger your scope, the more light pollution it will gather as well! The drawback of the setup I started with (114mm/x3 barlow) was how bright it made things look. This is not a problem if you live in a dark area but can be a major pain for light polluted areas, as the telescope amplifies ALL light, including that coming from the nearby city. Telescopes that have baffles built in may be helpful in countering stray light, such as the first telescope I listed (90mm mak). Finding objects by naked eye before zooming in with your scope is also a difficult task in light polluted areas. Although I do recommend that astronomers should find objects by hand first, before upgrading to computerized telescope, tracking may be helpful if you can't make out constellations. Again, I haven't used one... yet ;) here is a recommend tracking scope for inner-city beginners: www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/celestron-nexstar-5se-schmidt-cassegrain-computerized-telescope-11036 If you have a wide budget, you may consider purchasing a Televue 76 or 80. If you have Instagram, there is an account @phillymoonmen and they have used a Tv76 on the streets of Philadelphia. Brenden is a big advocate of their contrast and recommends it for those living in a city. However, I recommend starting cheap and working your way up to more expensive telescopes as you get a feel for what it is you want to do with one. Or go big, and keep a receipt :) As you said, there are lots of models and each has their pros and cons. If you find a model you like (for whatever reason) hit me up on Instagram, Facebook, or just comment back and we can go over simulated views through a calculator. This process will show us how big things will look in your first telescope, which to me is an important selling factor that people should know before buying one. However, who doesn't like surprises? Let me know if any of this helps and what I can explain further. Clear skies!!
Hello Robert. I am considering a 10 inch dobsonian. There are many options to choose from: explore scientific, apertura, skywatcher, zhumell, orion. The list goes on. I would like to know where I can find comparisons on technical details on things like relative obstruction, mirror reflectivities, focuser type material quality, base quality? Can you do a video on this subject? Thanks
That would be a great video. So many things come to mind with just the three I have been fortunate enough to use. I will try and see if such a video could be arranged! While we wait, I would like to suggest a website for figuring out just the kinds of things you're curious about: cloudynights.com This forum has many users with in-depth personal reviews of their equipment and specific details otherwise difficult to find online. For example, I wanted to learn about the central obstruction percentage of a Newtonian, and what it would equate to if it were a Refractor. From what I have read, it turns out that a 114mm Newtonian on average can yield as much resolution as a 102mm Refractor. Here is a topic on Secondary Mirror Obstruction: www.cloudynights.com/topic/656140-secondary-mirror-obstruction/ Here is a topic on Skywatcher vs ES dobs: www.cloudynights.com/topic/601564-10-skywatcher-solid-tube-dob-vs-explore-scientific-10-dob/ and these two seems right up your alley: www.cloudynights.com/topic/554887-dobsonian-telescopes-which-one-and-why/ www.cloudynights.com/topic/554329-theoretical-comparison-of-light-gathering-power-of-5-6-8-newtssct/ Cloudynights is one of my most valuable resources when it comes to learning specifics on any given telescope. I hope this information is useful to you. If you find a better resource, please share it with me! Clear skies to you
Loved the video , I'm looking at buying the same telescope for myself and my grown up kids , I doubt I will buy another in my lifetime so this was my choice . I live in a very light polluted area and don't drive and will not be able to travel at all with it so stuck with my backyard . Will I still be able to get some decent use out of it or should I just give up on having a telescope in my area . I can see planets with the naked eye and of course right now it's Orion right outside my backdoor but difficult to see a lot more with the naked eye . I know it's an old post but you never know :)
If you have STEADY skies I would recommend getting it or even going bigger! Here is an Ad-heavy article that made me change my mind about considering light pollution when buying a telescope (a trick I found to stop the advertisements is to hit the “stop” or “x” button where the refresh icon usually is once you see text) astronomy.com/observing/get-to-know-the-night-sky/2006/12/setup-is-key-when-urban-stargazing I will share more articles with you soon from cloudynights.com and my own experiences with light pollution and big scopes, but I think it sounds like a good choice!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Brilliant thanks a good read . I have to say we do not get sky glow , it's more a streetlamp and neighbours . I can easily wait out the neighbours but streetlamps no . The one streetlamp though that is extremely close is behind our kitchen/bathroom extension if I stay near the back door then it's not in my eyeline but light would bleed from behind the wall . After reading the article I think I am more convinced to go ahead and buy the 10"Dobsonian , I could not manage anything larger :P The article only had the one ad on the site which was clicked off immediately . Thanks again for your time , appreciate it . I have subscribed , I love your way of teaching especially about something I never knew and that was collimation , now I know how to do that easily . Thanks .
@@nodders6830 Hey thank you so much! For a more in-depth understanding of collimation check out: www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ It should be a very long time before you need to clean your mirrors (hopefully a decade or more) but if you do, re-aligning the mirrors can easily be done with that tutorial and Cheshire collimator. It sounds like you just need a big dome! :) A trick I use to block out nearby lights is to build a dew shield out of some camping mat material and duct tape for about $15. It's a small cylinder of foam that fits around the front of the telescope. To counter-balance I will put a magnetic flashlight near the mirror on the outside of the tube, which I can use later for cleaning up! Without this dew shield, I would get bad contrast near street lights, but could still see planets and the Moon just fine. I've used this scope in a down-town setting and peered at Jupiter with a street light just a few hands-width away from where I was pointing. Everyone loved it! We could see stripes and moons! I was really impressed because I thought the nearby light would ruin the view. Which it did technically, but not for us amateurs :) Deep sky objects however were much more difficult. You could make them out for sure, but with little contrast it was definitely a tease. Using a 8-inch and a 10-inch side by side in average sky glow (bortle 5) I could see more stars in the same spot of sky with the 10-inch and the contrast was the same for my eyes. The only reason I could think of someone getting the 8 after that test was for price and weight. I felt like that 2006 article confirmed it for me. Smaller scopes are still amazing though! We have this 80mm Achromatic (Alice) that gives stunning wide-angle views. When I go out for public outreach I always try to bring Alice just because it impresses everyone when they compare it to the 10". Depending on what we are looking at, some people even prefer Alice, specifically on the Andromeda Galaxy and the Pleiades Star Cluster. However, none have preferred it for Jupiter or Saturn, and always described them as looking "cute". I think you made the right choice! To compliment your new sky cannon or if you ever have a backyard star party, my only suggestion would be to get a small refractor to keep your visitors busy while they wait to use the 10". Or, have a BYOBinoculars policy ;) BTW, domes are actually available: skyshedpod.com/?v=e4b09f3f8402 This hobby is ridiculous, right?! I'm glad our video helped! Please let me know if you have any more questions and Clear skies to you!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Cheers thanks for all the info , that skyshed dome is mental :P I will look into making some sort of shield down the line . Thanks for the links and again for your time . Take care and clear skies to you too :)
I just received my first telescope, an AD8, and your video is the best one I have found! Did you add those thumb screws yourself? Im hoping I can swap out my screws for thumb screws so I don’t have to carry around a screwdriver. Thanks for the awesome vid!
Heck yeah congratulations!! The big collimating knobs came with the ES 10”! However, you can purchase caps that go over your screws to achieve your goal. The product is known as “Bob’s Knobs” and are sold on many websites. I’ve never purchased them myself but they’ve been recommended to me before. Let me know if this helps at all, thank you so much and clear skies to you!
Collimatiom has never been explained to me better than this.
I am honored! The video that taught me how to collimate was: ruclips.net/video/8G98RTP6jbY/видео.html
They also deal with having to rotate the secondary mirror, before making any adjustments! I actually had to do this once after my 114mm took a 3 foot fall onto asphalt. I hope you have clear skies wherever you are and thank you again :)
It's not really accurate to allign the primary mirror with a laser.
Using a laser to allign the secondary mirror can only be done with an alligned laser. The one you use from Meade usually doesn't come alligned out of the box
@@DirkDirk1983 Hello! I have heard this about the laser collimators and it has me wanting to buy a visual collimator. Do you have any recommendations for how to check the accuracy for a faulty laser? So far I have found some diagrams but they all involve a jig.
For me, I look for 4 points on bright stars to indicate good collimation. Let me know if you think this is a bad indicator.
If I can not get 4 points on a bright star then I know something is off.
With this double-checking in practice, (looking for 4 points and using a collimator) I have yet to provide a displeasing view that could not be brought to focus. I seem to be getting lucky with my collimators for the two I have owned seem to be reliable in this way even after months of use.
At around 6:55 I actually switch to the Apertura collimator since my Meade collimator was out of batteries, but I am sure the argument applies to both.
Thanks for pointing this stuff out!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Cool. Cool. Don't want to sound like a nagging b*tch Btw. A star test is always a good way to check your colimation.
I always use a laser for the secondary. Now I use one from Farpoint. 2", Very accurate but not cheap. Before I used the one you used but from Omegon( i think they all come from te same factory)
To allign the laser i Just turn it in the focusser ( focusser clamp Just clamps it enough to turn it)
Then a imaginary circle will apear on your primary, then i turn it as much as the laser hits the top of the imaginary circle. Then adjust it down to the center of that imaginary circle. Give it a couple of tries and it's almost as good as the one from Farpoint.
The one from Farpoint is heavy, fits in the 2" socket and is Just awesome to use. The beam of the laser is nice and small, and it comes with triangle primary mirror markings.
For alligning the primary you really need to use a cheshire. I use a 12"f5 newton and if i compare collimating the primary with a laser and with a cheshire, the difference is a lot.
I must apologize for my english. I'm using an old Phone now and it has only a check in my own language (Dutch)
Love to watch your vids. There is a big gap of needing information now a days, between the pro's and the ones that Just started.
@@DirkDirk1983 Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! I have been looking for a visual collimator and the Chesire looks perfect!! Your tip for highlighting the adjustments needed on the laser collimator by looking for an imaginary circle outlined on the primary is GENIUS!!! I will try this out ASAP! Thank you again for this information. I have a 12" as well and if Farpoint is your recommendation then you got it!
Also, your English is wonderful and I likewise apologize for not knowing Dutch and for implying in any way that you were nagging! I will try to watch out for that more!
Thank you very much once again and Clear Skies to you!!
after looking through a bunch of videos this guy kills it with explaining how to set up a scope!
Hello d Ramsland,
Thank you so much! I am currently working hard on a new video covering the Apertura AD10 and then another video covering the newest version of the ES10. Let me know if there's anything you wish I had explained further and I'll try to add it in!
Clear skies!
- Robert
This is the best explanation of the function of a Dobsonian telescope that I have found to date! The combination of enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject made for a very enjoyable and informative video. Please continue to make similar content as you are able, you have something special.
Thank you so much for the inspirational comment! I will definitely try to make the next video just as fun. Let me know if there is anything else I can go over in more detail. Thanks again and clear skies!!
Such a chill dude. Great video vibes and energy man! You taught me a lot in this video I just got my AD8 and I cannot wait. Of course it rains everyday for a week once I get mine……
Oh why thank you so much!! This was recorded without coffee, so typically I am bouncing off the walls lol. And yes, you found the hidden coupon with every piece of astro gear! CLOUDS!!!! Rain, snow, haze and smoke all love a good purchase, especially if it's your first.
Now, if you ever have a chance to go to a star party... I highly recommend it! They are so much fun.
Congratulations on your AD8 and feel free to join us any clear Sunday at Sunset, Taylor Dock! We'll try to go live tonight to share some of the fun we have around 8PM Pacific.
Lastly, if you have any questions about your AD8 or telescope stuff in general please feel free to ask!
Hope it's all cleared up for you by now and if not I'll see if my club and I can all blow really hard in your direction! :) Space!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 It was clear 3 days ago and for the first time I saw the Orion Nebula. The tiny little smudge of gas made me tear it was unbelievable. I joined an Astro club near me as well that I had no idea was extremely active with over 200 members. And they had a guest speaker from FermiLab the other week! Absolutely insane.
I love this hobby and I love the channel.
Your enthusiasm is utterly infectious and you are a wonderful communicator. Dobsonians are great - a place my Dad is a member of has a 20" on a motorised mount that is just fantastic. They're so straightforward and even a beginner like me understands how it all works!
Thank you.
Hey thank you so much!!! I totally agree, dobsonians are an awesome introduction to the field. The biggest I’ve looked through was this 10”. I can’t even imagine the views through a 20”! Congratulations!!!! & thanks again 🙂
Robert, I Collimated my 10" First Light for the first time yesterday, using this video as a guide. Took a little while, but I got it perfect! It was clear and cold (mid 40s) in Beaumont Tx last night, and Beaumont, around 90 miles East of Houston, is light polluted as heck! But, I took the scope out for her maiden flight! I haven't named her yet, but I loved that you do that, and would like to continue your tradition. Saturn was behind a tree, and Andromeda was over a very light polluted part of sky, but Orion was in perfect position! I found the Orion nebula, but thought at first my lense had some fog on it! Then when I realized that was gasses and clouds around the stars in the nebula, I was very excited! I ran and got my wife, and shared the view with her, and she was excited! I am using magnets as counterweight, they seem to be working fine. I owe you a debt of gratitude! Because of you, sharing your wealth of knowledge, especially about using dob based, Newt reflectors, I decided to finally try astronomy! I have always been interested, always wanted to, but was too intimidated to start! I cannot thank you enough! I'm sorry this is so long. I'm just excited, and it's causing me to be a bit loquacious! Yall have a wonderful, blessed and prosperous day!
Thanks so much, Paul!
Congratulations on your first light!! I had been practicing with my scope for weeks before I finally saw Orion. Well done!! I hope your used a long-focal length eyepiece because It's pretty large! My dad saw it at low power earlier this year through his 12" and he was blown away. If you ever get into astrophotography here is an image I took recently with our 10" (no tracking!):
instagram.com/p/Clvg9zCuMFQ/
Also, here are some other fun objects you could try to hunt down this season based on current difficulty:
Planets - Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranaus, Neptune
Double Stars - Polaris, Almach, Achird
Clusters - Pleiades, Perseus Double Cluster, M36, M38, M44
Galaxies - Andromeda, M81, M82, M33
Nebulae - M1
I used a free program called Stellarium to simulate the night sky around your area and cherry picked what I would want to look at. If you get this program and learn how to use it, you can make lists like these each time you go out! Sometimes I waste time not knowing what to look for. Making a list before hand helps me get the most out of my scope.
I'm glad your telescope is working and you were able to get it collimated! It sounds like you're going through the "Why haven't I bought one of these years ago???" phase and I can definitely relate!!
Of course, if you have any questions I will be here and don't worry about lengthy responses, you should see my emails! As Phil Plait said: getting astronomer's to talk is the easy part.
I look forward to hearing more about your journey through the cosmos and what you name your scope! Thanks again and enjoy the day!!
after so much confusion and not being able to understand collimation you showed me how to do it one two three and that's it now I know how.
Thank you I appreciate how simple you made it
I’m so glad you found it helpful thank you so much!! Clear skies to you!!
I just got a dobsonian for my kids. Plan to setup and hopefully do some Christmas stargazing. Your video was fantastic and answered so many of my questions!
Awesome! Congratulations on choosing such a great gift and let me know if I can answer any other questions that come up! Clear skies to you and the kids!!
I like this dude. I just ordered an 8" dobsonian and I'm watching tons of videos about telescopes. This is a really fun one
Hey Dan,
Thank you very much! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the video and CONGRATULATIONS on your new telescope!!! I just ordered a new telescope also as a birthday present to myself and I know the excitement!! It’s still two days from arriving and I am bouncing off the walls waiting to use it. I hope your 8” arrives in great condition AND you have clear skies to test it out with. I’ll be here if you need any help at all and thanks again!
- Robert
As a new owner of a 10" dobsonian, I was having a tough time getting the primary mirror aligned. I came across your video and your explanation and demonstration just clicked with me. I really appreciate your video and thank you for the help!
Awesome, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! If you get stuck on anything feel free to email or comment back, I love to troubleshoot dobsonian problems. Clear skies and congratulations!!
Well thank you for the offer of help! Clear skies to you and all!@@spacetimewithrobert4438
After watching this review, I bought this telescope today! So much excellent information! It comes with a red dot view finder, but I definitely like the spotting scope with right angle lense.
Hello Paul,
Thank you! I am glad you found the video useful! The red dot could be all you need once you get it aligned. The 8x50 Right Angle Correct Image (RACI) is definitely helpful but I still have to look down the length of the tube to aim it initially. If I know how to star-hop to a galaxy by eye, using a RACI sometimes feels redundant for me.
What's awesome about the ES 10" is it comes with two finder shoes, allowing you to keep your red dot mounted if you decide to purchase a RACI or some other spotter. Using the two together is a wonderful setup.
Currently I am using a Telrad and an 8x50 RACI and it's been a dream.
Also, great choice! The Apertura AD10/Orion Skyline do offer more bells and whistles but the quality of the ES10 and it's versatility (along with it's current price) make it the best bang for your buck in my opinion. It's likely going to be the next scope we get once I donate our AD10. We used a Skywatcher 10" asfor over a year as well and the ES10 was my favorite dob out of the three.
Wishing you many clear skies and if you have any questions I'll be here! Congratulations on your new dob!!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Again, I'm following your example! I bought the exact 10mm Hyperion modular eyepiece you are using around 13 minutes into the video. I see it can be 1.25 or 2 inches, depending on the adapter. Does it matter, which one to use to get the best view? Also, i see this you can screw additional lenses directly onto these eyepieces, to change their power without using a Barlow lense. Could you shed and light on this? I'm doing research right now, the scope, and everything I am getting to use with it will be opened on Christmas morning, after Santa leaves it under the tree! I live in Beaumont tx, about 90 miles East of Houston, so I have to go 20 or 30 miles North to escape light pollution, but I am very excited to start looking at the stars!
@@paulmurphy5489 Hello Paul,
The 1.25" adapter has a slightly more cropped view, but is more magnified if I remember correctly. Both views are stunning! However, I would actually get the Baader Hyperion Zoom lens if you can afford it and cancel that order. The zoom lens goes from 8-24mm and to my eye is sharper at it's 10mm setting than the Hyperion 10mm Prime lens. I see less color-fringing around brighter objects using the Zoom lens. Currently it the only eyepiece I use other than a 2" 30mm Kellner.
Here is a discussion online about it: www.cloudynights.com/topic/718701-baader-hyperion-mkiv-zoom-8-24mm/
There's also someone in the comments here that swears by it. Awesome all-in one eyepiece.
If you are skeptical about the zoom functionality you can test the waters by trying out an Orion 7-21mm Zoom lens. It's much cheaper and is also an excellent eyepiece.
Here is a discussion on that eyepiece: www.cloudynights.com/topic/713122-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-what-to-title-this-eyepiece-thread/
For barlows yes, you can unscrew the lens cell from the body and screw it directly onto an eyepiece as if it were a filter. This often reduces the magnification multiplier of the barlow due to the shorter distance between the eyepiece and the barlow lens. For instance, an x2 barlow lens used without it's barrel might perform more like an x1.75.
Sorry for any confusing jargon and let me know what I could explain further!
I've got to say, this man is a great person. I've asked a question and the help and advice has been extremely helpful. He's taken the time to reply and they are very detailed replies. He probably thinks I'm a pest now. 😂 Absolutely appreciated 👍
Hey Carl,
Thank you very much! When I use my telescopes I see a lot of inhospitable and desolate worlds. To me, this highlights that we are all in this together and how important it is for us to help one another whenever possible. It’s been very rewarding to be able to assist you in this hobby! I hope you get to enjoy the same sights I have over the years!
Clear skies,
- Robert
Love your video. I am just about 3 hours away in the Yakima Valley. I have a 12 inch Dob. Been trying to find some of the old members of the Yakima Astronomical Society. It disbanded almost 20 years ago. It was fun while it lasted. Hopefully can find some more locally into astronomy. Keep up the great work sharing the hobby.
Thank you so much and congratulations on your 12 inch Dob! I'm sorry to hear your city is lacking an Astronomy Club. I say start a new one! Our local club (the Whatcom Association for Celestial Observers) heads out to Table Mountain once a year to do a star party. I've never been, but it may be something to look into! They also do monthly star parties up here but like you said, it's 3 hours away.
If you're ever in my area on a weekend and it's clear out, send me a message and we'll go stargazing! Maybe I can get your signature on the scope. Thanks again and clear skies!
Thanks Robert, very useful. I'm going to order the 8" version as my first scope, I've been using binos so far, so I can't wait.
Awesome!!! Here is a cool resource on visible objects with small binoculars:
www.bridgendastro.org.uk/guides/Deep-Sky%20Objects%20for%20Binoculars%20and%20the%20Naked-Eye.pdf
I've read from AstroBackyard that the 8" is a sweet spot for magnification and detail, and have to agree when it comes to our 8" ACF. Their size and costs are probably their most unattractive aspects. I am super curious how you enjoy an 8" as your first telescope! Let me know if you post any photos and how to follow you
I just bought binoculars. If i like looking at the sky, im gonna get an 8 or 10 inch dobsonian.
You relate guitars to telescopes? You are the hero I didn't know I needed! This video has so much information. Totally watching more of your videos.
Hello Louis,
Thank you so much! They are both amazingly simplistic precision instruments that function best when operated with long hair ❤️
I’m kidding, Satriani would probably shred at this hobby, hah!
Clear skies!
- Robert
Hi, You’re amazing explaining everything about this telescope, I can wait to use the one I order
Hey Ricardo, thank you so much!
I agree.... it doesnt feel rushed. it feels well thought out and well explained. :)
Im thinking of getting an 8 inch and have watched many videos and this is the best tell you what you need to know video i have seen thank you, will watch more of your videos
Get it! You'll have a blast! And I'll try to work on getting more videos :) Let me know if you want any help and clear skies!
Awesome tutorial man! Sometimes people talk so boring or in unnecessary length but u hit that sweet spot and got me keen to go scoping.
Hey, thank you so much!! I wish you the clearest of skies & best of luck!
So incredibly helpful for someone interested in the hobby! I had no idea there was so much work to set it up but it totally makes sense how you tune it. Amazing piece of technology!
Heck yeah, I am glad you found it useful! It may seem like a lot of work stretched out here, but I promise it can all be done in under a minute! In fact, that might be a fun video. Telescope setup speed-runs :) I'm bet they're out there.
However, if the work seems a little daunting, I have to recommend a Refractor or even a Catadioptric telescope. A refractor usually has their lens cemented in place, and collimated at the factory. I own one and it has provided perfect views for over 2 years now and has suffered plenty of abuse. However, they can get expensive!
I just bought my Grandpa an Orion GoScope 80mm Refractor for looking at the Moon. I wanted to provide him with the simplest and least maintenance-requiring setup. Time will tell!
The Catadioptric telescopes can also be expensive but require much less maintenance (at least my two have so far) than a Newtonian like this one.
Welcome to Space, thank you VERY much and clear skies!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 I think this video should be mandatory to anyone buying their first entry level dobsonian telescope! In fact someone actually recommended this video on reddit which is how I found it. I like the little tinkering and adjusting in hobbies such as this. When you get it right, it is so satisfying!
I love all the signatures on it too! Hopefully you get to 1000 very soon.
Thank you so much for a clear and concise walkthrough of Dobsonian collimation! That was the best description I've seen yet, and it makes space all the more accessible.
Hello Brandt,
Thank you very much for the compliment! If you ever need to know more about collimation then here is a tutorial I found extremely useful: www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/
Also, if you have any more questions, I'll be here!
Clear skies!
- Robert
Hello Robert, there are those who teach well and those who try to teach. Without a doubt you are the former. I am stunned and utterly thrilled with having found your video. It was exactly what anyone would love to watch. You are in the top 1% of teachers. I will subscribe to your channel and watch anything you produce that teaches me as you have just done with this video. The statement -Look no further -was created for perfection like that you showed here. Please stay safe and healthy and that means avoid the crowds who wish to gather around you to learn-that is until the virus is under control.
Holy tamale, thank you so much for your kind words! My parents had me watch lots of Carl Sagan, Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, Alex Filippenko, Michio Kaku, and more.
I also enjoy learning from Molly Bentley, Chris Impey, Janna Levin, Phil Plait, Seth Shostak, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Carolyn Porco, and Charles Liu.
All of them are excellent science communicators, and without their influence, I don't think this video would even exist! So credit must go to them as well :)
I have been staying safe, received my first dose of the vaccine, and hope to return to the public in the Summer. In the meantime, we have been performing Live streams on our Instagram page.
Here is a link: instagram.com/space_time_with_robert/channel/
I hope you are staying safe as well, Mr. Bailey. Clear skies and thanks again :)
Toujours un grand plaisir de regarder vos vidéos. Surtout continuez à partager vos connaissances. Bonjour de France ! Always a great pleasure to see your videos. Thank you very much Robert.
Merci beaucoup!!! @astro_art_contrast is my favorite astronomer from France. If you have Instagram I recommend their page! I'll try and make more videos in the future and thank you again :) Clear skies!
I just love coming back to this video even though I know how to use a dobsonian telescope 😅
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much & clear skies!
wow, this is great, Robert! Best tutorial on the Dobsonian that I've seen. It is just like having a knowledgeable friend showing you how to use it...so great!
Hey Tom, thank you so much!! I’m glad you found the video useful and I will try to make more. If there’s anything you felt I left out let me know & clear skies to you!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thanks Robert...looking forward to more videos. Right now, just trying to decide between ordering the 8" or 10". Your video just about has me convinced to go ahead with the 10 :)
@@TomFaulkenberry I haven’t looked through the 8” so I couldn’t give a fair comparison! I chose 10 because it was the most my car could fit! I have a 12” and it’s yet to see light due to ergonomic issues. I am very curious to know which you decide and how it works out for you!
I am trying to buy a first telescope and I've been reading and reading and watching shit on how to and what to. But this convinced me to consider an 8 inch dob from Bresser which I think is pretty much the same construction as the one you have here. I'll go for 8 inch coz the 10 won't fit in the trunk of the car, and I can mount it more easily on a cheaper eq mount in the future. Great video and nice pictures on your insta! Cheers!
Hello ewu2030,
Thank you very much!! I'm happy to hear the video helped you come to a decision. Fitting a 10" in a trunk is not easy!! I feel like my Nissan Versa Note was built for hauling these scopes but once I had to fit it into a Chevy Malibu and the back seat was too short. It was a hassle getting it in and out of the trunk. I stopped at a 10" because like you, it was the biggest I could fit in the backseat of my Nissan.
Mounting the 10" is no easier! I have an old Losmandy G11 from the 90s that I plan to mount our new ES10 on. I start sweating just looking at the tripod. An 8" would be much more manageable for astrophotography and you wouldn't need as serious of a tripod. Still, the tube is long and will require special attention to balancing compared to an 8" SCT for example, but the Bresser 8" newts are half the price and should be easier to maintain. It sounds like you thought this out well!
And yes, as far as I can tell the Bresser and Explore Scientific dobs are identical in design. I will know soon enough because I just gambled by buying a Bresser 10:1 MicroFocuser upgrade for my ES10!
If you end up posting pics of your astronomy adventures, I'd love to follow along!
Lastly, here is a thread on CN where me and two others are sharing mods for our dobs!
www.cloudynights.com/topic/857660-customizing-eartha-my-firstlight-10-inch-dobsonian/
Enjoy your new scope and let me know if there is anything you want help with!!
- Robert
Been wanting to get a telescope for a while because I'm up late looking upwards a lot anyways, but just haven't committed yet until after seeing the Lunar Eclipse a few days ago. Thinking about a 12" Dobsonian and maybe a 4.5" as a companion. This video has really REALLY helped me to better understand what I'm getting into and has made me confident that, with a little practice, I can enjoy this a lot and I'm not just investing into a headache. Thank you for such an informative and entertaining video, cheers to Robert and everybody else out on the dock.
Oooooh Congratulations on witnessing the Lunar Eclipse!!! We saw it from Coulee City, WA. Lucky enough to get a time lapse :)
instagram.com/tv/CdpxcvogxA9
I am glad you found the video helpful and yes YES YES a 12" and a 4.5" is an AWESOME setup!!
The 12" may be all you need, as they typically come with a viewfinder that is 8x50. It's no 4.5" but it's large enough to see lunar craters, all of the Pleiades star cluster and even the Moons of Jupiter. The only issue is the cross-hairs that obstructs some of the view. Still, it's a very cheap solution to wanting a wider view :)
Regardless, my 4.5" gets just as much play as our 10". You'll probably love them both!
And no, it's no headache so long as you don't pour acid all over your mirrors. The technology is surprisingly simple and resilient. I've seen jaw-dropping views through a 40 year-old scope. Our 12" was an office decoration for 15 years and coated in nicotine tar when we picked it up (the one time acid was actually needed lol) and after some cleaning it's nearly good as new!
But wait, there's more!
astroanecdotes.com/2015/03/26/the-mcdonald-gun-shooting-incident/
So I love that you described it as an investment and not just a purchase. To me, they really ARE!
Let me know if you want help with anything and welcome to space!!!
Wow, I'd heard the mirrors were tough, but multiple lead projectiles at, what I'm assuming was probably, around 1,230 feet per second is impressive for a few little dents, not to mention a hammer. I hope the gentleman feels a little better, at least about astronomy, now then he did then. The Eclipse started as I was getting off work and I pointed it out to a co worker, I went home and sat under a tree with a bottle of Coke Starlight and watched the whole thing from my back yard here in central Texas until it was over, it was fantastic and I really enjoyed getting to see it again in your time lapse. I had not at all considered the view finder, I'm sure that would do a similar job to the 4.5. I was considering something portable and more user friendly for hiking and that sort of thing, but I reckon that in that situation a 6" or even 8" would do that just as well or maybe even better a job and not cost or weigh really too much more. I really appreciate your response and I was kind of, really pleasantly, surprised when I saw it and the prevalent enthusiasm in it, thank you so much! When I have some new guy questions I'll definitely try to send them your way and maybe, eventually, some pictures with that 12".
Very helpful thanks. You made the tube lift look quite easy which surprised me. I’m trying to pick between the 8 and 10” with portability being the issue.
heck yeah thank you! I lift boxes for a living :) The ES10's tube is 11 pounds heavier than the ES8. I have an idea! Would it be helpful to grab a chair or another bulky object, then securely place enough weight on it to simulate the ES10's 36 pound tube and see how hard it is to move?
If it causes strain, I would definitely get the 8".
Lastly, the ES10 is about 60mm longer so if storage room is another issue, that's something to consider! Let me know if the experiment is a good idea and thanks again!
Best Telescope Setup Vid on the Tubes of You.
Whoa!! Thank you so much!!! ❤️ I’ll try and keep it up!
Dude you're such a good communicator, and I love how popular John the 2nd is with all those signatures :)
Dude! No u! lol and thank you so much it was a blast sharing that scope with everyone. Clear skies!!
I was confused that there was a mirror until he explained. He gave a lot of information and I understand a lot now
incredible info and walk through! your very charismatic and enjoyable to watch as well. thanks for sharing
Thank you! I am glad you found the video helpful. If you get stuck on anything feel free to report back and we'll figure it out! Clear skies and keep looking up!
Simple, brilliant
Thank you! If you have any questions I'll be here! Clear skies ❤
Very nice, down to earth presentation. (...great to remind people to not peep on others.)
Thanks.
Hey thank you so much, Steve! I hope you enjoyed the Lunar Eclipse last night. Clear skies!
Amazing.. Learnt a lot. Thanks
Awesome, I'm glad it helped!! Clear skies!
Great video man! You explain very well and simple how to collimate and use the viewfinder. This is a great telescope with great accesories! Greetings from Argentina, keep continue doing videos!!
Hey thank you very much 🙂
Maaan this thing is a gem... the stories... these signatures... AWESOME
It’s a lot of fun going over them all and remembering the events. Here is a photo of our current one instagram.com/p/CPyst20peZE/?
And the first one: instagram.com/p/BmbbxRenLz7/?
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 nice, the trebd goes on. I was thinking of buying a 10" soon but I wondered if it would be possible to transport it shotgun? Because wife and kid in the back 😀. Have you ever tried it? I mean I can put down half the rear seets but it's better to have someone at the back with a kid
@@shalabazertheboltstruck8645 sorry for the late reply! In my Nissan 2014 Versa Note I was able to slide the passenger front seat back enough to fit the 10” tube. It rests against the edge of the seat and on the edge of tube. I can not get the tube flush against the floor and so although it is possible, I would have to reinforce it with pillows and straps. Checking the passenger side mirror is also awkward with the scope riding shotgun. I say go for it and drive around the neighborhood a little to test how well you strapped it in. Otherwise, perhaps you could rent a small trailer? Another suggestion would be a collapsible 10” tube. They are more expensive but it sounds like you could really use the function. My last suggestion would be to go for a smaller scope but no one wants to hear that 🙂 honestly though, small telescopes are awesome as well and great for the moon and star clusters. If you can someday, I say get a small scope if you don’t already have one! Hope this helps!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 no truble man, thanks a lot for the detailed RE but yeah I started to think an 8" will do it for now and maybe somwhere down the line something biger that can be disassembled. I have a 114mm it's my first and I freakin love it so I think arround summer will be the perfect time to go for some big boys 😀 I love observing visually so the thaught was, the biger the better but still the 8 will be a lot fun for a real start
@@shalabazertheboltstruck8645 I got to use a 8” and a 10” dob side by side and the group I was with felt that the 10” definitely showed more stars, more of Andromeda’s disc, and better details on the planets. The length of tubes were very similar so I’m worried if you got a 8” Newtonian tube you would run into the same issues having it ride shotgun as the 10”. But I have not tested it so this is just my paranoia I’m sharing :)
One weird idea would be to get a big used box, shape it to the dimensions of a 10” or 8” tube and try and fit it in the front seat. The dimensions should be on the product page but I can take some measurements as well if you need any.
But wait, are thinking you of an 8” Schmidt Cassegrain or other compact telescope? Because I have one (8” Meade LX65) and we LOVE IT! It does not collect as much light as the big dob but the contrast and clarity is superior to all my scopes. In a dark location it was the perfect traveling observatory and it would definitely fit in the front seat!
I got an 8" dob a few months back, observed M4, the Moon and Jupiter last night. This video was quite helpful when I was looking for a scope.
Jupiter will be in the evening sky for us in a few months and I can’t wait! Congratulations on your 8” dob & last night’s observations!! I am glad you found the video useful. If you happen to post any photos please let me know where so I can follow along & clear skies to you!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 hey Robert thanks for such a nice reply. I will be posting some videos I shot on my RUclips channel, will be posting the link here. Wishing you the very best!
Fantastic video. I'm planning to buy a telescope for my son and this video served as an amazing tutorial and I know exactly what I'm getting myself into now.
Hello Kappakumplete,
Thank you so much! I hope you and your son have many clear nights ahead!
Me and many other amateur astronomers would love to hear about your guys’ first views and any troubles you run into. You can share them with us at cloudynights.com if you like. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to the community and there is a lot of great advice. Stargazrers Lounge is also excellent.
I’m always here as well so feel free to comment back any time for help!
Lastly, if you decide to purchase your telescope through Highpoint Scientific or Orion, we have affiliate links in the videos description that will earn us a commission off any purchase you make at no extra cost to you!
Thanks again and clear skies!
- Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Hi Robert and thanks for the kind reply. I’ve narrowed my selection down to the Apertura AD8 or AD10. I promise to use your affiliate link when I make the purchase. Will also be sure to check out the website.
I’ll take you up on your offer for advice. I live in a suburb of Dallas, TX which I’ve learned is horribly light polluted. In your opinion, is there still worthwhile enjoyment to be had in my area, or would I absolutely have to travel to better skies every time for my son to have a pleasant experience? That answer will largely influence if I buy an 8 inch or 10 inch due to ease of transport.
@@kappakumplete Hello Kappakumplete,
Here is a useful tool for gauging how polluted your skies are with light: www.lightpollutionmap.info
And here is an article explaining the bortle scale: skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/light-pollution-and-astronomy-the-bortle-dark-sky-scale/
Judging from the map, you would need to drive about 20 miles to reach Bortle 6 conditions, which is similar to the skies I have in my city.
I have used both the AD10 and AD8 side-by-side in B6 conditions and the AD10 performed much better. Details on Planets were brighter and sharper despite the turbulence. We could see fainter stars in distant clusters and with more clarity. The contrast was about the same in both telescopes, however.
At the end of the session, the owners of the AD8 wished they had gone for the AD10.
Both the AD8 and AD10 take up similar amount of cargo space.
Using them within the city, you will be restricted to brighter objects like our Moon and the neighboring planets. Still, the AD10 will likely perform better.
Situations where the AD8 might perform equal to the AD10 are poor weather conditions. Otherwise, I think the AD10 is the superior choice.
Here is a review with the AD10's exact measurements if you are concerned about storage: plateauterrace.blogspot.com/2012/10/apertura-ad10-dobsonian-reflector.html
All that said, the AD8 is still an excellent telescope and for someone who is on a tighter budget, has less storage space or a lower lifting capacity, it's a great buy! Especially if you don't own a telescope at all.
8" vs 10" is a long-running debate actually and here is one discussion I found on cloudynights: www.cloudynights.com/topic/734164-apertura-ad8-vs-ad10-vs-dt10-for-first-telescope/
I hope that helps and feel free to ask as many questions as you like!
- Robert
P.S. There are astronomy chairs that have adjustable heights. They are expensive but I recommend getting a good observing chair at some point. Observing with an Ad8/10 without a chair can be a physically demanding. You will be standing at the telescope, maintaining perfect balance and keeping your head steady while also focusing with your hands. Often hunched over with your neck crunched. To make the experience more comfortable and to rule out many variables that could ruin the view, a chair is a great investment!
If you are handy with some wood then there are also schematics online for you to build your own. I can look them up for you if you like.
That's all!
- Robert
@@kappakumplete Sorry Kappa, I glossed over the first part of your question: Yes I think a 10” and an 8” are still a worthwhile investment even in the city. You will not have to travel with either to enjoy them. However, traveling a bit to darker areas will greatly increase their potential.
Galaxies and feint Nebulae will be difficult for every telescope under light pollution. So to see these in good contrast it’s best to travel. However, visible planets, double stars and our Moon will still be a treat to look at, even under light pollution.
Personally, I find stray-light to be more of a nuisance than light pollution. Finding a dark shaded area and using a dew-shield like this: www.highpointscientific.com/astrozap-flexible-dew-shield-for-meade-10-lxd75-or-lxd55-schmidt-newtonian-telescopes-az102 can remarkably increase the contrast.
Lastly, here are some articles I found relating to your question: www.cloudynights.com/topic/559863-8-dob-in-bright-city-enough/
www.cloudynights.com/topic/420352-what-can-i-see-with-a-10-inch-dob/
What a great video! I bought the same telescope and I'm facing the some difficulties to get clear views, I will follow all your recommendations and tips and try it again
Thank you
Congratulations on your telescope and I'm glad the video helps! Let me know if you have any troubles and we can work on it together. Clear skies!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438hello 😊
Just a small question, have the impression you added a new adapter at 5:48 .. you indeed used a new adapter? if that's so, would be possible list some links for purchasing it, I would like to check 😊
@@dereksanders6775 Yes I do switch collimators during that scene because the Meade ran out of batteries. Today I use this: www.highpointscientific.com/hotech-2-sca-laser-collimator-with-cross-hair
In the video I use this: www.highpointscientific.com/apertura-1-25-laser-collimator-with-45-angled-face-a-lc
And here is a replica of the Meade collimator model: www.amazon.com/Astromania-Alignment-Generation-Collimator-Telescopes/dp/B01D8HMBCQ/
I also use an extension tube in this part of the video and in case you were referring to that. It should have come with your telescope but if not here it is: www.explorescientific.com/collections/all/products/explore-scientific-rack-and-pinion-focuser-2-extension-tube-esrpext2
Let me know if that helps or if I can explain anything further!
Great video; thanks for sharing your experience. I am a newby and have taken the refractor route. Thanks for providing a great reference and dispelling fears cocerning the collimating procedure.
Welcome to space! What refractor did you choose and why? Is it what you hoped for? I almost went the refactor route before my first 10”. It was collimation, among size and maintenance that deterred me and I’m glad to hear you’re not spooked by the process! I chose a refractor for my Grandpa for those reasons. Also, please me know if you post any photos so I can follow along! Thank you! ❤️
You don't have to mess with a fragile and easy to scratch or get dirty moon filter. Modify the telescope dust cap with a 3" to 4" off axis hole (or make a flat cap with a hole). By placing it fairly near the edge, you can rotate it so the spider vanes are not visible through the hole. This greatly reduces the light intensity without adding glass into the optical path.
Also, the diffraction spikes will be gone. There is diffraction from the edge of the round hole, but since it is curved the result is smeared out over the image and not noticeable.
Also make a small rotatable shutter you can use to close the hole when using the dust cap for its designed purpose.
I built an off axis aperture cap for my 16" scope and it has 4 different sized holes, one in each quadrant of the cap. I just select the one that gives me the most desirable light intensity at the eyepiece.
Added:
Otherwise, great video.
Heck yeah that is a very interesting approach to dimming the view and removing the diffraction spikes! The Skywatcher Dobsonian's come with a capped hole in the dust cap. You can remove the smaller cap to let in a much smaller amount of light. I'm imagining this is what you are doing but at the eyepiece instead of the opening of the OTA. I love it!
Another trick I would do in a pinch is cover half of the front of the tube with a cloth. This would cut the light intensity down by about half as a result. But this adds weight and throws the balance off. Same goes for the dust-cap hole design. Your method sounds way sneakier!
Also CONGRATULATIONS on your 16"!!! I had a chance to look through one at a B2 site and holy heck that brings in some dim stars! We looked at M13 (along with many others, it was GoTo), and I had my first view of the Swan was that night through it. So much fun!
Thanks again for the tip and I am glad you enjoyed the video!
We own two 14" dobs and their size limits our use. I usually take out the Skywatcher 120ed on an alt/az mount to use in the backyard or in the street in front of the house. I really enjoy the light buckets though and now I am looking to buy one of these same scopes when they're available again in a few months to keep ready to roll in our garage. I'm not exactly a newbie at this but I gotta tell ya, that was a great video. Thorough and easy to understand for anyone. Great job!
Wow, thank you so much! I wanted the video to answer any and all questions that a teacher may have before sharing the scope with their students. Having an experienced astronomer's input is SO valuable to me and I really appreciate it!!
The biggest we've got is a 12" and indeed our 10" gets far more use due it's portability. I've actually yet to even look through the 12"! Anywho, thank you again :) Clear skies!
Best collimation video I’ve seen yet thank you bro
Thank you so much! Recently I have found out that there is a lot more to “perfect collimation” but for a quick alignment on new scopes this method should be fine!
However, if your telescope has taken a fall or you have removed/replaced any mirror components, do check out AstroBaby’s guide here: www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/en/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/
I purchased a Cheshire collimator and following that guide is very rewarding!
Let me know if you need help with anything and clear skies!
Planning to buy a 10" Dobsonian. Thanks for the video!
Congratulations on deciding! Thank you and clear skies ❤️
Brilliant setup. Many thanks for the pointers. Your collimator demo was perfect for me. Oh, and the starburst (4 spider arms) was a revelation. Thanks
I was surprised to find out the four points in Hubble images were caused by the same thing! I’d think a telescope that expensive could get around that design lol. Telescopes are just awesome, though, and I’m glad you’re involved in the field! Thank you very much and if you don’t: do collimate your collimator every now and then! It makes a huge difference on bigger scopes (to me). Let me know if you need any help & Clear skies!! ❤️
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thanks for the response, Robert. I have only just started as I have just purchased an 8inch Sky-watcher 200p Dobson. Always wanted one, but never got around to it until now. Something to do with the kids on winter nights. So I am waiting for that to arrive.
In the meantime, I am going to purchase a collimator and pick up the other essentials over time. Any pointers or recommendations would be more than welcome.
@Thaum Nice! My first large telescope was a Skywatcher 10" Dob. The altitude bearings/clutch are easy to mess up. These are the twisty knobs on the sides that keep the tube from drifting up/down. If you tighten them too much, it may loosen the bolts inside the telescope. To re-tighten, you will have to reach inside and hold the bolt while you tighten the screws on the outside. Luckily you have little astronomers to help you!
Balancing can be an issue if you end up using heavy eyepieces or a camera. These scopes have no way for you to adjust their center of balance, so a magnetized flashlight or a dedicated telescope weight may be a good investment. I'd test it before you make a purchase. I use a magnetized flashlight and stick it to the back of my scope. It acts as a nice counterweight and helps me clean up in the dark!
The last bit of advice that I can think of is to let your telescope acclimate before use. If you can, let it sit outside for half an hour or so during twilight. Large telescopes are very sensitive to EVERYTHING! If there is too much of a temperature differential between the telescope and the outside air, then the materials may flex and squeeze during use, making things go out of focus often. The warping is minimal and will cause no damage. It should only affect where the perfect "focus point" is.
Oh wait, there's more! If ya'll wear glasses or want to see things super zoomed-in, a Barlow lens is another good investment. It's essentially a magnifying glass that you attach to your eyepieces. The big bonus to a Barlow lens (to me) is that they also make it so you don't have to get your eye super close to the glass. Perfect for people wearing glasses!
A good resource for all things relating to telescopes is cloudynights.com
The people there are very responsive. Just watch out for the know-it-alls ;)
There are lots more tips but for now, let me know if you get stuck on anything!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Hey Rob, sincere thanks for the detailed post. Lots of good nuggets in there. I heard that Dobs can give trouble with balance. Torch is a great idea. Much appreciated. If the rest of the community is anything like you, it would appear I am stepping into a good world. All the best.
I found this telescope on craigslist and, even though I can't actually afford it, decided to look it up anyway, which led me to this video! You made a lengthy video fun and entertaining to watch throughout the whole thing, and it makes me sad I can't go out there and watch the sky with y'all
Don't be sad! I gotchu! Here is where we post livestreams: instagram.com/space_time_with_robert/channel/
If tonight clears up I will share the Moon through a 12" Dobsonian tonight at 18:00 PST.
Also, if you're in my area hit me up and I can lend you a scope or get you at the eyepiece of one.
Thank you very much for the encouraging compliment and I hope to make more some day :) Clear skies
I just bought a 10" Dobsonian as my first telescope! Set up was only 30 minutes and collimation was super easy.
The top of my dust cap to the mirror has two holes in the top. Looks like it may be used to filter light or something? Maybe I am just being silly. Any explanation of this would be greatly appreciated. Still working/learning/discovering!
Seeing the craters on the moon last night was just awe inspiring. Too many clouds so we didn't get to see Saturn, hopefully tonight I will get to see rings!😊
Congratulations!!! It sounds like your dust cap doubles as Moon shade. If I'm picturing it in my head correctly, both holes appear capped but only one allows the cap to be removed. The other 'capped' hole should actually just be a protrusion allowing you to snugly fit the removed cap over it, creating a convenient storage solution for this removable cap.
This new hole that you have created in your dust cap will then allow only a fraction of light coming from the moon to enter your telescope. This will greatly reduce it's brightness and be less straining on your eye.
From what I have read, eye damage has not been recorded by long observations of the Moon without a filter, but people do find it difficult. It can be like looking at a flashlight in a dark room.
Another solution is to instead use an ND filter that threads onto the bottom of your eyepieces that also reduces the light going into your eye. This is usually how people dim the moon but obstructing the front of the telescope also works.
Once, we didn't have a dust cap with holes nor an ND filter for our eyepieces, so we draped a towel over the front of the telescope covering half the entrance. This worked great at reducing the light and making the views more comfortable.
Let me know if that's not what those two knobs are on your dust cap and I hope this helps!
If you have any further questions or thoughts I'd love to contribute!! Commenting here works or if you prefer my email is spacetimewithrobert@gmail.com and I really enjoy helping people get the most out of their telescopes.
I hope y'all get to see Saturn and be sure to look out for a bright dot nearby! I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with "Titan". Hah!
Clear skies!!
- Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Oh you are just fantastic! That is apparently exactly what they are for! Thank you so much for your quick answer cannot wait to see the difference tonight in brightness to make moon viewing a little less "blinding." lol
I am now bingeing your videos! lol
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Dang it. My Dobsonian 10 Skywatcher *did not come with the secondary mirror collimation screws!* Considering one must adjust collimation before each use if moving telescope you would think these would have come with it! WTH!
Now I am missing Saturn again tonight. Also, how does one make sure they are buying the right size screws. Are they all the same?
Any help is appreciated. Back to the store tomorrow.
@@Dobviews Oh no! You should be able to collimate it very easily with a screw driver still! I will aim the scope at a 45 degree angle to prevent dropping the screwdriver directly onto the mirror if it slips my grip when I do this. It does take longer and more care but it’s certainly possible and how we collimate many of our scopes!
Surprisingly, only the ES10 has come with these convenient knobs. The other ones (Skywatcher, Apertura) did not.
Apologies if you know all this already!
Here are the knobs you are looking for I believe: www.highpointscientific.com/bobs-knobs-orion-5-10-newtonian-collimation-knobs-secondary-mirror-cnsec30
But double check with your vendor to see if these are the right modification. I’ll try to dig deeper on cloudynights.com and see what I find in the morning!
I hope this helps!
- Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Oh boy, guess I will be on a mission today. Thanks so much for your assistance. Not quite sure how they expect clients to properly use a scope without all of the items required, it is a tiny item but it should still be part of the original equipment sold! Kinda like selling a table but then when it arrives none of the bolts are included to put it together! 😡
Thank you so much for your help, as for the angle of approach... point the scope down or you'll end up with a frown! We must always ensure we allow gravity to be our friend instead of enemy!
*Clear Skies!*
Great explanation of the steps getting a scope ready. Your relaxed approach is both very educational and fun to watch. A rare talent- Thanks!
R Green thank you SO much! I really appreciate that, we’ll try and do more 🙂❤️ clear skies!!
Thanks for posting. I'm finishing up a 15" Dob. You taught me a couple things about eyepieces.
Heck yeah I’m glad you found it useful! Clear skies ❤️
Great video Robert. Dobs are truly excellent scopes.
Thank you! And I agree I think they are awesome for beginners and pros alike. Clear skies to you!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Clear skies to you too my friend.
Excellent explanation and demonstration! Thanks!
Thank you so much!!
Thanks for donating that! I remember being a kid and looking through scopes
It was a big team effort and currently we're in the process of donating our 4th! Thank you and clear skies ❤
Thanks for the great video. I bought the 10" truss version of that scope (first real scope). I am looking forward to getting it set up and your video has given me a lot more confidence to do so. I just want to order the right angle finder and laser collimator first. Thank you again.
Heck yeah congratulations!! I hope your telescope came in good condition and you caught a glimpse of Saturn this year! If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I'm curious how you're enjoying the truss design and if collimation is any issue. Thanks again and clear skies!
Great explanation. Really enjoyed the presentation.
Oh awesome! I'm really glad you liked it, and thank you so much! Clear skies :)
Thanks or all that info! Excellent.
Heck yeah thank you and let me know if you want any more info! Clear skies!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Not too many clear skies here in Scotland lol. My partner has bought me an 8" Dobsonian so I'll be referring to your excellent video again when I'm setting it up. Thanks again.
Wow, I’m so glad I came across this! You explain how to use a dobsonian with such simple clarity. I am in the market to get a telescope and the bulk of the dobsonian is intimidating to me (esp living in a 3rd floor apartment!) However it doesn’t look too insane to set up, or too heavy. Collimating actually looks kinda fun😆 Thank you so much for making this!
Heck yeah I'm glad you found it useful! I lived on the 2nd floor at the time of this video and it can be a decent workout hauling it up and down lol. And it was worth it!! If you get stuck on anything or want any help let me know!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thanks for the reply!!! I got my Apertura AD10 yesterday :) Set it up last night and despite it being rainy, I still saw trees in detail far into town and saw planes flying. I can't wait to get it out this weekend when the skies are more clear. There's also a local astronomy club in NJ that my hubs found so we are going to go on Saturday night! So just learning how to use it now, really. Thanks to your video collimating it wasn't too hard! I got a Barlow Lens and it came with a 9mm which I read in your comments some people get a higher quality 9mm. It also came with a wide lens 30mm. Getting a case for this too I don't have to heave it so hard come up and down the stairs lol. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon! I read that Jupiter and Saturn are visible in the mornings which isn't really too great for me, so have to figure out what to search for in the evenings. Can't wait to be blown away!
@@auroreandream Congratulations on your new telescope!!! In case this is your first scope id like to share a ton of information:
Aiming it around at trees is a GREAT way to practice using your scope!! Especially when it’s rainy/cloudy. If you practice on a clear day however, I would be careful not to aim at any shiny metal objects/glass that is reflecting direct sunlight. I haven’t heard of any horror stories about how dangerous this can be but I’ve also heard surfaces like snow can reflect UV. I’ve certainly caught a stray glare once in a while looking at mountains and so far I’m okay but I’d just like to share that caution! Let me know if I am wrong about any of this!
Making sure the view finder is pointing at the same tree as the telescope is also great setup-practice! l like to align ours before each use by aiming at a distant radio tower or in the case of this video, the ‘H’ on our local Herald building.
That 9mm that comes with the AD10 I found to be underwhelming and we never use it. We prefer our Baader Hyperion 10mm for up more zoomed in views. However, the 30mm 2” eyepiece is great! Without using the focuser extension barrel that comes with the AD10, I can only achieve focus by having the 30mm drawn slightly out of the focuser, with a few millimeters of its silver barrel showing. Once in place, we get the entire Pleiades star cluster in view.
I am curious if that is the only way to get the 30mm to work properly. Let me know!
If you have any trouble with your scope try searching your exact issue but add “cloudynights” to the search. That forum is a GOLDMINE!
Also, I have a request: When you visit the astronomy group (congrats on finding them!), see if anyone has a zoom lens they can let you use or borrow. They seem to be great for beginners and I have taken to them myself. I want your guy’s opinion on it compared to the eyepieces you already have or any others you come across this weekend.
The idea is you can twist the eyepiece to zoom in or out, nullifying the immediate need for a full set of eyepieces. For me this also reduces the risk of dropping eyepieces (I’m clumsy) and I get to spend more time sharing instead of swapping eyepieces.
Here is a discussion I found talking about one in particular: www.cloudynights.com/topic/713122-i-don’t-know-what-to-title-this-eyepiece-thread/
And the culprit: www.telescope.com/Orion-E-Series-7-21mm-Zoom-Eyepiece/p/132267.uts
Other than the zoom lens, I feel like finding the right eyepiece for a particular object (like Saturn or the Andromeda Galaxy) is like finding the right car to buy. It’s a personal journey that I currently have no end in sight for.
But! I do know of a video that will help you decide should you start shopping: ruclips.net/video/na3NmOSMIX0/видео.html
Lastly, the planets will be up later this summer! Mid-September Saturn and Jupiter will be visible after sunset. Luckily for us, these planets will also be close to opposition during this time!! This means they will be on OUR side of the Sun, closer to Earth and appearing larger in our telescopes!
How I know this is from a free program called Stellarium. There is a really good phone app version as well, but it costs a few bucks and only has hundredth of the features available on the PC version. It can seem kind of clunky but it’s very useful!
Oh and one last tip: when you have a clear night, aim your scope at the 2nd star in the handle of the Big Dipper. There you will discover a binary star system. Two stars orbiting each other. Despite there being no gas giants in our skies tonight, there are still TONS of little treasures like this all over. Stellarium can show you where they all are. Lots of people start with the “Messier Objects” list (M13, M14 and so on). M3 is a good one to look at right now. Once you find the double-star let me know what y’all think and hey WELCOME TO SPACE!!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Ahh thanks for your response!!! Yes, this is my first telescope! Have binoculars, but after that lunar eclipse we had last November I knew I wanted something higher quality, and 40th bday is next week so I just treated myself :D What a weekend we had, clear skies and awesome company! My hubs got a telescope as well to join in on the fun (Celestron Powerseeker 80AZS) and I’m lucking out because he has gone down the astronomy rabbit hole with me lol
Quick story, there is an observatory in my town that is closed to the public right now. I thought this may be a good area to set up at night though because parks close after dark, yadda ya, didn’t want to step on any toes out there. Well we get to the observatory on Friday night and there were people in there! They had the dome open and they had the scope out. Someone walked out and we asked if we can set up there, and they let us in and showed us M3!!! Then, the sweetest man ever hung out with us for like an hour and showed us the celestial ropes. So much fun! He said he was going to this other observatory in NJ the next night, Jenny Jump UACNJ, and funny enough, we had tickets to go there too. So the next night when their presentation was over and people dispersed, we hung out with him with some other nice fellas. His telescope is top notch! Go to and high powered. They showed us Castor and taught us about how there are more stars that are actually a part of Castor. So much more too, the amount of information I took in this weekend and all the nice people we are meeting. Blown away!
Realizing that lens play a BIG role in this too (I was also told I should get a Telrad). The 30mm the AD10 came with is great! I can focus pretty well with it, but when I pop in the 9mm it came with it get a little hazy I have trouble focusing it. I definitely had the 30mm focused out all the way, I’ll have to look next time to see if the silver of the barrel is showing. I didn’t get to play with any zoom lenses but I know that I want one! I’m going to have to study lenses and start to understand all the specifics and how they're designed. Thanks for that video link too that was really helpful. I was trying to get my scope in on the handle of the dipper too to see the binary star, but I was having trouble locating it my scope, the viewfinder wasn’t really helping. That’s why someone suggested the telrad. Did gaze at Vega and pretty sure Spica. I know there is a learning curve to this, and practice!
Thank you so so much again for your response and the safety tips and all the other tips! Greatly appreciated!!!
@@auroreandream Heck yes Roothie, this was the report I was hoping for! You got to go to SPACE!!
Okay so you saw M3!! And through an OBSERVATORY TELESCOPE?!? WOW! Pretty cool cluster, right? Did you see it with your telescope by chance? And if so, how did you feel it compared to an observatory telescope? Same with this astronomer's personal go-to scope. Do you think your money was well spent or should you have saved up for something similar to theirs?
And congratulations as well on getting to meet some experienced astronomers! Phil Plait says the issue with astronomers is not getting them to talk, it's getting them to shut up! As you now know lol. He's known as the "Bad Astronomer" online and has a lot of great videos if you ever want to dive even deeper!!
Running into experienced astronomers is one of the reasons I love taking our telescope to the docks. There's always someone with more experience walking around and willing to share it. This is how I learned how to find the Orion Nebula, Bode's and The Exploding Galaxy. Also how I learned about Telrads! Which I have and yes they are a BIG help!!
Note: In Stellarium you can enable 'Telrad mode' and practice hunting objects at home using a simulated one!
And and, congratulations to your husband for picking up the hobby and getting a 80mm! I LOVE our 80mm refractor (Alice). Our personal setup is a Meade 8" Schmidt Cassegrain (Henrietta) and Alice mounted simultaneously on an LX 65 go-to mount. Me and my girlfriend can trade views while both telescopes are automatically following at the same object. It's awesome. I think having two very different telescopes side by side with two observers is literally twice the fun.
Do you think you will name yours?
This week we got our Baader Hyperion Zoom lens. I only tested it on the Moon but holy cow if you have the money and end up preferring zoom lenses I highly recommend it!!
optcorp.com/products/baader-8-24mm-hyperion-zoom-eyepiece
Thanks again for reporting back and let me know if I can help with anything else and clear skies to you!!
Thanks buddy, youve teached me the basics that I needed the most to get started with my 10" dobson!
Heck yeah!!! Let me know if you have any questions and clear skies to you!
What is the best camera to stick on this scope to take pictures ? affordable that is / cheap ? dont they have new gear u can stick on these to take pictures now ? u dont even need a camera etc ?
Hello Janah,
For all dobsonians EXCEPT the Apertura AD10 a DSLR is a good way to start. Any DSLR will do. Just get a T-Ring and either a 1.25" or a 2" nosepiece to screw on to the T-Ring. So DSLR > T-Ring > Nosepiece. The DSLR goes into the focuser just like an eyepiece. Do this and you can get excellent photos of the Moon, planets, and even some entry-level Deep Sky Astrophotography.
I currently use an Apertura AD10 which can NOT bring a DSLR to focus without a barlow lens.
If you have an AD10 or don't own a DSLR, then a ZWO ASI 120 or 224 are good cameras to begin with. I haven't tried other brands but I've heard they are all great. Any
4:59 So cool!! I never knew that, thanks for sharing :)
I am so glad that made sense, thanks for verifying :) Clear skies!
Very good video and thank you very much for the explanation. Now i known in the details how a Dobson telescope works
Heck yeah I'm so glad it helped! Clear skies to you, Mii!
Great video!!! Greetings from Panamá 🇵🇦
Thank you very much!! Clear skies to you and all of Panamá!
nice tutorial man, am going to by the Bresser version as soon as they become available in England thanks again
That’s awesome to hear, Tristan! Let me know if you have any troubles with it. Thank you and clear skies!! ❤️
Great video
Thank you & clear skies!
to clarify: the mirrors (also a hunk of glass) also have to be extraordinarily precise. it's cheaper because the glass doesn't have to be perfectly clear/transparent, you only need to make one curved surface instead of four precisely interrelated ones, and you can support it along its entire back surface instead of just its edge. They can also be much shorter--a 10" achromatic refractor would have to be enormous to avoid false color fringing, and an apochromat (vastly more expensive due to requiring an additional two curved surfaces in exotic glass) would still need to be pretty damn big.
An achromatic refractor has two glass lens elements of different compositions and therefore four curved surfaces. The lens elements must not only be precisely curved on their own, they also must be curved precisely so they meet up just right with the other curves. An apochromatic refractor has three elements, one of an exotic low-dispersion glass, and all six curves must be specially made to work together.
John Dobson "invented" the Dobsonian by making mirrors out of salvaged ship portholes.
in ANY optical device you can only deviate from the mathematically correct curve by 1/1000th the width of a saran wrap. That's somewhere around 1/4th to 1/8th the wavelength of light you're observing with.
Heck yeah that is some CLARITY on the differences between refractor and reflecting lenses!! ❤️ that made perfect sense to me thank you so much! I didn’t know about the port hole glass he used either, that’s awesome! Clear skies!
This was extremely helpful. Thank you!
Absolutely I’m so glad it helped 🙂 clear skies!!!
Nice video mate, very thorough!
Randeep Singh thank you so much! 🙂👍
Just ordered my first 8" dobsonian, very excited about it. Your video is gonna help me a lot setting it up!
(youre reminding me so much of a young Dave Grohl btw haha)
Greetings from Austria
Hah! I'd be happy with current Dave Grohl. Dude's a stud! And Congratulations on your first Dobsonian!!! If you run into any snags feel free to contact me. Hope to get your signature some day and clear skies to you in Austria!!
Thanks. A very interesting and informative demonstration.
Thank you very much, Mark and Clear skies to you!
Wow I love the signatures, what a great idea
Hah thank you I hope others do the same with their dobs. Our current outreach scope is all black with multicolored metallic signatures. It looks amazing in the moonlight!
Great job Robert! Have you ever tried cleaning the mirror? Or is it best just to leave it be, thanks Jimmie
Hello! I have cleaned our 4.5" twice and our 12" twice. This telescope is in the care of the Explorations Academy and on my last inspection the mirror was still very clean and did not need any maintenance other than collimation. It's been in operation since Q4 of 2018.
There are some wonderful tutorials out there, and here is what I found on cloudynights: www.cloudynights.com/topic/577895-cleaning-reflector-mirrors/
Personally, I think cleaning mirrors is really rewarding. Yes, you can mess it up and often I do perfer to just leave it be. But if the view is blurry or "foggy" after collimation, I take a closer look at the mirror's condition.
Not using a flashlight, I will try and gauge how dirty it is with my eyes. If I see lots of residue almost like a film, with lots of spots across the surface, then I decide it's time.
This was the case with my 4.5". After a few years acting as a loaner telescope, it became very dirty and I had slightly foggy views. It seemed like dew was building up on the mirror after use and allowing dust to dissolve into a sticky layer. Worse, there were hairs on the mirror.
Hair on the mirror can usually be dusted off but if it becomes stuck, then the oils could start leaking onto your mirror. There were halos of oil surrounding the stuck hairs.
To clean it, I used a drop of Dawn non-scented dish soap, warm water, facial tissues and my bare fingertips to remove all the gunk. Then, I gave it a distilled water rinse and let it drip-dry, removing larger water spots with the corner of a tissue. It looks as good as new!
The 12" had been stored in an office where smoking was permitted. It's mirror was coated in nicotine tar and was very dusty. A whole other beast.
At first I didn't notice the tar and carried out the same procedure as the 4.5". Even coated in nicotine, it still had enough light gathering power to show me the Orion Nebula in more color than my perfectly clean 10". My issue was achieving good focus. I inspected the mirror from an angle and thought the mirror's coating was slightly orange. That's when I realized what I was dealing with.
I gave the whole mirror a distilled white vinegar bath and had to rub off the remaining tar. It took hours! Two small scratches came out of this near the edge, but now the mirror has a slight purple hue when I inspect it from the angle (which I believe is the right coating color) and provides wonderful views!
I hope this helps you decide when it's time to clean your mirror and gauge the value you could get out of it. If you need any help, i'll be here!
Thanks again and clear skies!
- Robert
Pretty cool doing the collimation 👌 greetings from the UK 🔭
Thanks! Let me know if you need anything cleared up (besides your sky) ;) and Hello!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438yup 👌 absolutely i will 🔭
@4:50 is there a good way to remove the 4 points showing up in a star photograph?
I have never tried, but I did find this post on cloudy nights and I hope it helps: www.cloudynights.com/topic/803119-removing-diffraction-spikes-on-a-newtonian-telescope/
Clear skies!!
Excellent introduction
Thank you very much & clear skies!!
Well done Mate & all the best. Great Vid & “John” would appreciate your Efforts to get us all looking UP👍🍺
I really appreciate that :) would have been wonderful to get his signature. Clear skies to you!! ❤️❤️
Nice walkthrough on dobs 👍👍👍
Keep Looking Up thank you so much!! Awesome channel name! ❤️
Loved the detailed video.
Sreenivas Satish thank you so much!
amazing video tutorial! thank you and best wishes from Brazil! o/
Alexey Honorio thank you so much! Clear skies to you!!
I'm getting a Saxon 10 inch Dobsonian and I was wondering if I needed a Collimator. Awesome video btw 👍
Also AMAZING job replying to literally every comment, real dedication you have to help beginners and pro's with telescopes, awesome job man.
@@deepmop6817 Haha thank you! It's a labor of love, and congratulations on your next telescope! For large scopes, I think a collimator is necessary. I assume it has something to do with how the telescope is handled and stored over time that requires it. I keep the big ones rolling around in the back seat 24/7, loosening the mirrors and exposing it to various temperatures, forcing me to collimate once a week minimum. For the crispiest views, it's definitely a worth-while purchase! :)
If you post any photos through your Saxon please let me know where so I can follow.
Thank you again and clear skies!!
Excellent. Thank you
Thank you!! & clear skies to you!
Man this is the most thorough & informative tutorial on RUclips for this telescope! Thanks heaps man !
Im a beginner and bought one yesterday, it came with a 10 mm and 25mm eye piece .
I haven't yet used the 25 mm.
Can I see the rings of Saturn with those eye pieces ? Or do I have to buy those additional lenses that you have ?
Hey thank you so much sorry for the late reply! Yes you can definitely see the rings of Saturn with both of those eyepieces, however the 10 should give you a better view of the rings at 127x magnification. I would invest in a Barlow lens (the Meade x3 Barlow is my favorite for a cheap barlow) and then you should be able to spy the Cassini Division with no problem! By the way, to figure all this out I use astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ when I type in our dobson's specs (1270mm focal length with 254mm aperture) and eyepiece info (10mm) assuming your eyepiece is about 50 degrees FOV and I select Saturn as the object, I see a small Saturn. With a x2 barlow I see it much better. With an x3 it may be tricky tracking but looks like it would fill a good portion of your view at x381 mag. I hope that helps! Clear skies!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 wow , great info there , thanks for informative feedback,will look into purchasing that recommended barlow , and will look into that link , regards from Western Australia 🙂🤙🔭
Thanks Robert for all your insights.. Complete noob here. Can this type of telescope (dobson) be mounted later on a equatorial mount? being the idea to track the objects after we find it?
Yes! The Tube Rings come with a dovetail so you can do just that! However, the telescope is long and weighs about 30 pounds. You would need a very serious mount and good balance.
Here is a post I found where people discuss mounting a 10" on EQ.
www.cloudynights.com/topic/706430-eq-mount-for-a-10-inch-f55-newtonian/
Eventually after searching for mounts and motorization options, I settled with a smaller scope because it was cheaper and I could take photos of a larger area of the sky. I am curious which direction your research will take you!
Thank you and clear skies!!
Thanks a lot, very useful. Cheers!
Thanks, Alex!! Clear skies!
Robert, I saw someone using a magnet on the back of their Dob, for counterweight for the eyepieces they were using. If the scope got front heavy, they slid the magnet back, until they had equilibrium again. While it looks like a fast way to balance the scope, you would have to keep your cameras, phones, watches, and any kind of memory cards away from it, or they could be wiped out!! Maybe put the magnet on the bottom side of the scope? I just got mine in, and put it together! Due to rain, and cloudy skies, it hasn't left the living room yet!
Paul, of course you got the curse! It happens every time you get a new eyepiece or camera as well. Clouds roll in. Every time!!! Don't worry though, the stars shouldn't go far in the mean time :)
Did you end up getting the Hyperion 10mm?
And yes, magnets can be a worry!! I use a magnetic light for balancing and keep it in a separate part of my equipment bag. Once on the scope it usually rests in the middle or near the mirror. I haven't ever had to place mine up close near the camera, luckily!
You could put the magnet on the underside and you should have no problem unless you were aiming straight up. But in that the case you won't need the balancing magnet.
Also, those magnets are pricey! If you are crafty you could probably get away with something cheaper. Maybe line some felt on a magnet from a hardware store. The flashlight I use I got for free!
Then there are bungee cords with weights you could use as well. Here is a post on cloudy nights with some fun innovations: www.cloudynights.com/topic/520205-how-do-you-counter-balance-a-dob/
Congratulations on your new dobsonian, by the way!!!! I hope the clouds go away soon!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Yes, I got the 10mm Hyperion! It looks and feels wonderful! Now to just get a chance to look through the dang thing! I've also been looking at zoom lenses. Probably and after Christmas buy, but they appear to be very versatile! I've been enjoying your videos! I love how you enthusiastically share your astronomy knowledge, and gear! Letting interested people look at amazing sights! I'm hoping one day, I can also share the stars and planets with others. First, I have to see the dang things myself!! Haha! Learn my new telescope, the best lenses to use for different things, and filters? I've been binging on videos, the more I watch, the more I realize how little I know!
@@paulmurphy5489 Hey Paul,
For filters, I really love my Baader Variable Polarizing Filter. www.highpointscientific.com/baader-planetarium-1-25-double-polarizing-filter-fpol-1d
They are pricey and to adjust the filter I have to take your eyepiece out of the focuser. Once I find the right setting for my eye, I usually leave it alone for the rest of the night.
Orion makes one that is much cheaper: www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=5560 but will still require you to remove the eyepiece to make filter adjustments.
When I bought my first 10" Dob I got a Meade Variable Polarizing filter. It's like a barlow lens and you get to adjust the brightness without removing the eyepiece. It's awesome. BUT!!! It adds focal length to your eyepieces, reducing your field of view, just like a barlow. I would guess it's a 1.25x-1.5x increase in magnification due to the extension barrel. And no, I could not modify it to have a shorter barrel. I tried. With it, I could never get a full lunar disc to show up in any of my eyepieces. Still awesome to see the image become dimmer while looking through the scope!!
Thes standard 1.25" ND filters are great. Everyone seems to make them, I would just stay away from the green-tinted plastic ones.
Here is a decent one: www.highpointscientific.com/celestron-1-25-neutral-density-moon-filter-94105
The problem I had with ND filters was deciding how much light I wanted to cut. Some block 10%, others 30%. This is why I chose the variable filter rather than owning 3-4 moon filters.
I do not use any other filters other than my Moon filters. I have tried nebula-enhancing filters, and cheap (
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Is there another forum I could ask an occasional question?
@@paulmurphy5489 Absolutely Paul!
Forums:
www.cloudynights.com
stargazerslounge.com/
www.backyardastro.org/
Facebook Groups: facebook.com/groups/1706540192896784/
facebook.com/groups/AmateurAstronomytelescope
Subreddits:
www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/
- Robert
EXCELLENT tutorial! Thank you!
Thank YOU!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Great video! Cleared my mind a lot but I was wondering about one last thing before buying my first dobsonian. Since I live in a bortle 8 city and would primarily observe from there, does it still make sense to buy a dob?
As long as you are content knowing that galaxies and other feint objects will be a challenge, then I would say yes! Planets, star clusters and our Moon will certainly shock your brain when you see how cool they look through a bigger telescope. However, galaxies and nebulae do require a darker sky to truly see their structure in my opinion.
Here are some more opinions I found:
www.cloudynights.com/topic/706777-what-should-i-look-for-in-a-bortle-8-area-this-time-of-the-year/
If you do not plan to travel to dark sites and deep sky objects are not your main goal, then a good sized refractor might be a better option! I personally would not go smaller than a 102mm and I have friends who had lots of fun with refractors in cityscapes. Dobsonians are still a good choice though!
One more advantage of the refractor is that the smaller apeture is cheaper to purchase a solar filter for. If sunspots or planetary transits were an interest, refractors are well-suited for solar observations.
I wish we had more data on this subject since all I have are authoratitive resources. Regardless, here is another opinion:
John mentioned that a 10" or a 12" is "still very good in the cities." ruclips.net/video/snz7JJlSZvw/видео.html
I have looked through an 8" and 10" side by side in bortle 5 and the 10" is worth the price, and is only a little larger when it comes to storing. So another option I will throw at you is to get a 10" instead of an 8". I feel like I see more moons and cloud belts on Jupiter through a 10". 12" is even better but the size and price difference are steep, in my opinion.
If you can find a local club or a library that will lend our a telescope for you to test, I would do that first!
Hope all this helps and I am glad you enjoyed the video. Please let me know if there is anything else we discuss!
Clear skies.
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Thank you so much for your answer. That’s why I love this community, everybody is so gentle!
Hi, I'm new to this channel. I have a 6" dob.its ok, but I'm thinking about getting a 10 inch . Just wondering what to go for though. 10" dob or a fair size refractor. Any thoughts? Thanks
Hello Carl!
There is a LOT of variables I try to consider when deciding what telescope to get next. I feel like the most important thing to consider is if you have the space to store a 10" Dobsonian and how you plan to move it around. One thing that kills the hobby for people is how cumbersome these instruments can be. If you find your 6" to be a bother for your back or floor space, then going bigger might not be the best idea!
However, if you don't mind the physical labor involved and/or have clever methods to make the setup more mobile, such as a dolly, then I say go for it!
Now, whether you want a reflector or a refractor is a whole other conversation. Size and weight are definitely factors but what attracts a lot of folks towards Dobsonians are the price. It seems far cheaper to get a 6" reflector as opposed to a 6" refractor. But there are other factors, too. Such as quality of optics for astrophotography or maybe you hate the diffraction spikes that comes off of stars in newtonians (which is an easy fix!). Or maybe you just enjoy the look of them! I think Refractor owners have many good reasons for buying them. I can't wait to own a nice 5" APO some day.
My main reason for buying a 10" Dobsonians? They have the most amount of space for gathering signatures!
Here is a fun conversation on the subject: www.cloudynights.com/topic/535969-5-inch-apo-refractor-vs-810-inch-dobsonians/
Also, look around on that forum for more conversations about it if you can. That website is a goldmine for us space enthusiasts!
Let me know if I can help any further, I love helping people choose their telescopes!
Lastly, have you considered an SCT? I'd like to know what you think about them!
- Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 thank you for your detailed reply. I've been looking at a nexstar STC.i think I may try one of them as well 😂 I have a spare room to put a big telescope, I'm so undecided wether or not to try an 8" dob or just go for the 10 inch. I'm only just getting into telescopes and I do enjoy viewing the sky. Not sure about astro photography yet. I'd just like to see mars and the polar caps. And some clearer images of planets. I'll keep you posted about the decision I make. Thank you once again. Very nice of you 😊
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 also how do you fix the spikes from stars??
@@carlstevens4981 Hello Carl,
If you have no problem with using your dob now and wouldn't mind using a bigger one, I would get the 10" instead of an 8". If you have a truck, dark skies and a big back yard, I would actually get a 12" instead. I've hung out with owners of an 8" dob and we used my 10" side by side. In the end we all agreed the 10" was superior. Both OTA's could be stored in the backseat of a small car. The base can fit in the back of a hatchback or ride shotgun. In a sports car its a tighter squeeze but luckily my Nissan Versa Note seems like it was built for hauling 10" dobs. 12" dobs are too big for my car, and that is another reason I went with a 10".
If you are sick of manually finding objects, a GoTo setup like the Nexstar SCT would be a nice compromise. The 8" version is very expensive but these scopes are often people's dreamboat for decades. I have an 8" Meade SCT on an LX65 GoTo mount. It's one of my favorite personal setups! I baby that scope far more than my Dobs and also use it for planetary time lapses and messier marathons. LOVE my 8" SCT!
I digress, an SCT GoTo is an excellent choice if you got the budget. It's also a very up-gradable system compared to a dobsonian. 10" Newtonians are kind of an expensive project to get mounted on anything other than a dobsonian base (for me). So if you go the dob route, you might be stuck with the manual push-to system for a bit. If you go the SCT route, you can more affordably upgrade your mount or even modify the one it comes with should you wish to explore more precise tracking for both visual and imaging.
Of course, there are GoTo dobs but those are also very expensive. But they are really cool!!
I'm hoping to try a 12" Collapsible GoTo someday.
If you're wondering if you can do astrophotography with a 10" Dobsonian, the answer is yes!! Here is a photo of the Orion Nebula taken with our last 10" dob: instagram.com/p/Clvg9zCuMFQ/
How you remove diffraction spikes from newtonian images: www.cloudynights.com/topic/803119-removing-diffraction-spikes-on-a-newtonian-telescope/
I am still exploring the potential of the newtonian system but I think they are on par with SCTs when it comes to planetary views. Currently I am experimenting with fans and it seems to be improving my views at high magnification. So more to come on this subject, but I think you will love the planetary views through either an SCT or a Dob.
Mars looks great through both, but with a big dobsonian you may want to purchase a filter to block some of the light. Dobsonians have naturally brighter views and planets shine like bright stars. Details can be washed out due to this. SCTs have much cleaner contrast and are typically ideal for planets and lunar viewing.
Maksutov telescopes are by far the best planetary telescopes (in my opinion). They produce the sharpest views of any telescope. But of course there is a con to every pro with these darn things. Maksutovs have narrow fields of view due to their design. This means you can't zoom out far enough to see large star clusters and big galaxies like Andromeda.
Dobsonians CAN zoom OUT very far and see all of Andromeda and the Pleiades for example and they can also zoom in very close to get crisp planetary views given they are acclimated (remember the fan thing?) and well-collimated. But again their views are very bright which can degrade the contrast unless you use a filter or find some way to dim the view.
SCTs are right in the middle. They can't zoom out as far as a newtonian but they not as restricted as Maksutovs. They do not have the sharpness of a Maksutov but they have more contrast than the Newtonians.
Now, if you're going for details like the polar ice caps, I think an 8" SCT or a 10" Dob will be just fine. I have seen it with both but more often with my 10" dob just be cause it's easier to setup. We think there is a negligent difference when it comes to details while looking at planets through either an SCT or a newtonian.
If you like to modify stuff a lot, a Dob is a fun, inexpensive and very robust telescope to work on. It's an excellent choice for DIY types. An SCT is a little more jewel-like and can be a bit of a money-pit when it comes to tricking them out.
Here is a video of Mars through the eyepiece of a 10" dob ruclips.net/video/YkEGw4CT2ow/видео.html
I could go on and on! And I will. Let me know what else we can consider for your future telescope. Whatever you decide, there will always be a return opportunity should it not work out!
- Robert
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 you have no idea how grateful I am. You taken time to write me a very in-depth reply, very helpful too. I'm going for a smaller starsence explorer dx5. App enabled so it's easy to find things. Then I'll use both for a little while, then I'll go for the big 10" and I think that may do. I would maybe like to go the astrophotography route in the end. But I'm just enjoying the viewing at the moment.
I'm super impressed with the photos from the 10" they look absolutely amazing, I only hope I can progress enough to make it pleasurable for me and keep me in love with the sky.
Once again thank youso much for taking the time to reply. Very much appreciated. And that collimation advice was great. Very simple and to the point. Excellent. 😊
Is this the same as the Bresser Messier 10" Dobs?
I believe so, yes! I've managed to install the Bresser 1:10 Upgrade Knob on the Explore Scientific 2.5" Hex Focuser with no issues if that helps.
I love your presentation. Well done
Garnett Leary, thank you so much & clear skies to you!
Robert hi not being mean but why did you put whole bunch names on your scope? i too have an astro channel and have 10 or 11 scopes. i would never do that to mine, i know dobs are not as expensive as other kind but it still cost almost $1000 cdn.
Heres a question tho if i can. Do you care if you try to re sell that dob one day you will not only get the norm 30 to 50% from it being used BUT it be maybe even be 50% of the used price because of all thats on it?
From a financial point of view, your concern is entirely valid.
However, the signatures have no adverse effects on the telescope's capabilities, and I do always ask that no one signs the lenses to keep it that way :)
On the contrary, visitors often assume the telescope is worth double its original price.
Of course, the telescope is not for sale since we already donated it to a local school!
Moreover, the signatures obtained on each telescope are all extraordinary in value to me.
Each one is someone's stamp of approval and proof that they had a chance to look through it!
You see, we did not allow anyone to sign it that did not make an observation.
Now, imagine if one of our visitors was so inspired by what they saw that they became a scientist.
Next, imagine if that same visitor cured an infectious disease or made some profound mathematical discovery!
Then, what would you say the telescope was worth with their signature on it?
Lastly, with all their flare of personality, different shapes, sizes, orientations, and colors: the signatures remind me of the diverse makeup of the very universe we live in!
To me, the signatures highlight that we are all important, we are all-stars, and that maybe we should all try to be more kind to one another.
Then again, the value can be subjective :) Hope this helps!
Clear skies!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 ok you know what robert you kinda changed my mind, i mean i still wont do it to mine but i understand on your and kinda agree now.
Iam sure there be tons of people that could wanna sign my tak toa 150 but i like your idea on a dob.
anyway i never seen a dob like yours and great it taught alot people our hobby cheers
joe
On the other side of the finder scope There is a piece where are you take the bigger dust cap off and you can move the piece left or right vertically I’ve been trying to figure out what that piece is for would you know
It sounds like you may be twisting your viewfinder’s lens cell, which could be for focusing your viewfinder. Is this piece specifically attached to your viewfinder? Is it a lever, or a screw of some kind? If it’s easier, you can contact me on Instagram or Facebook to send me a photo of it. Congrats on getting a telescope!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Awesome thank you,I have a sky watcher collapsible 10” Dobsonian telescope, The piece came with it it does not have any screws or anything like that but you’re just able to adjust it by turning it left or right,
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 if you could let me know what your Facebook is that would be appreciated, and thank you really excited about having one ! :)
@@amyhuntington5336
FB: spacetimewithrobert
Instagram: @space_time_with_robert
Let's figure this out!
I used to think collimation was such a difficult thing but you’ve shown how easy it is. I’m from Pakistan and wants to buy a telescope after doing my research and knowing every aspect of it.
I am very glad you found it useful! Dobsonians are a remarkably simple technology. Easy to fix, tweak, modify and maintain. I hope your telescope comes in quickly along with many clear skies over Pakistan ❤️
any luck w the telescopes? @Burhan Khwaja
Can you please List ALL the items including all the filters and different lenses.....
So I may look into purchasing them :) Thank you...... I plan on purchasing a 16 or 20 inch version which fits perfectly near my second floor window balcony. :)
In this video I use a
- GSO 8x50 Correct Image Viewfinder
- Both a Meade Laser Collimator and an Apertura Laser Collimator
- Baader Hyperion 10mm
- Highpoint Scientific 32mm
- Meade x3 Short Barrel Barlow Lens
- Meade ND96 Moon Filter
- Canon T2 Adapter
Does this help? & Thank you so much!
I hope your balcony observatory works out for you :) I used to have a window balcony and that is where I first saw Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon through my 114mm! What telescopes do you currently have out there?
I've been trying to find out what the pros/cons are of getting a
collapsible dob vs one with a solid tube... anyone have any ideas? btw, I
can tell the collapsible one would be more compact but that's about the
only difference I can gleam lol
This was a big consideration for me when choosing the telescope. The clerk at the store actually recommended the truss tube version. Just so you know, I have never used a truss telescope. However, I did do some research and here is what I found to help make a decision:
(Also, If anyone reads this and finds I am wrong about any of it, please correct me!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Awesome, thank you for the thorough reply! I haven't heard of a truss tube, is that like a truss rod on a guitar? like for stability of the tube? at any rate, the more I hear about solid/collapsible scopes, the more I think a sollid tube is right for me; I don't mind waiting for the mirror to acclimate, I like the ease of setting it up and from what I've seen they tend to be cheaper. Oh, and like you said, there's lots of signature space lol Also I heard with a solid tube (and a solar filter) you can look at the sun! So that sounds cool. btw, I'm leaning towards a 10" as well, that will be a huge upgrade from 6" and seems like it will still be manageable for me. Oh, one last thing... are there any particular brands you would recommend? Thanks again for your help and have a wonderful, clear day (or night rather lol)
@@SeanDS89 WHOOPS!!! I totally forgot about ACTUAL collapsible dobsonians, which is probably what you were asking about!
For instance: I was imagining a telescope that requires assembly, and broke down into multiple parts, including truss bars.
Not the type of telescope that is assembled at home, and only adjusted and fine-tuned during use, such as the Skywatcher 10" Flextube.
The latter is a much harder comparison (for me) to make against a Solid Tube Dobsonian.
If I had one, my car could fit another person, or another telescope! I could buy a shroud and get that covered in signatures. I could have more room in my apartment. I feel like the extra cost would be totally worth it.
By the way, thanks for getting me to think about this. You have me seriously considering one for our show!!
As for performance, I know this guy uses one: instagram.com/p/B-N385VpeMM
ruclips.net/user/metrolinaszabi0323 is his youtube channel.
He manages to get amazing shots of the ISS, planets, and the Moon.
If you can, try and send him a message and see what he thinks about a flextube dobsonian for solar observing. It may not be that risky! He's probably looked into it.
I would recommend starting a post on Cloudy Nights to let the experts weigh in if you want more input. Here is one post I found going over the differences between a flextube and a solid tube:
www.cloudynights.com/topic/716049-difference-between-a-flextube-and-classic-dob/
For recommended brands: I have used Skywatcher, Explore Scientific, Apertura, Orion, Meade, Celestron and Hardin Optical. In my opinion they are all good! Despite Meade's turbulent recent history, their products are my favorite. I can't get over how good things look through their 8" ACF. However, the flextube design seems to only be provided by Skywatcher. Our first dobsonian was a Skywatcher 10" Solid Tube (John I) and we absolutely loved it!!! Covered it in 750+ signatures and it's now the flagship telescope for Bellingham High School.
The main issue I had with it was re-tightening screws on the inside altitude bearings. They were very hard to reach. However, their flex-tube design would abolish that issue for me.
For truss bar definition: I looked it up and it sounds like a Truss is just a structural support to make three or more compononets act as a sigle object. The difference between a telescope truss bar and a guitar truss bar is that you can bend the guitar truss to counter any bowing or warping in your fretboard via a hidden bolt. I am not sure if that fine-tuning is available in standard telescope truss bars, but I believe that's the major difference (let me know if I am wrong!) Otherwise, yes it is for support!
For a fun "what would I do if I had a million dollars" google search: look up Truss Tube Ritchey Chretien Telescope
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 ok awesome, thanks again for all the info!
Very Nice Robert! I want to buy a Skywatcher Heritage 130 MM Dobson as my first telescope ( the European AWB OneSky). What do you think about it, and what accesories should i buy ( ocullars ,filters , Barlow,etc). The Skywatcher comes with two Super Oculars ,a 25 MM and a 10 MM. Thanks! 🙂🔭🔭🔭
Hello Alex and thank you! I have never owned a Skywatcher Heritage 130 MM Dobson but I have considered buying one for my Grandpa and I think it should make an excellent first telescope.
Here is an article I found and Jon Isaacs (2nd post in the discussion) seems to think they are good as well but mentions the attention needed for collimation and cooldown(something I never mentioned in this video!).
www.cloudynights.com/topic/636445-skywatcher-heritage-130p-vs-skywatcher-skymax-102-maksutov/
TLDR:
- For me, I would first invest in a Moon filter and a Collimator tool.
- Then, an X3 Barlow lens. I prefer Meade Short Focus Barlows.
- Finally, I would get a 17mm eyepiece.
The reason I chose X3 is because of this calculator
astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/
It's a tool I use for any telescope purchase I plan to make. The views simulated represent the size of the object in your eyepiece or camera, not the level of detail obtainable. For that, you need clear, steady skies, on top of good optics.
When I select the 130mm Heritage, a 10mm eyepiece with 52 degrees FOV(the standard kind of eyepiece that comes with these telescopes, however I could not confirm the exact FOV), and try to simulate Jupiter at x65 magnification I get displeasing results.
I would not be satisfied with that view if I wanted to see the Great Red Spot, for example.
However, with an x3 Barlow lens added in the drop-down menu in the calculator, I get 195x and this is much better.
Note: I typically need an object to be high in the sky, and a very clear and steady sky to not see complete rubbish at 195x. An X2 Barlow is another option but with the 10mm your magnification would only reach 130x, which is half the theoretical limit of your telescope.
Another Note: the theoretical magnification limit would be Aperture MM * 2 (130*2 = 260)
Another eyepiece, perhaps a 17mm, would also be a nice investment. You can simulate the views of any in the calculator!
Alternatively, if you felt like switching eyepieces and re-attaching filters to be too much work (sometimes I do), then a Zoom lens might be a useful investment. I prefer the Meade one. However, with the truss design, I would not trusSt(hah) this telescope with much weight on the eyepiece and would probably stick with the more traditional eyepieces. But again, I have not owned one and can't say for sure.
With the Moon filter, X3 Barlow, and maybe a 17mm eyepiece to fill the magnification gaps, I would be very happy (for years) with that telescope setup. I have so much fun with just basic setups, that I have still yet to explore the realm of color filters and how they help. So I cannot recommend any of thse, but I have read they can help with contrast and details while observing the Planets and the Moon.
Lastly, a Collimator tool will be a necessary investment at some point. These kinds of telescopes do need maintenance and I would predict this one would need a bit more due to the truss design. I have had good luck so far with Laser collimators but look into other options such as visual collimators or how to collimator using just your eye. This may prove to be your most important investment in making this telescope last.
Because of the open tube design, I would not trust this telescope with a Solar Filter and would not buy one.
I hope this all helps and let me know if it doesnt and what needs more clarification :) Clear skies!
I'm thinking of getting my first telescope. But I am torn between so many options available. I live in a small apartment in the city. I can't drive out that much to dark places away from light pollution. Would it still be possible for me to do stargazing using a telescope? If so, which one might be a good starting point for me? Thanks!
Just so you know, I have never used one. However, I think this may be a good first telescope for you:
www.telescope.com/Orion-StarMax-90mm-TableTop-Maksutov-Cassegrain-Telescope/p/102016.uts
While Moongazing and Planetary views should be possible from your vantage point, I am not sure how bad your light pollution is! When I lived in my 700 square foot apartment on the 3rd story (with a balcony facing south) I had a lot of fun with a 114mm Table Top Dobsonian Telescope and a x3 Barlow Lens. Finding products in stock is tough at the moment, but here are two products I found in stock that should give you the same views I had:
www.highpointscientific.com/zhumell-z114-portable-altazimuth-reflector-telescope-zhus002-1
www.highpointscientific.com/apertura-2-5x-barlow-lens-1-25-a-25xb1
With that kind of setup I could see the Andromeda Galaxy, Ring Nebula, Saturn's Rings, Jupiter's belts and Moons, and lots and lots of craters on the Moon. Fainter objects such as the Triangulum Galaxy or Flame Nebula may require a bigger telescope.
Given that you are in a small apartment, a big telescope may take up too much space. Typically, the bigger your scope the deeper into space you can look. However, the bigger your scope, the more light pollution it will gather as well!
The drawback of the setup I started with (114mm/x3 barlow) was how bright it made things look. This is not a problem if you live in a dark area but can be a major pain for light polluted areas, as the telescope amplifies ALL light, including that coming from the nearby city.
Telescopes that have baffles built in may be helpful in countering stray light, such as the first telescope I listed (90mm mak).
Finding objects by naked eye before zooming in with your scope is also a difficult task in light polluted areas. Although I do recommend that astronomers should find objects by hand first, before upgrading to computerized telescope, tracking may be helpful if you can't make out constellations.
Again, I haven't used one... yet ;) here is a recommend tracking scope for inner-city beginners: www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/celestron-nexstar-5se-schmidt-cassegrain-computerized-telescope-11036
If you have a wide budget, you may consider purchasing a Televue 76 or 80. If you have Instagram, there is an account @phillymoonmen and they have used a Tv76 on the streets of Philadelphia. Brenden is a big advocate of their contrast and recommends it for those living in a city. However, I recommend starting cheap and working your way up to more expensive telescopes as you get a feel for what it is you want to do with one. Or go big, and keep a receipt :)
As you said, there are lots of models and each has their pros and cons. If you find a model you like (for whatever reason) hit me up on Instagram, Facebook, or just comment back and we can go over simulated views through a calculator. This process will show us how big things will look in your first telescope, which to me is an important selling factor that people should know before buying one. However, who doesn't like surprises? Let me know if any of this helps and what I can explain further. Clear skies!!
Hello Robert. I am considering a 10 inch dobsonian. There are many options to choose from: explore scientific, apertura, skywatcher, zhumell, orion. The list goes on. I would like to know where I can find comparisons on technical details on things like relative obstruction, mirror reflectivities, focuser type material quality, base quality?
Can you do a video on this subject? Thanks
That would be a great video. So many things come to mind with just the three I have been fortunate enough to use.
I will try and see if such a video could be arranged!
While we wait, I would like to suggest a website for figuring out just the kinds of things you're curious about: cloudynights.com
This forum has many users with in-depth personal reviews of their equipment and specific details otherwise difficult to find online.
For example, I wanted to learn about the central obstruction percentage of a Newtonian, and what it would equate to if it were a Refractor. From what I have read, it turns out that a 114mm Newtonian on average can yield as much resolution as a 102mm Refractor.
Here is a topic on Secondary Mirror Obstruction: www.cloudynights.com/topic/656140-secondary-mirror-obstruction/
Here is a topic on Skywatcher vs ES dobs: www.cloudynights.com/topic/601564-10-skywatcher-solid-tube-dob-vs-explore-scientific-10-dob/
and these two seems right up your alley: www.cloudynights.com/topic/554887-dobsonian-telescopes-which-one-and-why/
www.cloudynights.com/topic/554329-theoretical-comparison-of-light-gathering-power-of-5-6-8-newtssct/
Cloudynights is one of my most valuable resources when it comes to learning specifics on any given telescope. I hope this information is useful to you. If you find a better resource, please share it with me! Clear skies to you
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Awesome. Thank you for the info.
Loved the video , I'm looking at buying the same telescope for myself and my grown up kids , I doubt I will buy another in my lifetime so this was my choice . I live in a very light polluted area and don't drive and will not be able to travel at all with it so stuck with my backyard . Will I still be able to get some decent use out of it or should I just give up on having a telescope in my area . I can see planets with the naked eye and of course right now it's Orion right outside my backdoor but difficult to see a lot more with the naked eye . I know it's an old post but you never know :)
If you have STEADY skies I would recommend getting it or even going bigger! Here is an Ad-heavy article that made me change my mind about considering light pollution when buying a telescope (a trick I found to stop the advertisements is to hit the “stop” or “x” button where the refresh icon usually is once you see text)
astronomy.com/observing/get-to-know-the-night-sky/2006/12/setup-is-key-when-urban-stargazing
I will share more articles with you soon from cloudynights.com and my own experiences with light pollution and big scopes, but I think it sounds like a good choice!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Brilliant thanks a good read . I have to say we do not get sky glow , it's more a streetlamp and neighbours . I can easily wait out the neighbours but streetlamps no . The one streetlamp though that is extremely close is behind our kitchen/bathroom extension if I stay near the back door then it's not in my eyeline but light would bleed from behind the wall . After reading the article I think I am more convinced to go ahead and buy the 10"Dobsonian , I could not manage anything larger :P The article only had the one ad on the site which was clicked off immediately . Thanks again for your time , appreciate it . I have subscribed , I love your way of teaching especially about something I never knew and that was collimation , now I know how to do that easily . Thanks .
@@nodders6830 Hey thank you so much! For a more in-depth understanding of collimation check out: www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/
It should be a very long time before you need to clean your mirrors (hopefully a decade or more) but if you do, re-aligning the mirrors can easily be done with that tutorial and Cheshire collimator.
It sounds like you just need a big dome! :) A trick I use to block out nearby lights is to build a dew shield out of some camping mat material and duct tape for about $15. It's a small cylinder of foam that fits around the front of the telescope. To counter-balance I will put a magnetic flashlight near the mirror on the outside of the tube, which I can use later for cleaning up!
Without this dew shield, I would get bad contrast near street lights, but could still see planets and the Moon just fine.
I've used this scope in a down-town setting and peered at Jupiter with a street light just a few hands-width away from where I was pointing. Everyone loved it! We could see stripes and moons! I was really impressed because I thought the nearby light would ruin the view. Which it did technically, but not for us amateurs :) Deep sky objects however were much more difficult. You could make them out for sure, but with little contrast it was definitely a tease.
Using a 8-inch and a 10-inch side by side in average sky glow (bortle 5) I could see more stars in the same spot of sky with the 10-inch and the contrast was the same for my eyes. The only reason I could think of someone getting the 8 after that test was for price and weight. I felt like that 2006 article confirmed it for me.
Smaller scopes are still amazing though! We have this 80mm Achromatic (Alice) that gives stunning wide-angle views. When I go out for public outreach I always try to bring Alice just because it impresses everyone when they compare it to the 10". Depending on what we are looking at, some people even prefer Alice, specifically on the Andromeda Galaxy and the Pleiades Star Cluster. However, none have preferred it for Jupiter or Saturn, and always described them as looking "cute".
I think you made the right choice! To compliment your new sky cannon or if you ever have a backyard star party, my only suggestion would be to get a small refractor to keep your visitors busy while they wait to use the 10". Or, have a BYOBinoculars policy ;) BTW, domes are actually available: skyshedpod.com/?v=e4b09f3f8402 This hobby is ridiculous, right?!
I'm glad our video helped! Please let me know if you have any more questions and Clear skies to you!!
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 Cheers thanks for all the info , that skyshed dome is mental :P I will look into making some sort of shield down the line . Thanks for the links and again for your time . Take care and clear skies to you too :)
Superb information 💖💖💖 Thank you for sharing 🙏☺️🎁🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉
I am glad you found it useful! Thank you and clear skies ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@spacetimewithrobert4438 💖💖💖💖
I just received my first telescope, an AD8, and your video is the best one I have found! Did you add those thumb screws yourself? Im hoping I can swap out my screws for thumb screws so I don’t have to carry around a screwdriver. Thanks for the awesome vid!
Heck yeah congratulations!! The big collimating knobs came with the ES 10”! However, you can purchase caps that go over your screws to achieve your goal. The product is known as “Bob’s Knobs” and are sold on many websites. I’ve never purchased them myself but they’ve been recommended to me before. Let me know if this helps at all, thank you so much and clear skies to you!
Great video. Very informative!
Thank you very much!!