Some have asked why did I upgrade to a 12" GSO instead of a Sky-Watcher. Several reasons: If you are thinking of buying a DOB I have to recommend the Apertura instead. bit.ly/4eGHmHt 1) Better focuser with a double speed and better 1.25 and 2" adapters. 2) Balance setting in the middle of the scope 3) Better bearings on the alt/az movement of the base 4) A 90$ eyepiece (2" 30mm SuperView) included. SW includes only a 25mm Plossl. 5) Fan at the bottom of the mirror for faster cooling
Thank you so much. I've just bought a Starsense Explorter 8" Dob that has the phone app to help you allign to objects. I've assembled the scope but not been able to use it yet due to rain all this week. Can't wait to start observing.
Been researching before purchasing this same telescope. Your video is very helpful and points out all the different accessories. Can't wait to start watching the sky. Thank you!
Bought my wife one almost a year ago for her birthday and couldnt find any videos detailing how to use this. We couldnt find anything in the finders scope. This is both our first telescope but she said she always wanted one since she was a kid. I appreciate the links to the laser!! Just bought one lol hopefully now we can actually enjoy it!
The finder is basically useless for finding stuff. Get also a 2" 40mm eyepiece from AliExpress. Once you find something, then you can switch for an eyepiece with better magnification (for example the 25mm that came with the telescope) www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003065417669.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.19fa1802bPLsuU
I appreciate it so much! I was just going to ask you what lenses would you recommend and where I could get them from. Last night we were able to actually find the moon just by look and readjust but it so so out of focus. We went out at around 10 o clock. There was some light still in the sky but not much. I tried adjusting those knobs by the lenses but wasn't seeming to get better focus. We also only have the two lenses that come with the telescope. I appreciate your reply and of you have any advice I'd appreciate it immensely!
@@Mamaslayin Hi, make sure you are using the right 1.25" adapter and only one of them, not both at the same time (the other one is for 2" eyepieces). Then you should be able to focus just fine. Spend some time with those two eyepieces first, maybe get the 2" 40mm I mentioned for finding things.
Thank you so much man!! We are going out tonight and got some company over so we all appreciate you!! And I will!! We eventually want to get lenses that's able to see Saturn and Jupiter but that's a little further down the road! Thank you again!
Where can you get that tripod thing for your attachments? I don't believe one came with the telescope and I'm not sure the laser would fit without one.
Could you kindly advise : 1. The make of the ADAPTER (telescope to finderscope/ laser-red dot finder). 2.The make of the green laser finder. Regards from Montreal Canada 🇨🇦
I have the same scope. I'm planning to replace the Dobsonian mount with an computerized equatorial. The upgrade I recommend is a low profile focuser so that you can use an imaging sensor and filter wheel. The secondary focus is too shallow by design and it is geared toward eypieces. I'm planning flocking, light baffles, dew heater for the primary. The very first modification / upgrade I recommend is replacing the guidescope with a right angle guidescope. Your back will thank you.
No need to replace the focuser. I am using an astro cam just fine. See my other video.Also I prefer the rdf and laser. I removed the optical finder. The primary has never dewed for me even in extreme humidity.
@@astralfields1696 Where I live we have high 80's humidity during the summer. But water condensates below dew point. If you go up to the mountains dew point can be reached even with 20% humidity. The heater increases temperature by 1 or 2 degrees max from the dew point
@@astralfields1696with filter wheel / Flip mirror / and imager you can't focus anymore. Until I fix mine (I have the old version of the telescope) by replacing the focuser, my flip mirror will be collecting dust.
In my huble opinion imaging with a refractor rig is a completely different hobby than visual observation with a DOB. I think you will love it. It is more about the experience of getting that original light directly in your eyes, finding those objects manually and getting excited when managing to observe the entire Messier catalog. There is also a certain 3D feeling to some of the brightest clusters in a big DOB that is missing in an astrophoto.
Just bought a stellalyra 8inch dob(gso) it’s fantastic.was thinking of getting a good quality 5mm eyepiece.can’t wait to see what the planets look like without a barlow!
If you have an acceptable quality Barlow like the Celestron 2x OMNI, you may find that there is very little difference, if any between using a 10mm + 2x Barlow or a 5mm (when using same quality eyepieces). Generally I see no difference when using an eyepiece, let's say 15mm with a Barlow , or a smaller one , like my Zoom without one. Barlows get a lot of bad rep because of many bad ones out there, like the ones people get with department store telescopes. In fact, a lot of the higher power eyepieces *include* a Barlow like element inside the barrel.. so a lot of people are using Barlows without even knowing it. Also a lot of people confuse the loss of brightness and details is due to the Barlow, while it is actually normal for a 2x magnification to lose 2x resolution and 4x brightness.
@@mr.coffee540 So far it has been amazing. A little cumbersome which was to be expected. The views have been amazing, at least they were once the clouds had cleared up. We had a solid week of bad skies, typical it seems with a new purchase. I have purchased 2 new eye pieces. One 9mm 68 degree ultra wide and a cheaper zoom eye piece, which is good but 'not that good'. The svbony 9mm however is amazing. Crystal clear and frames whatever you're looking at beautifully. I am absolutely hooked and have been out every clear night I've had over the past week. I'm contemplating purchasing an astrocam to help the kiddo see through the eyepiece. Highlight over the last week is showing the neighbors Jupiter, a few star clusters and my favorite planet right now, Saturn. They were completely blown away. It's so awesome being able to share this hobby. Everyone's reaction is the same. That alone makes it all worth it.
@@mr.coffee540I’ve got this same one bought it about 2 months ago only used it 3 times from the weather. The lenses which come with the scope aren’t the best so advise to get some better ones all round good scope though
Thanks for the review. Exactly the scope I'm going to buy for my introduction to Astronomy. Too bad you didn't include links for the accessories you mentioned. Thanks
Hi, all of them can be found on Ali Express. Look for SVBony 68 FOV red lines.. and the 2" eyepieces are Angel Eyes 2" 26 , 32 and 40 mm. Same with the UHC filters (SVBony). I don't put links as AliExpress often changes the links to the products.
@@astralfields1696Hi mate which barlows and eye pieces do you recommend to buy to get the 400x zoom maximum of the telescope? I am new in this world of astronomy and wanna get the skywatcher 200p as a first scope. Also can a smartphone finderscope be attached on it?. I was thinking on using stellarium app to find planets and objets. Thank you.
This is incredibly comprehensive thank you. I’m still looking at first dobsonian to buy in the 8”. Are the accessories you show and eyepieces you demonstrate in your uploads compatible? I’m in between 3 telescopes. This one, Stellalyra 8 and Orion Sky Quest Xt8. I’m hoping to pass this to my daughter when she’s older. Advice would be most welcome.
Yes, all 3 have a 2" focuser and the same aperture. So whatever you see on my channel can be used by all three. The Stellalyra is the best of the three because it has better accessories (I think a double speed focuser, bundles 2" eyepiece 30mm and possibly a better finder) and it tends to be a bit cheaper. So I would go with that one. But if the other two are considerably cheaper then go with that, it is basically the same telescope and can be easily upgraded later on. Even the focuser can be changed, although for an 8" f/6 I find the single speed more than enough. The 8" is the perfect beginner scope and the perfect hand down to children. I also am planning on involving my kids more when they are older. They have enjoyed so far with me the views of the Moon and Jupiter 🙂
Nice that you got plossls with your scope instead of the plastic bodied SMAs. That is if the 2 plossls in front on your desk are what came with it. But you can get much more out of your scope than you can with red lines and the 2" ones which I assume are the 2" eyepiece kit type. If so that 26mm is 56deg and the 32 and 40mm are about 62-65 degrees, but they are 3 element modified reverse kellners, that are not very good at the edges at f6. Even the 15 and 20mm gold lines suffer at the edges at f6. I do like the 40mm on f10 SCTs though. The 3 element design actually lets more light through and it has good contrast on fainter dsos than budget 5 and 6 element widefields, especially superviews which come from the same factory. In general I would prefer a 30mm superview over the 32mm 3 element because it has a wider field, but the 42mm superview is a dog, and is actually slightly narrower in true field and apparent field than the 40mm 3 element, and it has a fuzzy field stop to boot. The 15mm superview is the only 4 element one in the design (I think it is Koenig), and it is the best of the bunch, it beat out my 15mm QX/es70/bresser 70 on contrast and throughput on the double cluster in my 4" f10 refractor. The 30mm the 2nd best in that line. I think the 15mm superview might be a small improvement over the goldline 15mm, but not worth bothering, since all of them are not sharp in the outer field. I was unlucky enough to have all of my gear stolen out of storage and insurance wouldn't pay. So when I started over, right at the beginning of covid before shortages raised the used prices, and manufacturers started increasing prices, I got an xt8 for $100, but with the cheap celestron plastic eyepieces and a singlet barlow that was pretty bad. I bought a svbony 20mm SWA and then a friend offered me a deal on the same 25/10 sirius plossls that would have come with the scope, a 17mm old japanese sirius plossl dome top, a decent parks japanese 2x barlow, and most importantly an old 8.8mm uptrawide meade, one of my favorite eyepieces i used to own. He threw in an old 1.25 lumicon OIII filter that had the coatings starting to die, but still working somewhat, and the 32mm 2" celestron E-lux branded version of those 3 element 2" eyepiece kit ones like I assume is the set you have. It was better than not having a 2" "finder" eyepiece, but I quickly re acquired one of my favorite budget/outreach 30mm UW80s, this time a BW optik branded one, I had the 1rpd version back in the day and it was my first 2" eyepiece 20 years ago. They are sold as generic unbranded UW80 as well Not that it will have super sharp edges at f6, but if you enjoy yours, it is a much nicer experience. But if you plopped down 2-300 on a 28mm 82deg UWAN/PWA types, available from several brands, you would be blown away as it is sharp to the edge like a 31mm nagler. I had the 31, but had to go cheaper with a used 28mm megaview version, and I am very happy with it. We even compared the original 28mm UWAN to the 31 nagler almost 20 years ago when my friend got the uwan, and I was still using an 8"f4 newtonian with some older 1.25" naglers and an 8.8 meade, but others we observed with had 31s. The UWAN was amazing then, and is still the best 82 deg in that focal range other than the nagler, much better than the ES82 30mm and the meade and celestron versions that were available prior to about 13 years ago when JOC made ES the only source for those eyepieces. One last thing, 50mm eyepieces are not practical in f6 scopes, 42mm is the lowest useful magnification and a used 40nm meade series5000 SWA or maxvision 68deg is an amazing experience as well (same as ES but less expensive because they aren't waterproof and don't have the warranty) I miss mine, but it is not practical in my 10"f5 (the xt8 was lost in another bad luck situation a few years ago), and is way too heavy for the vintage fork mount SCTs I had to replace my GEM mounted ones with, unless I want to buy weight kits for them... But that thing is sharp to the edge at f6 no problem. The 28mm and 34mm were pretty sweet as well
You might want to check one of my newer videos where I did upgrade my eyepiece collection considerably :) , especially because I got an f/5 12". I also bought a MaxVision 11mm 82 degrees recently, will be making a video on it as well. ruclips.net/video/mj7KnKQxCe8/видео.htmlsi=Lrkiq9XbwAAMhIe2
I bought a few small telescopes and wasn't to happy with them so I bought a 10 inch dobsonian Skywatcher scope and for starting out I'm very happy with it, I did buy some better quality lenses and Barlow that definitely helped out. It's been about 3 years now and I'm thinking about upgrading to a more advanced telescope but before I do I would like to get a camera first and learn more about taking pictures. Dobsonian Skywatcher telescope is a great starter telescope I think.
Yes it is great I agree. GSO Deluxe or Stellalyra is a little bit better because they have a better focuser and better adapters, plus it comes with a 30mm Erfle 2" eyepiece.
You can't really take pictures with a dob, other than the moon and short clips of planets. Get a german equatorial mounted scope for pictures, and you go smaller rather than larger. 6" imaging newtonian or small APO refractor
Hello, you may want to buy the GSO / Apertura or Stellalyra instead. They have better accessories for the same price. Have a look before you buy. This is why I upgraded to a 12" GSO :)
There are several things that I don't quite like about SCTs. Price, Dew, no DOB mount, not as big of a TFOV etc. I will definitely look through some 12" before making the jump to see if it is worth the effort.
Hello, that was about 200x. For 400x you would need a 6mm and 2X Barlow. More than 400x on a Dobson 200p doesn't make much sense as you are hitting the optical limit of the telescope but in very rare cases with very good seeing I just use a Barlow 3x with a 6-7mm to get 500-600x
Great video very informative. Im looking for my first telescope and have seen a 2nd hand version of this one but the seller says it needs colminating. Is that something i can do as a beginner?
Hello , you will find it on my newer video, both the old and new. ruclips.net/video/sS_UVnq0XUY/видео.html Have a look at the rest of the channel as well, I am sure you will like it.
Hello friend, I want to buy a similar one, whether 8" or 10", only I have not been able to find out what material the base of the telescope is made of, that is, where it sits, what material is the cube made of?
Hello , the material of the base is a wood laminate. Be careful about the 10". It is f/4.7 (or f/5 for GSO) , instead of the f/6 of the 8" and considerably more heavy. The faster focal ratio means you will need to invest more money into higher quality eyepieces to achieve the same optical quality like with the 8", it will also be more sensitive to collimation and focus depth. I always recommend the 8". Ed Ting recommends it as well. For a beginner it is simply a lot better.. and if the hobby sticks then I recommend getting a 12" (or 16") to compliment the 8".
@@astralfields1696 Thank you for your support, and what eyepieces do you recommend I purchase for an 8"? I'm looking at H&B but there is only Sky-Watcher Dobson Classic 6" and 10", I can't find the 8"
Hello , you can find it on AliExpress here. The very last option. www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004212214119.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.73c11802LJOhBV You will also need to somehow mount it (I had a wing from my previous RDF)
@@astralfields1696 thank you very much! One more question: you mentioned you ordered a nee camera which is already 4K. Can you link it? I am using iphone and macbook, are these compatible with these?
Hi, I have just bought a Dobson 8", but there are springs and I'm desperate because the telescope doesn't stay still, it moves by itself. Does yours always stay still even at the zenith with the knob system?
Hello, what brand is the telescope? If it has springs and not tension knobs you will have to balance it somehow with counter weights. A weight of 500grams with a magnet works well.
Ah , yeah , with this type of telescope the tube has to be perfectly in balance which is not easy to do as you change different weight of eyepieces. In this case a counter weight is recommended, nothing too fancy just a box of sand with a big magnet on the bottom of about 500 grams which you can slide up and down to counter - balance the tube.
There is nothing wrong with straight through finders, in fact, if I only have one finder, I would rather it be straight than right angle. I only like right angle finders when I have a red dot or telrad as well to get me close. Often I use just a red dot or telrad and a wide 2" eyepiece to find stuff. It is very hard to aim the scope with only a right angle finder
It is a personal choice. I operate my telescopes without optical finders. See my newest video and reasons here: I do agree about just using a red dot with a wide 2". I primarily use a laser though that may not be possible everywhere.. which is why I have a red dot / laser combo. ruclips.net/video/NPozIq-NVuM/видео.htmlsi=qJp9-EVOW2359zcq
Hello, sorry but no because it was not a good product for astronomy purposes and I don't feel I should be recommending it as such :). Too many issues with using even a high quality spotting scope for astronomy.
Look up any 200/1200 8" Dobsonian in your area. It should be good. GSO or Stellalyra .. of course Sky-Watcher as well. The local market and buying used is also always a great idea.
can you link me the red tot finder / with green lazer please also the inclinometer ? I cant find this model, great review btw, i have a 12 inch dob but i also want an 8 inch to take to other places
@@astralfields1696if you install wheels on the base and get straps for the tube then it's doable if you want to use it only close by front yard or back yard and I also bought magnetic weight bags for balance with eye pieces and Barlow weights
Some have asked why did I upgrade to a 12" GSO instead of a Sky-Watcher. Several reasons:
If you are thinking of buying a DOB I have to recommend the Apertura instead.
bit.ly/4eGHmHt
1) Better focuser with a double speed and better 1.25 and 2" adapters.
2) Balance setting in the middle of the scope
3) Better bearings on the alt/az movement of the base
4) A 90$ eyepiece (2" 30mm SuperView) included. SW includes only a 25mm Plossl.
5) Fan at the bottom of the mirror for faster cooling
My friend, this is the most comprehensive video about astronomy equipment I have ever seen in under 15 minutes! You've covered everything ! Thank you!
Thank you. I tried hard to make it as short but also as value packed as possible. I appreciate :)
@@astralfields1696What brands of eyepieces do you recommend? And barlow x2? Or if there is a kit that includes, the SVBONY ones are good
Is there any difference between 200P dobsonian and 200P clasic dobsonian?
@@alexandrustan5450its probably the color ! I don’t think there is anything different, but if you see a big jump on price then look.
@@alexandrustan5450 Nope, totally the same.
Thank you so much. I've just bought a Starsense Explorter 8" Dob that has the phone app to help you allign to objects. I've assembled the scope but not been able to use it yet due to rain all this week. Can't wait to start observing.
Been researching before purchasing this same telescope. Your video is very helpful and points out all the different accessories. Can't wait to start watching the sky. Thank you!
Have a look at Stellalyra or GSO.. they have better accessories and may be even cheaper depending on where you are.
This was a really good, short overview! Looking forward to more dob related videos.
Thank you for doing this.
Bought my wife one almost a year ago for her birthday and couldnt find any videos detailing how to use this. We couldnt find anything in the finders scope. This is both our first telescope but she said she always wanted one since she was a kid. I appreciate the links to the laser!! Just bought one lol hopefully now we can actually enjoy it!
The finder is basically useless for finding stuff. Get also a 2" 40mm eyepiece from AliExpress. Once you find something, then you can switch for an eyepiece with better magnification (for example the 25mm that came with the telescope)
www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003065417669.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.19fa1802bPLsuU
I appreciate it so much! I was just going to ask you what lenses would you recommend and where I could get them from. Last night we were able to actually find the moon just by look and readjust but it so so out of focus. We went out at around 10 o clock. There was some light still in the sky but not much. I tried adjusting those knobs by the lenses but wasn't seeming to get better focus. We also only have the two lenses that come with the telescope. I appreciate your reply and of you have any advice I'd appreciate it immensely!
@@Mamaslayin Hi, make sure you are using the right 1.25" adapter and only one of them, not both at the same time (the other one is for 2" eyepieces). Then you should be able to focus just fine. Spend some time with those two eyepieces first, maybe get the 2" 40mm I mentioned for finding things.
Thank you so much man!! We are going out tonight and got some company over so we all appreciate you!! And I will!! We eventually want to get lenses that's able to see Saturn and Jupiter but that's a little further down the road! Thank you again!
Where can you get that tripod thing for your attachments? I don't believe one came with the telescope and I'm not sure the laser would fit without one.
I have just ordered this scope and its coming in a few days, I am so excited and your video is so informative, thank you!
Make sure to check the other videos for some more tips that will be very useful for this specific telescope :)
Thank you so much for explaining things for us. it's so hard to find easy to understand videos for beginners :)
Fantastic presentation and very informative! Clear skies🔭🔭 🔭
Could you kindly advise :
1. The make of the ADAPTER (telescope to finderscope/ laser-red dot finder).
2.The make of the green laser finder.
Regards from Montreal Canada 🇨🇦
Actually I found the details in the previous comments/replies. Many thanks 🎉
I have the same scope. I'm planning to replace the Dobsonian mount with an computerized equatorial. The upgrade I recommend is a low profile focuser so that you can use an imaging sensor and filter wheel. The secondary focus is too shallow by design and it is geared toward eypieces. I'm planning flocking, light baffles, dew heater for the primary. The very first modification / upgrade I recommend is replacing the guidescope with a right angle guidescope. Your back will thank you.
No need to replace the focuser. I am using an astro cam just fine. See my other video.Also I prefer the rdf and laser. I removed the optical finder. The primary has never dewed for me even in extreme humidity.
@@astralfields1696 Where I live we have high 80's humidity during the summer. But water condensates below dew point. If you go up to the mountains dew point can be reached even with 20% humidity. The heater increases temperature by 1 or 2 degrees max from the dew point
@@asicdathens I mean give it a try. In my experience dew can be a problem with the secondary.
@@astralfields1696with filter wheel / Flip mirror / and imager you can't focus anymore. Until I fix mine (I have the old version of the telescope) by replacing the focuser, my flip mirror will be collecting dust.
Nice. I have an expensive imaging refractor rig, but I have been thinking I need a DOB. Perfect timing.
I learned a lot. Thank you.
In my huble opinion imaging with a refractor rig is a completely different hobby than visual observation with a DOB. I think you will love it. It is more about the experience of getting that original light directly in your eyes, finding those objects manually and getting excited when managing to observe the entire Messier catalog. There is also a certain 3D feeling to some of the brightest clusters in a big DOB that is missing in an astrophoto.
Just bought a stellalyra 8inch dob(gso) it’s fantastic.was thinking of getting a good quality 5mm eyepiece.can’t wait to see what the planets look like without a barlow!
If you have an acceptable quality Barlow like the Celestron 2x OMNI, you may find that there is very little difference, if any between using a 10mm + 2x Barlow or a 5mm (when using same quality eyepieces). Generally I see no difference when using an eyepiece, let's say 15mm with a Barlow , or a smaller one , like my Zoom without one. Barlows get a lot of bad rep because of many bad ones out there, like the ones people get with department store telescopes. In fact, a lot of the higher power eyepieces *include* a Barlow like element inside the barrel.. so a lot of people are using Barlows without even knowing it. Also a lot of people confuse the loss of brightness and details is due to the Barlow, while it is actually normal for a 2x magnification to lose 2x resolution and 4x brightness.
I have just purchased one of these tubes and I cannot wait to pick it up tomorrow. You really helped me choose the right one :)
Howd u make out with ur new scope
@@mr.coffee540 So far it has been amazing. A little cumbersome which was to be expected. The views have been amazing, at least they were once the clouds had cleared up. We had a solid week of bad skies, typical it seems with a new purchase.
I have purchased 2 new eye pieces. One 9mm 68 degree ultra wide and a cheaper zoom eye piece, which is good but 'not that good'. The svbony 9mm however is amazing. Crystal clear and frames whatever you're looking at beautifully.
I am absolutely hooked and have been out every clear night I've had over the past week. I'm contemplating purchasing an astrocam to help the kiddo see through the eyepiece.
Highlight over the last week is showing the neighbors Jupiter, a few star clusters and my favorite planet right now, Saturn. They were completely blown away. It's so awesome being able to share this hobby. Everyone's reaction is the same. That alone makes it all worth it.
@@mr.coffee540I’ve got this same one bought it about 2 months ago only used it 3 times from the weather. The lenses which come with the scope aren’t the best so advise to get some better ones all round good scope though
Very nice video. I own 200 pds tube and have built a Dob mount for it. Now i am going for Diy EQ mount. Your videos are quite helpful.
Thanks for the review. Exactly the scope I'm going to buy for my introduction to Astronomy. Too bad you didn't include links for the accessories you mentioned. Thanks
Hi, all of them can be found on Ali Express. Look for SVBony 68 FOV red lines.. and the 2" eyepieces are Angel Eyes 2" 26 , 32 and 40 mm.
Same with the UHC filters (SVBony). I don't put links as AliExpress often changes the links to the products.
@@astralfields1696Hi mate which barlows and eye pieces do you recommend to buy to get the 400x zoom maximum of the telescope? I am new in this world of astronomy and wanna get the skywatcher 200p as a first scope. Also can a smartphone finderscope be attached on it?. I was thinking on using stellarium app to find planets and objets. Thank you.
Very comprehensive video. Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic presentation, you helped a lot! Thank you.
Great video. I'm a total novice and your video has increased my knowledge a lot! Thankyou. Great pictures too
Glad you like it, make sure to check the rest :)
Being popular as it is you can often find it second hand easily and it often it does come with a lot of lenses and bonus toys .
This is incredibly comprehensive thank you. I’m still looking at first dobsonian to buy in the 8”. Are the accessories you show and eyepieces you demonstrate in your uploads compatible? I’m in between 3 telescopes. This one, Stellalyra 8 and Orion Sky Quest Xt8. I’m hoping to pass this to my daughter when she’s older. Advice would be most welcome.
Yes, all 3 have a 2" focuser and the same aperture. So whatever you see on my channel can be used by all three.
The Stellalyra is the best of the three because it has better accessories (I think a double speed focuser, bundles 2" eyepiece 30mm and possibly a better finder) and it tends to be a bit cheaper. So I would go with that one. But if the other two are considerably cheaper then go with that, it is basically the same telescope and can be easily upgraded later on. Even the focuser can be changed, although for an 8" f/6 I find the single speed more than enough.
The 8" is the perfect beginner scope and the perfect hand down to children. I also am planning on involving my kids more when they are older. They have enjoyed so far with me the views of the Moon and Jupiter 🙂
thanks for the video, great presentation
Nice that you got plossls with your scope instead of the plastic bodied SMAs. That is if the 2 plossls in front on your desk are what came with it.
But you can get much more out of your scope than you can with red lines and the 2" ones which I assume are the 2" eyepiece kit type. If so that 26mm is 56deg and the 32 and 40mm are about 62-65 degrees, but they are 3 element modified reverse kellners, that are not very good at the edges at f6. Even the 15 and 20mm gold lines suffer at the edges at f6.
I do like the 40mm on f10 SCTs though. The 3 element design actually lets more light through and it has good contrast on fainter dsos than budget 5 and 6 element widefields, especially superviews which come from the same factory. In general I would prefer a 30mm superview over the 32mm 3 element because it has a wider field, but the 42mm superview is a dog, and is actually slightly narrower in true field and apparent field than the 40mm 3 element, and it has a fuzzy field stop to boot.
The 15mm superview is the only 4 element one in the design (I think it is Koenig), and it is the best of the bunch, it beat out my 15mm QX/es70/bresser 70 on contrast and throughput on the double cluster in my 4" f10 refractor. The 30mm the 2nd best in that line. I think the 15mm superview might be a small improvement over the goldline 15mm, but not worth bothering, since all of them are not sharp in the outer field.
I was unlucky enough to have all of my gear stolen out of storage and insurance wouldn't pay. So when I started over, right at the beginning of covid before shortages raised the used prices, and manufacturers started increasing prices, I got an xt8 for $100, but with the cheap celestron plastic eyepieces and a singlet barlow that was pretty bad. I bought a svbony 20mm SWA and then a friend offered me a deal on the same 25/10 sirius plossls that would have come with the scope, a 17mm old japanese sirius plossl dome top, a decent parks japanese 2x barlow, and most importantly an old 8.8mm uptrawide meade, one of my favorite eyepieces i used to own. He threw in an old 1.25 lumicon OIII filter that had the coatings starting to die, but still working somewhat, and the 32mm 2" celestron E-lux branded version of those 3 element 2" eyepiece kit ones like I assume is the set you have.
It was better than not having a 2" "finder" eyepiece, but I quickly re acquired one of my favorite budget/outreach 30mm UW80s, this time a BW optik branded one, I had the 1rpd version back in the day and it was my first 2" eyepiece 20 years ago. They are sold as generic unbranded UW80 as well
Not that it will have super sharp edges at f6, but if you enjoy yours, it is a much nicer experience.
But if you plopped down 2-300 on a 28mm 82deg UWAN/PWA types, available from several brands, you would be blown away as it is sharp to the edge like a 31mm nagler. I had the 31, but had to go cheaper with a used 28mm megaview version, and I am very happy with it. We even compared the original 28mm UWAN to the 31 nagler almost 20 years ago when my friend got the uwan, and I was still using an 8"f4 newtonian with some older 1.25" naglers and an 8.8 meade, but others we observed with had 31s. The UWAN was amazing then, and is still the best 82 deg in that focal range other than the nagler, much better than the ES82 30mm and the meade and celestron versions that were available prior to about 13 years ago when JOC made ES the only source for those eyepieces.
One last thing, 50mm eyepieces are not practical in f6 scopes, 42mm is the lowest useful magnification and a used 40nm meade series5000 SWA or maxvision 68deg is an amazing experience as well (same as ES but less expensive because they aren't waterproof and don't have the warranty) I miss mine, but it is not practical in my 10"f5 (the xt8 was lost in another bad luck situation a few years ago), and is way too heavy for the vintage fork mount SCTs I had to replace my GEM mounted ones with, unless I want to buy weight kits for them...
But that thing is sharp to the edge at f6 no problem. The 28mm and 34mm were pretty sweet as well
You might want to check one of my newer videos where I did upgrade my eyepiece collection considerably :) , especially because I got an f/5 12". I also bought a MaxVision 11mm 82 degrees recently, will be making a video on it as well.
ruclips.net/video/mj7KnKQxCe8/видео.htmlsi=Lrkiq9XbwAAMhIe2
Thank you very much! We have a dobson at the high school and didn´t know what to do. NOW WE KNOW :)
Thank you for posting this video! Really informative.
I bought a few small telescopes and wasn't to happy with them so I bought a 10 inch dobsonian Skywatcher scope and for starting out I'm very happy with it, I did buy some better quality lenses and Barlow that definitely helped out. It's been about 3 years now and I'm thinking about upgrading to a more advanced telescope but before I do I would like to get a camera first and learn more about taking pictures. Dobsonian Skywatcher telescope is a great starter telescope I think.
Yes it is great I agree. GSO Deluxe or Stellalyra is a little bit better because they have a better focuser and better adapters, plus it comes with a 30mm Erfle 2" eyepiece.
You can't really take pictures with a dob, other than the moon and short clips of planets.
Get a german equatorial mounted scope for pictures, and you go smaller rather than larger. 6" imaging newtonian or small APO refractor
Yup, this is the way.
Great video buddy! Im looking to buy this telescope and this was a great help!
Hello, you may want to buy the GSO / Apertura or Stellalyra instead. They have better accessories for the same price. Have a look before you buy. This is why I upgraded to a 12" GSO :)
Excellent, thank you
Excellent video. Thank you. Cheers from Calgary, Alberta.
Thanks for the great advice
Thank U so much 👍👍👍💓💓💓
Consider going for a Smith-Cassegrain instead of a bigger Dobsonian. A 12" Dobsonian won't be as much of an upgrade as you'd imagine.
There are several things that I don't quite like about SCTs. Price, Dew, no DOB mount, not as big of a TFOV etc. I will definitely look through some 12" before making the jump to see if it is worth the effort.
The images of Saturn and Jupiter, was that at 200x or 400x?
If 400x what would you suggest if I want to look closer?
Hello, that was about 200x. For 400x you would need a 6mm and 2X Barlow. More than 400x on a Dobson 200p doesn't make much sense as you are hitting the optical limit of the telescope but in very rare cases with very good seeing I just use a Barlow 3x with a 6-7mm to get 500-600x
I use this telescope with Celestron xls eyepieces the result is outstanding visual or with zwo178
Great video very informative. Im looking for my first telescope and have seen a 2nd hand version of this one but the seller says it needs colminating. Is that something i can do as a beginner?
Yes of course. Even a brand new telescope will need collimation. You will need a cheshire tool to do so.. get it from AliExpress for few bucks.
Culminating is easy. My Cheshire from AliExpress worked great. If you use a laser, you will have to center the laser first.
Great videos! may I ask what's the brand of the camera you are using and the 4K one that you are waiting for? Thankx.
Hello , you will find it on my newer video, both the old and new.
ruclips.net/video/sS_UVnq0XUY/видео.html
Have a look at the rest of the channel as well, I am sure you will like it.
@@astralfields1696 Thanks a lot for your reply. I'll check them out. :)
Hello friend, I want to buy a similar one, whether 8" or 10", only I have not been able to find out what material the base of the telescope is made of, that is, where it sits, what material is the cube made of?
Hello , the material of the base is a wood laminate.
Be careful about the 10". It is f/4.7 (or f/5 for GSO) , instead of the f/6 of the 8" and considerably more heavy. The faster focal ratio means you will need to invest more money into higher quality eyepieces to achieve the same optical quality like with the 8", it will also be more sensitive to collimation and focus depth.
I always recommend the 8". Ed Ting recommends it as well. For a beginner it is simply a lot better.. and if the hobby sticks then I recommend getting a 12" (or 16") to compliment the 8".
@@astralfields1696 Thank you for your support, and what eyepieces do you recommend I purchase for an 8"? I'm looking at H&B but there is only Sky-Watcher Dobson Classic 6" and 10", I can't find the 8"
Hi , please do check my eyepiece videos.
Love the video!
Really nice ! What is the model of red dot / laser thing you are using ?
Check the new video I just made :)
ruclips.net/video/NPozIq-NVuM/видео.html
Damn, that drift just shattered my Flat Earth 🌎 😂
Hi there! Thank you for the very detailed video. :) Can you help me how can I buy such laser finder? Thank you! :)
Hello , you can find it on AliExpress here. The very last option.
www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004212214119.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.73c11802LJOhBV
You will also need to somehow mount it (I had a wing from my previous RDF)
@@astralfields1696 thank you very much! One more question: you mentioned you ordered a nee camera which is already 4K. Can you link it? I am using iphone and macbook, are these compatible with these?
Hi, I have just bought a Dobson 8", but there are springs and I'm desperate because the telescope doesn't stay still, it moves by itself. Does yours always stay still even at the zenith with the knob system?
Hello, what brand is the telescope? If it has springs and not tension knobs you will have to balance it somehow with counter weights. A weight of 500grams with a magnet works well.
@@astralfields1696 Omegon advanced 203/1200
@@astralfields1696 Omegon advanced 203/1200
Ah , yeah , with this type of telescope the tube has to be perfectly in balance which is not easy to do as you change different weight of eyepieces. In this case a counter weight is recommended, nothing too fancy just a box of sand with a big magnet on the bottom of about 500 grams which you can slide up and down to counter - balance the tube.
@@astralfields1696 in the site of astroshop in no longer avaible, where can I find it?
There is nothing wrong with straight through finders, in fact, if I only have one finder, I would rather it be straight than right angle. I only like right angle finders when I have a red dot or telrad as well to get me close. Often I use just a red dot or telrad and a wide 2" eyepiece to find stuff.
It is very hard to aim the scope with only a right angle finder
It is a personal choice. I operate my telescopes without optical finders. See my newest video and reasons here: I do agree about just using a red dot with a wide 2". I primarily use a laser though that may not be possible everywhere.. which is why I have a red dot / laser combo.
ruclips.net/video/NPozIq-NVuM/видео.htmlsi=qJp9-EVOW2359zcq
I agree. I use a Telrad in tandem with a right angle finder.
is it better to look at the sun in the daytime or at nighttime?
With a solar filter - daytime
Without a solar filter - nighttime
hello, if I want to observe the moon with this telescope what accessories would you recommend? thanks in advance
Nothing special, just use the eyepieces that you get with the telescope. Other than that a Zoom eyepiece is really nice for the Moon.
does the zoon eyepiece work good enough that you dont need the seperate ones?
No, the fixed eyepieces are always preferred for most people
Hi. Is the solar filter made with baader film?
Yes.
@@astralfields1696 great! Can you please send me the link of the site where you purchased it?
Everybody has the same sheets of solar filters. I made mine for the Mercury transit
Hi may i have the link to the spotter scope?
Hello, sorry but no because it was not a good product for astronomy purposes and I don't feel I should be recommending it as such :). Too many issues with using even a high quality spotting scope for astronomy.
Where can I get this stuff
Look up any 200/1200 8" Dobsonian in your area. It should be good. GSO or Stellalyra .. of course Sky-Watcher as well. The local market and buying used is also always a great idea.
Whats the difference of 200p and 300p and 400p
200p = 200mm aperture , 300p = 300mm aperture, 400p = 400mm aperture.
That turns to 8" , 12" and 16"
Thank you;) I am junior astrophotographer, I have sky watcher 200p and eq 6 pro..go;))
can you link me the red tot finder / with green lazer please also the inclinometer ? I cant find this model, great review btw, i have a 12 inch dob but i also want an 8 inch to take to other places
www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004212214119.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.399e18026CRrnc
www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003500599693.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.25.399e18026CRrnc
And I want a 12" DOB sometime in the future ;). Not sure if I will keep or sell my 8" after that. Is the 12" too big to handle? Even the truss tube?
@@astralfields1696if you install wheels on the base and get straps for the tube then it's doable if you want to use it only close by front yard or back yard and I also bought magnetic weight bags for balance with eye pieces and Barlow weights
@@astralfields1696i should not sell the 8 inch if I where you because you can take that to places easyaly
i subbed :)
Oh yeah. I need an eye patch.