I've been to star parties and seen 8, 10, 12, and 14 inch dobsonian in person, but you don't realize how big they are until you try to put one in your car. Found a good deal on a used 8 inch and couldn't be happier.
I thought I was pretty strong until I asked someone to see if they needed help loading their 10 Inch don in their car. I had to walk about 40yrds I thought crap it's heavy!
My 10" dob was my pick when I had a dark night with no moon. However at my last trip to my dark sky preserve, myself with girlfriend in tow, realized the two of us didn't fit in the car while trying to pack it in the car (it was just a smidge too wide to go through the rear-seat pass-through)! I used to be a solo astronomer, but not anymore. Now it's up for sale, I'll stick with my 8" SCT or 4" apo. Lost light gathering, but gained an amazing astro buddy!
I'd go with a 10 inch every day of the week. I dont experience a major difference in portability - its not like you can out the 8 inch in your pocket! They're also the same length. For the added brightness, its a no brainer for me.
Good point 👌🏻 I went with neither tho. And end it up buying a Celestron 8s. I almost change my mind at last minute and got a 12. That thing is massive 😂
One more thing to consider. These 10-inch Dobsonians are usually f/5 instruments as compared to the 8-inch versions, which tend to have a focal ratio of 6. That means the collimation in a 10-inch model needs to be even more precise than in an 8-inch Dobsonian. This makes collimating a 10-inch Dobsonian more challenging as the margin for error is smaller.
@@usmanshahid8069 wouldn't having good-quality eyepieces be in everyone's best interest? And no, you don't have to be a millionaire to have good eyepieces. Also. Collimation takes two minutes. What's the big deal?
Great tip for those out there who use a 6in. 8in. or 10in. and I would even argue a12in. Dob is get a drum stool ! I use to get frustrated trying to find the right chair for observing. I have had a drum "throne" for about 15yrs. now and won't stargaze without it! Save your back and get one. JMR
I have a 12 inch "semi-truss" design and I can tell you the killer features: 1. Can be used for imaging, visual and binoviewing. Very few telescopes can incorporate all 3. 2. The extra vertical space is very handy for shipping- uses smaller boxes (for moving house) compared with solid tube. 3. Holds collimation better than traditional truss-tube and faster to set up. I'm very happy with it and especially enjoy binoviewing with a big aperture. I also have a 4 inch Mak permanently set out and ready to go and just sling it in a backpack.
interesting! In your opinion, how is the collimation and overall stability compared to a solid reflector? I was thinking of maybe getting a larger reflector to put on an EQ6R. I've never been around one, but to me it looks like "there are more places it can move or shift, so it likely isn't as stable". I also had some concerns about how repeatable the setup is with regards to focal length and having the truss legs at slightly different extensions causing an invisible kink in the OTA. But I'm very willing to be wrong on that!
Ed has been recommending 8" Dobs for years. I thought I knew better than him and bought a 10". Used it once, found it too bulky and too heavy, sold it to our astronomy club. Have only been using my 6" and 8" SCTs instead :)
The C8 is the gold standard for good reason. Best balance of aperture, weight/bulk, and performance. I love Dobs… but I have 2 kids I go observing with and a 1 row SUV. There’s not enough room for a Dob tube in the backseat and 2 kids back there.
I bought an 8 inch Dobsonian two years ago following Ed’s advice and it was the best decision ever 🙂. Recently I had the opportunity to use a 12 inch truss tube Dobsonian for two nights on a dark site. If I ever wanted to “upgrade”, that would be my choice. But the portability of my (or probably any) 8 inch Dobsonian is hard to beat 👍🏼. Listen to Ed, he knows, what he’s talking about 😁.
You are correct. Ed knows his stuff! I also went XT8 on Ed's advice. It's a great instrument. (I also recently added an AD12 to the collection, and it doesn't disappoint!). I'll always have the 8" dob regardless.
I had a 8" dob and sold it many years ago for a 12.5" truss tube dob. The views were great but I rarely used it due to setup. I do not have neither anymore and am thinking of buying another 8" to show my kids the night sky.
@@HelenoPaivaI would have to take apart my 12” truss every time i wanted to observe including my house. With an 8” truss I would not have to. For me the tear down and setup of a truss tube lead me less likely to use it for quick evening sessions at home. For some it is different. Just something to consider.
@@HelenoPaiva I am on my PC now and can better explain. I love the aesthetics of the truss design and how compact you can make it for travel . At some sizes is is the only option. I owned a 8" XT8 back in the late 1990's and sold it to buy a Meade 12.5" mirror for my friend to custom build me a truss tube dob. It was beautiful and something I wish I still had today to be honest. I sold it around 2003 to afford something for my house. I would have lost it anyways in Hurricane Katrina because my house was destroyed. Comparing the two: The 8" was super portable and I took it outside all of the time to observe. It was light and compact enough that a truss design was not needed. The 12.5" gave me some beautiful views but I was unable to store it without taking it apart even at home since I was renting and did not have access to storing it in one piece. I can now put it in my garage if I still owned it but my skies are bortle 5/6 so it probably would be used more on the road so would be used less. Truss adds setup time. Now if you are considering a 8" truss style then you probably would be able to transport it without disassembly so maybe the setup time to observe would be less. Just some food for thought. I just ordered the AD8 and have been considering the AD10 over and over. I figured ill buy this now to use more often and late down the road I can maybe build another large light bucket or will be able to afford a 16" etc. Hope this helps or at least gives you one of many stories you will hear. Clear skies!!!!
Dear Ed, Over the last few months I've been going through your catalogue of videos again. I've been making notes on all your eyepiece recommendations, the pros/ cons of each different type and size of telescope, and I'm trying to learn the night sky with the telescope I have (5.1inch skywatcher newtonian on an equatorial mount) and using a planeosphere. Also apparently I can't get enough of your content. You have a very clear, concise and calm way you present which never gets old and has so many nuggets of information to digest from years of experience. Please keep producing your videos with the same care you do, they are valued greatly by many like me. Hopefully I'll be able to take the next step in astronomy soon and dare I say astro photography once I have saved some money! Kind regards, Tim (From the Uk)
As a newbie, please don't make my mistake if you have astigmatism issues. Make sure your lenses will compliment your natural eyeballs too! Clear Skies!*
I recently bought an 8 inch dobsonian. I was considering a 10 or 12 but I’m so happy with the 8 inch. The views are spectacular compared to my previous power seeker 127 eq. But at the same time it’s quite easy to take outside and setup, granted it’s harder than I think many people admit, it’s easy but is definitely something you think about after a long week on a Friday night. I’m both happy with the mobility, less sensitive to improper collimation , and less coma. Well worth the worse views in my opinion.
I have yet to meet an 8-inch Dob that does not offer pleasing views, I have a 6 and 10-inch Dob but looked through a good many 8-inch Dobs too. At a good site, they will get people started and keep them observing for many years.
I have a 10 inch SkyWatcher: I am pretty young and dont mind the weight, but I bought the 10 inch because I own a Mustang convertible, and I cannot get an 8 inch nor the 10 inch in that vehicle. I use my dads truck whenever I go anywhere stargazing so to me it didn't matter I just figured I wanted the extra power...The 8 inch weight/size is much more convenient though regardless. Also want to point out because it wasnt mentioned in the video; the bigger the scope, the more you amplify light pollution in your views! Some things still wont be visible until you find a very dark sky.
Do you have some good nebula filters, that can really help. I notice they have limited utility with an 8" as it just doesn't gather enough light to create enough contrast once you put on the filter. What really surprised me was that even going to a really dark Bortle 2 site with my 18" Dob, many of the nebula are still barely visible without a nebula filter. It just gathers so much deep sky light that it still tends to wash out the Halpha and OIII emissions, but a solid nebula-filter just makes them really stand out. Even the Dumbell, Ring, Omega and Lagoon nebula, which are fairly easy to see without the filter, still benefit tremendously with a nebula filter. But the Veil Nebula, I can BARELY see it without a filter. I haven't tried the big scope with a filter at my home with it's bortle 6 skies, but will see how much it helps.
@@cryptojihadi265 It's actually interesting to me that you find the Veil difficult through an 18" even at a dark site. I can see the veil pretty easily in my 18" from home without a filter (bortle 5) and even from bortle 4 I can start to see some finer detail in especially the ngc 6960 section. That being said, nebula filters will always help tremendously because they also cut down on the natural airglow that you will get anywhere on earth even in a perfect bortle 1.
@@patricksalisbury1842 Trust me, I was shocked too, the first time I went out. I can detect it, but I was thinking I would see a lot more. I remember seeing more with my 8", no filters, out at a Bortle 4, maybe 5 site. It's just that it's so bright, with all the stars you can see. I have two filters I use, one is the DGM NPB, which is great on some as it's not too dark, still lets you see some of the star field, but kills enough of the brightness to really highlight the nebula. Then I have a narrower band filter that makes it really dark, so about all you see is the OIII emissions. Depending on the object, one is better than the other. But I assumed going to a dark sky site, it wouldn't matter, I wouldn't even need one. The Omega and Dumbell are easy to see with or without a filter, but even the Lagoon is a huge improvement with a filter compared to without. Any ideas what the issue could be? I don't think it's collimation, I use the Glatter Tool Set which is very precise. But while I've got the ear of an 18" owner, I wonder what you experience is with it on planets? I have the Carl Zambuto mirror which is supposed to be so accurate it can rival a high end apo, and for VERY brief moments it does, but most of the time the seeing kills some of the detail and it just doesn't compare to my TEC 160FL. Now I can usually get a bigger image without the quality going to hell, but it just doesn't compare except for those brief moments, and maybe that's just the curse of an 18" dob, it has the capacity for insane detail, but unless the skies are perfect it's going to be a victim of all that atmosphere grabbing capacity.
I bought an 8" dob on your advice and I absolutely love it. I hardly ever wish the aperture were bigger, and I'm grateful it isn't bigger exactly twice every time I use it: when I'm getting it out and when im putting it up.
Another great video, Ed. I've owed 6, 8, 10 and 12-inch Dobs in the past. Several years ago I settled on the 8-inch as my personal "sweet spot". I will probably keep this scope forever and may never buy any other size.
Yeah I came to a similar conclusion. Plus with an 8" you can put on a computerised equatorial mount that doesn't cost 20x what the scope cost. I feel that with 10" or more you are moving up to seriously expensive "big boy" equatorial mounts to handle the load properly for imaging
Interesting video. I wrestled with the whole 6 or 8 inch question, stuck my neck out and bought an 8. And I love it. From my semi urban location I can see all the planets, a few galaxies, loads of star clusters, etc. Plenty of intersting things to keep me occupied. I haven't managed to get it ro truly dark skies yet but I did buy a small 3.5 inch refractor to take on holiday when car space is at a premium. I have seen plentry with that too and, its useful at home if all you want is a quick view of some of the more obvious targets. I still would like a massive light gathering dob for special occasions.... 😊
I guess I am the exception, Ed. After researching and debating between an 8" and. 10", I got the 10" a year ago and no regrets. And it's a truss tube, the Explore Scientific Hybrid. Terrific for packing up and traveling. But do I use it a lot? Well, I keep it on a hand truck and leave it set up for a few days at a time if the weather report allows. So far this November? I've been out 17 nights (out of 20, a remarkable run of clear weather here in the NE!) I don't find a 56% increase in light gathering over an 8" insignificant. If I bought an 8", I would have always wondered if I should have bought a 10. I haven't considered even once if I should have bought the 8. So another factor to consider is can you store the scope at grade and easily roll it out to look? Then the 10 becomes no more hassle than an 8.
I’ve had the 8 and I’ve had the 10. The 8 is the best all-arounder. The 10 is great if you have very dark skies at home and the scope just rolls in/out of garage to the driveway for immediate use. Hint: If you’ve got a Target and lots of suburbs within a 10 minute drive of your house, you have bright skies and will be hitting the road for proper observing - get an 8. If you need to pack up the scope and drive to a dark site, your back will appreciate the 8” and the darker skies will make the aperture difference moot.
Another great video, Ed! I think it needs to be emphasized that newcomers sometimes assume objects will look bigger in a scope with bigger aperture. But if the scopes have the same focal length, as most 8 and 10 inch Dobs do, the objects won't look any bigger as you go up in aperture. DSOs *might* look brighter and more detailed, yes, but not bigger. For bright objects like the Moon and planets there might be no noticeable difference in brightness and certainly not in size. Which one would I pick? Neither! I love my XT6!
Hi, Ed. My first real telescope was an 8" Discovery Dob in 2000, based in part on your recommendation. It was the biggest scope that I could easily fit in my '78 Chevy Nova. I had the mirror recoated last year, and it remains my most-used telescope due to ease of set-up, ease of use, and useful aperture and focal length. There are two caveats about Dobs. They're not necessarily the best if the ground has snow. I tend to use a smaller tripod scope in the rare event we have a clear winter sky. Also, one needs either a folding chair to get down to the eyepiece, or else some kind of "table" to raise the eyepieces.
Years ago, for my first scope, I went with the 12.5 inch Meade Sonotube Dobsonian. I loved it! I set it up next to the 8 and 10 inch dobs and I enjoyed the fact that I could see more than either of them. The weight and bulk didn't bother me 20 years ago, but now as I get older, and my back isn't what it used to be, I would prefer the 8 or 10 inch. If I could choose today, I would probably go with the 10" dob. It weighs quite a bit less than the 12.5 and there is less of a difference in what I can see than there is between the 12.5 and the 8.
Excellent review with pluses and minuses for each. I have the 10” SkyWatcher truss tube for years now. If you like modifying like me, you can overcome most of any downsides. Optics on mine are great! My downsides are it’s weight with my modifications, better finder scope, better focuser, stiffer rocker box, high quality Pentax XW eyepieces…all added to having to a add a movable weight system to stop the nose diving. I did also add very large circular ALT bearings and replaces the AZ motions with Ebony star and PTFE. Scope woks perfect for me now, but that was a 10 year process. Get the 8” unless you enjoy the modification process like me. Cheers-Greg
For me the 8" is the clear winner, by far. I have the 8". I had the chance to observe for few hours with a 8" and 10" from Sky-Watcher side by side. The difference was noticeable but not groundbreaking by any means. If I am going to deal with the downsides of the 10" (weight, f/4.7, price) I might as well go for the 12". So either the 8" or the 12".. I see the 10" as the worst of both worlds. That f/4.7 doesn't work well at all with some of the budget eyepieces I use with no problem in the f/6 8".
@@sidpackard8613 I can fit the 12” solid tube in my Hyundai i30 hatchback.. so portability is not as bad as it seems. I did the measurements so I will be getting it sometime in the future. Keeping the 8” probably :)
Couldn't agree more, if you get the deep sky bug, neither the 8 or 10 will fully satisfy, but if you start with the 10, that kind of locks you into going all the way up to a 16 to make any real difference and now you just don't have any quick easy set up scopes. Having an 8 and a 12 or a 16 would be all a deep sky fanatic would ever need for solid quick and easy viewing with the 8 or really impressive serious, but time-consuming viewing at a dark sky site with the 12 or 16.
Dear Ed, thank you very much for the great and informative video. I can only confirm all your recommendations. I bought a 12-inch Dobsonian 12 years ago and have only used it twice because you can really only set it up properly with two people. Nonetheless, the additional details you can see are worth it. (Thank you also for the clear English. Although I am not a native speaker, everything was easy to understand.)
I purchased high quality oculars with my 10" Newtonian on a German equatorial mount and have observed views at moments of Good Seeing comparable to the large observatories. Quality oculars make a big difference.
Hi Ed, thanks for all your wonderful content! I found your channel a couple months ago and decided to follow your advice exactly, and it’s been perfect. I bought “Nightwatch”, some binoculars, and joined my local astronomy club. A month ago after battling “aperture fever” for several weeks I bought an 8” Dob, and it is absolutely amazing. Now to today’s question . Two days ago I parked next to a gentleman with a 10” Dob, and it’s huge. Standing between his and mine, his seems twice as big as my 8”. I am sooooo happy I took your advice! Also, he admitted that he only takes out his 10” when he has a friend along to help, and uses his 8” much more often. Thanks again!
To be fair a 10" is almost exactly 50% more light collecting area, so this is about what you'd expect. I find 12" is where it really starts to get genuinely unwieldy (for example you start needing a ladder needing the zenith), though everyone's preferences are a little different.
@@captainkoloth1631 True, but it’s also the difference between big and huge. For instance the 8" tube will fit in the back seat of my Honda Accord and most cars. The 10" won’t. Clear skies!
I too came across this channel after years of looking up at the night skies and thinking it would nice to look closer at some of the areas that catch your eye, the pleiades for example. So I had been thinking of buying a telescope for a while. Thankfully I came across this channel and it made a lot of sense coming from someone who clearly knows what they are talking about. I took your advice and bought an 8" Dob and a couple of better eyepieces. I have no light pollution as I live in the middle of nowhere and so far it has proven to be nothing short of incredible. I am no star hopper and it will take time to master, I get lost quite often as I see so many stars that It gets really confusing. But so far, Saturn and Jupiter and its moons are easy viewing, I have found Andromeda and its wee pal and the Orion nebular to name a few. I have had quite a few cloudy nights (you do in Scotland 😉) although those fewer nights of clear skies more than make up for it. Anyone looking for advice need look no further. Many thanks Ed.
Yep, but it's nice to get lost, sometimes. Some of my most enjoyable observations have been cruising around the sky, searching for nothing in particular. Then, come across something interesting and go to the star atlas to find out what it is that I have "discovered".@@MADPIKER01
Another great video. 1 other factor to consider. Let's take it to the extreme, a 4" dob or a 12" dob (mounted on a nice wheelie base that roles out of my garage and I am ready to view in 1 minute.) With the 4", I can find and make out some of the bright objects, but after doing that say, 20 times, I really want find and see more objects. That's when you are maybe going to be happier with a 12. If you just want to look at the 15 or so obvious bright targets, and you do that once every month, then you will be happy. But if you want to get out a few times each week, you will get tired of the Double Cluster and Andromeda pretty quickly. The list of viewable targets worth looking at in the 12 is quite a bit longer than the 4. I would say start with a 4 or 6 , and if you love it, get a 12.
I wouldn’t recommend a 12 for anyone that needs to ask “which scope should I buy?” The ideal 12” customer *knows* they want a 12. It’s a specialty instrument at that point. Someone with so little experience, is not going to enjoy a 12”. They should choose a 6 or 8” scope.
"The telescope that shows you the most is the one that gets used the most" such great words of wisdom! I've been considering selling my 8" dob in favor of the Analog Sky Heart because my scope has been gathering dust... but my astrograph certainly gets a lot of attention! I think you convinced me.
Hi Ed, knowing you have recommended 6" dobsonians for years, I went ahead and bought an 8", since it was just a little extra to spend for a lot of extra aperture gain. I am happy with the telescope and its performance, though at times I wish I had got the 6" if only due to portability. Buying a 10" briefly crossed my mind and I am very happy I did not get that one, once again due to portability and footprint of the base. Thanks for all your quality videos!
Ok. You win. I'm matriculating to an 8" Dob. My 10" Dob is 44 years old (I built it when I was in college) and used extensively for school children. As of last week, I finished a complete refurbishment of the scope. I retained the original toilet flanges (per John Dobson's booklet from about 1980), the vintage Coulter Optical mirrors with Meade primary mirror housing and spider (the mirrors will get recoated in the near future). I replaced the old teflon pads with new teflon pads (the softness of the teflon had, over the years, become scratched up), added bronze bushings to the azimuth bearing, added hard rubber feet. I then fiberglassed the old concrete form tube and painted it to make it look like carbon fiber. Finally I re-balanced the tube to accommodate a new 2” focuser and guide scope. Unfortunately, as I am considerably older than I was in 1980, the scope seems to have gained quite a bit of weight over the years... I will continue using the 10" when my son or brother (or other additional help) are available to help me move it around. Otherwise, I plan to use an 8" Dob when going solo. Thanks for your videos - I truly enjoy them!
I’m with ya… I’ve spent my life with an Odyssey 8, and couldn’t be happier. Key convenience: a fast/ short 8 inch dobsonian fits ACROSS my cars trunk and doesn’t require me to flip down seats! Everything else you said about the 8 inch applies. I just timed 30 seconds from trunk to observing!
I have 2,000+ observations through my Apertura AD 10". I agree with Ed that an 8" is actually a better choice. The rocker box difficulties are real and the increase in resolution and light gathering is not as dramatic as one might think. The weight is absolutely an issue (although I do happen to be weightlifter), making it much bulkier to heft into the truck or house, especially at 3 AM. My bathroom scale weight is heavier than what Ed posted as well, 30 pounds for the box and 41 for the OTA (no findersocpe or EP). If I could do it again, I would buy an AD8 (and then buy an 18 inch for special nights!) If this is your first scope, at the least, don't buy a 12 inch!
outright saying "dont buy a 12 inch!" is just a bad take. For people that dont travel with their scopes, or cant (like me), weight/size is rarely an issue. A 12" will fit into a 97 honda accord. If someone wants a larger aperture, they usually know exactly what they want. And nowadays, youre not limited to steel tube or truss, as there is something called "GFK" (Fiberglass reinforced plastic). I (still) have several smaller scopes; ed80, 20x80 binos, 102mm achro and an 8" dob. The 12 inch is basically the only one that gets used, simply because more aperture. Obviously its bulkier and less comfortable to carry up/down stairs but if thats something that stops you from observing purely because youre lazy or cant be bothered, maybe a 6" dob is already too much for you. That said, my 12" is a bresser. Both axis are stable yet silky smooth and easy to move. If the 12" you want has tiny altitude bearings and uses teflon pads instead of roller bearings for the azimuth axis, youre definitely looking at the wrong telescope. 100% of my observing sessions have been through the 12" in the last 3.5-4 months. The 8" is collecting dust.
I'm on Team 8 inch. I've had both. I actually tweaked my back once moving the mirror box of a collapsible 10 inch. I sold it and downsized to the 8 inch. It's an old Discovery PHQ but everything on it customized include the mount. It's beautiful, relatively light, and super easy to use. I love it. But the views in the 10 inch under dark skies were spectacular. Clear skies, Ed and to all.
Thank you for yet another wonderful video and the great information. I asked about a 6” in one of your other videos, but am now leaning toward one of two used telescopes in great condition…an 8” (Zhumell Z8, f5.9) for under $400 or a 10” (Orion SkyQuest XT10, f5.1) at $650. Several factors in considering the two aren’t concerns for me. I am still in good health, so the weight difference isn’t an issue, nor is cost. We live in a rural area of the Texas Hill country and I have wonderful dark skies right outside my back door, so I wouldn’t likely be moving the telescope more than in and out of the house. As a side note, I didn’t realize until recently that we have five International Dark Skies Communities in the Hill Country, all within an hour drive, and including the town I live in, Dripping Springs. But I digress. All that said, the 8” being used more makes sense. Something that wasn’t mentioned in the video but that someone in the comments did touch on (and that I read somewhere else) is coma, collimating and quality of eyepieces needed for the faster 10” vs. the 8”, all factors in favor of the 8”. As my own devil’s advocate, I wonder if the 10” might be better for someone getting up in age (I’m 64), as our eyes receive less light the older we get. I just saw a statistic that said a 60 year olds eyes receive one-third the light of a 20 year old. One side of me says get the 10” as I will appreciate the extra light gathering capability. The other side says buy the 8” and use the money I save on eyepieces and other accessories. I flipped a coin. It’s still in the air. Any additional thoughts for my situation?
Best thing I ever did was swap my 8” Newt/Dob combination for a small refractor, cheap OSC camera and entry-level equatorial mount. Spectacular views after a couple of minutes live stacking, way better than anything I ever observed visually. It’s nice to have the direct visual link with the eyepiece, but this doesn’t compensate for lack of intensity, detail and colour compared with live view with a camera, in my opinion.
Ed Ting, again, another EXCELLENT video. I agree completely, a 10" scope often ends up being "too much" scope. They aren't THAT much more than the 8", but they are more, and they are enough, over time, to make the difference between using something, and not. Personally, I have never been a victim of aperture fever, and my largest scope is an 8" dob, and that's the largest scope I want, but that's me. I know of others who feel differently. I am in relatively good health, not tall at 5'-9.5", but commonly run under a 9 minute mile.
Hi Ed, 35+ year ATM, Observer & Imager here. I agree completely, concerning the 8" vs 10", which gets used more debate...and also the many "Maybe" caveats. However, I think you have not completed the entire logic exercise. I suggest that you next consider 6" vs 8" and other popular configurations too, until you arrive at an even broader conclusion. It's a great conversation and you have only scratched the surface. Let's carry this experiment farther forward! I'd also always suggest beginners visit their local club Star Party, look through what is set up in the field and ask questions. Joining as a member, they can even often borrow and try out a scope before buying their own. All under the watchful eye of someone local who has already been through it. Wishing you clear skies, Jim in Oregon
Ed thanks so much for this review. I'm a newbie. I bought a used 8" Meade LX-90. I'm 71 years old but in good health. Like you say the Meade SCT is kind of heavy and sort of a pain to set up. The goto feature is a great learning tool for me as a beginner because I don't know the night sky. I struggled with my self between the 8" and 10" Starsense Explorer. I got the 8". I'm glad I did. Its pretty light easy to set up and the starsense software works great. I was going to get the goto Skywatcher 10". I'm so glad I didn't. The 8" Starsense Explorer is perfect. My next and final plan is to sell my 8" LX-90 Meade and save my bucks for the 9.25 Celestron Edge with the cgem ii polar mount. I would like to comment the 25mm plossl lens that comes with the Starsense Explorer is pretty amazing. I know my 31 mm Nagler is much better but you couldn't prove it by me. The stars in Pleiades could be focused to pinpoints. No 82 mm field of view of course but the included 25mm Celestron Plossl doesn't deserve the bad reviews I have seen here on youtube. The 8" dob is so easy to set up even after I come home tired from work and the 1200 mm focal length is not anywhere near as sensitive to vibration and movement as my 2300 mm focal length 8" LX-90. The Starsense Explorer 8" Dob is much easier to point and find stuff than I ever expected.
My first real telescope was an Orion 10" Dob. As a member of NHAS I used to bring it to the sky watches at the planetarium in Concord for others to view through after the programs. It was a great telescope, but as time went on it became more of a effort to transport it and even drag it out of the garage to set it up in the driveway. I ended up selling it and buying a 127 Mak/Cass and putting it on a tripod. This is far from perfect and takes longer to set up, but it is lite and portable. The downside is acclimation time. I'm pretty sure that an 8" Dob will be my next purchase as a nice Apo refractor is not in my budget. Ed is right. The best telescope for you is the one you will use, not the one you keep tucked away in a closet somewhere.
I'll stick with my 10" solid tube Dob that I built. My biggest grip is it doesn't fit in my jeep... And it's heavy... Ed is spot on here, but it's what I have and I enjoy it when I can. Easy set up, collimation adjustments are pretty quick. At f6 it is a bit tough to get through the door though. 👍
Picked up an 8" about 4 years back and I love it. Pretty sure I watched one of your videos then to make my decision! I don't get to use it as much as I would like. Can't see much where I live with all the light pollution in my city, but at least once a year we go on vacation to the coast and I get some wonderful views there when the weather cooperates! I think if I'd gotten a 10" it would be harder to travel with. As it is I fill up my tiny Prius C and half of the space is taken up by telescope. It's nice being able to move it away from the house and onto the boardwalk easily so I can get a better view of the sky.
I acquired an 8" recently , and while it is a nice scope , the one issue I have is that it is a pain in my back to use , vs either of my 12" dobs , even when viewing at zenith . I would recommend a short sturdy platform for anyone over 5' tall . A good observing chair is also recommended . Honestly , traveling with a dob from 12" down isn't that hard , and is easier as the scope size decreases . Obviously this does depend on your vehicle , and if you drive something that would not look out of place on a department store shelf , smaller would be better . Those of us who own large vehicles ( vans , SUVs , trucks , land yachts , etc ..) will only be limited by our own strength and ancillary cargo / passengers .
Ed, you spit out truth like a cowboy spit out gooey tobacco in the 1880s. A lot! My ego always wants the bigger aperture, but deep down, the 8" tube option is simply the best choice. Simple is good in this regard.
"THANK YOU!", Mr. Ting, for an excellent video! I hope to buy a Dob soon & I was considering either an 8" or a 10". I was leaning towards an 8" because it is less expensive. Your video convinced me, I'll be looking at an 8". Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!
I have the 8” Celestron and I LOVE it, the starsense app is a game changer. I’m in bortle 4-5 skies and can see basically everything except some nebulas. It also fits right across the back seat of my Accord, though I’m lucky enough to use it mostly at home and don’t have to travel much with it.
Another great video. Thanks so much. Back in the 90's I chose to build a 10" f/6 because of plans I found in a book and the larger aperture. I tend not to use it as much and use an 8-inch instead only because of the portability factor. I also want to take care and lessen the damage to my 10-inch because I made it and want to take better care of it. My 10-inch that I made is a dream to use functionally, however, because I had control of the construction.
Great video as always. After using both a 10-inch solid tube and a 16-inch truss tube, I have some advice. If your budget allows or you find a good deal, I highly recommend getting a 14-inch truss tube Dobsonian (the ones that fit in a box). It fits in almost any car, is relatively easy to set up on your own, and won’t break your back (unlike the 16-inch, which can be quite cumbersome, though you might find a lighter one). If you can afford it, consider a 10 to 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain. These are excellent visual telescopes, and you can easily switch to astrophotography later on. They have minimal collimation issues and many are point-and-go. My friend has a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, and I envy him a lot. However, be aware that the price difference is about 4 to 5 times higher than an equivalent Dobsonian.
By chance I have both the 6 and 8 , i cant remember the last time i used the smaller one and that's on tripod . There is a joy sitting on a chair next to the 8 telescope and observing .
The 8” dob is the best bang for the buck. I have an old Orion xt8. It’s a good scope. What I don’t like is the eyepiece is often too high to kneel and it is too low without stooping over. An 8” f/8 would be more appealing due to better eyepiece height, but Is a project to build. I’m not aware of any manufactured dobs with that focal length in an 8 inch. My large go to is a Celestron 6” f/5 refractor on a Vixen GP mount. But it is a more expensive for similar performance to an 8” dob.
Like the rank amateur I am, I bought a 10" Sky Quest (Orion) Dob because I wanted more viewable objects than my 6" gave me. But I ended up selling the 10" and bought an 8" because, true to Ed's opinion, the 8" delivers great viewing at a far lower cost and takes much less effort to transport and store. Who knew? Oh, that's right, Ed did! Cheers.
I bought an Orion 8" DOB in the mid 90's. Recently took it to Nevada for the annular eclipse, easy peasy! I used to sit out in a nearby field at night until I got a trail cam and caught pumas walking down my street.
Your videos are awesome, thank you! Some weeks ago I cought the Corona Virus (T CrB variant...) and since then I was out every night with my binocular. While waiting for the Nova I started searching other objects. Basically every night I could see M32, M33, M51, M101, M110, M16, etc. It is so much fun! But I want more. I was looking more into astrophotography, but that is expensive and although I like photography (landscape, macro) I struggle with editing (I'm colorblind). Because of your videos I will settle with viewing first. I think I wouldn't enjoy just staring at a monitor all night :/ I live in a rural area with nice places 10 minutes away. A 30 minutes drive brings me in dark regions at >600m altitude. Weather is great here (most days are free of clouds) and I can start observing directly by my car. So I think I will get a 10" Dob, but the final decision isn't made yet.
I spent Christmas day and Boxing day 2020 watching RUclips videos comparing 8"" and 10" Dobs and decided that the extra magnitude or thereabouts that the 10" would give didn't justify the extra £200.I bought the 8" and I am perfectly happy with it.
Just bought my first 10inch dob. After viewing for ages with my 130eq. Since I'm driving a van.. i don't mind the size. It also came with a telrad finder. I was used of working with a red dot on the 130eq but that telrad.. wow! Can't wait to have some clear nights!
I went from a 6" to a 10". I wanted more of a jump in light gathering than just two inches. So freaking happy with it. I got the ES 10" truss dob when it went on sale. Spectacular views and nice fluid motion, tracking is a breeze. I looked recently through my 10 and another guys 8 at Saturn and mine was definitely brighter.
@@MikeLikesChannel “I” think 10” f/5 is the best value (with a Paracorr) in terms of light gathering and resolution while being portable enough to fit in almost any car. But again, different people, different opinions.
Ed...really enjoy your videos...thank you. For me it's the Apertura AD8 8" dob. I love the features...and yes...love the turntable. For me, I love the ease of that lazy susan. Thanks again.
Totally agree. I have an 8 inch Celestron C8 and a Skywatcher 12inch truss Goto. The 12 inch is great, however, as Ed stated the setup time is ridiculously long- setting up, collimating, setting up the Goto, power supply etc. Don’t get me wrong, once setup the views are spectacular. However, in saying that , I use the C8 for the majority of my viewing, due to its quicker , easier setup. Thanks for the great video once again.
The other thing worth mentioning, especially if any manufacturers are paying attention, is the mechanics of these mass produced scopes need to be improved. The optics are great, but the focusers and boxes leave something to be desired. High quality plywood is lighter and waterproof. Looser mirror clip bolts to avoid mirror pinch. Etc. These would not be expensive fixes but would dramatically improve the product. It is telling that there are many webpages in how to optimize these scopes. There should not be any if they were coming out of the factory entirely tuned up.
Discovery tried this a few years back, doing a lot of the upgrades you suggested. I liked those scopes a lot. Unfortunately, they didn't sell well. If you can find one on the used market, grab it.
Excellent review as always, and the comments below are spot on. I just want to add my perspective on my choice to buy a 10" over an 8" - the length of the optical tube is exactly the same, so if transporting and fitting your equipment in your car is a primary concern as it was mine, the extra 2" of aperture made no difference in portability and it's not much heavier to carry. A brighter DSO is always worth the extra weight!
Have a Birthday coming up - I cannot stress how often I have watched this video. I think it'll be the 8" - thanks Ed. Keep doing what you do. It's great.
I think I’d be a casual user at best. I live remote with very little light pollution. My patio out the back door is a great location for viewing. I have an opportunity to buy a 10” dob for $700. I’m hoping to see nebulas like I once saw through a friend’s 12. Should I do it? I should be able to sell if it sits unused. I’m 63 and am awake several hrs every night.
10" in low light pollution will show really lot. Also it's good aperture for the Moon to give bright image at good magnifications. Though if local seeing (atmospheric stability) isn't good, then extra size and weight gives little for the Moon.
I have just recently purchased a ten inch. I knew that it would be a faf dragging it in and out of storage all the time so I made a purpose made 'shed' for it which I placed on raised runway of 4 large slabs in the garden. Before I made the shed it certainly was a pain shifting it around ! Now when I want to go out it simply slides out on the castors and is ready to rock. If I hadn't had the space I would have considered the 8".
I’ve looked through very large reflectors on Dob mounts under great dark skies, and I must say I’ve never seen anything that could be described as spectacular. Just a slightly larger, but still dim, fuzzy blob. If you want to see spectacular objects then imaging or EAA is a much better option and you don’t have to break your back lugging huge beasts around. Just my opinion
I owned a classic holy grail telescope many amateurs want the Celestron C14. It was great and I used it for many years. Until recently when it started feeling heavier and more time consuming to set up and getting used less. So I sold it off for a smaller aperture.
The percentage you gain as it gets bigger is why I have an 8 and a 12. 10" is less convenient than the 8 and makes me just want my 12. Of course, I use my XT4.5 more than ANY of them.... it's great for quick lunar, planetary and solar (with a full aperture filter). I have a riser I made for it that makes it as comfortable as an 8" to use (same eyepiece height at zenith).
i have the explorer scientific 10'' truss tube. i love the thing. i live in a fairly dark area and placed it on a 4 wheeled dolly. i just pull it into the center of my drive and when done pull it back into the garage. its great for me for where i live. if i am going to a friends or on vacation i take a 114mm orion table top or my new favorite, a 90mm celestron eq. either of the small scopes provide great views out in the dark country side. they have spurred 3 other people into stargazing.
I haven't seen much mention of the go-to versions of these scopes so I wanted to ad my experience with these. I have the Sky-Watcher 8 inch flextube with go-to. Its model 200Pi witch allows you to use a smartphone to control the scope. Let me tell you, this is an awesome telescope! My observing friends and I have a blast using it. A few cons....price.. these near double the price of a manual 8 inch dob. However, if you can grab one on sale I think it's definitely worth the added cost. Con #2...weight..due to the additional weight of the motors and truss tube design, the base and tube are a bit heavier than the manuel version. Just something to be aware of. Other than that I highly recommend the go-to dobs, in particular the 8 inch. Here are a couple tips and modifications I've made to make the scope more user friendly for me. As Ed mentioned, I also prefer the solid tube design over the flextube. I find the flextube easier to move and transport with the tube locked in the fully extended position. I just wrap my arms arount the extension poles to pick it up. It also holds collimation very well this way. This scope and a solid tube dob will fit no problem in something like a Honda Civic. The tube can lay across the back seat and the base in the front passenger side. You will want a light shroud for the flextube. If you're a bit handy, diy with posterboard and black duct tape has worked surprisingly well for me. Big savings over the Astrozap shroud and looks better too imo. Building a short stand has helped raise the scope to a more comfortable viewing position while standing. It's also helpful for keeping the base out of the dewy grass. If the base is wet fom dew at the end of the night I recommend wiping it down before you store it. These particle board bases can easily be damaged by moisture. Taking a few minutes to dry things up can help keep them working properly for many years to come. I hope this was helpful to anyone looking to get one of these scopes. I certainly enjoy mine and highly recommend! Thanks Ed for all the great reviews and video's. Your knowledge and wisdom is greatly appreciated in the hobby!😊
It's not said that usually they all have the same barrel length (1200mm), so 8" is f/6 and 10" is f/4.7. This means that the 10" is much more sensitive to coma, and also requires better quality, which means heavier and more expensive eyepieces. It may also require a coma corrector, which also adds cost and weight to the focuser, and this (as well as heavy eyepieces) creates a problem of vertical balance that is a problem for every Dobson. If, in addition to the horizontal axial bearing, vertical ball bearings are installed, the telescope runs smoothly and tracking objects at magnifications of 200-300 times is no longer a problem! However, vertical balance becomes a problem because it changes for every change in the angle of the telescope. The only solution is weights with magnets that we have to move when we change the vertical angle of the telescope significantly. Each solution has advantages and disadvantages, for me this is the best solution, and the factory sky watcher is almost unusable for magnifications over 100 times and unusable for 200 and more times.
I was trying to reach a conclusion but the price was balancing the light gathering ability and I just couldn't decide, thank you Ed, I appreciate your help, I'm gonna buy the 8inch.
This was a great video, thanks. I currently own a Celestron 4.5 inch refractor, but have been wanting to upgrade. I think I am going with the 8 inch. I almost decided to get the 10 inch, but you had such good valid points, that, the 8 inch is the more logical choice for me, and a fairly significant upgrade from 4.5 inches. Expertly done and explained, thanks again!
I previously owned a solid tube 8" dobsonian (my first telescope, which I eventually sold because I do mostly astrophotography now) and I can definitely agree with Ed's assessment here. The 8" gathers plenty of light to see all kinds of interesting targets, and it's still a bit of an exercise to pack it up and take it somewhere for observing. The 10" would definitely be bigger/heavier enough to discourage me from using it as much as the 8".
2002 ford lightning, i can carry a 14 if i want to set it up in the bed and use the cigarette lighter for power BUT i already have an Orion 8" Skyview pro ...just have to get a nice goto mount to for photo operations, Skywatcher eq6r pro will be my choice due to the weight capacity and belt drive ...Clear skies !!
I appreciate your perspective. It's been very helpful. Slightly different question that I haven't seen addressed. Focal length. I use a 6" table top reflector. Can see the majority of objects the bad light in my area allows. Easy to set up and move around. Been happy with it except I would like less magnification in some situations and better clarity overall. I'm on the fence about upgrading to a full size 8". The question is if the extra focal length is worth the loss of portability.
Begginer's Questions - I understand the 10" gathers more light than the 8" Celestron StarSense. 1. However, do both of these telescopes have the exact same magnification potential? The 10" version is slightly shorter than the 8". Does this mean the 8" has a greater magnification (longer focal length)? 2. Since the moon so bright (light gathering not a big issue), wouldn't the 8" version essentially deliver the almost the exact same level of detail and image quality as the 10"? 3. Lastly, wouldn't an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain design be the best of all worlds - same light gathering of the 8" Dob, yet even higher focal length for better magnification? My search originally led me to the Celestron NexStar 8SE. But I couldn't stomach all the electonics. But now I'm leaning toward the 10" Celestron StarSense. But if the 8SE is going to provide better all around views of Saturn, Mars, Neptune than the 10" Celestron StarSense, and do so in a smaller package, I might go back to the Schmidt-Cassegrain platform. To all of you experienced astronomers, I am sorry for my basic questions, but my perfect blend of ignorance, reason, and enthusiasm is creating buyer's paralysis! Thanks!
Looking for my first scope, and I _might_ be a case where a 10" makes sense - my car, a Hyundai Ioniq, has a spacious and barely used trunk, and the skies here in the suburbs of Lisbon are bright enough that it's always worthy to travel 40+ minutes for a Bortle 5 site anyway (or double that for one in the 3-4 frontier). However the price difference, unwieldiness, focal ratio being more demanding with eyepieces (as mentioned in the comments) and such keep me on the 8" track anyway.
The 10"OTA looks fine. The problem lies in the mount. Purchase David Kriege's (Obsession Telescopes) book -The Dobsonian Telescope and read chapter 13 - Making a small telescope. The altitude bearing diameter should be 1.8 times the telescopes O.D. For buttery smooth motion the Formica surfaces should be coated with auto paste wax at least two times a year. I've used my 10" telescope for over thirty years and could not be happier.
Excellent video with a very well delivered explanation of the difference between the two and the rationale behind your argument. As some who’s thinking about traveling around the country and wanting to maybe get a telescope, you’ve helped me deal with my fear of not getting one that’s big enough.
so i just bought an8se and its great but i felt a little guilty about my 1970s japanese tasco 4.5 in reflector so i cleaned the mirrors bought a barlow lens and some other stuff (.965 stuff is really cheap) and just tonight i was looking at jupiter and orion with the 8 and it was great, i packed it up...5 minutes and decided to try out the 4.5 inch, picked it up and in seconds i was ready. i have to say, i could see the cloud belts on jupiter but the big surprise was orion, i could see the 4 stars clearly with a 20mm and barlow but also the entire nebula, with the 8 and a 40 mm eyepiece i cant see the whole thing. so theres that reason to buy a smaller scope.....but i have both so now so.....
I have 8” Meade Starfinder reflector dob telescope and made in 1990’s. The tube made of sono tube. I am satisfied and comfortable with the size. Easier for me to carry from and to house. I bought the scope on October 2016 from consignment through sale person at camera store.
It's not the weight difference. A 5-gallon can of gasoline or case of wine is about the same weight. It's the awkward bulkiness. I can carry an 8" without disassembly, to my back yard.
I love my Orion XT8. I recently got a used Apertura AD12. I also really like it very much, and I haven't tweaked it to my ideal comfort level just yet. As Ed said, the "Lazy Susan" az bearing turns a bit too easily. My solution (a "tweak") will be a couple of felt furniture pads that will slow free movement but not cause a jolt start like the XT8 suffers from. I had some adhesive felt pads in a drawer, and they're the prefect thickness for it. (Nights and early morning hours have been clear, so spare hours have been spent out scanning the skies instead of noodling with the mechanics of the scopes). For the XT8 and it's az issue, I've gotten wider (2" round) teflon pads for the base, and will add a couple of old CDs on the center pivot point to raise it to the same height as the slightly thicker 2" pads, all in hopes of easing the transition from stop to moving (especially at zenith). My wife won't miss her records after all. I might wax the formica surface between base sections as well.... we'll see how the wider teflon works first. Regardless, it's a great instrument. The 12" is considerably heavier, so I have to move it in two sections until I get a dedicated dolly for it. ...but it gets more dim objects, and offers more resolution on ones the 8 acquires. Since I don't have to travel with it, it works for me. I love both scopes. I got both used, and the prices added together was less than the cost of a new 12" dob by a couple hundred. Our first scope, a 4.5EQ was also used, and we're sitting right at $1000 for the three. (Plus eyepieces, filters, telrads, etc., of course!!!!). Take Ed's advice and get an 8" Dob. You won't regret it (unless you have to squeeze it into a Fiat or Miata to get to dark skies.
The felt pads did the trick for the Lazy Susan looseness on the AD12. I initially placed four of them, but it seemed a bit stiff. I removed two, and it's perfect. It moves without resistance, but doesn't feel "stuck" when trying to move it just a bit. ...of course, clouds have rolled in, and it'll be snowing on Sunday.
Great video! I recently faced exactly this tradeoff. Ironically, because I live in area that has so much light pollution and so many trees and buildings that I am effectively forced to drive at least 45 minutes to be able to really observe, I ended up getting the 10". Because for me 99% of the effort and time is that drive and packing in the car; for me, the 10" sweetens the reward for when I finally get to an observing site! I got a 10" truss tube from Sky Watcher because I wanted the optional Goto capabilty, though to save time I don't collapse it so it's as if I have a solid tube.
That's a great point. If you're putting that much effort into observing, then the increase in scope weight is a marginal increase. Might as well have the bigger scope once you drive all that way.
I've been to star parties and seen 8, 10, 12, and 14 inch dobsonian in person, but you don't realize how big they are until you try to put one in your car. Found a good deal on a used 8 inch and couldn't be happier.
I thought I was pretty strong until I asked someone to see if they needed help loading their 10 Inch don in their car. I had to walk about 40yrds I thought crap it's heavy!
I went with the 10" because it makes a more impressive living room ornament when I'm not outside using it!
"It's so Big!"
"Well, thank you. Thank you very much."
My 10" dob was my pick when I had a dark night with no moon. However at my last trip to my dark sky preserve, myself with girlfriend in tow, realized the two of us didn't fit in the car while trying to pack it in the car (it was just a smidge too wide to go through the rear-seat pass-through)! I used to be a solo astronomer, but not anymore. Now it's up for sale, I'll stick with my 8" SCT or 4" apo. Lost light gathering, but gained an amazing astro buddy!
The 8” SCT is a much more “social scope” because you can still fit people in the back seat, since the whole kit fits in the trunk/cargo area.
hey, are you still selling it? Could you please tell me for how much?
See I would have said “opps babe ya gotta stay home” guess that’s why I’m 80 and single!
Wiser to keep the 🔭 dump the dumb 👧
@@rezzer7918 😂😂
I'd go with a 10 inch every day of the week. I dont experience a major difference in portability - its not like you can out the 8 inch in your pocket! They're also the same length. For the added brightness, its a no brainer for me.
Good point 👌🏻
I went with neither tho. And end it up buying a Celestron 8s. I almost change my mind at last minute and got a 12. That thing is massive 😂
One more thing to consider. These 10-inch Dobsonians are usually f/5 instruments as compared to the 8-inch versions, which tend to have a focal ratio of 6. That means the collimation in a 10-inch model needs to be even more precise than in an 8-inch Dobsonian. This makes collimating a 10-inch Dobsonian more challenging as the margin for error is smaller.
this!👆 Not to mention a slower f ratio will be more forgiving with eyepieces. seems like the jump down from f6 to f5 is more critical than above f6.
Yes, you are right! The quality of the eyepieces becomes important at focal ratios of 5 and lower.
@@usmanshahid8069 wouldn't having good-quality eyepieces be in everyone's best interest? And no, you don't have to be a millionaire to have good eyepieces. Also. Collimation takes two minutes. What's the big deal?
@@scrumpymanjack, I'd say you'd better have a coma corrector for f5 newt, regardless of what eyepieces you use.
Great tip for those out there who use a 6in. 8in. or 10in. and I would even argue a12in. Dob is get a drum stool ! I use to get frustrated trying to find the right chair for observing. I have had a drum "throne" for about 15yrs. now and won't stargaze without it! Save your back and get one. JMR
I have a 12 inch "semi-truss" design and I can tell you the killer features:
1. Can be used for imaging, visual and binoviewing. Very few telescopes can incorporate all 3.
2. The extra vertical space is very handy for shipping- uses smaller boxes (for moving house) compared with solid tube.
3. Holds collimation better than traditional truss-tube and faster to set up.
I'm very happy with it and especially enjoy binoviewing with a big aperture. I also have a 4 inch Mak permanently set out and ready to go and just sling it in a backpack.
interesting! In your opinion, how is the collimation and overall stability compared to a solid reflector? I was thinking of maybe getting a larger reflector to put on an EQ6R. I've never been around one, but to me it looks like "there are more places it can move or shift, so it likely isn't as stable". I also had some concerns about how repeatable the setup is with regards to focal length and having the truss legs at slightly different extensions causing an invisible kink in the OTA. But I'm very willing to be wrong on that!
Ed has been recommending 8" Dobs for years. I thought I knew better than him and bought a 10". Used it once, found it too bulky and too heavy, sold it to our astronomy club.
Have only been using my 6" and 8" SCTs instead :)
The C8 is the gold standard for good reason. Best balance of aperture, weight/bulk, and performance. I love Dobs… but I have 2 kids I go observing with and a 1 row SUV. There’s not enough room for a Dob tube in the backseat and 2 kids back there.
I bought an 8 inch Dobsonian two years ago following Ed’s advice and it was the best decision ever 🙂.
Recently I had the opportunity to use a 12 inch truss tube Dobsonian for two nights on a dark site. If I ever wanted to “upgrade”, that would be my choice.
But the portability of my (or probably any) 8 inch Dobsonian is hard to beat 👍🏼. Listen to Ed, he knows, what he’s talking about 😁.
You are correct. Ed knows his stuff! I also went XT8 on Ed's advice. It's a great instrument. (I also recently added an AD12 to the collection, and it doesn't disappoint!). I'll always have the 8" dob regardless.
I had a 8" dob and sold it many years ago for a 12.5" truss tube dob. The views were great but I rarely used it due to setup. I do not have neither anymore and am thinking of buying another 8" to show my kids the night sky.
About truss tube… I’m inclined towards a 8’ truss tube e dob… what are the disadvantages of truss tube?
@@HelenoPaivaI would have to take apart my 12” truss every time
i wanted to observe including my house. With an 8” truss I would not have to. For me the tear down and setup of a truss tube lead me less likely to use it for quick evening sessions at home. For some it is different. Just something to consider.
@@HelenoPaiva I am on my PC now and can better explain. I love the aesthetics of the truss design and how compact you can make it for travel . At some sizes is is the only option. I owned a 8" XT8 back in the late 1990's and sold it to buy a Meade 12.5" mirror for my friend to custom build me a truss tube dob. It was beautiful and something I wish I still had today to be honest. I sold it around 2003 to afford something for my house. I would have lost it anyways in Hurricane Katrina because my house was destroyed. Comparing the two: The 8" was super portable and I took it outside all of the time to observe. It was light and compact enough that a truss design was not needed. The 12.5" gave me some beautiful views but I was unable to store it without taking it apart even at home since I was renting and did not have access to storing it in one piece. I can now put it in my garage if I still owned it but my skies are bortle 5/6 so it probably would be used more on the road so would be used less. Truss adds setup time. Now if you are considering a 8" truss style then you probably would be able to transport it without disassembly so maybe the setup time to observe would be less. Just some food for thought. I just ordered the AD8 and have been considering the AD10 over and over. I figured ill buy this now to use more often and late down the road I can maybe build another large light bucket or will be able to afford a 16" etc. Hope this helps or at least gives you one of many stories you will hear. Clear skies!!!!
Dear Ed,
Over the last few months I've been going through your catalogue of videos again. I've been making notes on all your eyepiece recommendations, the pros/ cons of each different type and size of telescope, and I'm trying to learn the night sky with the telescope I have (5.1inch skywatcher newtonian on an equatorial mount) and using a planeosphere. Also apparently I can't get enough of your content. You have a very clear, concise and calm way you present which never gets old and has so many nuggets of information to digest from years of experience.
Please keep producing your videos with the same care you do, they are valued greatly by many like me. Hopefully I'll be able to take the next step in astronomy soon and dare I say astro photography once I have saved some money!
Kind regards, Tim (From the Uk)
As a newbie, please don't make my mistake if you have astigmatism issues. Make sure your lenses will compliment your natural eyeballs too!
Clear Skies!*
I recently bought an 8 inch dobsonian. I was considering a 10 or 12 but I’m so happy with the 8 inch. The views are spectacular compared to my previous power seeker 127 eq. But at the same time it’s quite easy to take outside and setup, granted it’s harder than I think many people admit, it’s easy but is definitely something you think about after a long week on a Friday night. I’m both happy with the mobility, less sensitive to improper collimation , and less coma. Well worth the worse views in my opinion.
I also upgraded from a Powerseeker 127 to a 8 inch dobsonian. Agree, the 8 inch is better and easier to assemble. Still use the Powerseeker sometimes
There's no comparison. If yours was a Powerseeker 127EQ, even a 76mm tabletop reflector is a better tool. ...but congratulations on your 8" dob.
I have yet to meet an 8-inch Dob that does not offer pleasing views, I have a 6 and 10-inch Dob but looked through a good many 8-inch Dobs too. At a good site, they will get people started and keep them observing for many years.
What would be the difference between the power seeker and the 8” Dobsonian? It is worth the extra cost between those?
I have a 10 inch SkyWatcher:
I am pretty young and dont mind the weight, but I bought the 10 inch because I own a Mustang convertible, and I cannot get an 8 inch nor the 10 inch in that vehicle. I use my dads truck whenever I go anywhere stargazing so to me it didn't matter I just figured I wanted the extra power...The 8 inch weight/size is much more convenient though regardless.
Also want to point out because it wasnt mentioned in the video; the bigger the scope, the more you amplify light pollution in your views! Some things still wont be visible until you find a very dark sky.
Do you have some good nebula filters, that can really help. I notice they have limited utility with an 8" as it just doesn't gather enough light to create enough contrast once you put on the filter.
What really surprised me was that even going to a really dark Bortle 2 site with my 18" Dob, many of the nebula are still barely visible without a nebula filter. It just gathers so much deep sky light that it still tends to wash out the Halpha and OIII emissions, but a solid nebula-filter just makes them really stand out.
Even the Dumbell, Ring, Omega and Lagoon nebula, which are fairly easy to see without the filter, still benefit tremendously with a nebula filter. But the Veil Nebula, I can BARELY see it without a filter.
I haven't tried the big scope with a filter at my home with it's bortle 6 skies, but will see how much it helps.
@@cryptojihadi265 It's actually interesting to me that you find the Veil difficult through an 18" even at a dark site. I can see the veil pretty easily in my 18" from home without a filter (bortle 5) and even from bortle 4 I can start to see some finer detail in especially the ngc 6960 section. That being said, nebula filters will always help tremendously because they also cut down on the natural airglow that you will get anywhere on earth even in a perfect bortle 1.
@@patricksalisbury1842 Trust me, I was shocked too, the first time I went out. I can detect it, but I was thinking I would see a lot more. I remember seeing more with my 8", no filters, out at a Bortle 4, maybe 5 site.
It's just that it's so bright, with all the stars you can see. I have two filters I use, one is the DGM NPB, which is great on some as it's not too dark, still lets you see some of the star field, but kills enough of the brightness to really highlight the nebula.
Then I have a narrower band filter that makes it really dark, so about all you see is the OIII emissions. Depending on the object, one is better than the other. But I assumed going to a dark sky site, it wouldn't matter, I wouldn't even need one.
The Omega and Dumbell are easy to see with or without a filter, but even the Lagoon is a huge improvement with a filter compared to without.
Any ideas what the issue could be? I don't think it's collimation, I use the Glatter Tool Set which is very precise.
But while I've got the ear of an 18" owner, I wonder what you experience is with it on planets? I have the Carl Zambuto mirror which is supposed to be so accurate it can rival a high end apo, and for VERY brief moments it does, but most of the time the seeing kills some of the detail and it just doesn't compare to my TEC 160FL.
Now I can usually get a bigger image without the quality going to hell, but it just doesn't compare except for those brief moments, and maybe that's just the curse of an 18" dob, it has the capacity for insane detail, but unless the skies are perfect it's going to be a victim of all that atmosphere grabbing capacity.
I have a small 2009 Prius and I can fit the Sky-Watcher 12" in it fine. The OTA goes in the trunk and the dob base in the back seat.
I bought an 8" dob on your advice and I absolutely love it. I hardly ever wish the aperture were bigger, and I'm grateful it isn't bigger exactly twice every time I use it: when I'm getting it out and when im putting it up.
Another great video, Ed. I've owed 6, 8, 10 and 12-inch Dobs in the past. Several years ago I settled on the 8-inch as my personal "sweet spot". I will probably keep this scope forever and may never buy any other size.
Yeah I came to a similar conclusion. Plus with an 8" you can put on a computerised equatorial mount that doesn't cost 20x what the scope cost. I feel that with 10" or more you are moving up to seriously expensive "big boy" equatorial mounts to handle the load properly for imaging
Interesting video. I wrestled with the whole 6 or 8 inch question, stuck my neck out and bought an 8. And I love it. From my semi urban location I can see all the planets, a few galaxies, loads of star clusters, etc. Plenty of intersting things to keep me occupied.
I haven't managed to get it ro truly dark skies yet but I did buy a small 3.5 inch refractor to take on holiday when car space is at a premium. I have seen plentry with that too and, its useful at home if all you want is a quick view of some of the more obvious targets.
I still would like a massive light gathering dob for special occasions.... 😊
I guess I am the exception, Ed. After researching and debating between an 8" and. 10", I got the 10" a year ago and no regrets. And it's a truss tube, the Explore Scientific Hybrid. Terrific for packing up and traveling.
But do I use it a lot? Well, I keep it on a hand truck and leave it set up for a few days at a time if the weather report allows. So far this November? I've been out 17 nights (out of 20, a remarkable run of clear weather here in the NE!)
I don't find a 56% increase in light gathering over an 8" insignificant. If I bought an 8", I would have always wondered if I should have bought a 10. I haven't considered even once if I should have bought the 8.
So another factor to consider is can you store the scope at grade and easily roll it out to look? Then the 10 becomes no more hassle than an 8.
Video i needed. Will get an 8 inch for my hubby. Thank you!
I’ve had the 8 and I’ve had the 10.
The 8 is the best all-arounder. The 10 is great if you have very dark skies at home and the scope just rolls in/out of garage to the driveway for immediate use. Hint: If you’ve got a Target and lots of suburbs within a 10 minute drive of your house, you have bright skies and will be hitting the road for proper observing - get an 8.
If you need to pack up the scope and drive to a dark site, your back will appreciate the 8” and the darker skies will make the aperture difference moot.
Another great video, Ed! I think it needs to be emphasized that newcomers sometimes assume objects will look bigger in a scope with bigger aperture. But if the scopes have the same focal length, as most 8 and 10 inch Dobs do, the objects won't look any bigger as you go up in aperture. DSOs *might* look brighter and more detailed, yes, but not bigger. For bright objects like the Moon and planets there might be no noticeable difference in brightness and certainly not in size. Which one would I pick? Neither! I love my XT6!
Hi, Ed. My first real telescope was an 8" Discovery Dob in 2000, based in part on your recommendation. It was the biggest scope that I could easily fit in my '78 Chevy Nova. I had the mirror recoated last year, and it remains my most-used telescope due to ease of set-up, ease of use, and useful aperture and focal length. There are two caveats about Dobs. They're not necessarily the best if the ground has snow. I tend to use a smaller tripod scope in the rare event we have a clear winter sky. Also, one needs either a folding chair to get down to the eyepiece, or else some kind of "table" to raise the eyepieces.
Years ago, for my first scope, I went with the 12.5 inch Meade Sonotube Dobsonian. I loved it! I set it up next to the 8 and 10 inch dobs and I enjoyed the fact that I could see more than either of them. The weight and bulk didn't bother me 20 years ago, but now as I get older, and my back isn't what it used to be, I would prefer the 8 or 10 inch. If I could choose today, I would probably go with the 10" dob. It weighs quite a bit less than the 12.5 and there is less of a difference in what I can see than there is between the 12.5 and the 8.
Excellent review with pluses and minuses for each. I have the 10” SkyWatcher truss tube for years now. If you like modifying like me, you can overcome most of any downsides. Optics on mine are great! My downsides are it’s weight with my modifications, better finder scope, better focuser, stiffer rocker box, high quality Pentax XW eyepieces…all added to having to a add a movable weight system to stop the nose diving. I did also add very large circular ALT bearings and replaces the AZ motions with Ebony star and PTFE. Scope woks perfect for me now, but that was a 10 year process. Get the 8” unless you enjoy the modification process like me. Cheers-Greg
For me the 8" is the clear winner, by far. I have the 8". I had the chance to observe for few hours with a 8" and 10" from Sky-Watcher side by side. The difference was noticeable but not groundbreaking by any means. If I am going to deal with the downsides of the 10" (weight, f/4.7, price) I might as well go for the 12". So either the 8" or the 12".. I see the 10" as the worst of both worlds. That f/4.7 doesn't work well at all with some of the budget eyepieces I use with no problem in the f/6 8".
This was my thinking. If I move somewhere that a dark site is easily accessible, I’ll go for the big guy.
@@sidpackard8613 I can fit the 12” solid tube in my Hyundai i30 hatchback.. so portability is not as bad as it seems. I did the measurements so I will be getting it sometime in the future. Keeping the 8” probably :)
Couldn't agree more, if you get the deep sky bug, neither the 8 or 10 will fully satisfy, but if you start with the 10, that kind of locks you into going all the way up to a 16 to make any real difference and now you just don't have any quick easy set up scopes.
Having an 8 and a 12 or a 16 would be all a deep sky fanatic would ever need for solid quick and easy viewing with the 8 or really impressive serious, but time-consuming viewing at a dark sky site with the 12 or 16.
This guy is a hero! Love it!
Dear Ed, thank you very much for the great and informative video. I can only confirm all your recommendations. I bought a 12-inch Dobsonian 12 years ago and have only used it twice because you can really only set it up properly with two people. Nonetheless, the additional details you can see are worth it. (Thank you also for the clear English. Although I am not a native speaker, everything was easy to understand.)
I purchased high quality oculars with my 10" Newtonian on a German equatorial mount and have observed views at moments of Good Seeing comparable to the large observatories. Quality oculars make a big difference.
Hi Ed, thanks for all your wonderful content! I found your channel a couple months ago and decided to follow your advice exactly, and it’s been perfect. I bought “Nightwatch”, some binoculars, and joined my local astronomy club. A month ago after battling “aperture fever” for several weeks I bought an 8” Dob, and it is absolutely amazing.
Now to today’s question . Two days ago I parked next to a gentleman with a 10” Dob, and it’s huge. Standing between his and mine, his seems twice as big as my 8”. I am sooooo happy I took your advice! Also, he admitted that he only takes out his 10” when he has a friend along to help, and uses his 8” much more often.
Thanks again!
To be fair a 10" is almost exactly 50% more light collecting area, so this is about what you'd expect. I find 12" is where it really starts to get genuinely unwieldy (for example you start needing a ladder needing the zenith), though everyone's preferences are a little different.
@@captainkoloth1631 True, but it’s also the difference between big and huge. For instance the 8" tube will fit in the back seat of my Honda Accord and most cars. The 10" won’t. Clear skies!
I too came across this channel after years of looking up at the night skies and thinking it would nice to look closer at some of the areas that catch your eye, the pleiades for example. So I had been thinking of buying a telescope for a while. Thankfully I came across this channel and it made a lot of sense coming from someone who clearly knows what they are talking about. I took your advice and bought an 8" Dob and a couple of better eyepieces. I have no light pollution as I live in the middle of nowhere and so far it has proven to be nothing short of incredible. I am no star hopper and it will take time to master, I get lost quite often as I see so many stars that It gets really confusing. But so far, Saturn and Jupiter and its moons are easy viewing, I have found Andromeda and its wee pal and the Orion nebular to name a few. I have had quite a few cloudy nights (you do in Scotland 😉) although those fewer nights of clear skies more than make up for it. Anyone looking for advice need look no further. Many thanks Ed.
Yep, but it's nice to get lost, sometimes. Some of my most enjoyable observations have been cruising around the sky, searching for nothing in particular. Then, come across something interesting and go to the star atlas to find out what it is that I have "discovered".@@MADPIKER01
Another great video. 1 other factor to consider. Let's take it to the extreme, a 4" dob or a 12" dob (mounted on a nice wheelie base that roles out of my garage and I am ready to view in 1 minute.) With the 4", I can find and make out some of the bright objects, but after doing that say, 20 times, I really want find and see more objects. That's when you are maybe going to be happier with a 12. If you just want to look at the 15 or so obvious bright targets, and you do that once every month, then you will be happy. But if you want to get out a few times each week, you will get tired of the Double Cluster and Andromeda pretty quickly. The list of viewable targets worth looking at in the 12 is quite a bit longer than the 4. I would say start with a 4 or 6 , and if you love it, get a 12.
I wouldn’t recommend a 12 for anyone that needs to ask “which scope should I buy?”
The ideal 12” customer *knows* they want a 12. It’s a specialty instrument at that point.
Someone with so little experience, is not going to enjoy a 12”. They should choose a 6 or 8” scope.
"The telescope that shows you the most is the one that gets used the most" such great words of wisdom! I've been considering selling my 8" dob in favor of the Analog Sky Heart because my scope has been gathering dust... but my astrograph certainly gets a lot of attention! I think you convinced me.
Once again , THANKS, for another great video. I really like the 10" scope. 😉😉😉
Hi Ed, knowing you have recommended 6" dobsonians for years, I went ahead and bought an 8", since it was just a little extra to spend for a lot of extra aperture gain. I am happy with the telescope and its performance, though at times I wish I had got the 6" if only due to portability. Buying a 10" briefly crossed my mind and I am very happy I did not get that one, once again due to portability and footprint of the base. Thanks for all your quality videos!
Ok. You win. I'm matriculating to an 8" Dob. My 10" Dob is 44 years old (I built it when I was in college) and used extensively for school children. As of last week, I finished a complete refurbishment of the scope. I retained the original toilet flanges (per John Dobson's booklet from about 1980), the vintage Coulter Optical mirrors with Meade primary mirror housing and spider (the mirrors will get recoated in the near future). I replaced the old teflon pads with new teflon pads (the softness of the teflon had, over the years, become scratched up), added bronze bushings to the azimuth bearing, added hard rubber feet. I then fiberglassed the old concrete form tube and painted it to make it look like carbon fiber. Finally I re-balanced the tube to accommodate a new 2” focuser and guide scope. Unfortunately, as I am considerably older than I was in 1980, the scope seems to have gained quite a bit of weight over the years... I will continue using the 10" when my son or brother (or other additional help) are available to help me move it around. Otherwise, I plan to use an 8" Dob when going solo. Thanks for your videos - I truly enjoy them!
I’m with ya… I’ve spent my life with an Odyssey 8, and couldn’t be happier. Key convenience: a fast/ short 8 inch dobsonian fits ACROSS my cars trunk and doesn’t require me to flip down seats! Everything else you said about the 8 inch applies. I just timed 30 seconds from trunk to observing!
A couple of years ago I purchased a 10" DOB. I regret the purchase and wish i had gotten the 8". The 10" is just too heavy to carry around.
Came to the same conclusion. Donated the 10 and bought an 8. Been very happy ever since.
I have 2,000+ observations through my Apertura AD 10".
I agree with Ed that an 8" is actually a better choice. The rocker box difficulties are real and the increase in resolution and light gathering is not as dramatic as one might think. The weight is absolutely an issue (although I do happen to be weightlifter), making it much bulkier to heft into the truck or house, especially at 3 AM. My bathroom scale weight is heavier than what Ed posted as well, 30 pounds for the box and 41 for the OTA (no findersocpe or EP). If I could do it again, I would buy an AD8 (and then buy an 18 inch for special nights!) If this is your first scope, at the least, don't buy a 12 inch!
I'm looking at a 12" for my first real telescope. Size, not weight is the issue. And it's a flextube.
outright saying "dont buy a 12 inch!" is just a bad take. For people that dont travel with their scopes, or cant (like me), weight/size is rarely an issue. A 12" will fit into a 97 honda accord. If someone wants a larger aperture, they usually know exactly what they want. And nowadays, youre not limited to steel tube or truss, as there is something called "GFK" (Fiberglass reinforced plastic). I (still) have several smaller scopes; ed80, 20x80 binos, 102mm achro and an 8" dob. The 12 inch is basically the only one that gets used, simply because more aperture. Obviously its bulkier and less comfortable to carry up/down stairs but if thats something that stops you from observing purely because youre lazy or cant be bothered, maybe a 6" dob is already too much for you.
That said, my 12" is a bresser. Both axis are stable yet silky smooth and easy to move. If the 12" you want has tiny altitude bearings and uses teflon pads instead of roller bearings for the azimuth axis, youre definitely looking at the wrong telescope. 100% of my observing sessions have been through the 12" in the last 3.5-4 months. The 8" is collecting dust.
I'm on Team 8 inch. I've had both. I actually tweaked my back once moving the mirror box of a collapsible 10 inch. I sold it and downsized to the 8 inch. It's an old Discovery PHQ but everything on it customized include the mount. It's beautiful, relatively light, and super easy to use. I love it. But the views in the 10 inch under dark skies were spectacular. Clear skies, Ed and to all.
Thank you for yet another wonderful video and the great information. I asked about a 6” in one of your other videos, but am now leaning toward one of two used telescopes in great condition…an 8” (Zhumell Z8, f5.9) for under $400 or a 10” (Orion SkyQuest XT10, f5.1) at $650.
Several factors in considering the two aren’t concerns for me. I am still in good health, so the weight difference isn’t an issue, nor is cost. We live in a rural area of the Texas Hill country and I have wonderful dark skies right outside my back door, so I wouldn’t likely be moving the telescope more than in and out of the house. As a side note, I didn’t realize until recently that we have five International Dark Skies Communities in the Hill Country, all within an hour drive, and including the town I live in, Dripping Springs.
But I digress. All that said, the 8” being used more makes sense. Something that wasn’t mentioned in the video but that someone in the comments did touch on (and that I read somewhere else) is coma, collimating and quality of eyepieces needed for the faster 10” vs. the 8”, all factors in favor of the 8”. As my own devil’s advocate, I wonder if the 10” might be better for someone getting up in age (I’m 64), as our eyes receive less light the older we get. I just saw a statistic that said a 60 year olds eyes receive one-third the light of a 20 year old.
One side of me says get the 10” as I will appreciate the extra light gathering capability. The other side says buy the 8” and use the money I save on eyepieces and other accessories.
I flipped a coin. It’s still in the air. Any additional thoughts for my situation?
Best thing I ever did was swap my 8” Newt/Dob combination for a small refractor, cheap OSC camera and entry-level equatorial mount. Spectacular views after a couple of minutes live stacking, way better than anything I ever observed visually. It’s nice to have the direct visual link with the eyepiece, but this doesn’t compensate for lack of intensity, detail and colour compared with live view with a camera, in my opinion.
Ed Ting, again, another EXCELLENT video. I agree completely, a 10" scope often ends up being "too much" scope. They aren't THAT much more than the 8", but they are more, and they are enough, over time, to make the difference between using something, and not. Personally, I have never been a victim of aperture fever, and my largest scope is an 8" dob, and that's the largest scope I want, but that's me. I know of others who feel differently. I am in relatively good health, not tall at 5'-9.5", but commonly run under a 9 minute mile.
Hi Ed,
35+ year ATM, Observer & Imager here.
I agree completely, concerning the 8" vs 10", which gets used more debate...and also the many "Maybe" caveats. However, I think you have not completed the entire logic exercise. I suggest that you next consider 6" vs 8" and other popular configurations too, until you arrive at an even broader conclusion. It's a great conversation and you have only scratched the surface. Let's carry this experiment farther forward!
I'd also always suggest beginners visit their local club Star Party, look through what is set up in the field and ask questions. Joining as a member, they can even often borrow and try out a scope before buying their own. All under the watchful eye of someone local who has already been through it.
Wishing you clear skies, Jim in Oregon
Ed thanks so much for this review. I'm a newbie. I bought a used 8" Meade LX-90. I'm 71 years old but in good health. Like you say the Meade SCT is kind of heavy and sort of a pain to set up. The goto feature is a great learning tool for me as a beginner because I don't know the night sky. I struggled with my self between the 8" and 10" Starsense Explorer. I got the 8". I'm glad I did. Its pretty light easy to set up and the starsense software works great. I was going to get the goto Skywatcher 10". I'm so glad I didn't. The 8" Starsense Explorer is perfect. My next and final plan is to sell my 8" LX-90 Meade and save my bucks for the 9.25 Celestron Edge with the cgem ii polar mount. I would like to comment the 25mm plossl lens that comes with the Starsense Explorer is pretty amazing. I know my 31 mm Nagler is much better but you couldn't prove it by me. The stars in Pleiades could be focused to pinpoints. No 82 mm field of view of course but the included 25mm Celestron Plossl doesn't deserve the bad reviews I have seen here on youtube. The 8" dob is so easy to set up even after I come home tired from work and the 1200 mm focal length is not anywhere near as sensitive to vibration and movement as my 2300 mm focal length 8" LX-90. The Starsense Explorer 8" Dob is much easier to point and find stuff than I ever expected.
My first real telescope was an Orion 10" Dob. As a member of NHAS I used to bring it to the sky watches at the planetarium in Concord for others to view through after the programs. It was a great telescope, but as time went on it became more of a effort to transport it and even drag it out of the garage to set it up in the driveway. I ended up selling it and buying a 127 Mak/Cass and putting it on a tripod. This is far from perfect and takes longer to set up, but it is lite and portable. The downside is acclimation time. I'm pretty sure that an 8" Dob will be my next purchase as a nice Apo refractor is not in my budget. Ed is right. The best telescope for you is the one you will use, not the one you keep tucked away in a closet somewhere.
I'll stick with my 10" solid tube Dob that I built. My biggest grip is it doesn't fit in my jeep... And it's heavy... Ed is spot on here, but it's what I have and I enjoy it when I can. Easy set up, collimation adjustments are pretty quick. At f6 it is a bit tough to get through the door though. 👍
Been waffling on 8 vs 10. Probably going conservative w/ an 8. It'd also be easier to mount on an EQ or wedge later.
Picked up an 8" about 4 years back and I love it. Pretty sure I watched one of your videos then to make my decision! I don't get to use it as much as I would like. Can't see much where I live with all the light pollution in my city, but at least once a year we go on vacation to the coast and I get some wonderful views there when the weather cooperates! I think if I'd gotten a 10" it would be harder to travel with. As it is I fill up my tiny Prius C and half of the space is taken up by telescope.
It's nice being able to move it away from the house and onto the boardwalk easily so I can get a better view of the sky.
I acquired an 8" recently , and while it is a nice scope , the one issue I have is that it is a pain in my back to use , vs either of my 12" dobs , even when viewing at zenith .
I would recommend a short sturdy platform for anyone over 5' tall .
A good observing chair is also recommended .
Honestly , traveling with a dob from 12" down isn't that hard , and is easier as the scope size decreases .
Obviously this does depend on your vehicle , and if you drive something that would not look out of place on a department store shelf , smaller would be better .
Those of us who own large vehicles ( vans , SUVs , trucks , land yachts , etc ..) will only be limited by our own strength and ancillary cargo / passengers .
Ed, you spit out truth like a cowboy spit out gooey tobacco in the 1880s. A lot! My ego always wants the bigger aperture, but deep down, the 8" tube option is simply the best choice. Simple is good in this regard.
"THANK YOU!", Mr. Ting, for an excellent video!
I hope to buy a Dob soon & I was considering either an 8" or a 10".
I was leaning towards an 8" because it is less expensive.
Your video convinced me, I'll be looking at an 8".
Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!
I have the 8” Celestron and I LOVE it, the starsense app is a game changer. I’m in bortle 4-5 skies and can see basically everything except some nebulas. It also fits right across the back seat of my Accord, though I’m lucky enough to use it mostly at home and don’t have to travel much with it.
I am exactly here now. 8 inch or 10 inch. I reluctantly plan for 8 inch and now really happy to have support for my decision! Thanks.
Another great video. Thanks so much. Back in the 90's I chose to build a 10" f/6 because of plans I found in a book and the larger aperture. I tend not to use it as much and use an 8-inch instead only because of the portability factor. I also want to take care and lessen the damage to my 10-inch because I made it and want to take better care of it. My 10-inch that I made is a dream to use functionally, however, because I had control of the construction.
Great video as always.
After using both a 10-inch solid tube and a 16-inch truss tube, I have some advice. If your budget allows or you find a good deal, I highly recommend getting a 14-inch truss tube Dobsonian (the ones that fit in a box). It fits in almost any car, is relatively easy to set up on your own, and won’t break your back (unlike the 16-inch, which can be quite cumbersome, though you might find a lighter one).
If you can afford it, consider a 10 to 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain. These are excellent visual telescopes, and you can easily switch to astrophotography later on. They have minimal collimation issues and many are point-and-go.
My friend has a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, and I envy him a lot. However, be aware that the price difference is about 4 to 5 times higher than an equivalent Dobsonian.
Great explanation and information. Thank you for posting this.
By chance I have both the 6 and 8 , i cant remember the last time i used the smaller one and that's on tripod . There is a joy sitting on a chair next to the 8 telescope and observing .
The 8” dob is the best bang for the buck. I have an old Orion xt8. It’s a good scope. What I don’t like is the eyepiece is often too high to kneel and it is too low without stooping over. An 8” f/8 would be more appealing due to better eyepiece height, but Is a project to build. I’m not aware of any manufactured dobs with that focal length in an 8 inch. My large go to is a Celestron 6” f/5 refractor on a Vixen GP mount. But it is a more expensive for similar performance to an 8” dob.
Like the rank amateur I am, I bought a 10" Sky Quest (Orion) Dob because I wanted more viewable objects than my 6" gave me. But I ended up selling the 10" and bought an 8" because, true to Ed's opinion, the 8" delivers great viewing at a far lower cost and takes much less effort to transport and store. Who knew? Oh, that's right, Ed did! Cheers.
This is a great video for our local Astronomy Outreach. Thanks Ed.
I bought an Orion 8" DOB in the mid 90's. Recently took it to Nevada for the annular eclipse, easy peasy! I used to sit out in a nearby field at night until I got a trail cam and caught pumas walking down my street.
Your videos are awesome, thank you!
Some weeks ago I cought the Corona Virus (T CrB variant...) and since then I was out every night with my binocular. While waiting for the Nova I started searching other objects. Basically every night I could see M32, M33, M51, M101, M110, M16, etc. It is so much fun! But I want more.
I was looking more into astrophotography, but that is expensive and although I like photography (landscape, macro) I struggle with editing (I'm colorblind).
Because of your videos I will settle with viewing first. I think I wouldn't enjoy just staring at a monitor all night :/
I live in a rural area with nice places 10 minutes away. A 30 minutes drive brings me in dark regions at >600m altitude. Weather is great here (most days are free of clouds) and I can start observing directly by my car. So I think I will get a 10" Dob, but the final decision isn't made yet.
I spent Christmas day and Boxing day 2020 watching RUclips videos comparing 8"" and 10" Dobs and decided that the extra magnitude or thereabouts that the 10" would give didn't justify the extra £200.I bought the 8" and I am perfectly happy with it.
Just bought my first 10inch dob. After viewing for ages with my 130eq. Since I'm driving a van.. i don't mind the size. It also came with a telrad finder. I was used of working with a red dot on the 130eq but that telrad.. wow! Can't wait to have some clear nights!
I went from a 6" to a 10". I wanted more of a jump in light gathering than just two inches. So freaking happy with it. I got the ES 10" truss dob when it went on sale. Spectacular views and nice fluid motion, tracking is a breeze. I looked recently through my 10 and another guys 8 at Saturn and mine was definitely brighter.
Traveling with an 8" to dark skies will always be better than a 10" in bright skies.
10” to dark skies even better! 😃
@@shubhamcwebMore weight to load in the car. At f/4.7-5, less tolerant of cheaper eyepieces and sloppy collimation.
@@MikeLikesChannel “I” think 10” f/5 is the best value (with a Paracorr) in terms of light gathering and resolution while being portable enough to fit in almost any car. But again, different people, different opinions.
False choice: you can travel to dark skies with a 10. Same length as an 8 just wider. Zero sweat.
@@scrumpymanjackbut the base is also wider, so many small cars can carry an 8 but not a 10
Ed...really enjoy your videos...thank you. For me it's the Apertura AD8 8" dob. I love the features...and yes...love the turntable. For me, I love the ease of that lazy susan. Thanks again.
Totally agree. I have an 8 inch Celestron C8 and a Skywatcher 12inch truss Goto. The 12 inch is great, however, as Ed stated the setup time is ridiculously long- setting up, collimating, setting up the Goto, power supply etc. Don’t get me wrong, once setup the views are spectacular. However, in saying that , I use the C8 for the majority of my viewing, due to its quicker , easier setup. Thanks for the great video once again.
So you have to collimate it every time you reassemble it?
In my experience using the truss Dob, collimation is good, but I just like to make sure everything is right. It only takes a few minutes to collimate
@@henribuhagiar9445 Thanks, I appreciate the info!
My C8 gets the most use too. Best all-around scope ever. I like my Dob too - but it’s too big to take with my family to dark skies.
I love my C8. Works just as well as the day I bought it.
The other thing worth mentioning, especially if any manufacturers are paying attention, is the mechanics of these mass produced scopes need to be improved. The optics are great, but the focusers and boxes leave something to be desired. High quality plywood is lighter and waterproof. Looser mirror clip bolts to avoid mirror pinch. Etc. These would not be expensive fixes but would dramatically improve the product. It is telling that there are many webpages in how to optimize these scopes. There should not be any if they were coming out of the factory entirely tuned up.
Discovery tried this a few years back, doing a lot of the upgrades you suggested. I liked those scopes a lot. Unfortunately, they didn't sell well. If you can find one on the used market, grab it.
Excellent review as always, and the comments below are spot on. I just want to add my perspective on my choice to buy a 10" over an 8" - the length of the optical tube is exactly the same, so if transporting and fitting your equipment in your car is a primary concern as it was mine, the extra 2" of aperture made no difference in portability and it's not much heavier to carry. A brighter DSO is always worth the extra weight!
Have a Birthday coming up - I cannot stress how often I have watched this video. I think it'll be the 8" - thanks Ed. Keep doing what you do. It's great.
Got a good deal on a 8" GSO deluxe, thank you for your advice! If I ever decide to get deeper into the hobby, I'll get something around a 16" GOTO.
I think I’d be a casual user at best. I live remote with very little light pollution. My patio out the back door is a great location for viewing. I have an opportunity to buy a 10” dob for $700. I’m hoping to see nebulas like I once saw through a friend’s 12. Should I do it? I should be able to sell if it sits unused. I’m 63 and am awake several hrs every night.
10" in low light pollution will show really lot.
Also it's good aperture for the Moon to give bright image at good magnifications.
Though if local seeing (atmospheric stability) isn't good, then extra size and weight gives little for the Moon.
I have just recently purchased a ten inch. I knew that it would be a faf dragging it in and out of storage all the time so I made a purpose made 'shed' for it which I placed on raised runway of 4 large slabs in the garden. Before I made the shed it certainly was a pain shifting it around ! Now when I want to go out it simply slides out on the castors and is ready to rock. If I hadn't had the space I would have considered the 8".
I’ve looked through very large reflectors on Dob mounts under great dark skies, and I must say I’ve never seen anything that could be described as spectacular. Just a slightly larger, but still dim, fuzzy blob. If you want to see spectacular objects then imaging or EAA is a much better option and you don’t have to break your back lugging huge beasts around. Just my opinion
At my age (68) I enjoy my 8 inch Dobsonian. I think the 10 inch would be too much.
I owned a classic holy grail telescope many amateurs want the Celestron C14. It was great and I used it for many years. Until recently when it started feeling heavier and more time consuming to set up and getting used less. So I sold it off for a smaller aperture.
The C14 is such a beautiful beast... but yeah, I couldn't handle that monster on a regular basis. 9.25" is a personal fave.
The percentage you gain as it gets bigger is why I have an 8 and a 12. 10" is less convenient than the 8 and makes me just want my 12.
Of course, I use my XT4.5 more than ANY of them.... it's great for quick lunar, planetary and solar (with a full aperture filter). I have a riser I made for it that makes it as comfortable as an 8" to use (same eyepiece height at zenith).
Yes, good point. An 8" and a 12" are one magnitude apart which makes them good companions to have.
i have the explorer scientific 10'' truss tube. i love the thing. i live in a fairly dark area and placed it on a 4 wheeled dolly. i just pull it into the center of my drive and when done pull it back into the garage. its great for me for where i live.
if i am going to a friends or on vacation i take a 114mm orion table top or my new favorite, a 90mm celestron eq.
either of the small scopes provide great views out in the dark country side. they have spurred 3 other people into stargazing.
I haven't seen much mention of the go-to versions of these scopes so I wanted to ad my experience with these. I have the Sky-Watcher 8 inch flextube with go-to. Its model 200Pi witch allows you to use a smartphone to control the scope. Let me tell you, this is an awesome telescope! My observing friends and I have a blast using it.
A few cons....price.. these near double the price of a manual 8 inch dob. However, if you can grab one on sale I think it's definitely worth the added cost. Con #2...weight..due to the additional weight of the motors and truss tube design, the base and tube are a bit heavier than the manuel version. Just something to be aware of.
Other than that I highly recommend the go-to dobs, in particular the 8 inch. Here are a couple tips and modifications I've made to make the scope more user friendly for me.
As Ed mentioned, I also prefer the solid tube design over the flextube. I find the flextube easier to move and transport with the tube locked in the fully extended position. I just wrap my arms arount the extension poles to pick it up. It also holds collimation very well this way. This scope and a solid tube dob will fit no problem in something like a Honda Civic. The tube can lay across the back seat and the base in the front passenger side.
You will want a light shroud for the flextube. If you're a bit handy, diy with posterboard and black duct tape has worked surprisingly well for me. Big savings over the Astrozap shroud and looks better too imo.
Building a short stand has helped raise the scope to a more comfortable viewing position while standing. It's also helpful for keeping the base out of the dewy grass. If the base is wet fom dew at the end of the night I recommend wiping it down before you store it. These particle board bases can easily be damaged by moisture. Taking a few minutes to dry things up can help keep them working properly for many years to come.
I hope this was helpful to anyone looking to get one of these scopes. I certainly enjoy mine and highly recommend!
Thanks Ed for all the great reviews and video's. Your knowledge and wisdom is greatly appreciated in the hobby!😊
It's not said that usually they all have the same barrel length (1200mm), so 8" is f/6 and 10" is f/4.7. This means that the 10" is much more sensitive to coma, and also requires better quality, which means heavier and more expensive eyepieces. It may also require a coma corrector, which also adds cost and weight to the focuser, and this (as well as heavy eyepieces) creates a problem of vertical balance that is a problem for every Dobson.
If, in addition to the horizontal axial bearing, vertical ball bearings are installed, the telescope runs smoothly and tracking objects at magnifications of 200-300 times is no longer a problem! However, vertical balance becomes a problem because it changes for every change in the angle of the telescope. The only solution is weights with magnets that we have to move when we change the vertical angle of the telescope significantly. Each solution has advantages and disadvantages, for me this is the best solution, and the factory sky watcher is almost unusable for magnifications over 100 times and unusable for 200 and more times.
After owning a succession of small refractors (up to 120mm), I finally got an 8" Dob and couldn't be happier. Should have picked it first.
I was trying to reach a conclusion but the price was balancing the light gathering ability and I just couldn't decide, thank you Ed, I appreciate your help, I'm gonna buy the 8inch.
This was a great video, thanks. I currently own a Celestron 4.5 inch refractor, but have been wanting to upgrade. I think I am going with the 8 inch. I almost decided to get the 10 inch, but you had such good valid points, that, the 8 inch is the more logical choice for me, and a fairly significant upgrade from 4.5 inches. Expertly done and explained, thanks again!
I got a Sky watcher semi truss 8" and not to heavy, and magic to fit in the back of the Pajero 4X4 wagon!
PICKIN UP MY FIRST SCOPE NOW ITS A INTELLISCOPE XT8 thanks for the info sir, im getting it and a bunch of stuff for $500, fine with me
Enjoy what made you choose that scope
I previously owned a solid tube 8" dobsonian (my first telescope, which I eventually sold because I do mostly astrophotography now) and I can definitely agree with Ed's assessment here. The 8" gathers plenty of light to see all kinds of interesting targets, and it's still a bit of an exercise to pack it up and take it somewhere for observing. The 10" would definitely be bigger/heavier enough to discourage me from using it as much as the 8".
2002 ford lightning, i can carry a 14 if i want to set it up in the bed and use the cigarette lighter for power BUT i already have an Orion 8" Skyview pro ...just have to get a nice goto mount to for photo operations, Skywatcher eq6r pro will be my choice due to the weight capacity and belt drive ...Clear skies !!
I got the 10 inch celestron starsense because I live in the city and I use it mainly in the back yard
I appreciate your perspective. It's been very helpful. Slightly different question that I haven't seen addressed. Focal length. I use a 6" table top reflector. Can see the majority of objects the bad light in my area allows. Easy to set up and move around. Been happy with it except I would like less magnification in some situations and better clarity overall. I'm on the fence about upgrading to a full size 8". The question is if the extra focal length is worth the loss of portability.
Begginer's Questions - I understand the 10" gathers more light than the 8" Celestron StarSense. 1. However, do both of these telescopes have the exact same magnification potential? The 10" version is slightly shorter than the 8". Does this mean the 8" has a greater magnification (longer focal length)? 2. Since the moon so bright (light gathering not a big issue), wouldn't the 8" version essentially deliver the almost the exact same level of detail and image quality as the 10"? 3. Lastly, wouldn't an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain design be the best of all worlds - same light gathering of the 8" Dob, yet even higher focal length for better magnification?
My search originally led me to the Celestron NexStar 8SE. But I couldn't stomach all the electonics. But now I'm leaning toward the 10" Celestron StarSense. But if the 8SE is going to provide better all around views of Saturn, Mars, Neptune than the 10" Celestron StarSense, and do so in a smaller package, I might go back to the Schmidt-Cassegrain platform.
To all of you experienced astronomers, I am sorry for my basic questions, but my perfect blend of ignorance, reason, and enthusiasm is creating buyer's paralysis! Thanks!
I bought an 8" Dob about a week ago and having a lot of fun with it,
Looking for my first scope, and I _might_ be a case where a 10" makes sense - my car, a Hyundai Ioniq, has a spacious and barely used trunk, and the skies here in the suburbs of Lisbon are bright enough that it's always worthy to travel 40+ minutes for a Bortle 5 site anyway (or double that for one in the 3-4 frontier).
However the price difference, unwieldiness, focal ratio being more demanding with eyepieces (as mentioned in the comments) and such keep me on the 8" track anyway.
Great content as always
The 10"OTA looks fine. The problem lies in the mount. Purchase David Kriege's (Obsession Telescopes) book -The Dobsonian Telescope and read chapter 13 - Making a small telescope. The altitude bearing diameter should be 1.8 times the telescopes O.D. For buttery smooth motion the Formica surfaces should be coated with auto paste wax at least two times a year. I've used my 10" telescope for over thirty years and could not be happier.
Excellent video with a very well delivered explanation of the difference between the two and the rationale behind your argument. As some who’s thinking about traveling around the country and wanting to maybe get a telescope, you’ve helped me deal with my fear of not getting one that’s big enough.
so i just bought an8se and its great but i felt a little guilty about my 1970s japanese tasco 4.5 in reflector so i cleaned the mirrors bought a barlow lens and some other stuff (.965 stuff is really cheap) and just tonight i was looking at jupiter and orion with the 8 and it was great, i packed it up...5 minutes and decided to try out the 4.5 inch, picked it up and in seconds i was ready. i have to say, i could see the cloud belts on jupiter but the big surprise was orion, i could see the 4 stars clearly with a 20mm and barlow but also the entire nebula, with the 8 and a 40 mm eyepiece i cant see the whole thing. so theres that reason to buy a smaller scope.....but i have both so now so.....
I have 8” Meade Starfinder reflector dob telescope and made in 1990’s. The tube made of sono tube. I am satisfied and comfortable with the size. Easier for me to carry from and to house. I bought the scope on October 2016 from consignment through sale person at camera store.
It's not the weight difference. A 5-gallon can of gasoline or case of wine is about the same weight. It's the awkward bulkiness. I can carry an 8" without disassembly, to my back yard.
I love my Orion XT8. I recently got a used Apertura AD12. I also really like it very much, and I haven't tweaked it to my ideal comfort level just yet. As Ed said, the "Lazy Susan" az bearing turns a bit too easily. My solution (a "tweak") will be a couple of felt furniture pads that will slow free movement but not cause a jolt start like the XT8 suffers from. I had some adhesive felt pads in a drawer, and they're the prefect thickness for it. (Nights and early morning hours have been clear, so spare hours have been spent out scanning the skies instead of noodling with the mechanics of the scopes). For the XT8 and it's az issue, I've gotten wider (2" round) teflon pads for the base, and will add a couple of old CDs on the center pivot point to raise it to the same height as the slightly thicker 2" pads, all in hopes of easing the transition from stop to moving (especially at zenith). My wife won't miss her records after all. I might wax the formica surface between base sections as well.... we'll see how the wider teflon works first. Regardless, it's a great instrument. The 12" is considerably heavier, so I have to move it in two sections until I get a dedicated dolly for it. ...but it gets more dim objects, and offers more resolution on ones the 8 acquires. Since I don't have to travel with it, it works for me. I love both scopes. I got both used, and the prices added together was less than the cost of a new 12" dob by a couple hundred. Our first scope, a 4.5EQ was also used, and we're sitting right at $1000 for the three. (Plus eyepieces, filters, telrads, etc., of course!!!!). Take Ed's advice and get an 8" Dob. You won't regret it (unless you have to squeeze it into a Fiat or Miata to get to dark skies.
The felt pads did the trick for the Lazy Susan looseness on the AD12. I initially placed four of them, but it seemed a bit stiff. I removed two, and it's perfect. It moves without resistance, but doesn't feel "stuck" when trying to move it just a bit. ...of course, clouds have rolled in, and it'll be snowing on Sunday.
you are very honest and i can trust you what you said many thanks
Apologies for the incorrect figures earlier. With my glasses on. 8" tube 8.6 Kg, base 8ish. : 10" tube 10.8 Kg and base 9.5 Kg.
Great video! I recently faced exactly this tradeoff. Ironically, because I live in area that has so much light pollution and so many trees and buildings that I am effectively forced to drive at least 45 minutes to be able to really observe, I ended up getting the 10". Because for me 99% of the effort and time is that drive and packing in the car; for me, the 10" sweetens the reward for when I finally get to an observing site!
I got a 10" truss tube from Sky Watcher because I wanted the optional Goto capabilty, though to save time I don't collapse it so it's as if I have a solid tube.
That's a great point. If you're putting that much effort into observing, then the increase in scope weight is a marginal increase. Might as well have the bigger scope once you drive all that way.
This...