The Dobsonian telescope is the perfect choice for the visual astronomer
This is why I chose it
- I was interested in visual astronomy. I wanted to observe in real-time.
- I wanted the largest proportion of my budget to be spent on the mirror and focuser so that I got great, pleasing views with no colour distortion.
- I wanted a mount that was secure and stable so I didn’t get shaky views.
- I wanted a telescope that would be capable of viewing solar system objects, binary stars and where possible, Dark Sky Objects.
- I needed a telescope that I could point and observe and was quick to set up. I didn’t want to spend time aligning a polar or computerised mount.
- I wanted a telescope that I could upgrade.
The stunning, bright, retina blowing and almost 3D quality live view of the Great Cluster M13 cannot be matched by any flat digital image.
I had reasonable and realistic expectations of what I would be able to see from my location. The stunning, bright, retina blowing and almost 3D quality live view of the Great Cluster M13 cannot be matched by any flat digital image.
I read lots of online reviews from experienced and new users who used and recommended the Dobsonian mounted reflector.
I chose the Skywatcher 200P Skyliner Classic 8″ Dobsonian as it was a solid foundation scope that met my needs in terms of aperture, weight and size (for transportation), quality (optics, focuser, mount) and cost.
Check out my review but if you are starting out, run through this checklist first.
The lack of tracking or a polar/equatorial mount is not a problem for me. Push/nudge to keep objects in view under high power has become second nature to me and I don’t even have to think about doing it.
When choosing a Dobsonian, I would not worry about brand as the majority of them come from just two factories in the Far East. Base your decision on availability, included accessories like a RACI (right angled finder) and dual speed focuser and of course price.
As well as user comments and reviews on the Sky Watchers Lounge and Cloudy Nights forums I read and would recommend the following sites to others.
- What Can You See With Different Telescopes (Deep-Sky Watch) http://www.deepskywatch.com/Articles/what-can-i-see-through-telescope.html
- Ranking telescopes by price (Telescopic Watch) https://telescopicwatch.com/uk/telescopes-rankings
- Thinking of buying a telescope? (Virginia Teck Department of Physics) http://www1.phys.vt.edu/~jhs/dobsonian.html
- Hobby Killers: What telescopes not to buy (Sky & Telescope Magazine) https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-equipment/choosing-astronomy-equipment/hobby-killers-what-telescopes-not-to-buy
- An absolute beginner’s quick-guide to choosing your first telescope (r/telescopes reddit group) https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/i0tzkw/an_absolute_beginners_quickguide_to_choosing_your
- Beginner Telescopes Guide (First Light Optics) https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html
- “What telescope should I get?” (r/telescopes reddit group) https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/847n0i/for_anyone_posting_what_telescope_should_i_get
- Telescopes for children (Gregory Brannon)
https://astronomysource.com/best-telescopes/kids-telescopes - I would also recommend watching this YouTube video by AstroBackyard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JHu4sGwl0Y
- Ed Ting produces some great videos comparing different Dobsonian sizes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qVXy7SDDo4&t=1104s and choosing a “best” telescope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpVwN21X2QA
I saw your comment on Reddit and followed your link. I’m upgrading, and am looking to either Dobsonian or a cheap go-to. I can’t make up my mind. I just really like the idea of a tracking telescope.
I can recommend the Dobsonian and I find learning the night sky with tools such as Stellarium and SkEye as well as finding objects is fantastic. I think the push-to method is great but go-to leaves me cold. I can see the benefit of tracking for astrophotography but at the moment, live observing hits all the right buttons. I also don’t think “cheap” and “Go-To” can be a successful partnership.
I would recommend putting the limited budget towards good optics rather than tracking hardware.
I always advise that it is best to use your supplied accessories (including eyepieces) before you spend money on upgrades. For example, you might decide to keep the 25mm and just replace the 10mm with a 9mm Goldline. Alternatively, you might choose to replace both with a set of four (20mm, 15mm, 9mm and 6mm) or do as I did and get a Zoom. There is no need to rush – it’s important to use your telescope and decide on a solution that works for you.
I saw your comment on reddit too 🙂 Nice website!
I went for the same telescope as you but I’m wondering about the eyepieces. On many websites I read that it’s necessary to update from the stock eyepieces that come with the scope. Is it true? If so, would you be able to recommend alternatives?
The 25mm is perfectly adequate but I did not get on with the 10mm. Check out the zoom eyepiece page to read about my eyepiece upgrades.
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Many thanks for the feedback
Hi Brett, greetings from Queensland, Australia. I stumbled upon your excellent web site and glad I did. Coincidently, I have exactly the same set up as you! Thanks for the great web site, resources, tips. I recently bought my gear about a month ago after a 3 year hiatus, and apart from two nights it has been raining, cloudy or humidity of over 80%. I managed to get spectacular shots of the moon with my smartphone on those two nights. I forgot about the brilliant app you reviewed and now have that. Keep up the great work!
Many thanks for the feedback Graham and pleased to hear that you found the site useful.