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Main
Date: 04 Jul 2007 13:16:43
From: goodnigh
Subject: What Dob to buy
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Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
one from Orion has object locator capability.
Anyone have experience with either of these products?
Thanks
mike
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 09:56:42
From: Grim Reaper
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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On Jul 4, 9:16 am, "goodnigh" <goodni...@mindspring.com > wrote:
> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
> one from Orion has object locator capability.
> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>
> Thanks
>
> mike
Go with the XT-10 Intelliscope. You can move the scope assembled but
it is a load. If you wish, you can separate the base from the tube
and move then individually. You do not have to use the Intelliscope
-- if you want to starhop, just starhop -- if you want to use the
computer, use it.
My understanding of the truss tube Dobs is that you must assemble,
disassemble, reassemble -- all of which brings up issues of losing
parts, collimation, and the like.
I have an XT-8 and an XT-12 Intelliscope -- the 12 is a sonofabitch to
move, the 8 is a simple matter to move, the 10 will be a bit of a load
but you should have no problem with it.
If possible, visit a local club and check out someone else's 10-inch
Dob.
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 10:55:38
From: Jan Owen
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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"Grim Reaper" <pilgriminabarrenland@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1183568202.971029.265090@c77g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> On Jul 4, 9:16 am, "goodnigh" <goodni...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
>> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
>> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
>> one from Orion has object locator capability.
>> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> mike
>
> Go with the XT-10 Intelliscope. You can move the scope assembled but
> it is a load. If you wish, you can separate the base from the tube
> and move then individually. You do not have to use the Intelliscope
> -- if you want to starhop, just starhop -- if you want to use the
> computer, use it.
>
> My understanding of the truss tube Dobs is that you must assemble,
> disassemble, reassemble -- all of which brings up issues of losing
> parts, collimation, and the like.
Depends on your individual situation... I NEVER disassemble my 12"
LightBridge... And, with the stronger primary collimation springs I added,
it holds collimation surprisingly well, even when moving it around... But
do understand that ANY Newtonian will need regular collimation checks and
periodic adjustment... My 13.1" needs to be collimated every time I move
it. But it only takes a minute or two, and one or two small movements of a
primary knob or two (the secondary virtually never needs adjusting on THAT
scope)... And a 10", even fully assembled, will fit in lots of places a 12"
won't...
>
> I have an XT-8 and an XT-12 Intelliscope -- the 12 is a sonofabitch to
> move, the 8 is a simple matter to move, the 10 will be a bit of a load
> but you should have no problem with it.
>
Using a ScopeTote makes carrying my 12" OTA around relatively easy, even
with my bad back... A 10" should be a snap...
> If possible, visit a local club and check out someone else's 10-inch
> Dob.
>
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 13:02:13
From: Dennis Woos
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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> My understanding of the truss tube Dobs is that you must assemble,
> disassemble, reassemble -- all of which brings up issues of losing
> parts, collimation, and the like.
>
I don't see how a truss-tube dob is a disadvantage - disassemble it if you
want/need to, or leave it assembled and treat it like a tube. I write this
never having owned a truss-tube dob, so maybe others can comment from
experience.
Dennis
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 12:42:55
From: Dennis Woos
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
> one from Orion has object locator capability.
> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>
I have a friend who has an Orion 8" dob (not Intelliscope), and the mirror
is very good. He invested in a couple of Pentax XL eyepieces and a TV
Paracorr, and the views are great. That said, he did rebuild his bearings
with Ebony Star and Teflon (if you don't know what this means, Google it)
and this dramatically improved the high-power tracking.
I spent a couple of minutes messing around with examples of the Meade
Lightbridge scopes at NEAF this spring, and found that they also didn't move
as well as I like and as well as they could by using the tried-and-true
Ebony Star and Teflon. I would Google for some reviews, but a guy who posts
here really enjoys his Lightbridge and says the optics are good.
Another possibility is to build your own. You will spend more - primary,
secondary, focuser, etc - but you will get to choose every part to suit
yourself. Basic woodworking skills and hand tools are all that are required.
This comes to mind as I just noticed a couple of very nice mirrors for sale
on Astromart!
Dennis
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 10:44:39
From: Jan Owen
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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"Dennis Woos" <dpwoos@gmavt.net > wrote in message
news:138njghfmlue49d@corp.supernews.com...
>> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
>> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
>> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
>> one from Orion has object locator capability.
>> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>>
>
> I have a friend who has an Orion 8" dob (not Intelliscope), and the mirror
> is very good. He invested in a couple of Pentax XL eyepieces and a TV
> Paracorr, and the views are great. That said, he did rebuild his bearings
> with Ebony Star and Teflon (if you don't know what this means, Google it)
> and this dramatically improved the high-power tracking.
>
> I spent a couple of minutes messing around with examples of the Meade
> Lightbridge scopes at NEAF this spring, and found that they also didn't
> move as well as I like and as well as they could by using the
> tried-and-true Ebony Star and Teflon. I would Google for some reviews, but
> a guy who posts here really enjoys his Lightbridge and says the optics are
> good.
>
> Another possibility is to build your own. You will spend more - primary,
> secondary, focuser, etc - but you will get to choose every part to suit
> yourself. Basic woodworking skills and hand tools are all that are
> required. This comes to mind as I just noticed a couple of very nice
> mirrors for sale on Astromart!
>
> Dennis
I'd concur with what you (Dennis) said, and do have a (12" Deluxe)
LightBridge... I've owned a number of large and medium sized traditional
Dobsonians in the past (trending smaller at present because of back
problems). I built several of those, and I'd agree that the LB could be
improved with Ebony Star running on virgin teflon pads of the right size,
and properly located... And I still have a lot of virgin Teflon left over
from other ATM projects. But after using my new LightBridge for well over a
year, while I don't like the movements *as well* as Ebony Star running on
Teflon, I decided that it's *good enough*, and have left it as-delivered,
with it's original bearings... If I change my mind, that's easy enough to
fix, and I already have the materials and the experience...
Incidentally, while the focuser is certainly no Feather-Touch, the standard
focuser is a very usable Crayford, so replacement is an option, but not a
necessity... ScopeStuff also carries a bolt-on two-speed version of this
focuser for a reasonable price...
And yes, my scope came with nice optics. Others I correspond with have
indicated they're happy with theirs, too... In fact, I don't recall anyone
complaining about their optics... {:-)
I have changed or added a few things to meet some of my quirky personal
preferences (collimation knobs & springs, Rigel QuikFinder, rotated UTA and
other items), but the scope is certainly usable out of the box, and
represents good value... It's NOT to be confused with custom-made premium
Dobsonians, but at this price-point, it does deliver...
Images of my LightBridge and other scopes can be found in the Jan's Scopes
album via the Webshots link under my signature below.
--
Jan Owen
To reach me directly, remove the Z, if one appears in my e-mail address...
Latitude: 33.6
Longitude: -112.3
http://community.webshots.com/user/janowen21
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 07:58:44
From: RMOLLISE
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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On Jul 4, 8:16 am, "goodnigh" <goodni...@mindspring.com > wrote:
> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
> one from Orion has object locator capability.
> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>
> Thanks
>
> mike
Hi:
It depends. Optically, they are very similar. If you must transport
your scope to observe, and have a very small vehicle, the Meade may be
the thing. A solid tube dob like the Orion is still pretty compact at
10 inches, however, and is probably actually easier to get into the
backyard than a truss tube scope.
Unk Rod
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 20:53:42
From: goodnigh
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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"RMOLLISE" <rmollise@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1183561124.513442.124050@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> On Jul 4, 8:16 am, "goodnigh" <goodni...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
>> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
>> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
>> one from Orion has object locator capability.
>> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> mike
>
> Hi:
>
> It depends. Optically, they are very similar. If you must transport
> your scope to observe, and have a very small vehicle, the Meade may be
> the thing. A solid tube dob like the Orion is still pretty compact at
> 10 inches, however, and is probably actually easier to get into the
> backyard than a truss tube scope.
>
> Unk Rod
Probably go with the Orion. Just hope it will fit in my car.
It is the biggest Mustang ever made but still a small car.
One reader said he added collimation springs and screws
to his Lightbridge. I thought all reflectors came with those.
The collimation on my StarSeeker is very easy, just the goto
feature can be a problem. Hence the reason for this thread
about Dobs. Orion's retail outlet is one town south and
their factory is about 45 minutes away.
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 14:41:36
From: Jan Owen
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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"goodnigh" <goodnigh1@mindspring.com > wrote in message
news:qNTii.4258$zA4.4059@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> "RMOLLISE" <rmollise@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1183561124.513442.124050@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>> On Jul 4, 8:16 am, "goodnigh" <goodni...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>> Will be buying a 10" Dob. Either one sold by Orion
>>> called "Intelliscope" or one from Meade called Lightbridge.
>>> The Lightbridge claims to be easily portable while the
>>> one from Orion has object locator capability.
>>> Anyone have experience with either of these products?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> mike
>>
>> Hi:
>>
>> It depends. Optically, they are very similar. If you must transport
>> your scope to observe, and have a very small vehicle, the Meade may be
>> the thing. A solid tube dob like the Orion is still pretty compact at
>> 10 inches, however, and is probably actually easier to get into the
>> backyard than a truss tube scope.
>>
>> Unk Rod
>
> Probably go with the Orion. Just hope it will fit in my car.
> It is the biggest Mustang ever made but still a small car.
> One reader said he added collimation springs and screws
> to his Lightbridge. I thought all reflectors came with those.
> The collimation on my StarSeeker is very easy, just the goto
> feature can be a problem. Hence the reason for this thread
> about Dobs. Orion's retail outlet is one town south and
> their factory is about 45 minutes away.
They all DO come with collimation springs and screws...
But, basically NONE of them come with thumb screws that don't require a
screwdriver or Allen wrench for you to be fumbling with in the dark, or drop
and lose on the ground, or bounce off your primary mirror, and many of them
come with primary suspension springs that aren't strong enough to hold
collimation well, so replacing the springs with stronger ones improves
things... Always YOUR choice...
The scope WILL work fine out of the box with the original parts... It will
just work BETTER with these relatively inexpensive upgrades...
--
Jan Owen
To reach me directly, remove the Z, if one appears in my e-mail address...
Latitude: 33.6
Longitude: -112.3
http://community.webshots.com/user/janowen21
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 22:21:40
From: goodnigh
Subject: Re: What Dob to buy
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> They all DO come with collimation springs and screws...
>
> But, basically NONE of them come with thumb screws that don't require a
> screwdriver or Allen wrench for you to be fumbling with in the dark, or
> drop and lose on the ground, or bounce off your primary mirror, and many
> of them come with primary suspension springs that aren't strong enough to
> hold collimation well, so replacing the springs with stronger ones
> improves things... Always YOUR choice...
>
> The scope WILL work fine out of the box with the original parts... It
> will just work BETTER with these relatively inexpensive upgrades...
I here you. Actually, my 114mm Celestron StarSeeker comes with
thumb screws. Where the 150mm StarSeeker needs tools. You also
need to remove a cover plate to get to the screws on the 150mm.
The screws that hold the cover in place are VERY tiny and have
been lost before. Those screws require a different tool :)
mike
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