Dobsonian 8 – 200mm (8 inch) Saxon

[ManUtdFans]

Dobsonian 8 – 200mm (8 inch) Reflecting Telescope System

http://www.davidreneke.com/intermediate-level-telescopes/
$496

Price looks promising but not sure is AUD or shipped.

Anyone have bought anything for them: David Reneke?

[Shark Bait]

Never dealt with the business you have listed so can't pass comment.

You are in Sydney. Are you able to visit Bintel. They sell an 8" Dob which is a rebranded GSO. It might suit your requirements and they are great to deal with (I am not associated with Bintel in any way).

http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Dobsonian/Bintel-BT202-B-8--Dobsonian/72/productview.aspx

Also worth looking at Astro Pete's in QLD if you don't mind paying for shipping (Saxon and Skywatcher Dobs).

[AstralTraveller]

I know David Reneke's name and I've no doubt he is reputable, but why buy from overseas and pay all that freight? You can get the same for cheaper in Sydney from Bintel, Astro-Optical Supplies or Andrews. If you don't like any of them, there are more dealers interstate.

If you're interested in an 8" consider whether you should get a 10". They are the same length but fatter (and heavier) and the mount is bigger but gather 1.5x the light of an 8". IMHO if you can carry it then stretch the budget to afford it.

[ManUtdFans]

Ah...I could not find info on his website about where he is.
And no information about freight charges.

[atkinsonr]

There's a near new 8" dob in Sydney in the IIS classifieds at the moment. At $200 he's almost giving it away.

I would get that and use the $300 change to get a nice EP or 2 (There's been some nice Explore Scientific eyepieces on the classifieds recently) and maybe a UHC filter.

[JJDOBBER79]

I agree with Rich. I wish I was in Sydney. What a bargain!!!!!!!!!!

[astro_nutt]

I can vouch for the quality of the Chinese made Saxon. My first "proper" scope was a Saxon 8" dob bought in 2001. I sold a few years ago and it is still looking and performing beautifully.

[ManUtdFans]

How to check if the second hand scope still in good shape?

[atkinsonr]

Dob's are pretty simple. If it's in good cosmetic condition, hasn't been mistreated, no dings or scratches, just check the focuser and mirrors.

The focuser should be clean and smooth - not gritty.

The mirrors (especially the primary) really should be faultless, show no signs of dirt or having been cleaned, or having anything dropped on the primary.

A few flecks of dust is no problem at all.

[Shark Bait]

I agree with your points except that the primary should show no signs of having been cleaned. It is reasonable maintenance to clean the mirrors when needed. It has to be done with care, but many consider it essential to get the best performance from the telescope. So far I have only felt the need to clean my primary once and the improvement was worth the effort.

[2stroke]

Had a newt with a nasty chip in the primary and it worked sweet as for visual and gave a very nice view. Lol there not refractors and can take a fair beating, the main thing is the mirror coatings and signs of them flaking and peeling. The focuser can always be cleaned adjusted and regressed so i wouldn't worry on that front, collimation's the only main issue with newts but thats only 5mins of your time anyhow. BTW saxon is skywatcher and orion its just the australian distributor, there all synta and there all good. GSO are great as well though i've had a pretty average primary in a 10" before, where as all my saxon/skywatcher newts have had a1 optics so far but i'am sure there let some avrg ones out the door before as well. GSO use bk7 glass and saxon use pryrox, the bk7 take a little more time to settle though aided with a fan there about the same. At the end of the day GSO wins because of the price as the scopes are nearly the same apart from the glass. Go used and save some money to put into a nice eyepiece :)