Bintel BT 202 Dobsonian recommenation needed.

[Pinwheel]

Hi, Can anyone here on IIS give me a fair opinion on the Bintel BT-202 8" F6 Dob. One has become available to me to buy & I'd like the pro & cons of this Newt before I commit. My currant Newt is a 8" China built F4 on an EQ4 mount so I may even attach the Bintel to this EQ4 mount. I'm mostly interested in the quality of the mirrors & quality of viewing.
Thanks.:)

[Steffen]

The Bintel BT-202 is a Bintel-branded GSO (Taiwan) produced Dob. Not much wrong with it. It has decent bearings, easy to adjust bearing tension, a half-decent 10:1 Crayford-style focuser and a pretty good 8x50 RACI finder. The mirrors seem very good for a mass-produced scope.

The only downsides I see with this particular scope is the less than ideal primary collimation setup (locking screws halfway between collimation screws), and the chipboard mount base.

The first one can be overcome by strengthening the springs under the collimation screws and forgetting about the locking screws altogether. The second one is not immediately an issue, only after the mount has gotten wet and started swelling. The only fix then is a rebuild of the base in something more suitable, like hardwood ply.

All in all, this scope is a great performer and an absolute steal for the money (even if bought new). I'm not sure an EQ4 mount will carry the tube, though...

Cheers
Steffen.

[MortonH]

I had one of these about five years ago and was very happy with it. Fantastic scope for the money.

It's definitely way too heavy for an EQ4.

Curious why you want another 8" scope? Or do you intend to sell the f/4?

[Pinwheel]

Thanks for the reply.

I'd be surprised that it would be too heavy as it's only 300mm of empty tube to what I already got. What I really want is a 10" but this was offered very cheap with 4 good quality ep's as bonus. I've already declined to buy it now. I really want a 10" :D.

[astro_nutt]

Hi Doug.
If you do intend to buy the Bintel dob, you could disassemble the chipboard mount and smear some silicone sealant onto the uncoated edges then allow to dry before putting it back together. Also, give the finished surfaces a good coat of car wax. All this should protect it from moisture. Cheers!

[Pinwheel]

I went cold on the whole idea, I want a 10" with an EQ mount because I'm just starting to play around with Astro-photography. Still looking.

[Steffen]

A C9.25 or C11 (perhaps with focal reducer or hyperstar?) would be a lot easier to handle and be happy with a much more affordable (sub-$10k) EQ mount. That's still a ****load of gear, though.

The standard recommendation for someone just starting out in astro imaging is an ED80 on a NEQ6 or similar, and I can see why.

Cheers
Steffen.

[Pete53]

Hi I have a 10 inch (252mm) Binte l/ GSO Dob. Agree with all other comments. the 10" tube weighs in at about 15kg. Not sure what that means for an EQ mount but would need something pretty big I guess.

Peter

[pw]

I've had my Bintel 8" dob for a while now and I'm very pleased with it. Seems like good value.

[Camelopardalis]

10" Dob is a lot to be lifting...I find my C11 about my limit, at 12.5kg and dumpy :lol:

With hyperstar being f/2 you could get away with a C8, but I've not (yet) tried it.

[Pinwheel]

Well I went for a 12" BT-302-B Dob. Yes it's big & heavy OTA 22kg & the base 17.5kg, but I have no intentions of visiting Dark sites because I live at one. May build a small DIY Observatory and leave it inside till needed. should have it in about 4-7 days.

[Camelopardalis]

Bonus! Congrats on your new scope, Doug :)

[barx1963]

Doug
A 12" GSO is actually not that hard to transport, I had one for years and it easily fitted in my little Astra wagon along with heaps of other kit.
I know it is a bit of a drive but why not try to come to a Snake Valley Camp at some stage, would only be a couple of hours from you.

Malcolm