~ Advice on 10” Dobs ~ New Member – First Scope ~

[Arc]

Hey Guys,

I’ve been lurking here a few days, wearing out the search button over my very first scope. :astron:

Well after quite some reading and changing of my mind, I’m sure the majority of you would be pleased that I have settled on a 10” Dob.
The last few days has taught me that ICEINSPACE is a friendly place :cheers: and I think it’s time I asked a few questions.

There are two 10” Truss Dobs that I am looking at;

One is from Star Optics 10" Truss Dob (http://www.staroptics.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=373)

And the other is from Andrews Communications 10" Truss Dob (http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm)


Now to me they look almost identical however, the one from Star Optics is branded Star Watcher and is stated to ship with a Crayford Focuser and the one from Andrew’s is unbranded with a different base and advertised with a Crayford 'Style' focuser.

My gut reaction is they are the same scope and focuser but this language is often used when talking about a genuine item vs. a copied item.


So there you are, a nice easy question to start with.


Happy to hear other suggestions for a beginner scope if you have them.

My searching has revealed that I have come into this a couple of months too late. Am I correct that 8”, 10” and 12” dobs have recently gone up in price?

Does anyone have any preferences for shipping companies? I've read a couple of threads where members have received beat up boxes with dented scopes; little scary.

Oh, I'm in Central Queensland btw, plenty of starry, starry nights up here. :D

Cheers

[dannat]

the dobs both look like they are from skywatcher - same company which is itself a brand made by Synta - a chinese optical giant.

or are you looking at the GS one on andrews page - it comes from taiwan.

the collapsible dobs are more than the standard tube ones, but most companies have put prices up a bit after the dollars fall

[Ian Robinson]

Unfortunately, because the bottom has dropped out the AUD , so yes , you'll find you need a lot more $ to a scope of any size , unless you find a seller who has old stock which he has not marked up.

An 8" or a 10" dob would be good versatile starting point.

Most the offerings are much of a muchness , and the big brands and most others use particle board (few use kitchen / wet area grade MDF) in the rocker box and base construction. Watch it swell and disintegrate when the moister gets in through the laminex or plastic tartup coating.

[Kevnool]

:welcome: Hi and welcome Just to touch on the crayford style focuser most dobs will have the crayford style focuser on them as standard but look for a 10:1 crayford cause its better to fine focus Happy hunting....cheers Kev.

[Arc]

Thanks for that dannat, I was referring to the Sky Watcher at Andrew’s.


Yes some of the older prices I have been reading about certainly made me take notice. Oh well...




That’s o.k. I have some skill and a large workshop, if necessary I could build a better base. I considered building my first scope from scratch, but I think that would be better left as a second scope project.



Thanks Kevnool, I wasn’t sure if Crayford was a specific brand or whether it was a certain type/style.