8inch Vs 10inch

Hi Pro's -

Going to leave my 4.5" Newt EQ Reflec under my bed and move to the infamous "DOB" this christmas.

Never seen through a Dobsonian scope before...have made a move to them because they are cheaper and apparantly good for DSO?..

And also the new release "collapsible truss-tube" from Skywatcher is excellent as portability is a major concern.

However could you guys please tell me your significantly experienced opinions on the following decision.

They say the larger the better.. so would it be feasible to get a 10" collapsible dob rather than the 8"? I will be buying from "York Optical" and the price difference is $425.

8" Truss-tube Dob is $722
10" Trust-tube Dob is $1.147

Its quite a significant price jump.. what do you guys think? - is the price worth the difference in regards to quality of observing, amount of objects etc..

Currently live in Manly-Sydney so the night sky is not the best however, usally trek about 1hr out of sydney when observing.
Have never seen anything greater than saturn and orion nebule with my current 4.5" newt EQ. Tried Jupiter once..but was all blurry..

This amount of money is a large amount - only 21yo and dont want to spend to much on constant upgrading of scopes so when this one is purchased either 8" or 10" - It will be staying for a hopefully a few years!

If you have ever upgraded from a 8" to 10" in your astro years - what did you think of the difference?

Really appricate any advise given

[norm]

10" Trust-tube Dob is $1.147

Even if I rounded it up to $1.15, its a no brainer go for the 10" its a bargain

On a serious note, if your definitely going down the truss/collapsible path, go the 10", if the budget stretches go 12".

If portability/weight is not an issue, consider a 10" full tube GSO dob. You could save yourself a few bucks with the optics more or less identical. However, be warned, it can be cumbersome to lug around.

I'm currently borrowing a mates 8" full tube dob. Great scope, but a royal pain when carting from the lounge room to backyard. Its not so much heavy as being the problem just a tad cumbersome. Always cautious of bumping into things.

BTW: I live in Ashfield, so its probably no much better than Manly and Jup/Venus wasn't too bad for viewing.

Cheers,
Norm

[h0ughy (David)]

personally the 10" would be better for as much resolution and light as possible but if portablity is your thing and $$$ a worry then get the 8". certainly way better anyway than the scope you currently have

[Jen]

Happy shopping i would gladly have anyone of those

[Starkler (Geoff)]

As a 10" tube will fit in the back of almost any car I think the extra spend for the truss configuration is a waste until you go to 12" size.

[Ford Prefect (James)]

Well, I kinda have a similar question.

I'd kinda like to get a 12" dob, but price-wise the 10" is going to be easier to persuade the wife with (ie price-wise), so... am I going to see a noticeable difference between the two? I'm primarily interested in DSOs..

I'm going to the local astro society in a couple of weeks, so I'll probably see the difference then anyway, but interested to hear thoughts...

[Tandum (Robin)]

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=37224

I picked up a 12" DOB today ...

[Kevnool (Kev)]

Aperature Rules if your thinking of a dob.
Think of the length to get it in your car.
Think of the weight (not to kill your back).
Dont think about smaller ( Thats why I own 3 ).
Cheers Kev.

[dannat (Daniel)]

you might want to consider andrews comunication or bintel - there prices may be more competitive.
you will find their websites in the links section on the left

[Robert_T]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I'd kinda like to get a 12" dob, but price-wise the 10" is going to be easier to persuade the wife with (ie price-wise), so...

...

that's easy, buy the 12 and tell her it is the 10

on the original question, I wouldn't bother with a truss tube for those sizes.. more trouble than it would be worth. An 8inch tube is plenty portable and probably the 10 not so bad either. You'll save anough for a decent eyepiece

[panspermian (Arron)]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum, and this being my first post.

I bought an 8" dob from Yorkoptical last wednesday $426 (non collapsable)
I thought that was a bargain. I think they only got 2 more in stock.

I'm still busting to use it.

[GrahamL]

I had a 10 " .. made a 12 ".. and have spent a little time with a few differant 8 's ... yeah apperture rules I guess .. ..
I'll tell you what I like /dislike about each.

8".. well its less apperture than a 10" or 12 " .. whats good is it is very portable .. even the solid tubes are easily moved around .. I did chance a look at the lightbridge 8 a couple of years back and ok truss examples in smaller scopes are probably overkill but this was one very compact telescope.. sitting in a chair with scope on a small stool made for some pretty comfortable viewing .. same with an 8" portaball.. sit comfortably and you rotate the ball to bring the focuser to you rather than visa versa ..Despite the humble 8 " of light gathering I still think these scopes are still a dog that hunts very well.


10".. It gathers more light than the 8" .... Yes the solid tube can squeeze into most back seats and you can cart it around the house and out back without to much drama (it is weighty ) ) ... it does take to bumps and bruises very well if you hit a wall or light fixture on the way I found .. of course the truss build would be much kinder in regard .. One noticable differance in both the 10 and 12 regarding portability imo is not the tube but the base .. these suckers are huge and were always my major hassle when transporting .. dissmantle or have a car with heaps of room .. On a side note the 10 " base flipped makes a great revolving picnic table .





12"... It gathers more light than the 10" .. most what I mentioned with the 10 " is slightly increased with the 12 "
I think It would be an ask to say navigating a 12 " base or solid tube through your home isn't without a few hiccups
occasionaly .. all are great scopes and will show you a lot .


good luck

[Crusader]

I love my 10" XT10. It is a bit of a mission to navigate through doorways, but it's not all that heavy. I'd say it falls under the largest easily portable solid tube designs.

If you are thinking of going with a 10" I doubt that getting a truss tube would be worth the extra cash unless you have a very small car to transport the scope it. From what I've read a solid tube should fit into most cars easily.

For truss tube designs I think it's only worth to start looking at them when you go to 12" and above.

Well a few different opinons on the matter but overall looks like a 10" is the way to go! so that will be my new scope (hopefully before xmas!! )

Thanks for the feedback guys, youve sold me on a 10" and yes, will still be going for the collabsible dob as portability/storage is going to be a big problem

Funny tho thanks for the advise on checking out "Andrews Communication" they are selling the exact same scope for $340 cheaper!!

Wonder why York Optical are soo expensive..

Thanks for the replies everyone!

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

.. On a side note the 10 " base flipped makes a great revolving picnic table .

Even has three handles - always one within easy reach.