5 reasons to buy a DOB

[Frankskywatcher]

Came across this video that was just released today and wondering what the group thinks of this persons viewpoint ?

[davesellars]

Certainly dobs give you the best value in monetary terms. Not sure about astrophotography - For lunar and perhaps planetary if the dob has tracking perhaps but for other objects really you need an equatorial mount for longer exposures. Otherwise for visual purely then there's no way I'd bother putting a reflector on an equatorial platform - the dobsonian mounting is not perfect but great value.

But yes, for beginners there's probably no way better to get going for a relatively small spend... £350 gets you 8" with some accessories. The only issue with this design (reflectors) that for absolute beginners the issue of collimation is not straightforward to understand and it's pretty easy to make a mess of things if you don't know what you're doing.

There's nothing new in the video which hasn't been said before though...

[SkyHiker]

5 truths that NOBODY told you? I think most of us know them. I disagree about the astrophotography part, because it's only for very bright objects that can be had with short exposures.

Viewing comfort is probably best for a refractor. With a Dob you need a chair with a wider range, or a portable stand and then it is only good for a limited height range.

And when he says that a reflector is a Dobsonian, he got the sequence wrong.

Mostly, best bang for the buck, by far. My Z12 was $630 new when Zhumell competed Apertura out of the market. I already had a 10" 2nd hand for $110 with nice eyepieces. That's a lot of scope for the money.

He could have mentioned the downside, that a Dob above 10" is a beast to transport, like my Z12. I retrofitted it to a collapsible.

He should also mention that with an EQ platform it is hard to use setting circles so finding objects gets harder.

[helicon]

There are trade-offs to be sure. Collimation for newbies can be a daunting process. But they do provide more bang for the buck than refractors and catadioptrics.

[davesellars]

He should also mention that with an EQ platform it is hard to use setting circles so finding objects gets harder.

I've never bothered with setting circles - TBH star-hopping is pretty easy once you've got the hang of it (although may depend on your LP!) What really does help with finding objects especially with the dobsonian is a red dot finder / Telrad / Rigel QuikFinder etc as well as an optical finder. Trying to point a big fat tube at the sky to a position is far from easy otherwise! I use the Rigel Quikfinder to get to the inital star very quickly and then the optical finder takes over...

[SkyHiker]

He should also mention that with an EQ platform it is hard to use setting circles so finding objects gets harder.

I've never bothered with setting circles - TBH star-hopping is pretty easy once you've got the hang of it (although may depend on your LP!) What really does help with finding objects especially with the dobsonian is a red dot finder / Telrad / Rigel QuikFinder etc as well as an optical finder. Trying to point a big fat tube at the sky to a position is far from easy otherwise! I use the Rigel Quikfinder to get to the inital star very quickly and then the optical finder takes over...

I'm too lazy and ignorant for star hopping, so setting circles work for me. In fact they work amazingly well along Skeye on the cell phone for the AltAz coordinates. I have a baseless Telrad that I clamp on with a bicycle tube strap, it works flawlessly. Good for the inital calibration.

You may recall from the AF that I built an autoguided dual axis barndoor platform for my 10" Dob that I used for DSO astrophotography. Not for long though but it worked and was fun, a unique project.

[Frankskywatcher]

There are trade-offs to be sure. Collimation for newbies can be a daunting process. But they do provide more bang for the buck than refractors and catadioptrics.

The laser that came with mine made it kinda easy for me but I will admit that I was definitely intimidated and if I hadn’t watched a few videos first like you said I would’ve had a problem!

[pakarinen]

No, no, no, no, and no. Get a refractor. Nuff said.
April Fools! That's just my response to the rabid "GET A DOB!" zealots on CN.

I might get a little tabletop Dob for the grandkids one of these days.

[davesellars]

No, no, no, no, and no. Get a refractor. Nuff said.
April Fools! That's just my response to the rabid "GET A DOB!" zealots on CN.

I might get a little tabletop Dob for the grandkids one of these days.

Joking aside, there's a lot to be said for having an instrument that be up-and-running in a couple of minutes! Being realistic, my 12" dob gives far better views than my refractors however I know what gets used more... I need to have a guaranteed 2 hours + observation time for me to think about setting up the dob - It's heavy and takes time to cool-down (despite it living in an un-heated conservatory) and there's no way I'd take the effort to put it out for only a half an hour of observation which is sometimes all you can get due to either time or weather constraints. Unfortunately in the UK it's reasonably rare to get that guaranteed time. Any of my refractors can be out in a couple of minutes on either mount and ready to go in 10 or 15 if waiting for cool-down.

Therefore... you should always have a dob AND a refractor...

[Makuser]

@davesellars Well said Dave. Now just add a 5"- 8" Mak-Cass or Schmidt-Cass scope, with their long focal lengths (high magnification with compact size) and tack sharp views for lunar/planetary observing and you now have the ultimate 1-2-3 punch in your arsenal.

[Baurice]

Each to their own, I say.

I love my 127mm Mak but also love my 15x70 bins. With on-and-off back trouble. I cannot handle a Dob bigger than 150mm and it's only slightly more aperture than my Mak.

It's really down to personal choice. I don't do long exposure photography either, partly due to budget but also because I can find enough to "snap" without doing it.

I might consider a Dob if I could permanently mount it and live in dark skies but neither are going to happen.

But if you enjoy a Dob, carry on enjoying it. Do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do.

[Ylem]

The problem with most beginner scopes is they come with wobbly mounts, the Dob solves this problem.

For me personally, I prefer SCTs, Maks and short tube fracs.
The reason being the EP travels the least in altitude movements, makes for a comfortable viewing experience, easy on the back.

I do wish I owned a 16" Dob though

[bladekeeper]

Love my dobsonian, love my refractors. All tools in the toolbox.

If I wanna go after faint fuzzy galaxies on the edge of perceptibility, I pull out the dob. If I want clear, sharp, and crisp views, I pull out a refractor. A quick session? A refractor or maybe binoculars.

Astrophotography? I've tried imaging the Moon with my dob, and that was more frustrating than a cat trying to bury a turd in a marble floor. A frac on an EQ for that purpose, or for long exposure AP.

But, a good ol' long night out bagging galaxies or other dust bunnies, I'll bring out the dob. Plus, it's good to hide behind when a skunk waddles through the yard.

[davesellars]

Love my dobsonian, love my refractors. All tools in the toolbox.

Hey Brian! It's been a while... How you doing? I only realised AF had broken for good when I checked in on it around last Xmas. You seem to have amassed quite a bit of kit since we started over there - that's an impressive collection of refractors you've got!!!

[helicon]

I've been hearing about Maks for awhile so I have decided to buy one in the near future, probably the Skywatcher 180mm like @Bigzmey has.

Then I'd have a complete arsenal. But actually I still need to buy an ED refactor.

[Frankskywatcher]

No, no, no, no, and no. Get a refractor. Nuff said.
April Fools! That's just my response to the rabid "GET A DOB!" zealots on CN.

I might get a little tabletop Dob for the grandkids one of these days.

Now that made me laugh well done !

[Richard]

I like dobs but they have their problems , the mount is rubbish and dont last , perhaps 5 years if used them, the base warps etc , I have 2 dobs and both have had problems with the base , which I have replaced with solid wood , I have a 60 year odd Refractor that is still perfect , , would love to see a Dobs mount that is that old , probably dust!

[pakarinen]

I've been hearing about Maks for awhile so I have decided to buy one in the near future, probably the Skywatcher 180mm like @Bigzmey has.

Then I'd have a complete arsenal. But actually I still need to buy an ED refactor.

I like my 90mm Mak, but I wonder if my new 102ED will wind up replacing it. The Mak is crazy portable compared to the 102 though. (And the weather is still garbage, so very little observing with the 102 so far.)

[turboscrew]

I like dobs but they have their problems , the mount is rubbish and dont last , perhaps 5 years if used them, the base warps etc , I have 2 dobs and both have had problems with the base , which I have replaced with solid wood , I have a 60 year odd Refractor that is still perfect , , would love to see a Dobs mount that is that old , probably dust!

My dobson base is made of 10 mm aluminium.I don't think it gets pulverized very fast...

[turboscrew]

At least with dobson mount you probably get to stargaze with less than 2 years of continuous problems...