Thank you for you’re videos. I recently decided to buy a telescope and found your videos. I took your advice and went with a 8” dobsonian from Apertura
Thanks for the review Ed. I have the XT 4.5 and the XT 8 Plus and the one I use the most is the 4.5 because it weighs a lot less. Don't get rid of it, you will regret it. At the time I'm writing this, the price at the Orion website is 379.99 so it has increased quite a bit.
I really appreciate you making this video! I have had an Orion XT 4.5 for several years, and I love it. I think I may be able to cast a little light on the reason for the balance spring being off center. It makes this little scope retain its proper balance, even while using a very heavy eyepiece. I have an old Meade Series 5000 Ultra Wide Angle 14mm eyepiece, and it is very heavy. When I put this heavy eyepiece on my XT 4.5, because the spring is attached near the rear of the bearing, putting all the tension toward the rear, the telescope remains well balanced even with the heavy eyepiece attached. I have other larger Dobsonians that require a counter-weight to remain balanced while using the 14mm Ultra-Wide eyepiece, but ironically, when using the much smaller XT 4.5, the extra weight of the heavy eyepiece is no problem. So that's my theory, and I have always assumed that it is correct, but what do I know. Your take on it - making the telescope shorter, is also interesting. As a side-note, Ikea sells small inexpensive tables that are very stable, and perfect for raising this telescope up to proper adult eye height. Thanks again for posting this informative video on a great product!
We bought one of these about a decade ago. It's an excellent entry level scope for the money. Possibly the best available at the time and maybe still. I made a tripod table for it to stand on with three holes for the feet to set into it so adults can use it and have been able to get some great views of Mars at opposition a couple of years ago, seeing polar caps, and dust storms etc. I have had wonderful views of Jupiters belts and Saturn with it. Tonight my wife will be taking it out to her college class to show her planetary geology students the Moon using a 32mm Celestron Plossel with a moon filter.
😀 An even better video than usual. And I liked the part where you pointed out that the Moon live and the planets live, and other bright objects live add something special to otherwise still photos.
I let one of these go for 150. I built a dob out of an old Celestron 114mm first scope, figuring it has a parabolic mirror so it was better... Although it's better optically and a bit higher, there was just something about the xt that I really liked. I kind of regret letting it go.
My solution to the low eyepiece height is to sit on an inverted 4 gallon bucket. This is remarkably comfortable, vastly better than kneeling on the ground, and it preserves the stock mounts impressive solidity. There's still the discomfort of the deep knee bend to sit down, so this won't work for many older knees... I'll also mention that the offset spring design acts as a virtual counterweight, which keeps the base very light and compact, much smaller than it would otherwise be. I really like this- it makes the scope and mount very easy to carry in one hand-- that's pretty unique for a 4.5" scope. I use this scope a lot for grab and go. My ED 102 sees less light by far, same goes for my bigger scopes. It's worth noting that the spherical mirror is right around 1/5 wave under corrected, which is actually quite good, as long as the surface and edge are good. I've had my mirror on a knife edge bench, and it was a remarkably smooth spheroid with a clean edge.
I’ve had this one and an XT8G, and the 4.5 is the one that’s put together, while the 8inch is in the box looking to get sold. Love the portability of the 4.5!
I got a 114mm f/8 simmons newtonian at a yard sale for about $15 some years back, it had a broken EQ mount, so modded it to be a full time alt/azimuth mount, cleaned up the mirrors really well, modified the focuser a bit and have it set up in my front porch as my quick grab scope. it surprised me that it worked so well, ive even used my 10mm delos on it and apm 13mm 100 degree eyepiece with it and it is actually really good. I have other really nice quality scopes but it is nice to have a "beater" scope, one that can be left out and can handle some small accidental dings every now and then.
I now own my 4th XT4.5. Not all at once, I resold or gave away the other three. This one is staying. It's not optcally any better than the others, but I went and built a riser platform that gets the eyepiece up to about 48" at zenith, similar to my 8" Dobsonians. My son can still use it too, pretty much a win all around. These were just too awkward before to keep them, now with the riser base I find myself wanting the 4.5 the most often. My current 4.5 setup includes the riser base, a Telrad and a full set of Orion Stratus/Baader Hyperion eyepieces. The tension springs do an admirable job keeping everything pointed correctly.
A friend had one sitting in his garage unused. I traded him an Astroscan which I only used once for it. It must be an older model as the focuser is definitely made out of metal and works fine. The only issues I have had with it is that it's motion is kind of sticky. I will probably take the base apart and see if I can fix that. The other issue was that the finder which was a straight through plastic finder and it was junk. I threw it away and replaced it with an Orion 6x26mm. But bending to look through that was a pain in the neck and so I replaced it with a Svbony right angle view finder.
I find myself often using that Skywatcher Heritage 150p (that I learned about from this channel) with a Skywatcher Az-Gte mount as my primary grab and go scope. It's a great combo that takes about two minutes to set up and it tracks well for visual use. I just wish the focuser was a bit more robust.
Right about in stock issues, seems like Orion is out of a lot of their better selections. That, and in the last 6-9 months prices have gone up 25-35%. They have a new 114mm f4.4 on an eq3 mount including a 25mm and 10mm Plossl eyepieces for $200. Sounds like a good deal…except the ship date keeps slipping. Got a notion it will never be shipped for $200, even if you preorder. All those ‘best telescope for $xxxxx will now have to be bumped $100. Bad timing for me to finally get cataract surgery and have infinity lenses installed, which renewed my interest in this hobby.
If people cannot find one, as Mr Ed Ting has pointed out, try to find a Meade 4500, same spec, 910mm, f7.9, 114mm late 1990's second hand, has a parabolic mirror, and cheap as chips, sometimes 30-50 usd.
I paid $50 for a 4504 EQ with starfinder and both motors work. I need to disassemble, clean, and lube the parts because I get an occasional motor fault but it will track. I did purchase a 1.25" and 2" focuser cap to replace the 0.965" focuser cap.
I can't find a 4.5 Star Blaster anymore at beginner prices if I can find one at all. The 6" Star Blaster is available, but that seems too big for a tabletop. I'm glad I bought a 100mm Zhumell for $110, they're going for $140+ now.
I suspect there are mechanical reasons for the spring position on the mount and the pivot disc, Ed. As the viewing end of the scope gets lower more of the weight is available to pull down, if you will, so moving the spring off center to the other side helps offset that. Also, if they put the pivot at the center of the tub the bottom of the tube - with the mirror - would hit the base, so they'd have to redesign that to be oddly shaped and taller to handle it. Usually you'd like to have the pivot at the center of mass, and I'd guess the heavier mirror in larger dobsonians helps offset that issue. That is, the pivot is closer to the center of mass in larger diameter scopes but still doesn't have to be in the center of the tube. I have no idea if my babbling makes any sense. Oh well.
Thanks Ed! Looks like the XT4.5 is still being offered by Orion but it’s now $380. For the same price they have their new “Sky Scanner” 5.3-inch Dob, also f/8 with a spherical mirror. But a red dot finder not optical like the XT has. It would be worth looking at. Clear skies!
I just bought that one and will have to set it on a table for use because it is too low for me. I just wish it had a vixen dovetail saddle for the finder scope.
@@edting Yes, Orion’s takeover of Meade is changing their product line, and not just thru the addition of Meade and deletion of Celestron. Some of their Synta made scopes seemed to be gone, but now they’re back. Maybe just supply chain issues. But it all makes for a messy and confusing catalog to buyers. And they’ve discontinued some of the best Meade scopes. Pity.
Hey Ed, The 10” dob seems to be over looked and ignored, people make reviews on the 4.5, 6, 8” and the 12” etc. 10” dob is always ignored… Can you please make a video on a manual 10” dob? e.g Orion XT10 or Skywatcher 10” solid tube Dobsonian? Thanks :)
I have a similar scope. I'm new to the hobby so the scope is quite satisfactory. Would you consider doing a video on upgrading the focuser. Mine is worn to the point where it needs to be replaced.
Hi Ed! I'm looking into buying my first telescope! I know you've recommended the dobsonian 8 inch and thats what I've elected to go with. I also know you've warned to stay away from dept stores. Where should I look to purchase a telescope then? I'm in Canada if that affects matters at all. Cheers
First telescope I got was the Astronomers without borders Onesky. Bought it a few years ago and I love that little scope. Curious of his thoughts on it.
I am a beginner and am in love with the idea of a refractor. Looking at buying an Orion ED80T. Can you recommend a solid goto mount for that? Its under ten pounds.
Here's my take. One option is the lower end. Any eq goto mount with 12lbs capacity will do... for visual. If you intend to keep that setup for years that's all you need. If you are curious to do astrophotography, that setup could also do planetary imaging only. If you also want deep sky, you would want at least a 20ish pound capacity mount. A 30 lbs would be ideal because you can add accessories and before you know it, your entire imaging train could be on the 15-18 lbs. If you have enough dough to spend now and you are certain you want deep sky photography, you could acquire a 40ish lb cap mount. That will give you leeway in the future because you would almost certainly not use the st80 for that but as a guidescope for a bigger scope. The answer is tricky!
On the "low" end: Orion skyviewpro, skywatcher eq5, explore scientific exos-2gt, skywatcher eqm-35, on the "medium" end ioptron cem 26, vixen sx2 with starbook ten, and on the really high end takahashi em-11
Perfect for one of my grandsons, age 6. Thanks much, Ed. Another great post. Is that a RIES wood tripod in the extreme right-hand side of the frame? Just curious. :)
Hi Ed, your channel has been fun and interesting to wwatch. many thanks. I live in a coastal area with 5-10 miles of visable land. I have looked at the best binoculars but 25 zoom doesnt excite me much these days, i was wondering what it would be like to buy a canon to go bird hunting. what scope should i buy if i want super sharp visual for just spying on earth. i would love to zoom in 10 miles of land to see birds or people.
Hello! What is the best most affordable telescope you recommend to see the moon and stars? I’ve looked at the ones you recommended on here and they are out of stock.
A lot of stuff is out of stock right now. See if you can find a 6" Dobsonian reflector in stock somewhere. The brand does not matter, they all get their stuff from the same place in China. Resist the urge to get something cheaper, it will just frustrate you.
Hi Ed, love your videos! A question a little off topic… would you do a video examination on giant binoculars (100 to 150mm)? I’d love to know what you think… cheers, Phil
Hi Mr. Ting! I just finished your book, "Astrophotography, A Practical Guide". I did learn lots, but still have questions. Can you recommend other books on the subject?
I think I'm sold on this to be my first telescope. I was hoping to also have the ability to take pictures as well as having a motor on my mount to help aid in finding objects. Does the given equatorial mount have these features or would I need extra attachments to achieve this?
Please be aware, that experiment you saw me run on the AVX mount is something very few people will try. These simple Dobs are meant to be enjoyed as visual telescopes.
Good evening this is Jerry from Redmond work on speaker I am ready to get a telescope and I noticed you always talk about Orion what do you think sky watcher 8inch
Have you used any Harmonic Drive Mounts yet? I'd love to see your reviews on Rainbow Astro RST-135 and Hobym Crux 140... They tiny, weighs about 7 lb, but the max capacity is about 30+ lb.... They seem to be the future of all mounts...
I used to sell the original harmonic drive mounts by Tim Cann, they were much larger and very expensive. They looked like auto industry assembly robots, which also used harmonic drives. I sold the largest ones to Lockheed, and they were tracking satellites with them. It has been a while and I can't remember the brand name they had, but they were exclusively sold by OPT at the time. I was surprised to see chinese manufacturers making small ones now.
You have better luck than I do, bought a 4" SCT 2 months ago, sofar have had fog and cloud cover, often with rain, every night, so I haven't been able to even test it yet. Hope you get clear skies soon, good luck!
I'll even admit to getting along well with one of the vintage ones. According to the registry that's being worked on at CloudyNights, it's the oldest gloss black one on record so far. Collimation isn't perfect inside vs outside of focus, which is a little strange, but at focus it's sharp enough for short lunar and planetary sessions. It performs as I expect it to, very similar when compared to a 90mm refractor of the same focal length. I use it on a manual EQ2 class mount, happened to come with it.
I just got a skywatcher explore 130. Will i be able to see the orion and andromeda in the eyepice? Or do i have to get extra upgraded gear to the reflactor?
Get anything you can find in stock in your country. All these Dobs are based on the same 2-3 Chinese-sourced platforms so there is not a lot of difference. Orion, Sky-Watcher, Explore First Light, Zhumell, Apertura, Bresser, Konus, etc.
@@edting thanks you so much for inputs. From long time i need best suggestions for start my journey telescopes and have so many questions your video’s really helpful and clear my so many doubts. Before i am looking for telescope which can show me deep objects visual and i can do imaging to but now I understand what to do. Thanks again
@@edting Thanks for the consideration. I'm going to try and get started with an SVBony camera and SharpCap software. I already have a StarWatcher 72mm and an Orion true cass on an EQ mount.
@@edtingThanks for replying to me, but I couldn't find any in my area, I know I should det 8 or 6 inch dobsonian but I'll have to import them from overseas or get them locally used for higher prices than brand new , my current scope is a 5 years old toy from ToysRus [not so bad though] and I want to upgrade as soon as I can. I appreciate your help, keep going.
@@CMDRyassuuif you have to get an astromaster, get the refractor versions. The 114 is a bird Jones and the 130 is a fast spherical mirror, both have major problems. You can't get skywatcher heritage 130p where you are?
@@k.h.1587 thank you for the reply I've purchased the celestron astrofi 130, it's a good scope and I'm quite happy with my purchase, thanks for your consideration ❤️
Where are you getting pricing for the telescopes you review? I check highpoint and telescopes and they are always about $200 more than you list in reviews.
Hey could anyone help me out? I just got one of these used a little while ago for a really good price of $100. It only came with the 25mm eyepiece and I’ve just been using that to look at Saturn, Jupiter and the moon. The problem is I don’t know if I need a high magnification eyepiece to look at Deep sky objects like Star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies. I live in northern Minnesota and in the country so I don’t know if that has affect on it too.
You are doing just fine. Don't buy any eyepieces for a while. The 25mm is the one you'd use most often anyway. If you must spend money, get a star atlas and/or planisphere.
@@edting Update : Thank you for the reply Ed, and I will continue to use the 25mm eyepiece. Just yesterday I was trying to find a deep sky object and for the first time I saw a bright glowing spot in the pegasus constellation up and to the right of a star called Enif. I think it was m15 but it could have been a something else like a nebula. Im going to try and use a planisphere I have along with a book called The Backyard Astronomers Guide to help me learn more about the night sky. Thanks again Ed!!
You dont want higher magnification for most deep sky objects, but you do need it for planets. In fact, a lower power 32mm or 40mm plossl is a good idea for some deep sky objects because you need a brighter image and wider field. The 32mm and the 40mm give the same true field, but the 32mm has the same 52deg field as your 25mm and the 40mm has a narrower 43deg field, but a brighter image at a lower magnification. For higher powers, if you are on a budget, a 9 or 10mm plossl like what was supposed to come with the scope will get you by, but not as comfortable to look through as the 25mm. I think 15mm is the low limit for a plossl to be comfortable. Also, higher powers is where wider fields become more useful especially in a dob, and why Ed uses naglers in higher powers. High power panoptics don't exist, as the 15mm discontinued panoptic had very short eye relief so 19mm is as small as they go. A few budget options are 6mm and 9mm svbony 66deg gold line, around $30-40, or $130 or so as a set of 4 with 15 and 20mm eyepieces as well, which is not a bad idea for your scope, and that might be all the eyepieces you will ever need other than the 32 and/or 40mm plossls. There is also the UW58 planetary type long eye relief eyepieces (rebranded tmb planetary) that look a little like televue radian and delite eyepieces. They are actually a similar design and very good for the money, similar to the gold line. They are more geared for the higher powers and go from 2.5mm to 9mm, and some longer focal lengths have since been added. Note that anything lower than 4mm is past the maximum power your scope is capable of, and 4mm is that maximum, but they come in 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9mm, yes some planetary observers like to have that many magnification options and I used to have the whole set with the 2.5mm and 3.2mm, but I also had scopes with faster focal ratios that could use them. I would still have the set but they were stolen. I do again have a 9mm though. But if you got the gold line set, I don't think you would need to worry about the planetary series, since you would have the 6 an 9 covered, and the field of view is wider in the gold line, but the eye relief is a little shorter, but no where near as short as 6mm and 9mm plossls, the gold line is long eye relief by comparison. The 15 and 20mm are a different design, which suffers at the edges of the field, but not so bad at f8, which is very forgiving in that area allowing the use of cheaper eyepieces.
@@starfruit6775next time you are looking at a globular like m15, or even better, m13 or m22, try upping the magnification a bit. Globular clusters, planetary nebulae, and some galaxies, the smaller ones, actually benefit from higher magnification, which also darkens the background sky giving more contrast.
if its got a plastic focuser just DON'T BUY IT send a message to the manufacturers we will not put up with inferior quality garbage on our telescopes any more
I agree on many counts but not all. For someone who is adept enough to collimate, and willing to invest a little more in eyepieces, the 8 is still a better bet. Especially when going after globs and galaxies. And wider field targets that are impossible in 1.25" focuser limited 6s. Yes more and more are going 2" now, but most on the used market will have 1.25 focusers. For someone not likely to get much farther than the planets and M42 and maybe m31 and the double cluster if they are in dark enough skies to see it naked eye, a 6" is surely better. I like the benefits of f8 for the smaller obstruction and less strain on budget widefields, and I owned a 6 way back when, and also own a 6 now, I would still also own an 8 but I lost it and a few other scopes.and mounts, among other things, when my van loaded to the brim was impounded and I was prevented from getting it out. Although I was planning on selling the 8 because I had the 6 and a 10, as well as a c8, I had decided to keep it before it ended up getting "stolen by a corrupt city and county". If I had to pick one of the 2, and my 127 mak wasn't also in the van, I would pick the 8 over the 6. But then again, I would try to avoid being in the position to choose because the 6 is ideal for leaving at home for a quick look at the planets as it is easy to lift in one piece and plop it outside and be up and running, and the 8 is nice to take to dark skies. You really can see a lot more in an 8 than a 6, but I also love f8 newtonians.
I'm quite sure Mr. Ting is an honorable man with no ulterior motives. But, let me save you some aggravation and money. Buying any good telescope is confusing, expensive and frustrating to set-up. No matter the money you spend, you always want more. Even after the fact, you have to drag it outside and deal with the fickle laws of weather. If you could afford a 600" telescope it would not matter. The atmosphere, abberation, sideral tracking, Alt/AZ mounts, Equitorial mounts, etc... is a PITA. Looking at Jupiter or Saturn through a telescope is magical. But you will always want to see more. That's why we have Hubble and the JWST. Put your money in a 401K and sit in your heated/air-conditioned home. Hubble and the JWST images are 1 billion dollars and 10 billion dollars respectively. Let NASA spend the money! :)
You make good points. I am saying this stuff to people all the time. In a world of video games and HDTV, astronomy teaches you patience, and that is valuable in itself.
@@jeffcooper8216but you can't look through the hubble or JWST. But not everyone has the constitution to be an amateur astronomer, and those who would rather look at hubble and Webb images on the screen, than hunt for faint fuzzies, or enjoy sharp planet images when the atmosphere settles down, don't have that constitution. And judging from your.comment, you are in that category.
It’s always a good day when Ed uploads a new video
Always.
Nothing like Sunday morning coffee and a New Ed Ting Video to enjoy it with!
Picked up the 6" version Used for $250 Love it it's a great scope. It's only downfall I have is I have to drive hours to get to dark skies
Thank you for you’re videos. I recently decided to buy a telescope and found your videos. I took your advice and went with a 8” dobsonian from Apertura
Thanks for the review Ed. I have the XT 4.5 and the XT 8 Plus and the one I use the most is the 4.5 because it weighs a lot less. Don't get rid of it, you will regret it. At the time I'm writing this, the price at the Orion website is 379.99 so it has increased quite a bit.
I really appreciate you making this video!
I have had an Orion XT 4.5 for several years, and I love it.
I think I may be able to cast a little light on the reason for the balance spring being off center.
It makes this little scope retain its proper balance, even while using a very heavy eyepiece.
I have an old Meade Series 5000 Ultra Wide Angle 14mm eyepiece, and it is very heavy. When I put this heavy eyepiece on my XT 4.5, because the spring is attached near the rear of the bearing, putting all the tension toward the rear, the telescope remains well balanced even with the heavy eyepiece attached.
I have other larger Dobsonians that require a counter-weight to remain balanced while using the 14mm Ultra-Wide eyepiece, but ironically, when using the much smaller XT 4.5, the extra weight of the heavy eyepiece is no problem.
So that's my theory, and I have always assumed that it is correct, but what do I know. Your take on it - making the telescope shorter, is also interesting.
As a side-note, Ikea sells small inexpensive tables that are very stable, and perfect for raising this telescope up to proper adult eye height.
Thanks again for posting this informative video on a great product!
We bought one of these about a decade ago. It's an excellent entry level scope for the money. Possibly the best available at the time and maybe still. I made a tripod table for it to stand on with three holes for the feet to set into it so adults can use it and have been able to get some great views of Mars at opposition a couple of years ago, seeing polar caps, and dust storms etc. I have had wonderful views of Jupiters belts and Saturn with it. Tonight my wife will be taking it out to her college class to show her planetary geology students the Moon using a 32mm Celestron Plossel with a moon filter.
😀 An even better video than usual. And I liked the part where you pointed out that the Moon live and the planets live, and other bright objects live add something special to otherwise still photos.
I let one of these go for 150. I built a dob out of an old Celestron 114mm first scope, figuring it has a parabolic mirror so it was better... Although it's better optically and a bit higher, there was just something about the xt that I really liked. I kind of regret letting it go.
I had one of these .... bought it for my daughter who has since outgrown it. VERY good "first scope" for kids!
My solution to the low eyepiece height is to sit on an inverted 4 gallon bucket. This is remarkably comfortable, vastly better than kneeling on the ground, and it preserves the stock mounts impressive solidity. There's still the discomfort of the deep knee bend to sit down, so this won't work for many older knees...
I'll also mention that the offset spring design acts as a virtual counterweight, which keeps the base very light and compact, much smaller than it would otherwise be. I really like this- it makes the scope and mount very easy to carry in one hand-- that's pretty unique for a 4.5" scope.
I use this scope a lot for grab and go. My ED 102 sees less light by far, same goes for my bigger scopes.
It's worth noting that the spherical mirror is right around 1/5 wave under corrected, which is actually quite good, as long as the surface and edge are good. I've had my mirror on a knife edge bench, and it was a remarkably smooth spheroid with a clean edge.
I’ve had this one and an XT8G, and the 4.5 is the one that’s put together, while the 8inch is in the box looking to get sold. Love the portability of the 4.5!
I got a 114mm f/8 simmons newtonian at a yard sale for about $15 some years back, it had a broken EQ mount, so modded it to be a full time alt/azimuth mount, cleaned up the mirrors really well, modified the focuser a bit and have it set up in my front porch as my quick grab scope. it surprised me that it worked so well, ive even used my 10mm delos on it and apm 13mm 100 degree eyepiece with it and it is actually really good. I have other really nice quality scopes but it is nice to have a "beater" scope, one that can be left out and can handle some small accidental dings every now and then.
My first telescope! Got me into the hobby years ago. Quick and easy to set up and show people some nice stuff up there. Greeting from Belgium.
Just pulled the trigger on the Orion Skyline XT8 thanks to your recommendation. Kids and I can't wait to begin our journey to deep space 🌌.
I now own my 4th XT4.5. Not all at once, I resold or gave away the other three. This one is staying.
It's not optcally any better than the others, but I went and built a riser platform that gets the eyepiece up to about 48" at zenith, similar to my 8" Dobsonians.
My son can still use it too, pretty much a win all around.
These were just too awkward before to keep them, now with the riser base I find myself wanting the 4.5 the most often.
My current 4.5 setup includes the riser base, a Telrad and a full set of Orion Stratus/Baader Hyperion eyepieces. The tension springs do an admirable job keeping everything pointed correctly.
Hey Ed.....Very glad to have found your channel! Thanks for this video, and thanks for the many others!
This was actually my first scope that I purchased 4 years ago for 50$, I drove 3 hours to pick it up and had countless nights of fun with it.
set the xt4.5 on a 5 gallon bucket. it makes the eyepiece height the same as their 6/8/10". cheap, easy to find and sturdy
6 inch version used to be CA$430 mid last year. Now new stock all start at CA$580.
A friend had one sitting in his garage unused. I traded him an Astroscan which I only used once for it. It must be an older model as the focuser is definitely made out of metal and works fine. The only issues I have had with it is that it's motion is kind of sticky. I will probably take the base apart and see if I can fix that. The other issue was that the finder which was a straight through plastic finder and it was junk. I threw it away and replaced it with an Orion 6x26mm. But bending to look through that was a pain in the neck and so I replaced it with a Svbony right angle view finder.
He is a modern legend.
An observing chair would make this scope a comfortable joy to use.
Believe it or not it's actually too low even for that!
If I put it on a milk crate, I can live with it with a very low stool.
I find myself often using that Skywatcher Heritage 150p (that I learned about from this channel) with a Skywatcher Az-Gte mount as my primary grab and go scope. It's a great combo that takes about two minutes to set up and it tracks well for visual use. I just wish the focuser was a bit more robust.
Right about in stock issues, seems like Orion is out of a lot of their better selections. That, and in the last 6-9 months prices have gone up 25-35%.
They have a new 114mm f4.4 on an eq3 mount including a 25mm and 10mm Plossl eyepieces for $200. Sounds like a good deal…except the ship date keeps slipping. Got a notion it will never be shipped for $200, even if you preorder. All those ‘best telescope for $xxxxx will now have to be bumped $100. Bad timing for me to finally get cataract surgery and have infinity lenses installed, which renewed my interest in this hobby.
If people cannot find one, as Mr Ed Ting has pointed out, try to find a Meade 4500, same spec, 910mm, f7.9, 114mm late 1990's second hand, has a parabolic mirror, and cheap as chips, sometimes 30-50 usd.
Love my 2 4500's , planet killers
I paid $50 for a 4504 EQ with starfinder and both motors work. I need to disassemble, clean, and lube the parts because I get an occasional motor fault but it will track. I did purchase a 1.25" and 2" focuser cap to replace the 0.965" focuser cap.
I can't find a 4.5 Star Blaster anymore at beginner prices if I can find one at all. The 6" Star Blaster is available, but that seems too big for a tabletop. I'm glad I bought a 100mm Zhumell for $110, they're going for $140+ now.
By the way, the tailgate of my pickup is the perfect height for a tabletop.
I suspect there are mechanical reasons for the spring position on the mount and the pivot disc, Ed. As the viewing end of the scope gets lower more of the weight is available to pull down, if you will, so moving the spring off center to the other side helps offset that. Also, if they put the pivot at the center of the tub the bottom of the tube - with the mirror - would hit the base, so they'd have to redesign that to be oddly shaped and taller to handle it. Usually you'd like to have the pivot at the center of mass, and I'd guess the heavier mirror in larger dobsonians helps offset that issue. That is, the pivot is closer to the center of mass in larger diameter scopes but still doesn't have to be in the center of the tube. I have no idea if my babbling makes any sense. Oh well.
Thanks for these. I always enjoy your reviews.
The Cincy observatory has a few of these. I don’t think they’re aware these are rapidly becoming collector items.
Hang on to those, and take care of them!
Better to buy a 4 inch ED FPL51 refractor or a 4 inch F10 achromat.
I can't find it on Orion's website now. assume it's discontinued. Smallest one available as a 2nd is the 135mm; smallest new one is now the 6" model.
As always a very well put together video Ed.
Thanks Ed! Looks like the XT4.5 is still being offered by Orion but it’s now $380. For the same price they have their new “Sky Scanner” 5.3-inch Dob, also f/8 with a spherical mirror. But a red dot finder not optical like the XT has. It would be worth looking at. Clear skies!
I just bought that one and will have to set it on a table for use because it is too low for me. I just wish it had a vixen dovetail saddle for the finder scope.
Yeah, the entire Orion line looks foreign to me for the first time in decades!
@@edting Yes, Orion’s takeover of Meade is changing their product line, and not just thru the addition of Meade and deletion of Celestron. Some of their Synta made scopes seemed to be gone, but now they’re back. Maybe just supply chain issues. But it all makes for a messy and confusing catalog to buyers. And they’ve discontinued some of the best Meade scopes. Pity.
Thank you, Mr. Ting!
Hey Ed,
The 10” dob seems to be over looked and ignored, people make reviews on the 4.5, 6, 8” and the 12” etc. 10” dob is always ignored…
Can you please make a video on a manual 10” dob? e.g Orion XT10 or Skywatcher 10” solid tube Dobsonian?
Thanks :)
I have a similar scope. I'm new to the hobby so the scope is quite satisfactory. Would you consider doing a video on upgrading the focuser. Mine is worn to the point where it needs to be replaced.
Looks like Orion has replaced it with the SkyScanner BL135mm. Hope they bring back the XT4.5.
Yes, I'm trying to get a sample of the 135 for review. Thanks.
Hi Ed! I'm looking into buying my first telescope! I know you've recommended the dobsonian 8 inch and thats what I've elected to go with. I also know you've warned to stay away from dept stores. Where should I look to purchase a telescope then? I'm in Canada if that affects matters at all. Cheers
First telescope I got was the Astronomers without borders Onesky. Bought it a few years ago and I love that little scope. Curious of his thoughts on it.
The OneSky is the same as the Sky-Watcher Heritage 130p which is the little brother of the Heritage 150p, which I've reviewed on this channel.
I am a beginner and am in love with the idea of a refractor. Looking at buying an Orion ED80T. Can you recommend a solid goto mount for that? Its under ten pounds.
Here's my take. One option is the lower end. Any eq goto mount with 12lbs capacity will do... for visual. If you intend to keep that setup for years that's all you need. If you are curious to do astrophotography, that setup could also do planetary imaging only. If you also want deep sky, you would want at least a 20ish pound capacity mount. A 30 lbs would be ideal because you can add accessories and before you know it, your entire imaging train could be on the 15-18 lbs. If you have enough dough to spend now and you are certain you want deep sky photography, you could acquire a 40ish lb cap mount. That will give you leeway in the future because you would almost certainly not use the st80 for that but as a guidescope for a bigger scope. The answer is tricky!
@@MrLink-dk7yn thank you. Any specific brand & models for a 20pound capable goto mount?
On the "low" end: Orion skyviewpro, skywatcher eq5, explore scientific exos-2gt, skywatcher eqm-35, on the "medium" end ioptron cem 26, vixen sx2 with starbook ten, and on the really high end takahashi em-11
Perfect for one of my grandsons, age 6. Thanks much, Ed. Another great post. Is that a RIES wood tripod in the extreme right-hand side of the frame? Just curious. :)
Hi Ed, your channel has been fun and interesting to wwatch. many thanks. I live in a coastal area with 5-10 miles of visable land. I have looked at the best binoculars but 25 zoom doesnt excite me much these days, i was wondering what it would be like to buy a canon to go bird hunting. what scope should i buy if i want super sharp visual for just spying on earth. i would love to zoom in 10 miles of land to see birds or people.
Hi, you need something called a spotting scope. That's a whole different realm, and don't know much about them.
Hello! What is the best most affordable telescope you recommend to see the moon and stars? I’ve looked at the ones you recommended on here and they are out of stock.
A lot of stuff is out of stock right now. See if you can find a 6" Dobsonian reflector in stock somewhere. The brand does not matter, they all get their stuff from the same place in China. Resist the urge to get something cheaper, it will just frustrate you.
Hi Ed, love your videos! A question a little off topic… would you do a video examination on giant binoculars (100 to 150mm)? I’d love to know what you think… cheers, Phil
what do you think of orion's new DL135mm Dobsonian reflector telescope?
Hi Mr. Ting! I just finished your book, "Astrophotography, A Practical Guide". I did learn lots, but still have questions. Can you recommend other books on the subject?
I think I'm sold on this to be my first telescope. I was hoping to also have the ability to take pictures as well as having a motor on my mount to help aid in finding objects. Does the given equatorial mount have these features or would I need extra attachments to achieve this?
Please be aware, that experiment you saw me run on the AVX mount is something very few people will try. These simple Dobs are meant to be enjoyed as visual telescopes.
@@edting Thank you. Love the videos, they have been very informative and helpful. I'm excited to start this new hobby
Good evening this is Jerry from Redmond work on speaker I am ready to get a telescope and I noticed you always talk about Orion what do you think sky watcher 8inch
For the ones 'not available" you may go directly to Orion and find them.
How would you say this scope is compared to a 12 inch f/5 dob?
Two hundred seventy nine? Orion catalog shows $379!
Have you used any Harmonic Drive Mounts yet?
I'd love to see your reviews on Rainbow Astro RST-135 and Hobym Crux 140...
They tiny, weighs about 7 lb, but the max capacity is about 30+ lb....
They seem to be the future of all mounts...
I haven't seen one of those yet, hoping to get my hands on one soon!
I used to sell the original harmonic drive mounts by Tim Cann, they were much larger and very expensive. They looked like auto industry assembly robots, which also used harmonic drives.
I sold the largest ones to Lockheed, and they were tracking satellites with them. It has been a while and I can't remember the brand name they had, but they were exclusively sold by OPT at the time.
I was surprised to see chinese manufacturers making small ones now.
Where can I get that horse head nebula picture at that's behind you?
Ed took that himself
my only problem after owning a telescope for 2 months is there was only like 2 nights where seeing conditions got up to "average"
You have better luck than I do, bought a 4" SCT 2 months ago, sofar have had fog and cloud cover, often with rain, every night, so I haven't been able to even test it yet. Hope you get clear skies soon, good luck!
ya idk what their definition of average is if it never happens lol
Kindly tell us what eyepieces are most suitable for orion xt8? thank you
For low power, I use a 27mm Panoptic. I supplement it with a 13mm Nagler. That covers 90% of what I need an 8" Dob to do.
Hey ed! What do you think of the Celestron inspire 100AZ? I am looking into purchasing one..
A little bit too cheap, get one of the ones listed at the end of this video instead.
@@edting Alright, well how about the celestron C90? the new version of course.
@@poggergen1937 the C90 is good. I don't know about it being my only telescope, but it's good.
I'll even admit to getting along well with one of the vintage ones. According to the registry that's being worked on at CloudyNights, it's the oldest gloss black one on record so far. Collimation isn't perfect inside vs outside of focus, which is a little strange, but at focus it's sharp enough for short lunar and planetary sessions. It performs as I expect it to, very similar when compared to a 90mm refractor of the same focal length. I use it on a manual EQ2 class mount, happened to come with it.
@@BlueTrane2028 I just need something that will go well with an orion XT10 I.
I have been trying to purchase a nice telescope for a year now !!!!
I found a used ED APO 80/420mm doublet with a field flattener on fb marketplace for 250€ new price is 410€ for the OTA, is that a good deal?
The bob ross of telescopes!
happy little telescopes...
I just got a skywatcher explore 130. Will i be able to see the orion and andromeda in the eyepice? Or do i have to get extra upgraded gear to the reflactor?
You should be fine. Andromeda is sinking to the west so try the Orion Nebula.
Do they still make the 4 inch ?
As of now, the XT4.5 is discontinued. I hope they bring it back.
But orion dob 8”/10” not avail in canada is there any other option or good brand you recommended???
Get anything you can find in stock in your country. All these Dobs are based on the same 2-3 Chinese-sourced platforms so there is not a lot of difference. Orion, Sky-Watcher, Explore First Light, Zhumell, Apertura, Bresser, Konus, etc.
@@edting thanks you so much for inputs. From long time i need best suggestions for start my journey telescopes and have so many questions your video’s really helpful and clear my so many doubts. Before i am looking for telescope which can show me deep objects visual and i can do imaging to but now I understand what to do. Thanks again
Can you collimate it
All XTs can be collimated.
I've collimated mine
Ed can you do an EAA intro video?
Those devices aren't yet ready for prime time. I don't like doing negative reviews, but this topic may warrant a visit.
@@edting Thanks for the consideration. I'm going to try and get started with an SVBony camera and SharpCap software. I already have a StarWatcher 72mm and an Orion true cass on an EQ mount.
is there any major issuse with celestron astromaster 130eq that prevents em from buying it ? I have little expireance about telescope BTW.
All the PowerSeekers and AstroMasters are junk. Please stay with the standard recommendations.
@@edtingThanks for replying to me, but I couldn't find any in my area, I know I should det 8 or 6 inch dobsonian but I'll have to import them from overseas or get them locally used for higher prices than brand new , my current scope is a 5 years old toy from ToysRus [not so bad though] and I want to upgrade as soon as I can.
I appreciate your help, keep going.
@@CMDRyassuuif you have to get an astromaster, get the refractor versions. The 114 is a bird Jones and the 130 is a fast spherical mirror, both have major problems.
You can't get skywatcher heritage 130p where you are?
@@k.h.1587 thank you for the reply
I've purchased the celestron astrofi 130, it's a good scope and I'm quite happy with my purchase, thanks for your consideration ❤️
Where are you getting pricing for the telescopes you review? I check highpoint and telescopes and they are always about $200 more than you list in reviews.
Prices change by the minute nowdays.
Hey could anyone help me out? I just got one of these used a little while ago for a really good price of $100. It only came with the 25mm eyepiece and I’ve just been using that to look at Saturn, Jupiter and the moon. The problem is I don’t know if I need a high magnification eyepiece to look at Deep sky objects like Star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies. I live in northern Minnesota and in the country so I don’t know if that has affect on it too.
You are doing just fine. Don't buy any eyepieces for a while. The 25mm is the one you'd use most often anyway. If you must spend money, get a star atlas and/or planisphere.
@@edting Update : Thank you for the reply Ed, and I will continue to use the 25mm eyepiece. Just yesterday I was trying to find a deep sky object and for the first time I saw a bright glowing spot in the pegasus constellation up and to the right of a star called Enif. I think it was m15 but it could have been a something else like a nebula. Im going to try and use a planisphere I have along with a book called The Backyard Astronomers Guide to help me learn more about the night sky. Thanks again Ed!!
You dont want higher magnification for most deep sky objects, but you do need it for planets. In fact, a lower power 32mm or 40mm plossl is a good idea for some deep sky objects because you need a brighter image and wider field. The 32mm and the 40mm give the same true field, but the 32mm has the same 52deg field as your 25mm and the 40mm has a narrower 43deg field, but a brighter image at a lower magnification.
For higher powers, if you are on a budget, a 9 or 10mm plossl like what was supposed to come with the scope will get you by, but not as comfortable to look through as the 25mm. I think 15mm is the low limit for a plossl to be comfortable.
Also, higher powers is where wider fields become more useful especially in a dob, and why Ed uses naglers in higher powers. High power panoptics don't exist, as the 15mm discontinued panoptic had very short eye relief so 19mm is as small as they go.
A few budget options are 6mm and 9mm svbony 66deg gold line, around $30-40, or $130 or so as a set of 4 with 15 and 20mm eyepieces as well, which is not a bad idea for your scope, and that might be all the eyepieces you will ever need other than the 32 and/or 40mm plossls.
There is also the UW58 planetary type long eye relief eyepieces (rebranded tmb planetary) that look a little like televue radian and delite eyepieces. They are actually a similar design and very good for the money, similar to the gold line. They are more geared for the higher powers and go from 2.5mm to 9mm, and some longer focal lengths have since been added. Note that anything lower than 4mm is past the maximum power your scope is capable of, and 4mm is that maximum, but they come in 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9mm, yes some planetary observers like to have that many magnification options and I used to have the whole set with the 2.5mm and 3.2mm, but I also had scopes with faster focal ratios that could use them. I would still have the set but they were stolen. I do again have a 9mm though.
But if you got the gold line set, I don't think you would need to worry about the planetary series, since you would have the 6 an 9 covered, and the field of view is wider in the gold line, but the eye relief is a little shorter, but no where near as short as 6mm and 9mm plossls, the gold line is long eye relief by comparison. The 15 and 20mm are a different design, which suffers at the edges of the field, but not so bad at f8, which is very forgiving in that area allowing the use of cheaper eyepieces.
@@starfruit6775next time you are looking at a globular like m15, or even better, m13 or m22, try upping the magnification a bit. Globular clusters, planetary nebulae, and some galaxies, the smaller ones, actually benefit from higher magnification, which also darkens the background sky giving more contrast.
if its got a plastic focuser just DON'T BUY IT send a message to the manufacturers we will not put up with inferior quality garbage on our telescopes any more
Fantastic!
Just how I like my girlfriends, small, portable and cheap!
6" F/8 is still the best beginner scope. Not the 8", not the 4.5".
I agree on many counts but not all.
For someone who is adept enough to collimate, and willing to invest a little more in eyepieces, the 8 is still a better bet. Especially when going after globs and galaxies. And wider field targets that are impossible in 1.25" focuser limited 6s. Yes more and more are going 2" now, but most on the used market will have 1.25 focusers.
For someone not likely to get much farther than the planets and M42 and maybe m31 and the double cluster if they are in dark enough skies to see it naked eye, a 6" is surely better.
I like the benefits of f8 for the smaller obstruction and less strain on budget widefields, and I owned a 6 way back when, and also own a 6 now, I would still also own an 8 but I lost it and a few other scopes.and mounts, among other things, when my van loaded to the brim was impounded and I was prevented from getting it out.
Although I was planning on selling the 8 because I had the 6 and a 10, as well as a c8, I had decided to keep it before it ended up getting "stolen by a corrupt city and county".
If I had to pick one of the 2, and my 127 mak wasn't also in the van, I would pick the 8 over the 6. But then again, I would try to avoid being in the position to choose because the 6 is ideal for leaving at home for a quick look at the planets as it is easy to lift in one piece and plop it outside and be up and running, and the 8 is nice to take to dark skies.
You really can see a lot more in an 8 than a 6, but I also love f8 newtonians.
I'm quite sure Mr. Ting is an honorable man with no ulterior motives. But, let me save you some aggravation and money. Buying any good telescope is confusing, expensive and frustrating to set-up.
No matter the money you spend, you always want more. Even after the fact, you have to drag it outside and deal with the fickle laws of weather.
If you could afford a 600" telescope it would not matter. The atmosphere, abberation, sideral tracking, Alt/AZ mounts, Equitorial mounts, etc... is a PITA.
Looking at Jupiter or Saturn through a telescope is magical. But you will always want to see more. That's why we have Hubble and the JWST.
Put your money in a 401K and sit in your heated/air-conditioned home. Hubble and the JWST images are 1 billion dollars and 10 billion dollars respectively.
Let NASA spend the money! :)
You make good points. I am saying this stuff to people all the time. In a world of video games and HDTV, astronomy teaches you patience, and that is valuable in itself.
@@edting That is true Mr. Ting. I enjoy watching your presentations and have learned a lot. :)
@@jeffcooper8216but you can't look through the hubble or JWST.
But not everyone has the constitution to be an amateur astronomer, and those who would rather look at hubble and Webb images on the screen, than hunt for faint fuzzies, or enjoy sharp planet images when the atmosphere settles down, don't have that constitution.
And judging from your.comment, you are in that category.
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