you know every once in a while when someone likes this the notification reminds me to go turn off my damn laser again lmao. found the ztf comet a few nights ago!
Bought this same one and it came in this week. It is amazing and easy to use. Also light enough for transport. Just starting myself and am glad with the choice I made. Can see soo much in the night sky. Was debating over the 10inch but I think it’s worth saving the money and weight and going with the 8. Eventually want to go bigger anyways with something around 16-20inch kept at home only obviously. The StarSense works wonders and never fails me. Just be patient and let it catch up when you are moving and you are golden!!! Great video and keep them coming
Not sure if anyone will still reply, but when i look through the eyepiece what i see is quite blurry? i am new to this any way i can make it clearer? do i take the whole front bit off or just the small circle bit? thanks
Almost got the Aperture AD8 after watching your video 2 weeks ago but came across this scope soon after and the app sold me. As a novice, it has made the last few nights so much fun. I have your excitement of a new Dob owner but using the technology to enjoy faster. I went from never owning a scope 2 weeks ago to full in on this hobby thanks to this scope.
Any regrets in going with the Starsense? I’m in the middle of making the same decision and leaning toward the AD8, but that starfinder seems like a good alternative.
Great review! After owning and using this scope for about a month now, I only have one thing to add, which is that it isn't necessary to align StarSense during daylight / dusk on a terrestrial object, which overcomes the problem of having to leave the phone in the mount throughout the entire viewing session. It can easily be re-aligned on demand against the Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, or a zero magnitude star. For the Northern Hemisphere right now, I recommend using Capella since it is visible pretty much all night. During other seasons, Arcturus and/or Vega may be better candidates for this. Just use the red-dot finder to pinpoint one of these objects in the eyepiece, then hit "Needs Align" in the app. Works like a charm.
I had scope when I was a kid but didn't have what I call UA-cam University to help guide me. I purchased this telescope about a month ago and have been so happy. I played with the starsense app and have it so dialed in that I can center Jupiter inthe eyepiece with a 6mm without needing to find it at low power first. Absolutely blows my mind.(All you need to do is once you do get it in the high power eyepiece, quicly recalibrate the apps finder, then it'll be centered on all eyepieces) The best part I'm finding this time around with my astronomy journey is for the first time I'm learning the night sky. I'm able to find some objects now even without the app. Some guides to find objects was difficult because I was never sure if I had actually found it. But with the app getting me there then by knowing where I should actually be looking in the sky, going back to the guides. Like "Turn left at orion" I then was able to see how to refind objects on my own. I'm very happy and excited and looking forward to becoming a star guru lol.
You have no idea how badly I needed this!! I was just about to pull the trigger on it but there was only one other review on UA-cam from Ed and HPS. I appreciate it!
Loved your video! There is something very special about Dobsonian telescopes - many of us saw Saturn's rings for the first time through a Dobsonian. I think I fell in love with them because it felt to me like the universe is within my own grasp as a hobbyist. It feels like the stars and planets are more real like this than photos can ever portray. Keep up the good work.
That finder app thing looks amazing. It's like half-way to a fully automated system, but still keeping that manual feeling for people who like that stuff.
I love mine! It's really reignited my love of stargazing, as a casual astronomer who doesn't have a ton of time to spend searching for DSOs and is still learning the night sky.
I purchased the Celestron 10” Dob last January. It’s my 5th telescope in 54 years. Great optics, but not at its best in a city of Bortle 8+. Incredible for moon and the planets.
Hello. It has been a year since you posted this comment, but may I ask how you are enjoying your 10" Dob? Are you able to use it for astrophotography? Or, do you simply use it to observe? I'm looking at a Celestron 10" Dob with Starsense. Is that the scope you purchased 2 years ago? Are you still happy with your purchase? Pros and cons? You mention you are in a Bortle 8+. Are you willing to share the approx. state/location you are in? I mainly want to use the scope to observe without electronics. I want to feel that spiritual connection to the sky, not surround myself with more technology. However, I'd like the ability to take some shots now and then. Thanks so much!
My first telescope was the Celestron AstroMaster 130eq and standing there going from just 'being alive' to looking down the viewfinder and seeing Jupiter and its moons LIVE blew my mind There's no such thing as a sky object that isn't astrophotography - if it's beyond the atmosphere, it's worth shooting You'll never recapture that sense of awe you first have, but upgrading equipment and getting more skillful over time is the best sensation
that moon pic was so good i love how you can see that whatever hit the moon on the left blew debris out almost covering 20% of the moon that mus of been going super fast imo cause it looks like it was smaller than what made the huge craters but sent debris clearly really far
When I asked you at AIC in San Jose when you'd be moving to plate solving, I didn't think it would be on a Dob! I have had my 10" StarSense Dob for a couple of weeks and absolutely love it. So easy to find objects and with good quality eyepieces, gives a great view. Had it at a star party a couple of days ago, and saw M42 with my own eyes for the first time - spectacular. Have had no issue with balance, even with a heavy Tele View eyepiece.
Hi, David! I'm eyeing the 10" StarSense Dob that you have. It's been over a year now. Are you still happy witht he purchase? Have you attempted any astrophotography? Any luck? Thanks.
Hi @@neomatrix6115 I do like the StarSense dob, and really appreciate the "push to" aspect of it. I can see so many objects as quick as I want - little hunting or star hopping req'd. I do much more AP vs. visual, and have several dedicated AP rigs, so won't be trying AP with the dob. You'd need a tracker with the dob to avoid star trails.
@@DaveSwenson Thanks for the kind reply! I understand completely. Like most beginners considering a such a purchase, the question of the mount quickly becomes a dominant one. I can't imagine not being able to take decent photos, but based on my research, I'm learning that will can add up to 50% to the budget. I'm learning that in AP, the mount is critical. That said, most beginners should probably not start out with a $3000+ or more investment in such a rig. I'm a very rational, prudent 50 something, who hates to waste money. But I do have the resources to buy whatever I want. So, do I cheap out a bit now and risk having to buy two different telescopes in the future OR simply anticipate I'll fall in love with this hobby and just buy a great rig now? I don't know how to best answer this, and I'm not sure you can either. If I would go with an equitorial mount, would you have a recommendation for an 8 or 10 I should investigate as a novice? Thanks!
The 10” is kinda lighter in practice, because you’re basically forced to carry it in 2 pieces or place it on a dolly. With 8” Dobs, I’m lazy and carry it assembled, all at once. With a 10”, that’s inadvisable.
I think it's a brilliant idea from celestron. . And altho your vid on this celestron app, isn't the first I saw on the internet, it's so wel presented, it kicked my intrest in astronomy off again. Thanks for your work.
I bought a 10 inch push to goto dobsonian as my first telescope a yeat ago, and I have not been dissapointed so far. Deep Sky is visible especially Orion’s nebula. But Bode’s Galaxy is doable as well. Took some pretty decent pictures of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. So for ervery beginner, go for this one or the 10” and enjoy the nightsky. Great video as always.
I have the 10 inch and love it! The handle on the Optical Tube makes it easy to lift in and out of the rocker box. That is one reason why I went with the 10 inch instead. I have not seen this feature on any other dobsonian telescope and it is such a good idea. I find locating targets in the night sky super easy. I live under bortle 8 to 9 skies which I found locating targets very difficult with a manual telescope but not with the StarSense. The 10 inch has regular collimation screws for the primary mirror, but the 8 inch looks like a different set up. I was wondering how difficult collimation would be for the primary mirror on the 8 inch? Also the 10 inch has the ability to add a fan on the bottom of the optical tube.
The 10” is just slightly chunkier than the 8”, and to your point, the handle changes the game. Plus I put it on a Dobsonian dolly, so it just rolls out from my garage
Yay a new video 👍 Man this is an ideal scope for the beginner, I’ll be tagging this video on all the facebook pages asking for beginner scopes! Side note I’ve got a lot of envy with the rigs in the background 😂
Sounds great. Yes Ed (ED) is very on the ball. I remember his reviews from years ago including my Intes MK67, then he dissapeared, only thankfully to come back with more good stuff! Love your channel. Mike UK.
Great video, Trevor! I have the 130 AZ StarSense Explorer and think the entire product line of StarSense Explorer telescopes is fantastic for beginners. Interested to use the dobsonians :)
just got mine and putting it together. Way better than my last telescope. I love the fact you use the phone. Telescope for dummies fo sho. I know we have much inbound right now. Wormwood is on its way. After that we have the Planet X system swinging by here. Everyone needs to get ready to be flipped upside down backward and inside out. I wish I was joking.
I'm using the Starsense explorer app in the city and I find that it has difficulty finding stars through the light glow. I use it on the Popular science Starsense explorer 5inch Schmidt Cassagrain. Also the Star pointer is a pain if you have to replace the button battery. The contacts are bent during replacement and can't be bent back into place afterwards.
I don’t know why Celestron won’t sell the phone bracket separately for other dobs along with the code. I guess it probably has to do with mounting it properly. I called and they said they have no plans to do so. I thought about downloading the program for my phone and building my own bracket, but you have to have the code to download. I think Celestron is using this gimmick to sell more scopes.
So what about taking several shots of half a second or less through a Dobson and stacking them? I know there are limits, but wouldn't that expand the astrophotography limitations of a Dobsonian a lot?
I see that the 8in Dob is f/5.9, the 10in is f/4.7. So although the 10in gathers more light, it has larger field of view, making objects smaller. Which is better for planetary observation ? Is the 10in still better because it can use a higher power eyepiece and hence give the same or better size of planet images?
Generally a larger telescope is better because it has more light gathering power (producing brighter images) and higher resolution (the ability to see fine detail). But there are some disadvantages. They are more expensive; they have narrower fields of view; they take longer to adjust to the ambient temperature (if the telescope is warmer than the ambient temperature air currents inside the telescope might distort the image); and they are heavier and bulkier thus harder to handle, set up, and move around. A telescope that is difficult to move and set up will not be used as much.
What phone do you use? I find the ferrous steel tube interferes with the phone magnetometer…at least on the iPhone and Xperia. Once the phone is moved away on a stalk StarSense works very well the plate solver is a real game changer.
I used to have a 12 in Zhumell, and the amount of light it gathered was really astounding. Don't even try to look at the Moon when it's half full bc your eye will feel as if it's getting blasted by an aerial spotlight. It's like that scene from Indiana Jones where they opened up the Ark of the Covenant and the light essentially destroyed everybody who was looking at it. In other words it works well for deep space objects
I was able to use my iPhone 11 to get some great shots of Orion’s nebula back in the spring. It is possible to get pictures of DSO’s but like you said not if it requires a long exposure.
Im conflicted on this..see like everyone says i started with the 8 inch dobbie..well then that wasnt good enough because i needed an eq mount..couldn't afford an eq mount for an 8 inch newt..bought a canon...then bought an ioptron..got excited. Wanted a mount BAD for the dob, but now know i needed to chop down the dob to turn it into an astrograph newt..had no clue how to do this well.. stairing at dob still feeling very conflicted...still...
Good morning for the observation preferably of the deep sky which telescope will be used the most for average muscular strength-less and 66 years old after several years? a dobson 12 with push to solving plate without alignment? a SCT 8 with solving plate without alignment and motorized, therefore allowing tracking? I have eleven grandchildren 😍😎
Great video. Looks like a nice option for starting out. Quick question - does the phone running the app need a wifi or cell connection? I have an old phone I could use but it has no sim & not sure if I'll pick up wifi from my garden. Potentially would like to use my current phone for taking photos through the eye piece. Thanks
Great Reviews, im tossing up between this one and the Nexstar 8 SE, primarily for planet viewing, and some deeper space nebulae and galaxies which one would you suggest for the best quality clear images, .... im in a dark area, not a lot of light pollution, and not interested in astrophotography Thanks
Looks nice. I had a Coulter Odyssey 13.1" scope back in the 90's and what a PITA to move around! GREAT views though. Especially of Shoemaker-Levy 9's impact marks on Jupiter!
Trevor, I’ve been eyeing this 8” version for a while but I’ve been concerned about collimation. I noticed on the 8” primary mirror a screwdriver is required. Can we talk about this? Should I be concerned about the screws stripping overtime. Do you think I can switch them out for standard knobs? Side note, I noticed on the 10” Celestron went with the standard knobs on the primary
Great video Trev. I thought hard and long about buying a dob last year for my first scope. There is something alluring about its simplicity. In the end I ended up getting a 110mm refractor and AZ-EQ mount. It was a great choice for me. I’ve now added a 61mm refractor and C8 SCT. Good thing we both have understanding wives!! (I hope). Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
I already have dobs, but I'm totally going to get a Starsense 80 refractor and cannibalize the phone adapter for my dobs. Cheap way to get digital setting circles without having to mess with encoders.
@Darren They said not going to sell it separately, so if you want their system you are going to pay for a telescope you don't need. Their attitude is simply that if they start selling it separately then they've got to deal with incompetent people trying to install it on just about every kind of cheap scope out there. Way it is now it is completely on you to take it apart and re-install it on another telescope and they'd just as soon have nothing to do with it. "You took it apart and voided the warranty, so don't bother us about it, thank you for buying Celestron."
As someone who doesn’t have Polaris in LOS and has a lot of trouble getting a good polar alignment, I’m still waiting for a fully automated solution where I can just turn it on and let it do it’s thing to align.
This Dob is unusual in that they’re back heavy which makes it more user friendly. Also the tube is shorter so it travels easier. A lot of Dobs are front heavy, not so with the SSE.
@Mark Shoub coma corrector allows you to dial out the field curvature inherent in fast reflecting telescopes. Look up the TeleVue paracorr. It can be useful if you do a lot of widefield observing. I have tried the 31mm nagler type 5 in the 10 inch starsense dob and while there is field curvature it is not too bad. That is a very flat field eyepiece though. With the 32mm celestron ultima lx there is a lot of field curvature but most of it is from the eyepiece.
Crazy, I started with the Orion Intelliscope 8" and decided for that because of the push to. It was the right choice. Looks like it is almost the same scope. But after a few years I went full in and got an 6" Newt with a proper mount and camera. Now I can sit in my living room and stack colorfull pictures of almost the faintest of onjects. Light pollution increased and it was so frustrating to just se a faint sliver of most galaxys.
Early on in this video you mentioned using your ASIAIR to fascilitate astrophotography with this dobsonian but you never got back to that topic. Did I misunderstand what you said? I realize that with a dobs like this anything other than planetary imaging would be next to impossible. Can you clarify?
should I get the 8" dobsonian or the nexstar 130 slt or dx 130 az model? Honestly am looking for a celestron telescope that would be like one time investment and I won't need to upgrade it. My main motives are traveling and deep sky exploration.
Saw no one answered this so ill give a shot, i actually asked myself this question a while back when watching swat teams and military squads work out in the night, did some research and there 2 supposed reasons for this but only one i really believe, the 1st is supposedly in military work red light is a bit dimmer so its hard for others to see your light, the 2nd and the one i believe to be true is because red light is softer on the eyes in darker environments leading to less blindness when they are turned off and youre trying to see in the dark and it helps not to damage your eyes, as bright lights in dark environment is historically not good for your eyes its why its suggested you should at least have a dim lamp on while watching tv in the dark, i believe the reason he and many others are using the red light is bc its both easier on their eyes and because its easier to see when they arent using that red light any more, hope this answers youre question and ofc anyone feel free to correct me if i am wrong/mistaken on any of this
Well I got in the box unopened Apertura AD8, same as you have/had, should I returned for starsense dob8. Mine has dual focus though and right angle finder. Hm I’m torn I mean is it really hard to find objects Thanks AstroBackyard
Really enjoyed this vid on the starsence I have the explorer 102 refractor dx with the starsence and am trying to get it all set up but work and bad weather have not helped. But I have managed to get a great view of Jupiter and it’s moons but couldn’t get my fone to focus to get a good shot
Hello, I follow your channel with excitement, the pictures you take are amazing. What I want to ask is where can I download the program you use on my phone? Can you help me? Thank you.
The more I watch your videos the more I want to buy my first telescope. I have a 10 year old daughter with autism and I want to get her more involved in astronomy and I think something like this would be perfect. Is it possible to use a DSLR with this scope?
Love the video! I have a question. My current scope is an Astromaster 70AZ, which has worked great for visual astronomy, but I really want to start astrophotography, and I’m looking for a good scope from Celestron to start off with. Do you think the Omni XLT 102 + a motor drive would be a good starting point? I’ve scoured the internet trying to find something effective and affordable and im completely lost. Thanks!
Hi, great video :) Do you know if it's better to take the 3 aperture in add from your link 2*1.25 + Collimation Kit + Dobsonian Soft for a begginner ? Sorry for my english, I'm french ^^ Thank you, Best regards,
I used video for photography of planets and the moon. Then I extracted the sharpest frame from the video and ran it through photoshop for sharpening and contrast. I was impressed with the results especially considering I held the phone manually to the eyepiece. The pics were sharper than the pics I’d got from my Pentax K-1000 when film was inserted into the camera. Ideally I should get an adapter for my phone to scope. Soon, I think, as I enjoyed experimenting with photography on the phone.
I originally owned a Orion 10” DOB and became very frustrated trying to see through the Telrad finder and never finding what I was looking for on my star charts. That’s not to say I never found anything. I have normal suburban light pollution from surrounding towns, but still have decent night skies. Do you think going with an 8” dob would be too disappointing for sharpness and deep sky objects?
@sgtransit 74 thanks. At this time I don’t think I will be able to buy any scope. Too many health issues that need my finances. Looks like my families heart disease is catching up with me and my back needs a attention too with dislocated vertebrae and tears in ligaments plus nerves being pinched.
shoting the mon with my son with a 4inch newt. was where i started into astro imaging.. used a 12 inch dob a few times. then over to the gems and refractors.
Galaxies would require longer exposure times (stacking of images) on an equatorially mounted telescope. A dobsonian mount can't do this because of field rotation.
It depends on the eye relief of the eyepiece (the distance from the eyepiece you need to position your eye to see a focused image). Some eyepieces have long eye relief so are no problem for eyeglass wearers. Others may have short eye relief posing a problem. Eyeglass wearers may have to position their eye a bit further away which would cut down on the field of view.
Donsonians are essentially Newtonian reflectors. What makes them a Dobsonian is the mount. There is no reason a Newtonian can't be mounted on an equatorial mount. In fact I have seen Newtonians on equatorial mounts for sale. But if you buy a Dobsonian you would need additional hardware to mount it on an equatorial mount (and of course you would have to buy the mount unless you already had one). Nevertheless there is an alternative. Some companies have devised a Donsonian mount equipped with a motor that allows it to follow the object in the eyepiece just like an equatoial mount.
Hey there Trevor, i am trying to get into some simple astrophotography, i have a Nikon d5300 with the stock lens but i am planning on getting a telephoto lens like 100mm but i will need a tracker, whats a good cheap tracker? Anyways happy thanksgivings!!
Thank you for reminding me to turn off my red dot, it's only been on for two weeks
this is painfully relatable
you know every once in a while when someone likes this the notification reminds me to go turn off my damn laser again lmao. found the ztf comet a few nights ago!
Yep, already had to replace my battery.
So easy to forget it’s on.
@thuggles42 OMGoodness A Gazillion times LOL!
Bought this same one and it came in this week. It is amazing and easy to use. Also light enough for transport. Just starting myself and am glad with the choice I made. Can see soo much in the night sky. Was debating over the 10inch but I think it’s worth saving the money and weight and going with the 8. Eventually want to go bigger anyways with something around 16-20inch kept at home only obviously. The StarSense works wonders and never fails me. Just be patient and let it catch up when you are moving and you are golden!!! Great video and keep them coming
Thanks for sharing that, Brett! I was quite impressed myself. Clear skies!
@@AstroBackyard is there a big difference in the 10” scope?
Is there a protective travel bag for this telescope?
Not sure if anyone will still reply, but when i look through the eyepiece what i see is quite blurry? i am new to this any way i can make it clearer? do i take the whole front bit off or just the small circle bit? thanks
@@boblee5712There’s a focus wheel. Adjust that until you can see a planet/object clearly
Almost got the Aperture AD8 after watching your video 2 weeks ago but came across this scope soon after and the app sold me. As a novice, it has made the last few nights so much fun. I have your excitement of a new Dob owner but using the technology to enjoy faster. I went from never owning a scope 2 weeks ago to full in on this hobby thanks to this scope.
Any regrets in going with the Starsense? I’m in the middle of making the same decision and leaning toward the AD8, but that starfinder seems like a good alternative.
Great review! After owning and using this scope for about a month now, I only have one thing to add, which is that it isn't necessary to align StarSense during daylight / dusk on a terrestrial object, which overcomes the problem of having to leave the phone in the mount throughout the entire viewing session. It can easily be re-aligned on demand against the Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, or a zero magnitude star. For the Northern Hemisphere right now, I recommend using Capella since it is visible pretty much all night. During other seasons, Arcturus and/or Vega may be better candidates for this. Just use the red-dot finder to pinpoint one of these objects in the eyepiece, then hit "Needs Align" in the app. Works like a charm.
Not quite clear on what you are saying here. Isn't the alignment done to align the phone in its bracket vs the center point in the scope?
I had scope when I was a kid but didn't have what I call UA-cam University to help guide me. I purchased this telescope about a month ago and have been so happy. I played with the starsense app and have it so dialed in that I can center Jupiter inthe eyepiece with a 6mm without needing to find it at low power first. Absolutely blows my mind.(All you need to do is once you do get it in the high power eyepiece, quicly recalibrate the apps finder, then it'll be centered on all eyepieces) The best part I'm finding this time around with my astronomy journey is for the first time I'm learning the night sky. I'm able to find some objects now even without the app. Some guides to find objects was difficult because I was never sure if I had actually found it. But with the app getting me there then by knowing where I should actually be looking in the sky, going back to the guides. Like "Turn left at orion" I then was able to see how to refind objects on my own. I'm very happy and excited and looking forward to becoming a star guru lol.
You have no idea how badly I needed this!! I was just about to pull the trigger on it but there was only one other review on UA-cam from Ed and HPS. I appreciate it!
Loved your video! There is something very special about Dobsonian telescopes - many of us saw Saturn's rings for the first time through a Dobsonian. I think I fell in love with them because it felt to me like the universe is within my own grasp as a hobbyist. It feels like the stars and planets are more real like this than photos can ever portray. Keep up the good work.
Hey Astrobackyard,
I'm from india and you helped me to understand Astro-photography and find better gear.
That finder app thing looks amazing. It's like half-way to a fully automated system, but still keeping that manual feeling for people who like that stuff.
I love mine!
It's really reignited my love of stargazing, as a casual astronomer who doesn't have a ton of time to spend searching for DSOs and is still learning the night sky.
"Even though I have never, not once, ever, remembered to turn the red dot finder off." Ha. I think we've all experienced that.😂
That is hilarious, the moment he said that, I instantly realised I had left my red dot on from last night 🤣🤣 thankfully it hadn't gone completely flat
I do it all the time even though it reminds me 😢😂
Regularly replacing the battery in my Rigel! 😂
Mine is on rn and I will not be turning it off 🤣
I was waiting for a sarcastic "sike."😂
8 inch DOB is probably the most popular beginner scopes after some sub 90mm refractors. My journey too started with the 8 inch DOB
Yes
I purchased the Celestron 10” Dob last January. It’s my 5th telescope in 54 years. Great optics, but not at its best in a city of Bortle 8+. Incredible for moon and the planets.
Hello. It has been a year since you posted this comment, but may I ask how you are enjoying your 10" Dob? Are you able to use it for astrophotography? Or, do you simply use it to observe? I'm looking at a Celestron 10" Dob with Starsense. Is that the scope you purchased 2 years ago? Are you still happy with your purchase? Pros and cons? You mention you are in a Bortle 8+. Are you willing to share the approx. state/location you are in? I mainly want to use the scope to observe without electronics. I want to feel that spiritual connection to the sky, not surround myself with more technology. However, I'd like the ability to take some shots now and then. Thanks so much!
My first telescope was the Celestron AstroMaster 130eq and standing there going from just 'being alive' to looking down the viewfinder and seeing Jupiter and its moons LIVE blew my mind
There's no such thing as a sky object that isn't astrophotography - if it's beyond the atmosphere, it's worth shooting
You'll never recapture that sense of awe you first have, but upgrading equipment and getting more skillful over time is the best sensation
The big knob towards the front to help steer the DOB seems like a great idea!
that moon pic was so good i love how you can see that whatever hit the moon on the left blew debris out almost covering 20% of the moon that mus of been going super fast imo cause it looks like it was smaller than what made the huge craters but sent debris clearly really far
When I asked you at AIC in San Jose when you'd be moving to plate solving, I didn't think it would be on a Dob! I have had my 10" StarSense Dob for a couple of weeks and absolutely love it. So easy to find objects and with good quality eyepieces, gives a great view. Had it at a star party a couple of days ago, and saw M42 with my own eyes for the first time - spectacular. Have had no issue with balance, even with a heavy Tele View eyepiece.
Ha! That's great to hear, Dave. This is definitely a great package for star parties! Clear skies :)
Hi, David! I'm eyeing the 10" StarSense Dob that you have. It's been over a year now. Are you still happy witht he purchase? Have you attempted any astrophotography? Any luck? Thanks.
Hi @@neomatrix6115 I do like the StarSense dob, and really appreciate the "push to" aspect of it. I can see so many objects as quick as I want - little hunting or star hopping req'd. I do much more AP vs. visual, and have several dedicated AP rigs, so won't be trying AP with the dob. You'd need a tracker with the dob to avoid star trails.
@@DaveSwenson Thanks for the kind reply! I understand completely. Like most beginners considering a such a purchase, the question of the mount quickly becomes a dominant one. I can't imagine not being able to take decent photos, but based on my research, I'm learning that will can add up to 50% to the budget. I'm learning that in AP, the mount is critical. That said, most beginners should probably not start out with a $3000+ or more investment in such a rig. I'm a very rational, prudent 50 something, who hates to waste money. But I do have the resources to buy whatever I want. So, do I cheap out a bit now and risk having to buy two different telescopes in the future OR simply anticipate I'll fall in love with this hobby and just buy a great rig now? I don't know how to best answer this, and I'm not sure you can either. If I would go with an equitorial mount, would you have a recommendation for an 8 or 10 I should investigate as a novice? Thanks!
The 10” is kinda lighter in practice, because you’re basically forced to carry it in 2 pieces or place it on a dolly. With 8” Dobs, I’m lazy and carry it assembled, all at once. With a 10”, that’s inadvisable.
I think it's a brilliant idea from celestron. . And altho your vid on this celestron app, isn't the first I saw on the internet, it's so wel presented, it kicked my intrest in astronomy off again. Thanks for your work.
I bought a 10 inch push to goto dobsonian as my first telescope a yeat ago, and I have not been dissapointed so far. Deep Sky is visible especially Orion’s nebula. But Bode’s Galaxy is doable as well. Took some pretty decent pictures of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. So for ervery beginner, go for this one or the 10” and enjoy the nightsky. Great video as always.
Thanks Trevor for detailed review and your positive vibes! 🤩
I have the 10 inch and love it! The handle on the Optical Tube makes it easy to lift in and out of the rocker box. That is one reason why I went with the 10 inch instead. I have not seen this feature on any other dobsonian telescope and it is such a good idea. I find locating targets in the night sky super easy. I live under bortle 8 to 9 skies which I found locating targets very difficult with a manual telescope but not with the StarSense. The 10 inch has regular collimation screws for the primary mirror, but the 8 inch looks like a different set up. I was wondering how difficult collimation would be for the primary mirror on the 8 inch? Also the 10 inch has the ability to add a fan on the bottom of the optical tube.
The 10” is just slightly chunkier than the 8”, and to your point, the handle changes the game. Plus I put it on a Dobsonian dolly, so it just rolls out from my garage
Will you please tell me the cost of 10" ?
@@bhabitmaandarshanam1271 currently $1099.
@@MikeLikesChannel Thanks Mr Mike. But if possible please sent me the sellers details.
@@bhabitmaandarshanam1271 I shop the usual places - Highpoint Scientific, Astronomics, Mile High Astro... even B&H and Adorama carry these Dobs 👍
Question, are you able to see deep space objects with this? Like Galaxies and Nebulaes?
I had a Celestron 4" reflector back in the 90's. The Ring Nebula was my biggest win. Thinking about picking up one of these guys.
Yay a new video 👍 Man this is an ideal scope for the beginner, I’ll be tagging this video on all the facebook pages asking for beginner scopes! Side note I’ve got a lot of envy with the rigs in the background 😂
This mounted on a big pair of binos would be a great set up.
Sounds great. Yes Ed (ED) is very on the ball. I remember his reviews from years ago including my Intes MK67, then he dissapeared, only thankfully to come back with more good stuff! Love your channel.
Mike UK.
Think I will buy one just to use as a great excuse not to answer my phone!
Great video, Trevor! I have the 130 AZ StarSense Explorer and think the entire product line of StarSense Explorer telescopes is fantastic for beginners. Interested to use the dobsonians :)
just got mine and putting it together. Way better than my last telescope. I love the fact you use the phone. Telescope for dummies fo sho. I know we have much inbound right now. Wormwood is on its way. After that we have the Planet X system swinging by here. Everyone needs to get ready to be flipped upside down backward and inside out. I wish I was joking.
I'm using the Starsense explorer app in the city and I find that it has difficulty finding stars through the light glow. I use it on the Popular science Starsense explorer 5inch Schmidt Cassagrain. Also the Star pointer is a pain if you have to replace the button battery. The contacts are bent during replacement and can't be bent back into place afterwards.
Do you always put this on the ground or also on maybe a little table so that you don't have to bend your back all the time?
Thanks to you love and love taking astro photos!
Brilliant video and review Trevor. Covers all the key points. Agreed on the red-dot. It’s a love-hate relationship.
I don’t know why Celestron won’t sell the phone bracket separately for other dobs along with the code. I guess it probably has to do with mounting it properly. I called and they said they have no plans to do so. I thought about downloading the program for my phone and building my own bracket, but you have to have the code to download. I think Celestron is using this gimmick to sell more scopes.
So what about taking several shots of half a second or less through a Dobson and stacking them? I know there are limits, but wouldn't that expand the astrophotography limitations of a Dobsonian a lot?
I see that the 8in Dob is f/5.9, the 10in is f/4.7. So although the 10in gathers more light, it has larger field of view, making objects smaller. Which is better for planetary observation ? Is the 10in still better because it can use a higher power eyepiece and hence give the same or better size of planet images?
Very good question. I hope someone sheds some light on the matter...
Generally a larger telescope is better because it has more light gathering power (producing brighter images) and higher resolution (the ability to see fine detail). But there are some disadvantages. They are more expensive; they have narrower fields of view; they take longer to adjust to the ambient temperature (if the telescope is warmer than the ambient temperature air currents inside the telescope might distort the image); and they are heavier and bulkier thus harder to handle, set up, and move around. A telescope that is difficult to move and set up will not be used as much.
What phone do you use? I find the ferrous steel tube interferes with the phone magnetometer…at least on the iPhone and Xperia. Once the phone is moved away on a stalk StarSense works very well the plate solver is a real game changer.
I used to have a 12 in Zhumell, and the amount of light it gathered was really astounding. Don't even try to look at the Moon when it's half full bc your eye will feel as if it's getting blasted by an aerial spotlight. It's like that scene from Indiana Jones where they opened up the Ark of the Covenant and the light essentially destroyed everybody who was looking at it. In other words it works well for deep space objects
Excellent review, perhaps better than Ed's. Your B-roll and editing are top notch. Would like to have seen the dark/red display mode on the iPhone.
I was able to use my iPhone 11 to get some great shots of Orion’s nebula back in the spring. It is possible to get pictures of DSO’s but like you said not if it requires a long exposure.
Just got the 10” and now weather won’t be clear to use for 3 weeks lol driving me crazy
I hope it can see individual Saturn's rings. I can see them with my $50 telescope I bought at the hardware store.
This scope will completely blow away your hardware store telescope.
Im conflicted on this..see like everyone says i started with the 8 inch dobbie..well then that wasnt good enough because i needed an eq mount..couldn't afford an eq mount for an 8 inch newt..bought a canon...then bought an ioptron..got excited. Wanted a mount BAD for the dob, but now know i needed to chop down the dob to turn it into an astrograph newt..had no clue how to do this well.. stairing at dob still feeling very conflicted...still...
“A full two inches smaller than the version they sent Ed Ting.” So funny!
Good morning
for the observation preferably of the deep sky which telescope will be used the most for average muscular strength-less and 66 years old after several years?
a dobson 12 with push to solving plate without alignment?
a SCT 8 with solving plate without alignment and motorized, therefore allowing tracking?
I have eleven grandchildren 😍😎
Great video. Looks like a nice option for starting out. Quick question - does the phone running the app need a wifi or cell connection? I have an old phone I could use but it has no sim & not sure if I'll pick up wifi from my garden. Potentially would like to use my current phone for taking photos through the eye piece. Thanks
Great Reviews, im tossing up between this one and the Nexstar 8 SE, primarily for planet viewing, and some deeper space nebulae and galaxies
which one would you suggest for the best quality clear images, .... im in a dark area, not a lot of light pollution, and not interested in astrophotography
Thanks
Looks nice. I had a Coulter Odyssey 13.1" scope back in the 90's and what a PITA to move around! GREAT views though. Especially of Shoemaker-Levy 9's impact marks on Jupiter!
Trevor, I’ve been eyeing this 8” version for a while but I’ve been concerned about collimation. I noticed on the 8” primary mirror a screwdriver is required. Can we talk about this? Should I be concerned about the screws stripping overtime. Do you think I can switch them out for standard knobs?
Side note, I noticed on the 10” Celestron went with the standard knobs on the primary
Great video Trev. I thought hard and long about buying a dob last year for my first scope. There is something alluring about its simplicity. In the end I ended up getting a 110mm refractor and AZ-EQ mount. It was a great choice for me. I’ve now added a 61mm refractor and C8 SCT. Good thing we both have understanding wives!! (I hope). Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
I cannot get the lense to focus in. What am I doing wrong?
why does every backyard astronomer live in a cold ass place lmao
better skies
Please do a review on the Dwarf II Smart Telescope when it comes out!
Is the lens necessary for taking pictures and would be necessary if you didn’t want to take pictures
I already have dobs, but I'm totally going to get a Starsense 80 refractor and cannibalize the phone adapter for my dobs. Cheap way to get digital setting circles without having to mess with encoders.
@Darren They said not going to sell it separately, so if you want their system you are going to pay for a telescope you don't need. Their attitude is simply that if they start selling it separately then they've got to deal with incompetent people trying to install it on just about every kind of cheap scope out there. Way it is now it is completely on you to take it apart and re-install it on another telescope and they'd just as soon have nothing to do with it.
"You took it apart and voided the warranty, so don't bother us about it, thank you for buying Celestron."
wonder if celestron could release a bracket like this as an attachment + subscription/app purchase for other scopes?
As someone who doesn’t have Polaris in LOS and has a lot of trouble getting a good polar alignment, I’m still waiting for a fully automated solution where I can just turn it on and let it do it’s thing to align.
My Nexstar 11 doesn't need for you to site polaris... just 2 alignment stars and it's good.
If you had to choose between the StarSense system or the Sky-Watcher GoTo system, which would you choose?
Actually the 10” is back heavy, and a heavier eyepieces and coma corrector balance it well❤
This Dob is unusual in that they’re back heavy which makes it more user friendly. Also the tube is shorter so it travels easier. A lot of Dobs are front heavy, not so with the SSE.
That is good to know, I am curious how my 31mm nagler will balance, I can always get a balance magnet if I have too
@@mikew9788 I run a 40mm WO Swan that isn’t especially light and a 8-24mm Baader Zoom. No issues there.
What is a coma corrector? What does it do?
@Mark Shoub coma corrector allows you to dial out the field curvature inherent in fast reflecting telescopes. Look up the TeleVue paracorr. It can be useful if you do a lot of widefield observing. I have tried the 31mm nagler type 5 in the 10 inch starsense dob and while there is field curvature it is not too bad. That is a very flat field eyepiece though. With the 32mm celestron ultima lx there is a lot of field curvature but most of it is from the eyepiece.
What about collimation? I imagine its out when you receive it...
I have an 8” Orion dob back home and I miss using it 😢
You referred to plate solving a couple of times. What is that?
Hey there Astrobackyard I love your channel
Thanks!
I love to Astronbackyard channel
Would you recommend to buy Celestron StarSense 10 inch or sky watcher classic 250p cause it’s almost 50% more expensive for a tracker app
I absolutely love this set-up and I want one!
Crazy, I started with the Orion Intelliscope 8" and decided for that because of the push to. It was the right choice. Looks like it is almost the same scope. But after a few years I went full in and got an 6" Newt with a proper mount and camera. Now I can sit in my living room and stack colorfull pictures of almost the faintest of onjects. Light pollution increased and it was so frustrating to just se a faint sliver of most galaxys.
Early on in this video you mentioned using your ASIAIR to fascilitate astrophotography with this dobsonian but you never got back to that topic. Did I misunderstand what you said? I realize that with a dobs like this anything other than planetary imaging would be next to impossible. Can you clarify?
I'm about to get this telescope. Do you recommend getting any additional eyepieces?
should I get the 8" dobsonian or the nexstar 130 slt or dx 130 az model? Honestly am looking for a celestron telescope that would be like one time investment and I won't need to upgrade it. My main motives are traveling and deep sky exploration.
So you have to be on your knees all the time to use this scope!? It is so low. Is the 10 inch any better in that regard?
Wonder why do you use red light ?
Saw no one answered this so ill give a shot, i actually asked myself this question a while back when watching swat teams and military squads work out in the night, did some research and there 2 supposed reasons for this but only one i really believe, the 1st is supposedly in military work red light is a bit dimmer so its hard for others to see your light, the 2nd and the one i believe to be true is because red light is softer on the eyes in darker environments leading to less blindness when they are turned off and youre trying to see in the dark and it helps not to damage your eyes, as bright lights in dark environment is historically not good for your eyes its why its suggested you should at least have a dim lamp on while watching tv in the dark, i believe the reason he and many others are using the red light is bc its both easier on their eyes and because its easier to see when they arent using that red light any more, hope this answers youre question and ofc anyone feel free to correct me if i am wrong/mistaken on any of this
Great review. Could you use an old phone? You don't need service, correct? Just the app
Great review Trevor! I enjoyed Ed's review as well
Thanks Bob! Congrats on the meteor capture!!
Hey Trev! Did you have any dew issues while using it? Cheers.
Well I got in the box unopened Apertura AD8, same as you have/had, should I returned for starsense dob8. Mine has dual focus though and right angle finder. Hm I’m torn
I mean is it really hard to find objects
Thanks AstroBackyard
Is there a universal base on wheels that would allow you to push this model or the Apertura AD8 ?
Really enjoyed this vid on the starsence I have the explorer 102 refractor dx with the starsence and am trying to get it all set up but work and bad weather have not helped. But I have managed to get a great view of Jupiter and it’s moons but couldn’t get my fone to focus to get a good shot
Hello, I follow your channel with excitement, the pictures you take are amazing. What I want to ask is where can I download the program you use on my phone? Can you help me? Thank you.
Hi thank you for the review. I am looking for a telescope with a powerful len and without smartphone capability, can you recommend me one please?😀
I also have trouble turning the lazer off.
you do the best reviews🎉
The more I watch your videos the more I want to buy my first telescope. I have a 10 year old daughter with autism and I want to get her more involved in astronomy and I think something like this would be perfect. Is it possible to use a DSLR with this scope?
Love the video! I have a question. My current scope is an Astromaster 70AZ, which has worked great for visual astronomy, but I really want to start astrophotography, and I’m looking for a good scope from Celestron to start off with. Do you think the Omni XLT 102 + a motor drive would be a good starting point? I’ve scoured the internet trying to find something effective and affordable and im completely lost. Thanks!
I'm trying to buy my first telescope and I would like to you to tell me what would you preferred between apertura AD8 or celestron 8" starsense?
Hi, great video :)
Do you know if it's better to take the 3 aperture in add from your link 2*1.25 + Collimation Kit + Dobsonian Soft for a begginner ?
Sorry for my english, I'm french ^^
Thank you,
Best regards,
I used video for photography of planets and the moon. Then I extracted the sharpest frame from the video and ran it through photoshop for sharpening and contrast. I was impressed with the results especially considering I held the phone manually to the eyepiece. The pics were sharper than the pics I’d got from my Pentax K-1000 when film was inserted into the camera. Ideally I should get an adapter for my phone to scope. Soon, I think, as I enjoyed experimenting with photography on the phone.
You can attach a camera on this telescope
I’d love for you to talk about the bigger Dobsons at some point.
I originally owned a Orion 10” DOB and became very frustrated trying to see through the Telrad finder and never finding what I was looking for on my star charts. That’s not to say I never found anything. I have normal suburban light pollution from surrounding towns, but still have decent night skies. Do you think going with an 8” dob would be too disappointing for sharpness and deep sky objects?
@sgtransit 74 thanks. At this time I don’t think I will be able to buy any scope. Too many health issues that need my finances. Looks like my families heart disease is catching up with me and my back needs a attention too with dislocated vertebrae and tears in ligaments plus nerves being pinched.
shoting the mon with my son with a 4inch newt. was where i started into astro imaging.. used a 12 inch dob a few times. then over to the gems and refractors.
Hey, is it possible to get nice photos of planets and eventually galaxies with a nikon d3000 and a 300mm lens?
Galaxies would require longer exposure times (stacking of images) on an equatorially mounted telescope. A dobsonian mount can't do this because of field rotation.
Can you look into the eyepiece while wearing glasses?
It depends on the eye relief of the eyepiece (the distance from the eyepiece you need to position your eye to see a focused image). Some eyepieces have long eye relief so are no problem for eyeglass wearers. Others may have short eye relief posing a problem. Eyeglass wearers may have to position their eye a bit further away which would cut down on the field of view.
Noob question… can the 8” dobsonian like this be mounted on an equatorial mount? The ones that track with the earths rotation?
Donsonians are essentially Newtonian reflectors. What makes them a Dobsonian is the mount. There is no reason a Newtonian can't be mounted on an equatorial mount. In fact I have seen Newtonians on equatorial mounts for sale. But if you buy a Dobsonian you would need additional hardware to mount it on an equatorial mount (and of course you would have to buy the mount unless you already had one). Nevertheless there is an alternative. Some companies have devised a Donsonian mount equipped with a motor that allows it to follow the object in the eyepiece just like an equatoial mount.
how does is do with condensation? does the cap keep it from forming any? its a worry for me because where i live its always cold out and hot inside
Hey there Trevor, i am trying to get into some simple astrophotography, i have a Nikon d5300 with the stock lens but i am planning on getting a telephoto lens like 100mm but i will need a tracker, whats a good cheap tracker? Anyways happy thanksgivings!!
I have a similar telescope, super happy with him
Does Sky Watcher have a similar system to StarSense as an aftermarket accessory?
Has anyone 3D printed a camera holder like that to use the phone app with another brand of Dob?
Hey think you could reach out to opt to review the iOptron HEMs?
I bought an 8 inch DOB two weeks ago. It’s been cloudy ever since. 😂😂
Sir, I am looking for to buy new Celestron star scan 10";Dob and I am new it will be good for me