Finally, the Meade Instruments telescope weighs a mere 10.8 pounds. See More Reviews CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON. I’m comfortable lifting the 30 pound 10i tube but will it be too awkward to handle? The Sky-Watcher 6” Traditional … 3. You need a so-called, light bucket, which Dobsonian telescope is. Its compact design includes a tabletop Dobsonian mount. This telescope, from Zhummell, is underrated in our opinion. See More Reviews CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON. It comes with two high-quality Plossls (a 25mm and 10mm), a single-speed 2” Crayford focuser, and a 9×50 right-angle correct-image finderscope, as well as some weight-saving cutouts in the base. More light contributes to brighter, crisper, more detailed images. However, there are some practicality considerations to be made in buying this telescope. It tells you where to push and then confirms you are on the target once you get there. This scope tends to keep its collimation well and does not need constant adjustments. The altitude tensioning knobs stick out quite far and have an annoying tendency to grab loose clothing or get bumped in the dark. You can use the SynScan hand controller—with its vast database of 42,000+ objects—to locate and track virtually anything you want. The 10 is okay without a coma corrector, collimation isn’t much worse, but given that you’re dealing with stairs I’d get the 8. This telescope combines the light-gathering power of a classic Dobsonian with the convenience and user-friendliness of GoTo technology. to give you our top recommendations. 1. The Orion XT series really modernized Dobsonians when it was introduced in the early 2000s. The Sky-Watcher 12″ Dobsonian Telescope is a durable telescope... 2. They are a type of reflector telescope, meaning that they use mirrors to gather light and produce images. Zhumell Z10 Deluxe Dobsonian Reflector Telescope The 8” Traditional’s finder is a straight-through (not right-angle) 9×50 finderscope. This all being said, you are sacrificing some of the accessories of the Zhumell Z10, so it really comes down to whether you find the Intelliscope system and some cutouts in the mount to be worth this downgrade as well as the step up in price. The SkyWatcher has an 8” aperture, 1200mm focal length, and f/5.9 focal ratio—just like the first telescope on this list. Best Dobsonian Telescope Under $300 Our Rating: 9.2 3. Orion 10014 SkyQuest XT4.5. It’s simple. 3. Computerized telescopes make locating and tracking thousands of celestial objects much faster, easier, and more convenient. With its 5.9” (150mm) aperture and f/5 focal ratio, this telescope is capable of providing beautiful wide-field views. It’s a full foot longer, and the tube is 14” wide with no good places to really grab it from. See More … There’s also a very cheap Moon filter supplied which is of very low quality and which you don’t need anyways. As I mentioned above, a larger aperture means that the telescope allows more light in. Don’t worry, though – you don’t really need the laser and the Zhumell Z8 is still a fantastic deal without it. The Meade Instruments LightBridge Mini Telescope is meant for people seeking a lightweight, compact, affordable Dobsonian telescope that still performs well and produces good images. However, it, of course, offers no motorized tracking or location of objects. It will show you everything an 8” telescope can. This “fast” focal ratio makes it less suited for high power, high magnification viewing, but you can certainly still enjoy good views of the Moon and planets like Jupiter and Mars. Of course, this kind of convenience does come with a higher price tag. Like the fantastic Zhumell Z8, the Zhumell Z10 offers a great set of accessories bundled with it right out of the box and a little more aperture. There are a few distinctive characteristics that set a Dobsonian telescope apart from its peers. 4. See More Reviews CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON. I plan to carry the scope up/downstairs. Their mounts are sturdy and stable: A Dobsonian won’t shake or move at the slightest breeze. The SkyWatcher is a computerized … The XT10 features a single-speed Crayford focuser. Aperture is the telescope’s light-collecting region; a bigger aperture lets more light in, yielding clearer and more detailed images. These recommendations stick if you are looking for best deep space telescopes as well since Dobs are what’s perfect for deep space viewing. The Sky-Watcher Dobs have rack-and-pinion focusers rather than the Crayfords of other brands, but with an f/8 scope, this is a nonissue. The XT6 is pretty Spartan when it comes to accessories – it now only includes a single 25mm Plossl, and nothing else – Orion used to supply a 6×30 finder and a 10mm Plossl eyepiece, but they’ve slowly cheapened the XT6 over the years. Altazimuth mounts are easy to operate; you can move them along two axes, up and down, right and left. 2. It is also the reason why it’s not recommended to buy very cheap telescope because you won’t see much through it and you will be disappointed. Best … Like their 8” model, Sky-Watcher’s 10” Traditional Dobsonian offers the most aperture for your money, at the cost of everything else. It guides you to your target with arrows and measurements. Also, the length means it may not fit in smaller vehicles. A cooling fan is also included for fast thermal equilibrium. Thanks to the Z10’s dual-speed Crayford focuser, focusing at high power is an absolute delight. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The bigger telescopes on this list range from 50 to 75 pounds, which is quite hefty! They excel at observing dim and distant objects: If you’re captivated by swirling galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, a Dobsonian is a fantastic choice. Best Dobsonian Telescope. Unlike the XT6, it uses adjustable tensioning knobs rather than springs for the altitude bearing tensioning, includes a 2” rack-and-pinion focuser, and comes with a 25mm and 10mm Plossl eyepiece as opposed to the XT6’s single 25mm Plossl eyepiece. However, it also includes a 10mm Plossl eyepiece and a 50mm right-angle correct image finderscope. But if you’re sure you’re hooked and can accommodate this massive instrument in your home and lifestyle, a 12” Dobsonian like the, Collapsible tube offers increased portability, The Intelliscope allows you to locate over 14,000 deep-sky objects, without consuming much in the way of battery power. Get good eyepieces in the 15mm and 6mm ranges, a 2″ UHC nebula filter, and a Telrad. All in all, I personally consider increasing your aperture or buying some better accessories more important than having the Intelliscope, but others have different opinions –, Decent build, optics, focuser, and accessories, Intelliscope system enables easy location of deep-sky objects, For the price, you could buy a larger telescope or better accessories, If possible, I highly recommend borrowing a scope from a friend or at least examining it in person before purchasing it. The Z8 also comes with a quality 30mm wide-angle 2” eyepiece for low power, and a 9mm Plossl for high power, though you’ll of course want something in between as well as a shorter focal length high power eyepiece or two. Best DobsonianTelescope Under $500 Focal length: 1200mm, f/5.6 4. All in all, I personally consider increasing your aperture or buying some better accessories more important than having the Intelliscope, but others have different opinions – read our review of it and decide for yourself. If you’re looking for an automated scope, I recommend the SkyWatcher S11800. That said, it’s important to choose a telescope that you can handle and will actually use regularly! But what if you have to load it into your car to get it to an observing site? New to stargazing, I am choosing between an Orion XT8i and XT10i. If you can afford the Zhumell Z12 but don’t think you can handle its massive size, I would probably recommend the Orion XT10i. In this guide, I’m excluding the smaller, sub-$250 tabletop Dobs. Although this telescope is quite heavy at around 75 pounds, it can be disassembled into two pieces for transport.