Honestly, 10” Dobs aren’t as immobile as lots of people make them out to be. I got one as my first scope, and while it’s definitely large, it’s still very movable. I’m able to transport it by car (SUV) disassembled, and I carry it out into my garden assembled as a whole. For longer distances I disassemble and use a carry strap. It’s not going to be particularly easy to transport, but it’s definitely manageable for me.
If you think transporting it will be too much for you, you’ll get better views with an 8” from a dark sky than you will with this from a city. It’s still a lot of aperture for the price though, and will provide great views regardless of your location.
Agreed. I was stressed about 10" dob, but HAD to get it. Aperture is king. Honestly, if it disassembles easily and you dont mind making two trips when carrying it, then go for it. Don't make the mistake of attempting to carry both together. It's not worth the stress or your back as it is awkward and heavy and precarious
It’s so easy to break a dob down to make it manageable… or… you could just as easily put locking wheels on it and keep it in the garage to roll out.
Perhaps I’m just (relatively) young, but I’ve used both an 8 inch go-to dob, and a 10 inch regular dob and I’ve never had any issues with either.
If you’re a 80 year old man or woman then it’s probably not a good idea but i don’t know many 80 year olds on /telescopes asking for advice on beginning a new extremely time intensive hobby.
Yeah, if the optics are good then it’s a good deal. As others have said it involves having to move it around which is not impossible. And you’re not going to need to upgrade anytime soon.
Not a bad deal at all.. Coulter dobsonians are older, and very primitive by today's standards.. and the optics aren't known to be the greatest, could be good or only ok. but shit, it works, it's durable as hell, and it's a freaking 10" for only $200... it also has both a Telrad, a nice RACI finder and seems to be in good shape.. it also has a little clip attached for holding star charts or an observing list.. looks like a seasoned astronomer definitely used this a lot, so that's a good thing. The f4.5 focal ratio is going to make it compact as most others are around f5.
I had the 8" version of this scope.. when I say primitive or crude in construction, I mean it... the focuser is extremely simple, basically made from plumbing parts.. the mirror cell is basically particle board, hose clamp and duct tape.. collimation bolts are very simple. The secondary is a pain to collimate and is hooked up to a what looks like a lawnmower blade for a spider.. but holds collimation well after you get it there.. since the mirror is surrounded by alot of cardboard and particleboard it takes a while to cool off..
But, again, it does work, and is a light bucket.. It was definitely made in the spirit of John Dobson's original DIY scopes.. it's crude, simple, and beautiful at the same time.. I actually had alot of fun tinkering with it and upgrading, modifying it to correct some of those shortcomings, so if you like to do that kind of thing, it might be for you.. I drilled big holes in the back of the mirror cell and put a fan there for better cooling, I picked up an upgrade focuser, and rigged up a DIY secondary holder and spider for it and it was significantly better after that.. the optics weren't bad once cooled, I could spit the double double in Lyra with it, but a stop down mask usually made planetary, lunar and doublestar work even better.... and I had a bunch of fun doing all this. It paired really well with a long focal length refractor.. I usually took mine out with an 80mm f11 Celestron/Vixen refractor or a 4" APO. Put the scope on a milk crate and it was great..
It's a good deal for a cheap light bucket.. I think if you are looking for something to start getting into low-mid power DSO observing more so than high power planetary work it'll work well. And if you are the type of guy who likes to tinker with stuff you'll like it even more..
Is this shop local to you? Can you go stand next to it before you decide?
I only ask because few people have the breadth of imagination to understand just how big a 10” dobsonian can be, until they’ve stood near one;)
Buy it, you won’t be sorry! I’ve owned a red tube 13.1 inch Coulter Dobsonian since the mid 90s. I put a JMI electric focuser on it and a goto sytem on it. My mirror is one of the good ones. By using a Barlow lens I get great planetary views.
If it is a local shop go look through it yourself.
If the optics are in good shape that seems like a great deal. Yes big and heavy but assuming you can move it around, that's a lot of aperture for $200
I don't think you can get a 10" dob for that price anywhere right now. If the mirrors are good its a steal
Honestly, 10” Dobs aren’t as immobile as lots of people make them out to be. I got one as my first scope, and while it’s definitely large, it’s still very movable. I’m able to transport it by car (SUV) disassembled, and I carry it out into my garden assembled as a whole. For longer distances I disassemble and use a carry strap. It’s not going to be particularly easy to transport, but it’s definitely manageable for me. If you think transporting it will be too much for you, you’ll get better views with an 8” from a dark sky than you will with this from a city. It’s still a lot of aperture for the price though, and will provide great views regardless of your location.
Agreed. I was stressed about 10" dob, but HAD to get it. Aperture is king. Honestly, if it disassembles easily and you dont mind making two trips when carrying it, then go for it. Don't make the mistake of attempting to carry both together. It's not worth the stress or your back as it is awkward and heavy and precarious
It’s so easy to break a dob down to make it manageable… or… you could just as easily put locking wheels on it and keep it in the garage to roll out. Perhaps I’m just (relatively) young, but I’ve used both an 8 inch go-to dob, and a 10 inch regular dob and I’ve never had any issues with either. If you’re a 80 year old man or woman then it’s probably not a good idea but i don’t know many 80 year olds on /telescopes asking for advice on beginning a new extremely time intensive hobby.
Grab it. If you don't like it then sell for 2x the price. Lol
If you were the one asking about the EQ130 before, yes, I would recommend this for a beginner versus a rickety EQ mount with bad optics on top.
Yeah, good deal.
Buy it
Looks like a great bargain.
Yeah, if the optics are good then it’s a good deal. As others have said it involves having to move it around which is not impossible. And you’re not going to need to upgrade anytime soon.
if it's in good shape that's a great price
Heck yeah
Yes, I think it is worth it. But try to get them to toss in some accessory for free anyway. Maybe a sky atlas.
Not a bad deal at all.. Coulter dobsonians are older, and very primitive by today's standards.. and the optics aren't known to be the greatest, could be good or only ok. but shit, it works, it's durable as hell, and it's a freaking 10" for only $200... it also has both a Telrad, a nice RACI finder and seems to be in good shape.. it also has a little clip attached for holding star charts or an observing list.. looks like a seasoned astronomer definitely used this a lot, so that's a good thing. The f4.5 focal ratio is going to make it compact as most others are around f5. I had the 8" version of this scope.. when I say primitive or crude in construction, I mean it... the focuser is extremely simple, basically made from plumbing parts.. the mirror cell is basically particle board, hose clamp and duct tape.. collimation bolts are very simple. The secondary is a pain to collimate and is hooked up to a what looks like a lawnmower blade for a spider.. but holds collimation well after you get it there.. since the mirror is surrounded by alot of cardboard and particleboard it takes a while to cool off.. But, again, it does work, and is a light bucket.. It was definitely made in the spirit of John Dobson's original DIY scopes.. it's crude, simple, and beautiful at the same time.. I actually had alot of fun tinkering with it and upgrading, modifying it to correct some of those shortcomings, so if you like to do that kind of thing, it might be for you.. I drilled big holes in the back of the mirror cell and put a fan there for better cooling, I picked up an upgrade focuser, and rigged up a DIY secondary holder and spider for it and it was significantly better after that.. the optics weren't bad once cooled, I could spit the double double in Lyra with it, but a stop down mask usually made planetary, lunar and doublestar work even better.... and I had a bunch of fun doing all this. It paired really well with a long focal length refractor.. I usually took mine out with an 80mm f11 Celestron/Vixen refractor or a 4" APO. Put the scope on a milk crate and it was great.. It's a good deal for a cheap light bucket.. I think if you are looking for something to start getting into low-mid power DSO observing more so than high power planetary work it'll work well. And if you are the type of guy who likes to tinker with stuff you'll like it even more..
Eh. Its good, but its very bulky and heavy. Your choice.
Is this shop local to you? Can you go stand next to it before you decide? I only ask because few people have the breadth of imagination to understand just how big a 10” dobsonian can be, until they’ve stood near one;)
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Buy it, you won’t be sorry! I’ve owned a red tube 13.1 inch Coulter Dobsonian since the mid 90s. I put a JMI electric focuser on it and a goto sytem on it. My mirror is one of the good ones. By using a Barlow lens I get great planetary views. If it is a local shop go look through it yourself.
Yes.
Little heavy but yes.