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Orion Build-A-Scope 8" Classic Dobsonian Telescope
Rating??
Rating Breakdown 5 Reviews
5 stars
4
4 stars
1
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Optical Quality??
4.8
/
5
Mechanical Quality??
4.3
/
5
Ease of Assembly & Use??
4.8
/
5
Value??
4.5
/
5
4 out of 4(100%)customers recommend this product.
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5
5
The Orion Build-A-Scope 8 Classic Dobsonian is perfect for the intermediate viewer that wants to do the guiding on their own. Pick your favorite focuser, finder scope and eyepiece to create a package that is just right for you.Rating??
Rating Breakdown 5 Reviews
5 stars
4
4 stars
1
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Optical Quality??
4.8
/
5
Mechanical Quality??
4.3
/
5
Ease of Assembly & Use??
4.8
/
5
Value??
4.5
/
5
4 out of 4(100%)customers recommend this product.
Share this product
Product reviews
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Ratings summary
Rating??
Rating Breakdown 5 Reviews
5 stars
4
4 stars
1
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Optical Quality??
4.8
/
5
Mechanical Quality??
4.3
/
5
Ease of Assembly & Use??
4.8
/
5
Value??
4.5
/
5
4 out of 4(100%)customers recommend this product.
Share this product
Click on filters to refine your results.
I just got my 8-inch Classic Build A Scope and configured it with the 2-inch Crayford focusser (which was mounted already when it arrived), the EZ Finder Deluxe and two eyepieces -- the 32 mm Highlight Plossl and the 17 mm. Everything arrived within twodays of my order and in good shape. Assembly directions are very well written and clear and even though I have had Dobsonians before (so I kind of knew how to put together the rocker box) I was impressed at how easy this was to put together. By myself, it took me less than an hour working at a very leisurely pace. I like the fact that I could configure this scope with what I wanted -- the upgraded finder and especially the 32 mm eyepiece which is wonderful. I had some initial frustration with the finder until I realized (I hate to admit this but will in case someone else has this experience) that I had put it in backward. I felt like an idiot. Then, once in, aligning it was pretty easy. Once aligned, I had no trouble picking off targets. I was pretty tired but wanted to put the scope through first light paces. I started with Vega and was impressed with the crispness of the view. Very nice - - I knew right away these were good optics and I would have countless satisfying hours with this little telescope. I say little because I have used much larger scopes but with a bad back -- I need something I can manage that I will be actually inclined to use. Views of M-51 (the Whirlpool galaxy), M-13 cluster in Hercules and the Ring Nebula along with the double Albireo were all so splendid that I knew I had made a great decision. This is a fine telescope that can keep this amateur astronomer happy as a clam. The scope handles and tracks beautifully -- I picked up a satellite while sweeping a star field and tracked it continuously with no effort at all. This is a great telescope and perfect for my needs. Someone asked me if I wished I had a computerized version and I said no. While I don't see anything wrong with them for others, for me, the satisfaction comes from determining what I want to look at and then finding it. It's kind of like fishing -- part of the fun is the pursuit and the catch is just the culmination. That said, the views are tremendous once you find what you are looking for and with a good star atlas and knowledge of the sky -- that's easy with this telescope. Can't wait for the first quarter Moon! With this telescope, only a full Moon or clouds will keep me out of my backyard at night. One last thing is I want to thank the folks at Orion, especially John, for his good advice on picking the focal lengths of my eyepieces based on my interests (all around deep sky to planetary) and the kind of seeing conditions I have (transparent and dark but not the steadiest of seeing). He led me right down the path to focal righteousness! I recommend this scope to anyone with a serious interest in amateur astronomy on a limited budget from beginner to old hand alike. Dave Schlom
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Rating??
Intro to Astonomy
PostedDecember 3, 2011
from??Oregon
Owned this product for:Over 1 year
Optical Quality??
5
/
5
Mechanical Quality??
5
/
5
Ease of Assembly & Use??
5
/
5
Value??
5
/
5
I built my 8" dob for a family christmas present in 2009. It was the best present we have given ourselves. We have become night sky nuts ever since. There is no better value out there for gathering light. The inital setup was a deluxe red dot, 2" crayford, and 25mm ED ep. The inital views of M42, the moon and Jupiter we awesome, needless to say it took a few weeks after we got the scope for the sky to clear, thus we found a lot of friends and knowledge at cloudy nights. It has been a few years and our ep(eyepiece) collection has grown and we have purchased some binos as well. If you are starting out this scope is the one to get if you can handle packing the weight, if not get the 6". Thank you Orion for the excellent product.
Favorite viewing location:??Backyard
Favorite object to observe:??M42, Jupiter, and the Moon.
Pros: bang for the buck, quality, ease of use
Cons: weight
Yes, I recommend this product!
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Rating??
Excellent Scope
PostedOctober 5, 2011
from??St. Louis, MO
Owned this product for:Less than 3 mos
Optical Quality??
5
/
5
Mechanical Quality??
5
/
5
Ease of Assembly & Use??
5
/
5
Value??
5
/
5
I recieved this scope, in full quality. I have been using it every night since I obtained it. The optical quality is amazing, along with the stability. This telescope has brought the heavens to my eyes. Only regret I have is that I didnt accessorize better, but that is my fault not orions.
Favorite viewing location:??Country skies
Favorite object to observe:??Jupiter, Andromeda Galaxy
Pros: excellent optical quality
Cons: weight
Yes, I recommend this product!
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Rating??
Great first telescope
PostedSeptember 23, 2011
from??Berkeley, CA
Owned this product for:6 mos - 1 year
Optical Quality??
4
/
5
Mechanical Quality??
4
/
5
Ease of Assembly & Use??
5
/
5
Value??
5
/
5
This is my first telescope (I used high quality binoculars before). I chose it as a good comprise between the smaller 4.5"and 6" and the large 10". It is heavy and awkward to carry, I would recommend a hand truck or something that rolls to move it but that said any 8" dob is going to be somewhat difficult to move around. The base and scope come apart easily and fit in my little old Honda Accord without a problem. Construction and materials are good for the price, it is solidly built. Optics seem excellent for the price, I really don't have a lot to compare to, and the eyepiece is an equally important part of the equation so buy good quality ones. The included 26mm seems very good. The Build-A-Scope option is great, you can upgrade to much better options at minimal cost, I got EZ finder deluxe reflex sight and the 2" focuser. Moon picture was taken with a point and shoot Canon Powershot A590 IS held up to the basic 26mm lens.
Yes, I recommend this product!
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