@@edting The fact that you are willing to tell the truth is why we hold you in high regard Ed. Letting us know which products are stinkers keeps the astronomy equipment companies accountable.
I bought the 8” a while ago and it is amazing. Pro tip, if after aligning your phone and the finder pointer, you found that your phone is little bit off and you are at night, what you can do is point your finder at a bright known object like Jupiter or so and make sure it is in showing in your eye piece, then reset your app and align your phone on that bright object.
Hi Ed, I bought the 10 inch at the beginning of the summer. I bought the 10 inch instead of the 8 inch because of the handle making it easy to move. I am a beginner and I think this is the best scope for beginner because of the ease of use and what I am able to see with it. I had no problem with the app at all. I had an intelliscope from another company. I hated it and sent it back. I live in Riverside California which has about a bortle 9 rating. When I got this I thought yeah right, let's see how this works. I looked for the ring nebula on the app, followed the arrows and there it was in the center of the eyepiece. I could not believe that I was seeing this object in the city. I had never seen this before. It is so easy to go from object to object. I just used the map on the app and go from one object to the other. lots of fun. I took it to Joshua Tree National Park bortle 3 skies. It was amazing what I could see. For me it was easy to transport and set up. Just the optical tube, rocker box, and a couple of eyepieces. I have a Maksutov Cassegrain, and a 5 inch reflector on a goto mount, but the 10 inch dobsonian is the one that I am pulling out all the time. I love this scope!
@@PafMedic those sound like nice scopes. I started this hobby in the spring time by going to a sky Tours event hosted by a very knowledgeable person in Borrego Springs. This is such a wonderful hobby. Ed’s Website has been very helpful. I was just trying to pass on some information about the scope he’s reviewing that I thought would be helpful.
Ed. I have watched a lot of you videos. 25 years I had what I thought was a very good scope, I think it was a 4 in. Mead. I let it go when we moved to Florida and I really miss it now. I want to thank you, I pulled the trigger and ordered a XT8. I am getting older now(70) and planning to retire again. I plan to spend a lot of time looking at the stars. Thank you and I can’t wait for my scope to get here.
I'm currently shopping for my first real adult telescope and am I ever glad that I found this channel. The amount of clear and honest information in your videos is very much appreciated. I feel a lot more comfortable about picking the right optic for me because of it. Thank you for that.
I did exactly what you described - bought the 114, unmounted the mirror, gave the scope away for free withouth the mirror and codes. Then I 3D-printed a dovetail adapter, now it sits happily on my 10inch dobsonian, working flawlessly with my Samsung S20. Couldnt' be happier with my purchase! No noise, no fuss.
I saw someone selling only the mirror and I thought about buying it. I didn't know anything about a download code until now. Is the code necessary to download or register the mirror? Would I be able to use it if the previous owner already used the code? Thanks!
I'm one of those people who bought the least expensive version of StarSense Explorer scope to get the app license and the bracket. I adapted it to both my 12.5" truss Dob and also a 5" C5 that I use on an alt-az mount. I found that it generally works well in suburban light pollution in my backyard, but can get confounded when the Moon is too bright. I had bought it earlier when the first revision of the software was out and at that time you had to align the app in the daylight. Subsequent updates gave it a night mode where it gives you a time exposure so you can align the app when its darker, especially using Jupiter as the alignment object which works well. Also, in this later version they increased the object catalog somewhat, so its more useful to intermediate astronomers. Using my C5 at star parties, I've been able to show teenagers how to use the app and the scope, then let them go at it while I used another scope, and noticed they had a great time finding and viewing objects by themselves.
I picked up this telescope a few weeks ago and found the star sense app worked really well, even in a major city. I could only see about 10-20 stars from my back yard but it knew where I was pointed with great accuracy. Used it with an iPhone 13, I calibrated it at night pointing at Jupiter.
Right on. My son purchased a 130mm Celestron with the StarSense dock and it was incredibly accurate. He was able to push to just about any object visible with that aperture and it was within the fov of his low power Eps. Very handy! He would relay the alt/az to me and I would run my dob to the coordinates on my setting circle and it was very precise. Glad your enjoying your dob. Clear skies Cheers!
Can you see much living in a city. I live where there is some light pollution and dont know if i would be able to see anything. I never used a telescope before
great review! I recently purchased the 8-inch version of this scope, it does not seem to share the same balance issue. This scope was an upgrade for me coming from a etx 90 all I can say is wow! I must say I was very concerned about not having tracking but what a liberating feeling to just go out there and just start exploring it is kind of hard to explain. My son managed to get a great shot of Jupiter with his Sony crop sensor camera using the a 2-in eyepiece adapter. Keep up the great videos!
I purchases this 10" dobsonian 2 years ago, and this review was very helpful at the time. I can say that I find the starsense system very useful and accurate, once it is aligned correctly. At low magnifcation, I can always see the object immediately in my eyepiece. Having relatively dark skies, I only need to take it out to my backyard for good observing. I kneel to look into the scope, and use a kneeling pad (often sold for gardening), which works great. I love it, and have had many good nights under the stars so far.
Love your reviews! I just upgraded from an 8" Skyquest Dob to a homemade 10". The tube is 60" in the 10" instead of the factory 48" of a 10" Orion. The way to get around the weight issue is to use "wheelbarrow handles"! I have 12" wheels on the easily detachable handles - an eyebolt in the handle screws/unscrews to/from the base. It only takes a minute to attach the handles. You do have to remove them to turn the tube on the base, but it is really only a minute to attach/detach them. They don't take up much space and make moving the scope super easy. I live in a small city. I took the 8" and the 10" out to compare views and in NGC 663 I can see stars with the 10" that are only small fuzzballs in the 8" with 15mm eyepieces in both scopes.
Your videos are so relaxed and informative! I always enjoy them very much, and I don't even own a telescope (but thinking of getting one more and more often)!
Thanks for the video. I own a StarSense equipped telescope and it has worked flawlessly. No, I am not spending more time looking at my phone, quite the opposite. I find I can locate more objects in a given time frame than any scope I have owned. It is great for star parties, both its ease of use and the information on the objects found in the app.
Could you comment something about battery life using starsense? Percentage of battery per hour... And also, could it work if I am in an area without mobile coberture?
@@pb6130 I have not measured the battery usage, but with a full charge, I was able to view for several hours. I don’t know the meaning of the term “coberture,” but the phone has to be able to acquire GPS coordinates.
With my aperature crave I had a while ago , this is so true with the sizes and what used the most. I thought I went past my 80mm refractor a long time ago. But when it's clear night, my hand is reaches for 80mm, while the 8" F5 is just sitting in the corner untouched for months. And that's the newer scope! I did not believe this is gonna happen to me and it's maybe just a myth, but it's true!
Heavier always gets used less in astronomy. You wouldn’t expect it, but observing occurs at the end of very long days. After work/school. After getting the kids to bed. Then the sky has to be dark enough and clear enough. If it’s too cold or too hot, that keeps people indoors too. Hence why my largest scope is an 8” Dob and I use my 72mm refractor a lot. A big scope that sits in the garage isn’t showing you anything.
The Starsense 80AZ is $229. I can cannlbalize the Starsenze module for my myraid of manual scopes, use the 80mm F/11 scope as a guidescope for my imaging rig, then part out the rest. I can always use a spare RDF and eyepieces for public outreach can't i?
My 10" arrived yesterday, and I just picked up the tube box and there's no way it's 81 lbs. I'd estimate mid to upper 30's, max. Celestron's specs say tube weight is 29.2 lbs, and as a SCUBA instructor, I'm used to lifting tanks, and this is roughly that of an empty Aluminum 80, which is 35 lbs [41 lbs at 3000 psi].
My first telescope was actually the Refractor version of the StarSense Explorer called 102 DX. Same app enabled telescope. "Push to(target)" kinda system. And honestly for beginners its one of the best type of scope you can get. The phone app is easy to use. And it has a lot of targets and gives information as to what is on the sky the moment you are outside. And if you are a complete novice and cannot find targets. You can find multiple targets using the phone as a guide and see them. The phone app also got the information/details/and fun facts about the target you are looking at. I still remember seeing Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn for the first time still gives me the chills and wow factor. Which made me tell friends and folks to try look at it themselves. Really changes people's perspective with life as a whole. (cause we are just tiny and there are other planets out there.) i.e. you look at the sky and find nothing, then use the app to aim at a double star, focus and voila, you see a double star. But now I am also on a 10" GSO telescope advertised as Stella Lyra. Which again also has a capability of a "push to" function using asterion push to kit for 10" dobs. But that is bought separately. Unfortunately the price would go up. The 10" StellaLyra stock for example (GSO brand) is £599 The Asterion Push to kit for the Deluxe GSO scopes is £259 Totalling £858 (973 USD) Needs to be installed but its easy to do. And you can connect it using the free app Skysafari or Skyseek Basically it makes a normal 10"-16" dob and the lower 8" below dob's (different asterion versions for lower size dobs). Turn into a "push to" telescope just like that Celestron one.
Very nice!! No 3 star alignment is necessary! Plate-solving is becoming main-stream! Now if they put that on a 16 inch truss-rod Dob ----- ooooh some sights we would see!!! Thanks Ed - you are awesome!!
Jumped on Celestron's website recently a few times (late 2022). Pretty much all of the "good" telescopes are out of stock. I've been waiting for a couple things from their Advanced VX line for some time. So in the meantime, Orion's website seems to still have many things in stock. I'm only at a beginner level, so so far I have only had personal experience with two beginner models, Orion's Starblast 4.5 reflector (great starter one) and a Short Tube 80 refractor (I think it edges out the Starblast). I think I'm becoming a refractor guy due to the latter 🔭 Ed, I enjoy all your videos! You got me into this hobby just recently. Thanks for showing Celestron's StarSense feature! 👍 good info
I just got the 8 in the mail today.I’m super excited can’t wait to dive into the night sky.Thank you for the video it’s really the best content on TH-cam.
Great review Ed! I got the StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ (a refractor) as my first telescope back in 2020. A big plus is the StarSense works 100% from the phone which for me is a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. Once the app is installed and updated it does not use cell connection or WiFi to guide you to through heavens!
Ed Thank You. You Present Perfectly. You have been doing this for awhile and the knowledge you have gained is HUGE. That you can and do share your understanding and knowledge with others is a Godsend. Please do NOT stop dispensing your explanations and understandings. Thank YOU Again, G. Rullo / Delaware.
Hi Ed, a little off (this) subject. I have used buttery smooth alt az mount I bought roughly 14yrs. ago that is still my go to ( no pun intended) all around small scope monster! It is the AZ4 sold under Orion, Skywatcher and few others. From 70mm, 80mm, 102mm and Celestron 150mm f-5 with no difficulty whatsoever! Take a spin with one of these old gems. Clear skies my friend. JMR
My girlfriend bought me the LT 70AZ Starsense Explorer for my 30th birthday this February and I was instantly hooked. I've always been interested in the night sky, but never really dived into astronomy. I think the refractor is the cheapest in the lineup, but man did it get me hooked. I thought the view through the telescope was pretty good (going from eyeballs to a cheap refractor was incredible!), but the mount was just not good, very hard to adjust properly and a lot of wiggle. Anyway, using the app was a really good way of getting introduced to the night sky. I've got a bortle 3 area just 25 minutes from my house so it's definitely overwhelming as a beginner. I experienced just what you said, you end up being very focused on the phone and not so much on "reality". This fall I got an 8" dob and it's been an incredibly rewarding and exciting experience. Just using a star atlas to try and locate things in the sky together with my dob has been fantastic. Don't think I'd want to spend that much money on those dobs, would rather get one cheaper starsense product along with a normal 8 inch dob, haha.
Hi Ed, I just get the StarSense DX 6 and I’m pretty happy with my SC. I find myself using the app less and less, but for me it was the perfect introduction to the night sky. Keep up the nice work. You are my astronomy guy! Greetings from Germany
Nice review, I have the 8" model and for some reason it is not as back heavy as that 10" seems to be (all being relative) regarding starsense I am so impressed with how flawless it has been over the last few months. If you follow the onscreen prompts and give it a few seconds to plate solve while on route to a target it puts it in the eyepiece every single time night after night. So far, I haven't had to do any realigning of starsense since first time months ago.
I have tried two separate phones, both android, with no success. I even went to a dark site with the same results. CELESTRON puts me on an infinity loop that usually end with them disconnecting. High Point seems to think that it is somehow related to the phones setup but I have tried most everything including wiping the phone and using the third of five codes. So for now I give up and use the scope in its traditional nonaided format. What type of phone are you using,?
@@parks51998 Some android phone's sensor packages are pretty bad. As much as it pains me to say it, try an iPhone. Had a similar problem concerning the audiochips in android phones.
Nice review. That's an interesting use of smart phone apps. Probably not something I would use much, however. I find that the hunt is at least as much fun as the view after I find it.
Great video Ed. Even though inch/centimeter size is better, that extra cost and weight are difficult for me at my 75 yrs. Of youth. But it’s an interesting telescope.🎉
One other thing regarding the 10 inch vs the 8 inch in this model is that the primary mirror in the 10 inch has the screws for collimation on the bottom of the scope. When I look at the picture of the 8 inch on Celestrons website, I don't see screws for collimation on the bottom of the scope, so it looks like the primary mirror is fixed. I don't know if that is a big deal for people or not, but I thought that I would mention it.
Nope, it's not fixed. It uses what celestron calls a push pull system so to get accuracy you have to losses then adjust the second screw then tighten the other screw. A real bear to collumate.
Figure 20: For the 8” Dob, there are three sets of push-pull screws in the mirror cell that adjust the tilt of the primary mirror. Loosen one screw in the pair and tighten the other to adjust the tilt. From page 14 of the manual.
I had to replace the finder that came with the 10" Starsense to a right angle 9X50 from Celestron. Because I couldn't get my head in the right position plus I had to use my left eye. That solved a big problem as the finder that came with the telescope is junk the way it's designed and installed. New holes have to be drilled to accommodate the right-angle scope to keep it from bumping other things. The scope was a little low for me at 6'2" so I built a 6" elevated platform with wheels. Piece of cake to roll into or out of the garage now. Amazing scope for the money. When lining up the scope to the camera and finder I focused on a TV antenna with a red rotating light about 3 miles away. I could see the wires and screws on the light with the 25mm lens at 2pm on a bright sunny afternoon. I am using a iPhone SE.
I recently stumbled across this channel, and it has really peaked my interest in telescopes, the night sky, and astronomy. I don’t really have money for nice telescope(too many bills). Maybe saving for a couple of years i could had a nice 8inch dob. For now my prescription eye glasses and a night sky will have to do.
Two years ago, before this was available on anything over 4" I bought a celestron 80mm refractor with starsense, then moved the mounting onto my 6" Dob. It's been there ever since, and I really like this one.
Bought this recently as my first scope and the app works very well on my iPhone 8. I really don't find it hard to realign it at night on the fly if I feel the need and I do spend more time looking through the eyepiece than at the phone! Thanks for the review. Glad to know that someone look agrees that it's a good choice.
@@ronstewtsaw Yeah, I have to say I do find myself being grateful that at 2AM after I am done for the night I don't have to disassemble anything. I can grab the whole thing and move it back to the shed in one go.
@@astralfields1696 I'm actually designing a lean-to shed to hold mine near its usual observing position. Shed will cost more than the scope, given the cost of plywood these days.
Great review, I got an 8" Dob as my first scope. It really spoiled me for general viewing in comparison to 4 and 5 inch refractors. But that's a different discussion. Thanks for the great channel and down to earth experience.
A year behind the curve, but a great review of both the scope and the app. Just picked up a Starsense DX 130AZ on FB marketplace (well below the cost of new) that had never been opened. Even though we've got a few scopes in the house already, we couldn't pass it up for the app alone (and now the kids can have their own to use too!). Should get to try the app tonight as long as the weather holds; can't wait. Thanks!
Not sure if it got mentioned in the video but the 10 is f/4.7. I thought hard for a week whether to get a 10 or 8.. In the end Ed’s videos were the decider.. went with the 8.. mainly because it is f/6 so I don’t need to spend a fortune on eyepieces and a Coma Corrector
@@marcpopick248 Yeah, it bothers me a bit at f/6 with the low power 40mm 2inch 72 FOV eyepieces.. so I am definitely in that 'some people' group that would be ordering the corrector with the telescope 😅
Ed, I really appreciate your honest and sincere reviews and informational videos. Years ago, I had a small Meade ETX60 and I have ever since aspired to get back into the hobby - this time with something having significantly more capability, while also building out an appropriate setup for Astrophotography. Thanks for all the great information you continue to provide! I'm just about ready to take the leap...
Is the OTA a ferrous alloy like conventional dobs? I find that mobile phones magnetometers are adversely affected by ferrous OTA. I realize StarSense also uses plate solving in addition to the phone’s compass. It uses compass and accelerometer gyro for feedback during motion and then once stopped takes pics and plate solves. With my Xperia phone and a different scope with a homemade adapter (small right angle prism on camera) I had to add an extension stalk to get the phone far away enough front the metal body. Works perfectly then.🎉😊❤
Thank you Ed. Nice review. I been an AA since the rstly-1960s, have had an 8" SCT for 40 years, but am considering a 12" Dob that I can use in the next few years before I keel over (I live in the high desert of the southwest USA with incredible dark skies, so a big 12" aperature would not be wasted), and then pass it down to my son who enjoys stars. But the info you provide here was quite helpful, even if 2 years old. I was encouraged by your review of the app, as there are so many negtative reviews on the PlayStore, but I suspect they had some of the problems you hightlighted, e.g., light pollution. I would think that the back heaviness of the scope would be counteracted not only by eyepieces, which can get big, but also by the weight of the phone. Anyway, thanks so much. Very helpful.
Really pretty cool. The "use distant object" advice is clearly very important, because of parallax errors when using something too close. The same thing applies to aligning any finder of course. Thanks for the report, very intriguing! I can see a day when there are add-ons for my old classics to make them into go-to scopes! And I would probably do what I usually do, admire it but not use it :)
I acquired the 8in model of this Celestron StarSense Explorer Dobsonian Telescope family, a few weeks ago. Although it comes with a limited set of extras (only a 25mm eyepiece) and is atm around 100 bucks above competition, it sure delivers in observation quality and time-productivity investment. The starSense Explorer App has thus far worked very, very well for me, and has no match in fast-correctly locating objects in the sky, from the classic star-pointer manual approach, particularly if objects are dim to the naked-eye or under non perfect night-light conditions. Remember, collimate first. Its a great DOBs optics built telescope, with a fantastic starsense explorer tool, hands-down.
Great review Ed. I have the 102mm DX refractor and love it. Used a Samsung S7 (really old phone) and on a 2021 Motorola Edge and really can't tell the difference in terms of the software performance. It crashes occasionally and you have to re-calibrate about as often. But, I like having the software it helps guide the session. Thank you for all you do for our hobby! Clear Skies!!
Thanks Ed! You made an excellent point about acquiring the telescope you'll use the most. However, regarding magnification and image quality, is there a noticeable difference between the 8'' and the 10''? How about the Starsense DX5 (the CST version) and the Dob 8''?
For most people the 8" is still the sweet spot. The 10" is brighter, but since you'll use the 8" more, it will show you more. Also, the lighter weight of the 8's OTA exerts less pressure on the azimuth bearing, resulting in smoother motions. Don't get the DX5. The mount is too flimsy.
Another great review. I appreciate your honest assessments. I have goto rigs for astrophotography but am rediscovering the simple pleasures of my 10” Orion Dob .
Got my granddaughter the celestron starsense 130 dx and it works great. We are all having fun with the telescope. I will probably get me one of these, or the 8 inch models.
I really liked you overview here Ed. Thanks! But I had to chuckle a bit when you said most people spend most of their time looking at the phone instead of through the eyepiece. So true, and, I noticed you spent far more time talking about the phone and its use than the views you got through the eyepiece. That gave me chuckle. Well done.
There’s a free website/app that provides a similar, tho basic functionality called Astrohopper. I’ve just strapped my phone to the OTA with elastic bands, no fancy mount, and point it at a star relatively close to my target. I think it just uses the phones gyroscopes for orientation, relative to your reference star, whereas Starsense I believe also uses plate solving.
3:30 Dobs should be back heavy for safety of the scopes themselves, especially the large ones. If it is front heavy, then the front part will naturally fall to the ground, damaging the scope. If it is back heavy, the worst thing that will happen naturally will be standing upright, no damage whatsoever. If it is perfectly balanced, the "may" end up to the ground from time to time, so even perfectly balances will not be a good thing.
Now that’s very interesting Ed. Thanks for the informative review! If you did this with a Newtonian eauitorial mount you could track too! I assume that the Star Sense wouldn’t care what mount that you use. The only problem I see with this is that it won’t track, but when you loose view at least it will tell you how to get quickly back. I have an 8” CPC and so far have had good luck with it. . The go-to is pretty decent as is tracking. If you set up properly. But you are also right, it’s heavy! I am 79 yrs and it gets heavier by the day ha ha. I want to set up back yard observatory so I can leave it ready. Maybe a 12” dob in the future. Nice and dark where we live.
If your reading this Ed should get a thumbs up for his contribution to the world of armature astronomy is second to none. Plain English no BS and been doing it for years. RESPECT Ed.
Woke up this morning to a Notification to this review, was waiting for this from you from a long time. Thank you. Praying that it will be available in India soon.
@edting can you do a review of pushto/locating system for their general price, usability etc? For example: phone based StarSense and AstroHopper, Digital SC, simple mechanical setting circles? For some who can't get to dark locations and spend most of the time under Bortle 8-7 skys star-hopping is just not an option due to lack of close stars of references for way too many objects. AstroHopper saved me the hobby. Without it I cound't even find Andromeda under Bortle 8 sky.
Great review as usual Ed! I have the DX 102 Refractor and love being it (I'm still a newbie). Been wondering if I should also get the Dob. or get an Orion 8" Dob since I already have access to the Starsense software. Thank you for all you do!
If you already have the dock and the software, get someone else's Dob. Get a used one if you can. You've already paid for the software, no need to pay for it again.
I hope you got the app out and tried it Ed....it is a game changer. You can align on any bright star. Also don't slow down unless you are unsure of your destination on the sky. If you wait till closer to the target the app will catch up...it is Plate Solving and does not need much help from the operator.
$2200 here in Australia and I find the apps not real accurate here in the southern hemisphere. ( not that I have the starsense app ). Great vid Ed , alot of the brands you review I dont see here so was finally good to watch something I can get my hands on. Cheers.
Yeah, I’m in Australia too. You pay quite a premium here above the cost of a quality manual dob of the same aperture for the StarSense phone adapter and app.
I watched your review with great interest, having bought one earlier this year after selling my beloved 14" Skywatcher GoTo, a decision I am now beginning to regret, even though it was a bit of a beast. I miss the big mirror, and the tracking. I first tried using the Starsense app on an older Samsung S7 phone, which was on the approved list. No go, even after multiple emails to Celestron support. They eventually suggested that perhaps S7s should be removed from the list...sure. Make sure your phone will work with the Starsense app before pulling the trigger on one of these scopes. I now use it with my Samsung S10, and while it works about 80-90% of the time, the app still has issues. Locating objects near the zenith can be a challenge at times, and it can occasionally take a while to settle down and get you to your object. You need a moonless sky, and little or no ambient light pollution or the telescope will not find its position. I am using it in a rural area, sky is around Bortle 5. While the app's night mode is ok on the main screen, bringing up the search function throws up a white keyboard, blowing out your night vision. Yes, I can get around that by setting the phone screen to red and dimming it, or using red filter glasses. Still annoying though. Also, I have to use my phone without its protector, and this makes accessing the app's bottom screen icons difficult to tap because of the fat lip on the mounting bracket, at least on my phone. Having said all of the above, the technology itself is bound to get better as phones and software improves...just not sure I should have been an early adapter in this case ;)
Android apps are a bag of hurt. Say what you will about iOS, it's much more solid than any Android. We switched 5000 enterprise users to exclusively iOS because of all the Android problems. Our Helpdesk incidents went down 70% year over year.
I bought the 8 inch, collimation was way out, wish it had a micro focuser. The star sense app hasn't worked at all on my New Samsung phone. CELESTRON won't respond but High Point is trying to work through it.
I am older with a bad back. I have always had Aperture fever. I don’t think my back would hold up to the 10” and I would think about the 8”, what do you think about the Explorer 130AZ, or the DX 5”? I live in a suburb with a couple of towns not far away. I love looking at the planets, but also like deep sky like Andromeda Galaxy, ring Nebula in Lira and the Orion Nebula.
The problem with this cheap stuff is always the mount. That alt-az mount will frustrate you. The DX5 is definitely out. There is no way the mount can handle 1250mm of focal length. The 130 might be passable but I think you'll still be frustrated. If there is any way you can handle a 6" Dob that is still the best choice.
@@edting if I go back to the Dobsonian I would go for the 8”. I would love the NexStar Evolution 8 HD with StarSence, but $3000 is way past my budget and I would of course want some eye pieces. Thanks for the advice.
The views will be a little dimmer through the C6 but it doesn't matter if the views are jiggling and shaking like a belly dancer through the C8. Also the extra 500 mm focal length of the C8 will tax the NexStar's accuracy. If you have back problems, a NexStar 5 would not be out of the question. I have a review of the Evo 6 if you haven't seen it yet. Also be aware that this is hard. None of this is easy. Seeing galaxies is especially hard. Be patient.
This system on a dob with a tracking platform seems perfect. No alignment BS. Simple push to and tracking once you’re on target. As a matter of fact, that may be my next scope!
Hey I'm curious, have you had good luck with those tracking platforms? I haven't. There always seems to be some problem or glitch that keeps those things from working well.
@@edting I have one that was a kit. It’s adjustable speed and it worked pretty well. I didn’t expect a lot, so that helps! I had an 8 inch f/6 Apertura dob on it. I was able to use quite a bit of magnification on planets and still have good tracking. I never got the hang of manual tracking with the dob. Pretty sure it was me, so that’s why I got the platform and gave up on dobs. I still had trouble finding not so faint fuzzies, so I got a Celestron 8SE. I like the goto part a lot, but I don’t like aligning, leveling, and a 2032mm focal length. I did get to see a LOT more with the scope finding it for me. I got a Skywatcher 120mm f/5 refractor as a grab and go since the C8 is NOT that, and on my first look through it saw m81 and m82 just sitting there in the FOV. I love that big, wide field of view. I still have the platform and I’m thinking of a bigger and possibly better dob (maybe build a 10 or 12 inch f/4 or a buy a mirror and a Telekit). I know this is a HUGE response, but I have followed you for over 20 years, so I’m telling you everything! My thinking right now would be to get the 130mm Starsense as a grab and go for now and start compiling pieces and parts for the big scope. Thank you so much for all the reviews and advice over the years! FYI, my first scope was a B&L 4000 4” SCT that cost me an arm and a leg. I REALLY needed Scopereviews in 1987. It’s a miracle I stuck with this!
I do not own but I did use the ES 10” a few times. My friend sold it to get a 16. The ES truss dobs are very good. The movement is very smooth and no problems. But I prefer better azimuth motion. Now the mirrors is great. Star test show same patterns inside and outside focus. I am not sure but I think the ES mirrors might be borosilicate because it cool very fast.
The new Explore First Light series are very good Dobs and are recommended. The older series of Dobs currently being blown out for $699 at places like Costco and Adorama (you can recognize them by the useless hinged cover) are some of the worst products I have ever seen. They didn't get anything right. I am thinking of doing a Hall of Shame video and that's on it.
Hi Ed, love your channel! So if I mainly do camera EAA with a 6" SCT, and I was looking to maximize my "light-bucketness", would you say the 10" is the right move? I know you favor the 8", but I feel like it wouldn't be enough of a departure from my C6 to be noteworthy. 10" would still fit in my car, and I store my scope in the garage so I can technically roll it down the driveway or to the backyard. Thanks for your input (and anyone else's)
I'm using the starsense app on a galaxy s23 (current flagship 2023) and never had a problem with the app. My only complaint is if you swap to another app, lets say to reply to a text, and go back to the starsense app, you then have to either restart tracking, or realign depending on whether or not you took the phone off the dock. Otherwise, no complaints. I bought the 8" version and in my bortle 5 backyard I can see a large variety of things upwards of mag. 8 or 9. In bortle 3 skies an hour away, I can see things up to mag. 12 fairly well. I imagine the 10 would be better in that regard but not enough to warrant the extra bulk. 8" seems to be the best option overall. They now offer a 12" starsense dob btw which I think would be a great backyard scope, but not a great travel scope. The 8" does both of those moderately well.
Thanks for the review Ed, they are always comprehensive and informative. I love your recommending the 8-inch because some of us are not going to listen to you anyway.
Hi Ed! I feel that although slightly inconvenient, the flat pack mount is a good way of younger folk learning some very basic DIY, if nothing else? One cosmetic issue I have, that huge "10" number on sticker, obviously denoting the aperture, looks a little tacky and cheap, impo? Maybe I'm being a little bit trivial? A great review and overall a fine beginners 'scope! Thanks Ed! Wes, Liverpool UK.
Nice review Ed. The focuser looks like a pretty standard 2” one. Would be nice if it came with a dual speed focuser. Did the focuser leave you wanting at all? Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks for the great reviews you do Ed. I bought a 130 DX at a really great price just to play around with and really have a great time with it. I took the Newtonian tube off, it is the Synta AZ mount and the Star Sense phone mount is on the side, and replaced it with my Stellarvue 80 achromat. What a great set up to dash out in my light polluted yard and do some quick observing.
I have an old Celestron Super C8 (1987). I currently have problems with it. However, I don't think the Star Sense would work for me. I would love to see a modern telescope with this app! Great video!
I noticed the fasteners are mostly wood screws that are going into base pieces made of MDF. It would seem that the ability to retighten these would be limited especially if the base assembly is frequently moved as compared to IKEA-lke joinery where a machine screw/cap screw would thread into a threaded insert. My experience with similar joinery has not been good. Would any owners with long term experience comment? Thank you
Good observation. After the review, one of the three feet on the ground board came out. Screwing it back in would not do any good, so I drilled another hole.
Great video Ed! I've actually been trying to figure out a way to run my ASI Air in a "Star Sense" mode to use with my Obsession 22. I even emailed ZWO to see if they could add such or feature or tell me how to do it with their existing software. Maybe getting a Star Sense is a better idea but I feel like I should be able to do exactly that with my current equipment as the ASI camera is pretty fast in plate solving mode so I think it would work. Maybe it would be a good video idea if we can figure it out. 🙂
I was surprised at this - seems like you could easily modify any existing Dob to use this app. Then I looked at the play store and it looks like the Android version barely works. 50% of reviews are 1 star.
Thank you for another excellent video. I don't think you mentioned the quality of the focuser? Is it a well made metal unit or a plastic one. That might be a major factor in deciding between the 8 and 10 if they are different.
Ed, I think every telescope company ought to be sending you scopes and eyepieces to review. Your reviews are the best on the internet.
Ha, thanks. I'm surprised anyone sends me things. Over the past 20+ years I've said something bad about something in everyone's product line.
@@edting The fact that you are willing to tell the truth is why we hold you in high regard Ed. Letting us know which products are stinkers keeps the astronomy equipment companies accountable.
@@edting Hi Ed, what do you think about the Skywatcher 250p 10" goto?
It's in the same series as the Orion XX that I reviewed earlier. Check that review.
Totally agree! Good job, Ed. As usual!
I bought the 8” a while ago and it is amazing. Pro tip, if after aligning your phone and the finder pointer, you found that your phone is little bit off and you are at night, what you can do is point your finder at a bright known object like Jupiter or so and make sure it is in showing in your eye piece, then reset your app and align your phone on that bright object.
As someone brand new to astronomy - your channel is a gold mine and I appreciate you and how you share your love for this craft. It shines through.
Hi Ed, I bought the 10 inch at the beginning of the summer. I bought the 10 inch instead of the 8 inch because of the handle making it easy to move. I am a beginner and I think this is the best scope for beginner because of the ease of use and what I am able to see with it. I had no problem with the app at all. I had an intelliscope from another company. I hated it and sent it back. I live in Riverside California which has about a bortle 9 rating. When I got this I thought yeah right, let's see how this works. I looked for the ring nebula on the app, followed the arrows and there it was in the center of the eyepiece. I could not believe that I was seeing this object in the city. I had never seen this before. It is so easy to go from object to object. I just used the map on the app and go from one object to the other. lots of fun. I took it to Joshua Tree National Park bortle 3 skies. It was amazing what I could see. For me it was easy to transport and set up. Just the optical tube, rocker box, and a couple of eyepieces. I have a Maksutov Cassegrain, and a 5 inch reflector on a goto mount, but the 10 inch dobsonian is the one that I am pulling out all the time. I love this scope!
I think your telling porkies
No, that is the experience I’ve had with the scope. Sorry you feel that way.
@@Astronurd ,Why Would A Guy Just Say That,I Could Actually Read The Excitement He Was Feeling To Be Able To Do That,Dang Man..Clear Skies
Thats Awesom,Go You❤️🔭❤️Im In A Bortle 4 And Dont Have Anything I Can Do That With,My Main Scopes Are My 6se,And A Explorer Scientific AR102/1000😂
@@PafMedic those sound like nice scopes. I started this hobby in the spring time by going to a sky Tours event hosted by a very knowledgeable person in Borrego Springs. This is such a wonderful hobby. Ed’s Website has been very helpful. I was just trying to pass on some information about the scope he’s reviewing that I thought would be helpful.
Ed. I have watched a lot of you videos. 25 years I had what I thought was a very good scope, I think it was a 4 in. Mead. I let it go when we moved to Florida and I really miss it now. I want to thank you, I pulled the trigger and ordered a XT8. I am getting older now(70) and planning to retire again. I plan to spend a lot of time looking at the stars. Thank you and I can’t wait for my scope to get here.
I'm currently shopping for my first real adult telescope and am I ever glad that I found this channel. The amount of clear and honest information in your videos is very much appreciated. I feel a lot more comfortable about picking the right optic for me because of it. Thank you for that.
I did exactly what you described - bought the 114, unmounted the mirror, gave the scope away for free withouth the mirror and codes. Then I 3D-printed a dovetail adapter, now it sits happily on my 10inch dobsonian, working flawlessly with my Samsung S20. Couldnt' be happier with my purchase! No noise, no fuss.
I saw someone selling only the mirror and I thought about buying it. I didn't know anything about a download code until now. Is the code necessary to download or register the mirror? Would I be able to use it if the previous owner already used the code? Thanks!
@@GTFreeFlyer you need thecode to activate the app. Each code can activate 5 devices so if the seller is trustworthy it should be fine
I love my Synscan Dobsonian from Sky-Watcher. Would be nice to see a review of one of those one day.
I'm one of those people who bought the least expensive version of StarSense Explorer scope to get the app license and the bracket. I adapted it to both my 12.5" truss Dob and also a 5" C5 that I use on an alt-az mount. I found that it generally works well in suburban light pollution in my backyard, but can get confounded when the Moon is too bright. I had bought it earlier when the first revision of the software was out and at that time you had to align the app in the daylight. Subsequent updates gave it a night mode where it gives you a time exposure so you can align the app when its darker, especially using Jupiter as the alignment object which works well. Also, in this later version they increased the object catalog somewhat, so its more useful to intermediate astronomers. Using my C5 at star parties, I've been able to show teenagers how to use the app and the scope, then let them go at it while I used another scope, and noticed they had a great time finding and viewing objects by themselves.
I picked up this telescope a few weeks ago and found the star sense app worked really well, even in a major city. I could only see about 10-20 stars from my back yard but it knew where I was pointed with great accuracy. Used it with an iPhone 13, I calibrated it at night pointing at Jupiter.
Right on. My son purchased a 130mm Celestron with the StarSense dock and it was incredibly accurate. He was able to push to just about any object visible with that aperture and it was within the fov of his low power Eps. Very handy! He would relay the alt/az to me and I would run my dob to the coordinates on my setting circle and it was very precise. Glad your enjoying your dob. Clear skies Cheers!
Can you see much living in a city. I live where there is some light pollution and dont know if i would be able to see anything. I never used a telescope before
Sunday evening's cloudy but I have Ed's video to enjoy, thanks!
As always, thank you, Ed! Great information and a great review.
great review! I recently purchased the 8-inch version of this scope, it does not seem to share the same balance issue. This scope was an upgrade for me coming from a etx 90 all I can say is wow! I must say I was very concerned about not having tracking but what a liberating feeling to just go out there and just start exploring it is kind of hard to explain. My son managed to get a great shot of Jupiter with his Sony crop sensor camera using the a 2-in eyepiece adapter. Keep up the great videos!
I purchases this 10" dobsonian 2 years ago, and this review was very helpful at the time. I can say that I find the starsense system very useful and accurate, once it is aligned correctly. At low magnifcation, I can always see the object immediately in my eyepiece. Having relatively dark skies, I only need to take it out to my backyard for good observing. I kneel to look into the scope, and use a kneeling pad (often sold for gardening), which works great. I love it, and have had many good nights under the stars so far.
Love your reviews! I just upgraded from an 8" Skyquest Dob to a homemade 10". The tube is 60" in the 10" instead of the factory 48" of a 10" Orion. The way to get around the weight issue is to use "wheelbarrow handles"! I have 12" wheels on the easily detachable handles - an eyebolt in the handle screws/unscrews to/from the base. It only takes a minute to attach the handles. You do have to remove them to turn the tube on the base, but it is really only a minute to attach/detach them. They don't take up much space and make moving the scope super easy. I live in a small city. I took the 8" and the 10" out to compare views and in NGC 663 I can see stars with the 10" that are only small fuzzballs in the 8" with 15mm eyepieces in both scopes.
Thanks for that. If you can see 663, you're doing really well!
Your videos are so relaxed and informative! I always enjoy them very much, and I don't even own a telescope (but thinking of getting one more and more often)!
Thanks for the video. I own a StarSense equipped telescope and it has worked flawlessly. No, I am not spending more time looking at my phone, quite the opposite. I find I can locate more objects in a given time frame than any scope I have owned. It is great for star parties, both its ease of use and the information on the objects found in the app.
Could you comment something about battery life using starsense? Percentage of battery per hour... And also, could it work if I am in an area without mobile coberture?
@@pb6130 I have not measured the battery usage, but with a full charge, I was able to view for several hours. I don’t know the meaning of the term “coberture,” but the phone has to be able to acquire GPS coordinates.
@@pb6130 It does not require service or WiFi, the app has its own data base so you’re good to go once it’s downloaded
@@taylor315 Thanks a lot!! That was what I was trying to find, and didn't find the answer anyehere.
With my aperature crave I had a while ago , this is so true with the sizes and what used the most. I thought I went past my 80mm refractor a long time ago. But when it's clear night, my hand is reaches for 80mm, while the 8" F5 is just sitting in the corner untouched for months. And that's the newer scope! I did not believe this is gonna happen to me and it's maybe just a myth, but it's true!
Heavier always gets used less in astronomy. You wouldn’t expect it, but observing occurs at the end of very long days. After work/school. After getting the kids to bed. Then the sky has to be dark enough and clear enough. If it’s too cold or too hot, that keeps people indoors too. Hence why my largest scope is an 8” Dob and I use my 72mm refractor a lot. A big scope that sits in the garage isn’t showing you anything.
The Starsense 80AZ is $229. I can cannlbalize the Starsenze module for my myraid of manual scopes, use the 80mm F/11 scope as a guidescope for my imaging rig, then part out the rest. I can always use a spare RDF and eyepieces for public outreach can't i?
What about attaching a weight with velcro to the front of the tube? It really does seem too back heavy.
My 10" arrived yesterday, and I just picked up the tube box and there's no way it's 81 lbs. I'd estimate mid to upper 30's, max. Celestron's specs say tube weight is 29.2 lbs, and as a SCUBA instructor, I'm used to lifting tanks, and this is roughly that of an empty Aluminum 80, which is 35 lbs [41 lbs at 3000 psi].
He's a little guy and hey! cardboard is heavy. Nice flex though, underwater astronomer.
My first telescope was actually the Refractor version of the StarSense Explorer called 102 DX. Same app enabled telescope. "Push to(target)" kinda system.
And honestly for beginners its one of the best type of scope you can get.
The phone app is easy to use. And it has a lot of targets and gives information as to what is on the sky the moment you are outside.
And if you are a complete novice and cannot find targets. You can find multiple targets using the phone as a guide and see them. The phone app also got the information/details/and fun facts about the target you are looking at. I still remember seeing Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn for the first time still gives me the chills and wow factor.
Which made me tell friends and folks to try look at it themselves. Really changes people's perspective with life as a whole. (cause we are just tiny and there are other planets out there.)
i.e. you look at the sky and find nothing, then use the app to aim at a double star, focus and voila, you see a double star.
But now I am also on a 10" GSO telescope advertised as Stella Lyra. Which again also has a capability of a "push to" function using asterion push to kit for 10" dobs. But that is bought separately.
Unfortunately the price would go up.
The 10" StellaLyra stock for example (GSO brand) is £599
The Asterion Push to kit for the Deluxe GSO scopes is £259
Totalling £858 (973 USD)
Needs to be installed but its easy to do. And you can connect it using the free app Skysafari or Skyseek
Basically it makes a normal 10"-16" dob and the lower 8" below dob's (different asterion versions for lower size dobs). Turn into a "push to" telescope just like that Celestron one.
Very nice!! No 3 star alignment is necessary! Plate-solving is becoming main-stream! Now if they put that on a 16 inch truss-rod Dob ----- ooooh some sights we would see!!! Thanks Ed - you are awesome!!
Jumped on Celestron's website recently a few times (late 2022). Pretty much all of the "good" telescopes are out of stock. I've been waiting for a couple things from their Advanced VX line for some time. So in the meantime, Orion's website seems to still have many things in stock. I'm only at a beginner level, so so far I have only had personal experience with two beginner models, Orion's Starblast 4.5 reflector (great starter one) and a Short Tube 80 refractor (I think it edges out the Starblast). I think I'm becoming a refractor guy due to the latter 🔭
Ed, I enjoy all your videos! You got me into this hobby just recently. Thanks for showing Celestron's StarSense feature! 👍 good info
I just got the 8 in the mail today.I’m super excited can’t wait to dive into the night sky.Thank you for the video it’s really the best content on TH-cam.
Great review Ed!
I got the StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ (a refractor) as my first telescope back in 2020.
A big plus is the StarSense works 100% from the phone which for me is a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. Once the app is installed and updated it does not use cell connection or WiFi to guide you to through heavens!
Ed, as always, your seasoned and brutally honest feedback on these equipment, like none other is greatly appreciated !!! Thank you!!
Ed Thank You. You Present Perfectly. You have been doing this for awhile and the knowledge you have gained is HUGE. That you can and do share your understanding and knowledge with others is a Godsend. Please do NOT stop dispensing your explanations and understandings. Thank YOU Again, G. Rullo / Delaware.
Hi Ed, a little off (this) subject. I have used buttery smooth alt az mount I bought roughly 14yrs. ago that is still my go to ( no pun intended) all around small scope monster! It is the AZ4 sold under Orion, Skywatcher and few others. From 70mm, 80mm, 102mm and Celestron 150mm f-5 with no difficulty whatsoever! Take a spin with one of these old gems. Clear skies my friend. JMR
My girlfriend bought me the LT 70AZ Starsense Explorer for my 30th birthday this February and I was instantly hooked. I've always been interested in the night sky, but never really dived into astronomy. I think the refractor is the cheapest in the lineup, but man did it get me hooked. I thought the view through the telescope was pretty good (going from eyeballs to a cheap refractor was incredible!), but the mount was just not good, very hard to adjust properly and a lot of wiggle. Anyway, using the app was a really good way of getting introduced to the night sky. I've got a bortle 3 area just 25 minutes from my house so it's definitely overwhelming as a beginner. I experienced just what you said, you end up being very focused on the phone and not so much on "reality". This fall I got an 8" dob and it's been an incredibly rewarding and exciting experience. Just using a star atlas to try and locate things in the sky together with my dob has been fantastic. Don't think I'd want to spend that much money on those dobs, would rather get one cheaper starsense product along with a normal 8 inch dob, haha.
Hi Ed,
I just get the StarSense DX 6 and I’m pretty happy with my SC.
I find myself using the app less and less, but for me it was the perfect introduction to the night sky. Keep up the nice work. You are my astronomy guy!
Greetings from Germany
Nice review, I have the 8" model and for some reason it is not as back heavy as that 10" seems to be (all being relative) regarding starsense I am so impressed with how flawless it has been over the last few months. If you follow the onscreen prompts and give it a few seconds to plate solve while on route to a target it puts it in the eyepiece every single time night after night. So far, I haven't had to do any realigning of starsense since first time months ago.
I have tried two separate phones, both android, with no success. I even went to a dark site with the same results. CELESTRON puts me on an infinity loop that usually end with them disconnecting. High Point seems to think that it is somehow related to the phones setup but I have tried most everything including wiping the phone and using the third of five codes. So for now I give up and use the scope in its traditional nonaided format. What type of phone are you using,?
@@parks51998 Some android phone's sensor packages are pretty bad.
As much as it pains me to say it, try an iPhone.
Had a similar problem concerning the audiochips in android phones.
Nice review. That's an interesting use of smart phone apps. Probably not something I would use much, however. I find that the hunt is at least as much fun as the view after I find it.
Great video Ed. Even though inch/centimeter size is better, that extra cost and weight are difficult for me at my 75 yrs. Of youth. But it’s an interesting telescope.🎉
One other thing regarding the 10 inch vs the 8 inch in this model is that the primary mirror in the 10 inch has the screws for collimation on the bottom of the scope. When I look at the picture of the 8 inch on Celestrons website, I don't see screws for collimation on the bottom of the scope, so it looks like the primary mirror is fixed. I don't know if that is a big deal for people or not, but I thought that I would mention it.
Nope, it's not fixed. It uses what celestron calls a push pull system so to get accuracy you have to losses then adjust the second screw then tighten the other screw. A real bear to collumate.
Figure 20: For the 8” Dob, there are three sets of push-pull screws
in the mirror cell that adjust the tilt of the primary mirror. Loosen one
screw in the pair and tighten the other to adjust the tilt.
From page 14 of the manual.
I had to replace the finder that came with the 10" Starsense to a right angle 9X50 from Celestron. Because I couldn't get my head in the right position plus I had to use my left eye. That solved a big problem as the finder that came with the telescope is junk the way it's designed and installed. New holes have to be drilled to accommodate the right-angle scope to keep it from bumping other things. The scope was a little low for me at 6'2" so I built a 6" elevated platform with wheels. Piece of cake to roll into or out of the garage now. Amazing scope for the money. When lining up the scope to the camera and finder I focused on a TV antenna with a red rotating light about 3 miles away. I could see the wires and screws on the light with the 25mm lens at 2pm on a bright sunny afternoon. I am using a iPhone SE.
I recently stumbled across this channel, and it has really peaked my interest in telescopes, the night sky, and astronomy.
I don’t really have money for nice telescope(too many bills). Maybe saving for a couple of years i could had a nice 8inch dob. For now my prescription eye glasses and a night sky will have to do.
Two years ago, before this was available on anything over 4" I bought a celestron 80mm refractor with starsense, then moved the mounting onto my 6" Dob. It's been there ever since, and I really like this one.
Bought the 8" version of this for outreach purposes and for my kid to use. I love it, the starsense works great.
Bought this recently as my first scope and the app works very well on my iPhone 8. I really don't find it hard to realign it at night on the fly if I feel the need and I do spend more time looking through the eyepiece than at the phone! Thanks for the review. Glad to know that someone look agrees that it's a good choice.
I have a 10" dob and often wish I had listened to Ed and bought the 8".
For what reason? I thought hard about 8 or 10 and went with the 8
@@astralfields1696 It's a real chore moving the 10" from the living room to the back yard.
It’s worse if you get a 12”. 8” is used way more.
@@ronstewtsaw Yeah, I have to say I do find myself being grateful that at 2AM after I am done for the night I don't have to disassemble anything. I can grab the whole thing and move it back to the shed in one go.
@@astralfields1696 I'm actually designing a lean-to shed to hold mine near its usual observing position. Shed will cost more than the scope, given the cost of plywood these days.
Great review, I got an 8" Dob as my first scope. It really spoiled me for general viewing in comparison to 4 and 5 inch refractors. But that's a different discussion. Thanks for the great channel and down to earth experience.
I bought the 130 Newtonian star sense a few weeks ago as my first telescope. It had been great and easy to use.
A year behind the curve, but a great review of both the scope and the app. Just picked up a Starsense DX 130AZ on FB marketplace (well below the cost of new) that had never been opened. Even though we've got a few scopes in the house already, we couldn't pass it up for the app alone (and now the kids can have their own to use too!). Should get to try the app tonight as long as the weather holds; can't wait. Thanks!
Not sure if it got mentioned in the video but the 10 is f/4.7. I thought hard for a week whether to get a 10 or 8.. In the end Ed’s videos were the decider.. went with the 8.. mainly because it is f/6 so I don’t need to spend a fortune on eyepieces and a Coma Corrector
And don't forget that with the 8" it's much easier to get a decent collimation...
Coma is a personal thing. I don’t use cc at f4.8 but some people need it at f6
F/6 is also much easier to collimate, and to your point, more tolerant of cheaper eyepieces.
@@MikeLikesChannel I’ve heard that collimating is harder when f ratio is fast, but what exactly is harder?
@@marcpopick248 Yeah, it bothers me a bit at f/6 with the low power 40mm 2inch 72 FOV eyepieces.. so I am definitely in that 'some people' group that would be ordering the corrector with the telescope 😅
Ed, I really appreciate your honest and sincere reviews and informational videos. Years ago, I had a small Meade ETX60 and I have ever since aspired to get back into the hobby - this time with something having significantly more capability, while also building out an appropriate setup for Astrophotography. Thanks for all the great information you continue to provide! I'm just about ready to take the leap...
Is the OTA a ferrous alloy like conventional dobs? I find that mobile phones magnetometers are adversely affected by ferrous OTA. I realize StarSense also uses plate solving in addition to the phone’s compass. It uses compass and accelerometer gyro for feedback during motion and then once stopped takes pics and plate solves. With my Xperia phone and a different scope with a homemade adapter (small right angle prism on camera) I had to add an extension stalk to get the phone far away enough front the metal body. Works perfectly then.🎉😊❤
Yep, it's steel
I hadn't thought of that, thanks for pointing it out.
Thank you Ed. Nice review. I been an AA since the rstly-1960s, have had an 8" SCT for 40 years, but am considering a 12" Dob that I can use in the next few years before I keel over (I live in the high desert of the southwest USA with incredible dark skies, so a big 12" aperature would not be wasted), and then pass it down to my son who enjoys stars. But the info you provide here was quite helpful, even if 2 years old. I was encouraged by your review of the app, as there are so many negtative reviews on the PlayStore, but I suspect they had some of the problems you hightlighted, e.g., light pollution. I would think that the back heaviness of the scope would be counteracted not only by eyepieces, which can get big, but also by the weight of the phone.
Anyway, thanks so much. Very helpful.
Interestingly this telescope is reviewed in my latest issue of Sky & Telescope (Dec. 2022).
Really pretty cool. The "use distant object" advice is clearly very important, because of parallax errors when using something too close. The same thing applies to aligning any finder of course. Thanks for the report, very intriguing! I can see a day when there are add-ons for my old classics to make them into go-to scopes! And I would probably do what I usually do, admire it but not use it :)
There already is and it is free, Star Hopper.
I acquired the 8in model of this Celestron StarSense Explorer Dobsonian Telescope family, a few weeks ago. Although it comes with a limited set of extras (only a 25mm eyepiece) and is atm around 100 bucks above competition, it sure delivers in observation quality and time-productivity investment. The starSense Explorer App has thus far worked very, very well for me, and has no match in fast-correctly locating objects in the sky, from the classic star-pointer manual approach, particularly if objects are dim to the naked-eye or under non perfect night-light conditions. Remember, collimate first. Its a great DOBs optics built telescope, with a fantastic starsense explorer tool, hands-down.
How do you collimate the 8 inch version
It doesn't have screws in the back
Great review Ed. I have the 102mm DX refractor and love it. Used a Samsung S7 (really old phone) and on a 2021 Motorola Edge and really can't tell the difference in terms of the software performance. It crashes occasionally and you have to re-calibrate about as often. But, I like having the software it helps guide the session. Thank you for all you do for our hobby! Clear Skies!!
I can totally see this replacing setting circles. Your grandchildren will ask "What are those?"
Thanks Ed! You made an excellent point about acquiring the telescope you'll use the most. However, regarding magnification and image quality, is there a noticeable difference between the 8'' and the 10''? How about the Starsense DX5 (the CST version) and the Dob 8''?
For most people the 8" is still the sweet spot. The 10" is brighter, but since you'll use the 8" more, it will show you more. Also, the lighter weight of the 8's OTA exerts less pressure on the azimuth bearing, resulting in smoother motions. Don't get the DX5. The mount is too flimsy.
Good video Ed. Like you I wouldn't mess with a 10 inch, just too heavy.
Another great review. I appreciate your honest assessments. I have goto rigs for astrophotography but am rediscovering the simple pleasures of my 10” Orion Dob .
I'll stick with my 8" Edge HD Evolution set-up. Tracking is a wonderful feature to have.
Got my granddaughter the celestron starsense 130 dx and it works great. We are all having fun with the telescope. I will probably get me one of these, or the 8 inch models.
I really liked you overview here Ed. Thanks!
But I had to chuckle a bit when you said most people spend most of their time looking at the phone instead of through the eyepiece. So true, and, I noticed you spent far more time talking about the phone and its use than the views you got through the eyepiece. That gave me chuckle. Well done.
Yes, true!
There’s a free website/app that provides a similar, tho basic functionality called Astrohopper. I’ve just strapped my phone to the OTA with elastic bands, no fancy mount, and point it at a star relatively close to my target. I think it just uses the phones gyroscopes for orientation, relative to your reference star, whereas Starsense I believe also uses plate solving.
3:30 Dobs should be back heavy for safety of the scopes themselves, especially the large ones.
If it is front heavy, then the front part will naturally fall to the ground, damaging the scope.
If it is back heavy, the worst thing that will happen naturally will be standing upright, no damage whatsoever.
If it is perfectly balanced, the "may" end up to the ground from time to time, so even perfectly balances will not be a good thing.
Good point. Most commercial Dobs are still front heavy.
Now that’s very interesting Ed. Thanks for the informative review! If you did this with a Newtonian eauitorial mount you could track too! I assume that the Star Sense wouldn’t care what mount that you use. The only problem I see with this is that it won’t track, but when you loose view at least it will tell you how to get quickly back. I have an 8” CPC and so far have had good luck with it. . The go-to is pretty decent as is tracking. If you set up properly. But you are also right, it’s heavy! I am 79 yrs and it gets heavier by the day ha ha. I want to set up back yard observatory so I can leave it ready. Maybe a 12” dob in the future. Nice and dark where we live.
Instantly clicked new video by Ed Ting❤
Thanks, Ed. As always, great review! The StarSense looks pretty cool!
If your reading this Ed should get a thumbs up for his contribution to the world of armature astronomy is second to none. Plain English no BS and been doing it for years. RESPECT Ed.
Thanks so much for the vote of confidence!
Nice review! I wonder why they didnt paint the edge of the secondary mirror?
Woke up this morning to a Notification to this review, was waiting for this from you from a long time. Thank you. Praying that it will be available in India soon.
@edting can you do a review of pushto/locating system for their general price, usability etc?
For example: phone based StarSense and AstroHopper, Digital SC, simple mechanical setting circles?
For some who can't get to dark locations and spend most of the time under Bortle 8-7 skys star-hopping is just not an option due to lack of close stars of references for way too many objects. AstroHopper saved me the hobby. Without it I cound't even find Andromeda under Bortle 8 sky.
Great review as usual Ed! I have the DX 102 Refractor and love being it (I'm still a newbie). Been wondering if I should also get the Dob. or get an Orion 8" Dob since I already have access to the Starsense software. Thank you for all you do!
If you already have the dock and the software, get someone else's Dob. Get a used one if you can. You've already paid for the software, no need to pay for it again.
Good point! Thank you!!!
I hope you got the app out and tried it Ed....it is a game changer. You can align on any bright star. Also don't slow down unless you are unsure of your destination on the sky. If you wait till closer to the target the app will catch up...it is Plate Solving and does not need much help from the operator.
Thank you Ed. I appreciate all your videos.
Thank you for everything you do Ed.i just got started In this and you helped inspire me!we all really appreciate your work
$2200 here in Australia and I find the apps not real accurate here in the southern hemisphere. ( not that I have the starsense app ). Great vid Ed , alot of the brands you review I dont see here so was finally good to watch something I can get my hands on. Cheers.
Yeah, I’m in Australia too. You pay quite a premium here above the cost of a quality manual dob of the same aperture for the StarSense phone adapter and app.
I have a DX102 with the StarSense App while based in Victoria- Melbourne and it works amazingly well!
I watched your review with great interest, having bought one earlier this year after selling my beloved 14" Skywatcher GoTo, a decision I am now beginning to regret, even though it was a bit of a beast. I miss the big mirror, and the tracking.
I first tried using the Starsense app on an older Samsung S7 phone, which was on the approved list. No go, even after multiple emails to Celestron support. They eventually suggested that perhaps S7s should be removed from the list...sure. Make sure your phone will work with the Starsense app before pulling the trigger on one of these scopes.
I now use it with my Samsung S10, and while it works about 80-90% of the time, the app still has issues. Locating objects near the zenith can be a challenge at times, and it can occasionally take a while to settle down and get you to your object. You need a moonless sky, and little or no ambient light pollution or the telescope will not find its position. I am using it in a rural area, sky is around Bortle 5.
While the app's night mode is ok on the main screen, bringing up the search function throws up a white keyboard, blowing out your night vision. Yes, I can get around that by setting the phone screen to red and dimming it, or using red filter glasses. Still annoying though. Also, I have to use my phone without its protector, and this makes accessing the app's bottom screen icons difficult to tap because of the fat lip on the mounting bracket, at least on my phone.
Having said all of the above, the technology itself is bound to get better as phones and software improves...just not sure I should have been an early adapter in this case ;)
Android apps are a bag of hurt. Say what you will about iOS, it's much more solid than any Android. We switched 5000 enterprise users to exclusively iOS because of all the Android problems. Our Helpdesk incidents went down 70% year over year.
Love the starsense mounted on some big bino's.
I bought the 8 inch, collimation was way out, wish it had a micro focuser. The star sense app hasn't worked at all on my New Samsung phone. CELESTRON won't respond but High Point is trying to work through it.
Kinda wish I had gone with the apatura has a lot more for the money.
This is my third scope and I really enjoy it without the phone (once I got it collimated). I do find that I use my 90 mm MAK more than any other.
I added the Lacerta Dual Speed 1:10 Microfocus upgrade for Crayford Focusers, works great
I am older with a bad back. I have always had Aperture fever. I don’t think my back would hold up to the 10” and I would think about the 8”, what do you think about the Explorer 130AZ, or the DX 5”? I live in a suburb with a couple of towns not far away. I love looking at the planets, but also like deep sky like Andromeda Galaxy, ring Nebula in Lira and the Orion Nebula.
The problem with this cheap stuff is always the mount. That alt-az mount will frustrate you. The DX5 is definitely out. There is no way the mount can handle 1250mm of focal length. The 130 might be passable but I think you'll still be frustrated. If there is any way you can handle a 6" Dob that is still the best choice.
@@edting if I go back to the Dobsonian I would go for the 8”. I would love the NexStar Evolution 8 HD with StarSence, but $3000 is way past my budget and I would of course want some eye pieces. Thanks for the advice.
If you get the NexStar get the 6. The mount is not strong enough for the 8. The NexStar mount seems optimized for the C6. Plus you'll save money.
@@edting but won’t I loose deep sky views like some of the spiral galaxies?
The views will be a little dimmer through the C6 but it doesn't matter if the views are jiggling and shaking like a belly dancer through the C8. Also the extra 500 mm focal length of the C8 will tax the NexStar's accuracy. If you have back problems, a NexStar 5 would not be out of the question. I have a review of the Evo 6 if you haven't seen it yet. Also be aware that this is hard. None of this is easy. Seeing galaxies is especially hard. Be patient.
This system on a dob with a tracking platform seems perfect. No alignment BS. Simple push to and tracking once you’re on target. As a matter of fact, that may be my next scope!
Hey I'm curious, have you had good luck with those tracking platforms? I haven't. There always seems to be some problem or glitch that keeps those things from working well.
@@edting I have one that was a kit. It’s adjustable speed and it worked pretty well. I didn’t expect a lot, so that helps! I had an 8 inch f/6 Apertura dob on it. I was able to use quite a bit of magnification on planets and still have good tracking. I never got the hang of manual tracking with the dob. Pretty sure it was me, so that’s why I got the platform and gave up on dobs. I still had trouble finding not so faint fuzzies, so I got a Celestron 8SE. I like the goto part a lot, but I don’t like aligning, leveling, and a 2032mm focal length. I did get to see a LOT more with the scope finding it for me. I got a Skywatcher 120mm f/5 refractor as a grab and go since the C8 is NOT that, and on my first look through it saw m81 and m82 just sitting there in the FOV. I love that big, wide field of view. I still have the platform and I’m thinking of a bigger and possibly better dob (maybe build a 10 or 12 inch f/4 or a buy a mirror and a Telekit). I know this is a HUGE response, but I have followed you for over 20 years, so I’m telling you everything! My thinking right now would be to get the 130mm Starsense as a grab and go for now and start compiling pieces and parts for the big scope. Thank you so much for all the reviews and advice over the years! FYI, my first scope was a B&L 4000 4” SCT that cost me an arm and a leg. I REALLY needed Scopereviews in 1987. It’s a miracle I stuck with this!
Great review! I was wondering if you could also review the Explore Scientific 10-inch Truss Tube Dobsonian. It's pretty impressive for a ~$650 scope.
I do not own but I did use the ES 10” a few times. My friend sold it to get a 16. The ES truss dobs are very good. The movement is very smooth and no problems. But I prefer better azimuth motion. Now the mirrors is great. Star test show same patterns inside and outside focus. I am not sure but I think the ES mirrors might be borosilicate because it cool very fast.
The new Explore First Light series are very good Dobs and are recommended. The older series of Dobs currently being blown out for $699 at places like Costco and Adorama (you can recognize them by the useless hinged cover) are some of the worst products I have ever seen. They didn't get anything right. I am thinking of doing a Hall of Shame video and that's on it.
Hi Ed, love your channel! So if I mainly do camera EAA with a 6" SCT, and I was looking to maximize my "light-bucketness", would you say the 10" is the right move? I know you favor the 8", but I feel like it wouldn't be enough of a departure from my C6 to be noteworthy. 10" would still fit in my car, and I store my scope in the garage so I can technically roll it down the driveway or to the backyard. Thanks for your input (and anyone else's)
I'm using the starsense app on a galaxy s23 (current flagship 2023) and never had a problem with the app. My only complaint is if you swap to another app, lets say to reply to a text, and go back to the starsense app, you then have to either restart tracking, or realign depending on whether or not you took the phone off the dock. Otherwise, no complaints. I bought the 8" version and in my bortle 5 backyard I can see a large variety of things upwards of mag. 8 or 9. In bortle 3 skies an hour away, I can see things up to mag. 12 fairly well. I imagine the 10 would be better in that regard but not enough to warrant the extra bulk. 8" seems to be the best option overall. They now offer a 12" starsense dob btw which I think would be a great backyard scope, but not a great travel scope. The 8" does both of those moderately well.
Thanks for the review Ed, they are always comprehensive and informative. I love your recommending the 8-inch because some of us are not going to listen to you anyway.
Hi Ed! I feel that although slightly inconvenient, the flat pack mount is a good way of younger folk learning some very basic DIY, if nothing else? One cosmetic issue I have, that huge "10" number on sticker, obviously denoting the aperture, looks a little tacky and cheap, impo? Maybe I'm being a little bit trivial? A great review and overall a fine beginners 'scope! Thanks Ed!
Wes, Liverpool UK.
I have the 8" and find it works super well and it's especially great for public outreach.
Just... darn interesting, as usual.
Great Video, Always helpful, Thank you Ed. I can't wait to see the Moon for the first time through scope!!!
Nice review Ed. The focuser looks like a pretty standard 2” one. Would be nice if it came with a dual speed focuser. Did the focuser leave you wanting at all? Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
Of course, we all want nice focusers! At this price point, I think the focuser is about right.
Thanks for the great reviews you do Ed. I bought a 130 DX at a really great price just to play around with and really have a great time with it. I took the Newtonian tube off, it is the Synta AZ mount and the Star Sense phone mount is on the side, and replaced it with my Stellarvue 80 achromat. What a great set up to dash out in my light polluted yard and do some quick observing.
I have an old Celestron Super C8 (1987). I currently have problems with it. However, I don't think the Star Sense would work for me. I would love to see a modern telescope with this app! Great video!
I noticed the fasteners are mostly wood screws that are going into base pieces made of MDF. It would seem that the ability to retighten these would be limited especially if the base assembly is frequently moved as compared to IKEA-lke joinery where a machine screw/cap screw would thread into a threaded insert.
My experience with similar joinery has not been good.
Would any owners with long term experience comment? Thank you
Good observation. After the review, one of the three feet on the ground board came out. Screwing it back in would not do any good, so I drilled another hole.
The 8" costs 1095€ in europe, while a normal 8" dob is 500-600€. Really though price.
As always a very good review! Thanks for all you do. I may have to give an 8" a try.......
Very interesting review Ed. My vote is for the 8" for the reasons you mentioned. My osteo prefers the 10" of course. Clear skies.
LOL at the osteopath preferring the 10". That's like podiatrists liking flip-flops.
Great video Ed! I've actually been trying to figure out a way to run my ASI Air in a "Star Sense" mode to use with my Obsession 22. I even emailed ZWO to see if they could add such or feature or tell me how to do it with their existing software. Maybe getting a Star Sense is a better idea but I feel like I should be able to do exactly that with my current equipment as the ASI camera is pretty fast in plate solving mode so I think it would work. Maybe it would be a good video idea if we can figure it out. 🙂
I was surprised at this - seems like you could easily modify any existing Dob to use this app. Then I looked at the play store and it looks like the Android version barely works. 50% of reviews are 1 star.
I got the 8” and LOVE it! The starsense is an awesome feature to have.
Been considering the Star sense, thanks for an informative review! Still contemplating 10 or 8; as you mentioned storage concerns.
Hi, Richard. Did you pick an 8 or 10" StarSense? Or another one?
Another great review Ed, thanks, we’re still out here.
Thank you for another excellent video. I don't think you mentioned the quality of the focuser? Is it a well made metal unit or a plastic one. That might be a major factor in deciding between the 8 and 10 if they are different.
one thing to note, no thumb screws in the 8in version. Also the primary mirror mounting system appears to be different in the 10' looks better to me.