Saxon Dobsonian Series

Excellent – Once i had overcome the misunderstanding (proably mine) of the spotter scope's correct set up, the balance of the collimation took me around 10-15 minutes. The saxon dob8 is all that i could have possibly hoped for. I am well aware that these scopes all come out of the one chinese factory and they have their respective brands then placed on them so, buy a saxon, you are getting a celesteron, etc. That to me is a plus as it proves standardisation. The dob8 comes equipt with a 10 mm super plossl and a 25 mm super plossl. I purchased a 40 mm super plossl with mine and with a 2 x barlow i already have, i feel that i have all of the lenses i require. Having said that, i have just ordered a 28 mm super plossl but altogether, i have a 4 mm, 10mm, 12.5 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 28 mm and 40 mm plus 2 x barlow. The 4, 12.5 & 20 mm are all standard plossl's but all the rest are super plossl's. I can see this telescope lasting me for life. I could have gone to a dob10 or dob12 but i am 68 yo and lugging the thing in and out of my den is a challenge, hence breaking it in half. I would recommend this product to any new or advanced astronomer in the market, the deep space views are brilliant and you will not believe the planets compared to what you are used to. Do not let go of your binoculars, they are gold, but this telescope will compliment the bino's and vice verca. Noel Expertly packed in a manner i would expect for any truly valuable piece of equipment. There was no element left to chance and the included construction instructions were clearly written in english by an english speaking person. The day i set my saxon dob8 up was very humid and so with regular breaks, the overall task took me around 40 minutes total. Every "pack" was itemised and present in the construction kit. Tools necessary were provided and again - very clearly explained. Once constructed the structure was a solid as a rock with no weakness to be seen. This is a very big telescope and for transport to and from your back yard, i recommend you take it in halves or it will be simply too cumbersome. A point i fully considered prior to buying and i am not phased by it. All accessories are quality, super plossl eyepieces and a 2" eye piece erector is included. The 9x50 spotter scope is a delight in its own right, this is a very comprehensive "spotter". Collimation was a bit of a trick, more in a moment. I may have missed seeing it but could not find anything about collimation in the hand book. Consequently, this proved very, very tricky until i stumbled upon to the secret. This is not a "con" per se so much as a tip for the writer of the assembly instructions. The holder bracket for the spotter scope included a rubber band. This must be put into the groove in the spotter scope provided, you cannot miss it around 1/2 way along the tube. The spotter scope is held in by a spring loaded grip and two thumb screws. I made the mistake of tightening the two thumb screws - no, no, no! Simply hack the spring loaded tit and place the spotter scope en situ. Release the tit and then only use the thumb screws for adjustment, it took me around an hour to work out why i could not adjust the spotter scope, it is very clear now.