PART 7 - GIANT Telescope Restoration DONE! Testing The Orion xx14g Dobsonian Telescope!

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PART 7 - GIANT Telescope Restoration DONE! Testing The Orion xx14g Dobsonian Telescope!

Рет қаралды 4,514

Күн бұрын

EPISODE 7: All done! Let's finish up some short odds and ends and test out this GIGANTIC telescope! We add cooling fans, Bahtinov mask, eyepiece rack, etc. Despite a week of clouds and cold weather, there was ONE night that allowed me plenty of testing! Fixing telescopes is my hobby, but this one might be just too big!
#telescope #restoration #finale
* SOME HELPFUL VIDEOS: *
How To Clean A Regular Telescope Mirror: • How To Clean A Telesco...
History & Use Of Bahtinov Masks (perfect focus!): • TELESCOPE Bahtinov Mas...
History & Use Of Crayford Focuser: • TELESCOPE Crayford Foc...
How To Attach A Smartphone To Any Telescope: • Connect Your Phone To ...
* 3D PRINT YOUR OWN TELRAD EXTENSION LEGS: *
Source file: www.thingiverse.com/thing:270...
//AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS (I earn a small commission from these links)//
Fancy automatic wire strippers: amzn.to/3TBVWqh
80mm 12V DC cooling fans (2-pack): amzn.to/3lBaYQj
8-cell battery box: amzn.to/3JJGFPk
Cloth stool covers for 12 inch and 14 inch telescopes: amzn.to/3ldmph2
Cloth stool covers for 10 inch telescopes: amzn.to/3TgEBD1
2-Way Bubble Level: amzn.to/3Z7MThH
Official Orion 14" Telescope Shroud: amzn.to/40ei7VP
Illuminated crosshair eyepiece: amzn.to/3JD239b
Best Smartphone Adapter EVER (as of 2023): amzn.to/3MYYnBF
Best Value Set Of Upgraded Eyepieces: amzn.to/3Y7MYmn
Best Overall Red Dot Finder: amzn.to/3UQVPJr
Economy Smartphone adapter: amzn.to/3WfKS2e
Bluetooth shutter button: amzn.to/3OBpW1i (prices have risen)
Best book for new astronomers: "Turn Left At Orion": amzn.to/3PDxLo4
CHEAP 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope: amzn.to/49TH12l
NICE 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope: amzn.to/4bbxIuU
RED HOPE Adventure Scifi Novel Series:
Kindle Edition: amzn.to/49O9bud
Paperback: amzn.to/4aPRc7Y
Audiobook: amzn.to/3WhhXOw
KZfaq NOTES:
1) This video complies with the KZfaq Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
2) Soundtracks used with permission from my video editing suite, Camtasia, and KZfaq's AudioLibrary.
3) All products shown were purchased by me with my own money.
4) This video does not contain any controversial subject matter, children, offensive material or language.
Questions answered in this video series:
0) How do I clean a telescope mirror?
1) How do I fix a broken telescope?
2) How do I fix a computer telescope?
3) How do I fix a broken Synscan hand controller?
4) How do I fix a broken computer telescope clutch?
5) How do I build a telescope cart dolly?
6) How do I repair my lazy susan?
7) How do I setup a GoTo telescope?
8) How do I repair a stretched shroud?
MUSIC BY:
Beckoning by Telecasted
********************************************
#orion #xx14g #reflector #goto #mirror #cleaning
#synscan #astronomy #restoration
Telescope restoration 14 inch telescope
0:00 Introduction
0:36 Telrad Extensions
0:59 Custom Cooling Fans
4:01 Greasing Gears
4:16 Custom Bahtinov Mask (For perfect focus)
5:28 Painting The Shiny Silver Focuser Tube Black
8:50 Bubble Level
9:37 Droopy Shroud
12:41 O Eyepiece Tray
13:51 Restoration Complete!
16:58 First Challenge: The Orion Nebula (M42)
19:04 Second Challenge: Splitting Sirius
22:32 Orion xx14g GoTo Dobsonian Pros & Cons

Пікірлер: 101

@lastsonofkrypton3918 2 ай бұрын

I watched the entire series and I have to say now I understand why people enjoyed watching Bob Villa's home repairs! Very entertaining and I learned a lot, thanks :)

@reflactor 2 ай бұрын

I cannot convey how kind your words are. This Old House has been one of my favorite shows for years. :) Thank you for watching.

@stupido5944 2 ай бұрын

I've been binge watching your channel recently and I can't express how much of a gem this channel actually is!! As a 8" Dob owner myself I really find this channel, as well as the host (John) really interesting with a great sense of humor. And also this series was really fun to watch all along. Honestly it's unjustified you having so less subscribers and I hope you grow more and become more popular! Clear skies :D

@reflactor 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! Some videos are better than others - some of mine still make me cringe, lol. As for my subscriber count, I'm just pleasantly surprised that nearly 10k people have chosen to subscribe over the years. As to why it grows so slowly, that's because I'm not very smart and chose a name that KZfaq considers a typo/mistake. If you search on Reflactor, you won't get a single result for my videos. Oh well. It's a fun hobby. :)

@stupido5944 2 ай бұрын

@@reflactor I know it can be cringe for you but trust me it fascinates me seeing your personality and engeneering expertise in the fixes and restorations you provide here. I've learnt a lot about crayford focusers and the modding my dob by watching you so kudos to you John! And also it's true that whenever I type your channel name to search youtube thinks it's a typo but I'm sure they'll rectify it soon enough once they realise that many people are searching for your channel. So I'd say don't call yourself not smart because the name reflactor is unique and sums it all up for this channel. But keep doing what you're doing and we're all here to support you my friend. I've had bad luck recently due to lots of clouds in my area coupled with the bortle 8-9 i live in but hopefully you get some clear skies to enjoy some astro nights :D

@reflactor 2 ай бұрын

Bortle 8 or 9? Welcome to the light pollution club, lol. We've gone from 7 to nearly 9 in just three years due to stratosopheric construction here in Fort Worth. I hope you finally get those cloudless skies.

@stupido5944 2 ай бұрын

@@reflactor According to the light pollution map online it's a "class 8-9" where I'm at and I can only imagine it's probably a transition from a bortle 8 to 9 but overall I consider myself lucky if I can count over 10 stars LOL. Sad to hear about the construction going on at your place, I just hope people become more sincere about the light pollution that's causing problems for us. Anyways I wish you good high atmospheric pressure zones in the future with and clear skies :)

@rustymullenix Жыл бұрын

All your videos are great. Have a great weekend.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I hope they can help you have more fun with your telescope. Clear skies!

@cwulfe1 Жыл бұрын

Congats on the restoration of the big 14 inch goto dob from Orion! 👍 BTW, I got your book (Red Hope) in paperback so that I can read it this summer on my two weeks at Mt. St. Helens with my 8 inch Edge SCT. The area I go to is a Bortal 1.5 and the three volcanos (Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood) make a great backdrop.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the support! That trip to Bortle 1.5 land sounds amazing! I am jealous. Clear skies!

@Loopy01 Жыл бұрын

I love how unique this channel is. I loved every single bit of the restoration journey. Thanks for an entertaining series and some really helpful tips that i'm sure will come in handy for me in the future.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thanks Pavle! I'm glad you find the videos useful. It's such a niche channel that I don't even know how to properly describe it, lol. Clear skies!

@notmyname327 Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think you need to restore an observatory to keep this telescope next. Loved this series

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed the series! I agree about the observatory. It's taking up a significant amount of space in my workshop area. So I'll have to do something with it. Thanks for watching!

@rogerrawlings4257 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Roger in the uk👍👍

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Hi Roger! Thank you for watching! I once spent a month in Bedford and enjoyed the UK very much. Clear skies!

@jackieblank4249 Жыл бұрын

Love that hair cut. Nice and tight. The restoration was a lot of fun also. Great job and have fun with it. Clear sky's every one.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Haha, thank you. I always wait too long and end up with a mop top, like the fifth Beatle.

@dlwiii3 27 күн бұрын

Great series. Makes maintenance seem less daunting. I recently started astronomy with a $40 used 4.5”. And split Mizar! Not just from Alcor but mizar A and a. I did not even know about it! Nice to see something new in the heavens.

@reflactor 27 күн бұрын

Congrats on splitting Mizar. Fun stuff, especially with a $40 telescope!

@sjpp71 6 ай бұрын

GReat series, I just binged watched the whole thing! That Bahtinov mask was genius, a bit of work and a steady hand required, but certainly cheaper than buying one! Tinkering with scopes is so much fun. Clear skies

@reflactor 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. I'm honored that you watched them all. Clear skies to you too!

@stevemacdonald2303 9 ай бұрын

Love your show

@reflactor 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@JANDLWOODWORKING Жыл бұрын

Beautiful Job!!!

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! It was a lot of fun and very educational.

@larrymatney52 4 ай бұрын

Great series of videos. Thank you for the description of each step to bring this scope back to life.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching. I'm always worried that I dive into too much detail, but one of my goals is to include everything just in case viewers are in the same boat with their telescopes.

@larrymatney52 4 ай бұрын

I am looking at one of these scopes and this was very helpful for me to understand what I am getting into. Thank you.

@JoeJaguar Жыл бұрын

great you got the whole thing fixed. your tinker/ fixing skills are first rate. Glad you split Sirius, see you on the next video. i also noticed you have the telrad & thr red dot as the start

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

My plan was to compare the Telrad with the red dot finder. But I turned on the Telrad first.... and never found a need for the red dot finder, lol.

@JoeJaguar Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor yep i hear you they are that good

@charleshill506 4 ай бұрын

Those fans look like the same fan that is used on a computer power supply. Ivalways scrap all fans i come acr9ss. They are very handy.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely, they are the same as computer fans. The telescope industry seems to have settled on 80mm PC cooling fans as their standard.

@OldCurmudgeon3DP 7 ай бұрын

Good idea to use scrap cardboard for the mask. Hadn't thought of that and was going to try 3mm black acrylic on my diode laser. It's just big enough to do one for my 10" with 4 slots for alignment studs. I 3D Printed the one I use on my 80mm refractor.

@reflactor 7 ай бұрын

Aside from nearly giving myself carpal tunnel, it was an interesting challenge. I 3D printed the ones I use on my 8 inch Dob and 3 inch Dob.

@deepskymike767 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic work. I’m very happy that you’ve successfully restored the 14inch. I live in bortle 6 skies and I’ve seen over 1800 different objects through my Orion 14 inch so don’t let light pollution beat you. I owned an 18 inch at one point a couple of years ago but got rid of it because it became a chore to use due to its size and I missed the simple ease of use of the 14inch. As usual, another great video from you and I look forward to future ones. Hope you have many clear nights and grab some fantastic views of the myriad of targets out there.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

I'm jealous of your Bortle 6! Our suburb here is Bortle 8, so not too different from Las Vegas or New York City light pollution, lol. I'll probably take this to a dark site sometime over the next month. Clear skies!

@knarf9335 5 ай бұрын

I much prefer a green laser over other finders. Of course, away from airports. I have a lot of trees and I can tap the laser to see if the view clips the tree tops as the scope stops slewing. And, if the green dot hits the foliage, I can tell how long it will take to get high enough to view. Great channel you have.

@reflactor 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. I know a lot of folks love the lasers. I can't use them because I live under the approach to a sizable airport here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

@Stephen-gp8yi 2 ай бұрын

Extremely interesting and addictive content thanks for the education!

@reflactor 2 ай бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

@littlesunny63 Жыл бұрын

Enjoy it! Wait to you take outside the city to a darker site. Your mind will be blown!

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

I am really looking forward to it. They rebuilt the road behind our backyard and are installing lots of tall streetlights, so it's going to get even more light polluted in the next few weeks.

@ADF_Cable Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm going to try the split Sirius challenge as soon as I can on my 10" GSO. My highest mag is 208x with my 6mm delos Hmmmm.........

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

If you want to see what to expect, first check out Rigel which is a similar double star, but not as blindingly bright.

@vicamaral Жыл бұрын

love the series of restoring the big bucket, the best part in this video was the sowing and needle, both my wife didn't know how to sow, but i do, keep those video's coming. clear skies, and there's an asteroid right above our heads now, between moon but closer to earth👍👏.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Haha, yah. It's funny about that because in middle school we all had to take home ec classes and I've used my simplistic sewing skills on many occasions. Clear skies!

@vicamaral Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor Yah i learned sewing in the island Azores school in the Atlantic ocean, i am Portuguese. cant wait for your next project. clear skies mate.

@michaelconnor8037 9 ай бұрын

Just came across your channel this morning binge watched this restoration. Got to say fantastic job subbed and liked. Great channel and clear skies from Scotland

@reflactor 9 ай бұрын

Thank you - that's quite the compliment! It's great to see astronomy enjoyed around the planet. I hope you get some clear skies soon!

@adventuresofanamateurastro804 Жыл бұрын

Great job Scott on bringing this awsome telescope back to life and thanks for taking us on your journey. These videos will surely help many folks in the future. And Wow! The contrast captured by you unprocessed smartphone image is amazing! And that is huge, as Carl Zambuto the legend himself once said, quote: "Contrast is the difference in visual properties that makes an object (or its representation in an image) distinguishable from other objects and the background. In visual perception of the real world, contrast is determined by the difference in the color and brightness of the object and other objects within the same field of view.” There is brightness, which is provided by aperture, and there is contrast, which allows one to see detail. I have been accused of overstating the importance of contrast, so please let me be clear. “Contrast is not everything. Outside of aperture, contrast is the only thing”. -Carl Zambuto

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Hopefully the video on the clutch disassembly will help other folks with these GoTo systems. That was a little daunting to jump into. Can't wait to try this in a dark sky environment.

@johngiromini5745 Жыл бұрын

John, that is an amazing feat of restoring such a large DOB. If you have been to 3-RF, you may have seen some of the very large DOBs they have out there. I seem to recall one of them is 32". Looking through it when the target was more than 30 degs above the horizon required a rather large climb up a ladder. FWAS will probably go out there in late August or early September.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Hi John, it was a ton of fun (well, nearly 1/10th of a ton). I might drag this out to Tandy Hills soon, but I definitely want to take it to the dark site (I shall not name it here) - unfortunately I won't be able to make it tomorrow. I feel like this Dob is being wasted here in my Bortle 8 suburb. It's like driving a Ferrari around a parking lot.

@johngiromini5745 Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor LOL!!! Thank you for your thoughtful response. I'll be down there Saturday; weather appears to be great.

@jackieblank4249 Жыл бұрын

Good morning John. I have watched that video of the upside down wedged encoder. I almost cried. Will review it again. My issue is finding the right wave washer that goes between the encoder and the upper base plate. I contacted Orion and talked to Eric and Geoff and they sent me a link for a users manual. Very helpful. Keep looking up. I do every chance I can.😂

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

If you can't get what you want from Orion, give Sky Watcher a try. I've bought two "Orion" parts from them.

@jackieblank4249 Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor Thanks for the tip. Will look into Sky Watcher. I do know that the alt Dec reader is working. I was off by .2 degrees vertical with a small magnetic carpenters level.Then dialed it in to 90 degrees on the controller. Going to give it a whirl soon. Hopefully I can get the AZ working also. Again thanks a lot for what your doing.Clear sky's from DA Bayou State.

@knarf9335 Жыл бұрын

I only use green laser pointer for finder now. Much easier than other methods.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Wish I could. I live under the landing approach of a very busy airport. Using lasers of any kind would get me sent straight to prison.

@bryandraughn9830 9 ай бұрын

Im finally getting some clear skies here in north Carolina, but now it's FREEZING ! Such is life. I spent so many years with a 4" refractor and now I have a 6" newt. And to be honest, it's not much different if at all. It's just a little more cumbersome. I really enjoy your videos!

@reflactor 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching. Here in the city, once you get above 6" or 8", there's real no gain for going larger - the light pollution is too formidable a force. Now, if you take them out into the country or on a camping trip, it makes a huge difference. Clear skies! (and hopefully warmer weather).

@jackieblank4249 Жыл бұрын

Telrads brightness is adjustable. My Celestron Pro is like that. Also the double rings are great and easy to see .

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

The Telrad brightness is very adjustable, much more than the red dot finder.

@mycarolinaskies Жыл бұрын

A very nice wrap up video for your restoration efforts! As you discovered, we were advising well on the Telerad, it's ideal for big equipment. Once you get the planets in the viewfinder, you'll not worry so much about light pollution's effect on aperture of the 14. You'll see the details snap in focus like the stars in the Trapezium. Also, having Goto tracking you can setup a very usable EAA system gathering the signal and seeing more faint targets in good resolution even in bortle 8. There's no doubt the 14" will impress you in dark skies and if you can attend a multi-day star party you'll really not mind the weight issue. I got to attend TSP all the way from here in South Carolina, and you're a whole lot closer(OK I know it's still a fair drive inside Texas!). But if you can get there with the 14" you'll really appreciate having the aperture. Omega Centauri even low on the horizon was great in an 8"... in your 14" it will be far better. Anyways... wrapping up... I'll be watching your channel for your next challenges!

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

TSP sounds like a lot of fun for sure. I'm looking forward to trying the 14 inch in a dark sky. Thank you for watching!

@danielbrowniel 3 күн бұрын

Are you ever going to experiment with Musou black or kiwami fabric? I'm curious if the *extra dark stuff makes a difference.

@reflactor 2 күн бұрын

I just did a little bit of comparison with Mousou black paint in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/peBogJqJnZupqac.html

@jons2447 Жыл бұрын

Hello, Mr. Dreese; Thank you for a great series! Amazing job on the DOB! I would like to fix my 6" Orion StarBlast Push-To but I can't figure out what's wrong. I think 1 of the sensors is not reading correctly. Unfortunately I have *NO* info on what the readings should be. During orientation all seems well but the output is way off, so I'm stymied. I think I need to know more but that's unlikely considering Orion's policy per used scopes. Also, I'm glad I'm not idling around a parking lot in a Ferrari. I can access a nice Bortle 3, a 15-minute drive away but health issues keep me home. As a long-time amateur 'Mr Fix-It' & inveterate tinkerer I really appreciate seeing how you fixed the 14". Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

@jackieblank4249 Жыл бұрын

My StarBlast is gutted of all push to electrics.I use Stellarium and a red dot finder. Works for me.Maby some one can build a simple altaz reader that could help to show the positions of the scope where ever it's point ed. Maby too simple and not enticing as a go to do all the work for you.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Jackie, you're getting ahead of me! I have a video coming out that shows just that. :) It might be the next one!

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

The good news about the Push-To's is that they are much simpler than these motorized GoTo's. I used to have a 6 inch Orion Push-To. Worked great. So, if the output is way off, it usually means the encoder disk (that round metal disk with the black ring around the outside) may be slipping. That round disc shouldn't spin at all. I am guessing that your azimuth disk (squished between the bottom two discs) is slipping. Or in my case (video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b7Vng6tyuqqdZn0.html ) it was installed upside down! Here is one of the ways to check the output from each encoder (one on each axis). On the handset, there is a menu to monitor the output angles (Azimuth and Elevation). Move the telescope in one axis at a time from known angles to new angles. For elevation, move the tube from pointing horizontal to pointing straight up. You should see a change of about 90 degrees. You can do the same with the azimuth. Spin it a quarter the way around and it should change by 90 degrees. Good luck!

@jons2447 Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor THANK YOU!, THANK YOU!, THANK YOU! I want to do some DSO observing> So some kind of guide is needed just to find the 'close enough' spot. That makes sense so I'll try that the next chance I get. You, SIR, are gentleman and a scholar! Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

@jons2447 Жыл бұрын

@@jackieblank4249 I use a green-laser pointer, Stellarium on my cell, & S&T's "Pocket Sky Atlas". But that won't get me close enough for DSOs. I've started a project w/ green laser pointer in a clear plastic ball w/ 2 circular protractors for declination and right ascension. But I haven't figured out how to convert D& RA for my location yet. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

@michaelmccorkle8906 6 ай бұрын

Wish I could find some help with astronomy. My daughter and I are new to the hobby. We have an Orion 90mm

@reflactor 6 ай бұрын

You're in luck. Most cities have an astronomy club and they often host monthly star parties and invite anybody with a telescope to come out for a visit. If you don't live anywhere near a city, there is always KZfaq. In fact, there are probably videos about your very telescope. Good luck and clear skies!

@donwilliams6783 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the interesting, fun series: fixing the 14 inch Dobsonian. At the end you mentioned how much you enjoyed using the Telrad finder. I have one. When I can see a dim star unaided and try to aim on it through the Telrad, I can't see the star well enough to get a precise aim. I clean the Telrad lens with with an optical cloth, but the view remains too vague to get a good fix on it. Of course dew is a huge problem where I am in the Pacific Northwest, but even after wiping of the moisture I'm not confident in the precision of the placement of the Telrad target on the sky. Do you have some ideas about clearing up the view through a Telrad finder? And do you have problems with due? I must mention that I use only one eye trying to aim, rather than keeping both eyes open. Perhaps that is poor technique. Thanks again for your entertaining videos. The details of the processes you go through are very much appreciated

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

The Telrad that I have is very adustable as far as dimming goes. For the dim stars, I turn down the Telrad brightness almost all the way. I do tend to get a lot of dust on my Telrad glass just due to where I store it. Dew is something that I have never actually experienced here in Texas (I've heard it can be very irritating!). Using one eye is instinctive. I have to force myself to keep both eyes open when using either the Telrad or the red-dot finder. Thank you for watching and clear skies!

@RickGreenPhoto Жыл бұрын

I am considering adding the fans to my scope and wondering if you noticed much of a difference? I have been watching your content and I find it to be helpful. I bought a used Orion xx14g this week and watched all of your videos last week before making my final decision. It was the one listed on the forums for the last few months down here is sunny Florida. I think I made a good purchase, my wife only grumbled a little lol...Thanks again

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Congratulations! You got yourself a heck of a telescope. The weather has been nice since I bought it, but we're now getting into the blazing hot summer months. I'll know more about the effectiveness of the fans in a month or so. The main challenge of the 14 inch is the size. I can't take it camping because there's no room left for actual camping gear, lol. Have fun!

@RickGreenPhoto Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor Yeah you need a Ford Expedition and a camper lol...

@k.h.1587 Ай бұрын

With a 14" you can actually bust through the light pollution if you know how. The trick is to use higher powers. Globular clusters at 1.5mm exit pupil, small galxies at 2mm exit pupils, large nebulae with UHC and OIII filters, and planetary nebulae. You can see alot in dark skies with an 8", but you can see much more with a 14" from light pollution than you can with an 8" If you know how to do it, and most amateurs follow the leader and don't break the conventional norms such as "low power always for dsos", well higher powers equal darker background sky and more contrast, and with larger aperture, you can pump the power and still have enough brigtness. The trick is understanding exit pupil and matching exit pupil to.the type of target and the type of filter, or wether or not to use a filter. Start pointing at globulars and you will eat your words about not needing bigger than an 8 in light pollution. 1.5mm exit pupil.range is the sweet spot for pulling the best out of globs in light pollution. It also helps to be using wider field eyepieces, so you would be best off investing in some at the focal lengths that will give you 1.5, and 2mm.exit pupils with good edge correction and decent eye relief. At the bare minimum those 60 deg planetary eps like what you busted out to split sirius, but i think naglers and nagler clones, which are as low as $99 in some cases, are the way to go. The 7mm 82deg meade PWA, or 8mm stellarvue 82deg (both the same eyepiece), or the skywatcher (helios) nirvana which i believe is also the same eyepiece. They are all over the place now, so many selling these under different brands, and they are ancient, starting out as the william optics UWAN 20 years ago. But they only come in those 4 focal lengths (sometimes given slightly different values), 4mm, 7mm, 16mm and 28mm. Hint, the 28mm absolutely destroys the 30mm ES82, it is the closest to the 26 and 31 naglers you will ever see, can be found new as low as $199, and you will like it so much you could sell your 30mm and have enough to cover the cost of the 28 and one 2 shorter focal length ones,.since the es82 prices are so much higher now.

@fredaw61 Жыл бұрын

Loved watching this series. Question. I have the XT8” from Orion. I have been looking at an Aperatura 12” for the main reason of what you could see in Orions Nebula. Through my 8” it is a cloudy grey mist with no detail or color. I live in a Bortle 6 zone and things I should be able to see I can’t. I am talking tye Spiral Galaxy that I believe was a mag7.5, but I saw nothing. Would investing in a 12 benefit in at least those areas and then be even better for going to Dark Sky’s?

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the Orion 8 inch Dob club! It's one of the most popular telescopes ever sold for a reason (it is wonderful). I have a few things to say - Apertura telescopes are great and they come with so many good accessories. About galaxies, sigh.... I really only have experience viewing (or not viewing) them from my Bortle 8 skies. I have seen a total of three from here and they were the faintest of smudgy smudges. Andromeda, M81 and M82 (those last two are very close to each other and only visible through averted vision). The 14 inch Dob finally allowed me to see shape with M82 (it's long and skinny), but it was still just a whisp. From what people tell me, when I take the 14 inch Dob out to a dark sky, I will be blown away by the visible details on galaxies. Only time will tell! As for if you should or should not buy a big 12 inch Dob? One thing larger mirrors get you is resolution. You will be able to see slightly more detail on planets and, in theory, galaxies. I saw the Moon for the first time on the 14 inch last night and, sure enough, it is very detailed. The Orion Nebula is my favorite night sky object. The camera picks up more color that the eyeball (at least in the city). The big Dob's may pick up color in your Bortle 6 sky, but I can't say for sure.

@fredaw61 Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor I do understand that most everything I will see is faint smudges and some galaxies won’t even be possible because of light pollution, but will the step up in resolution be worth the cost? I owned an Orion XT10 around 18 years ago and I remember Orion Nebula have some color and much more detail (resolution), but with light pollution increasing I would think stepping up to the 12” would at least bring me back to what the 10” used to deliver. The no brainer is the 12” at the dark sky’s is that Wow factor everyone talks about.

@mycarolinaskies Жыл бұрын

@@fredaw61 4" jump to 12 will definitely gain more. Your light pollution though may interfere with seeing much color on diffuse targets especially sub 16" in my experience. Planetary color isn't a problem since they are large, bright, close but you need contrasting background darkness to improve seeing color on DSO. That requires dark enough skies or using EAA to stack the signal.

@ziggyfrnds Жыл бұрын

New subscriber here. Thanks for sharing this amazing journey! I'm in the market for a 12 inch goto dob myself. Would like a 14 inch but they're quite a bit more expensive (at least here in Australia) don't have the budget for it. Can you please answer a few questions? How did you collimate this particular scope? Laser collimator? And do you need a step stool for the 14 inch? Would I need a step stool for 12 inch?

@ziggyfrnds Жыл бұрын

I had a 10 inch non-goto dob before but sold it as it had a few issues that I couldn't resolve. Also I found out later that the laser collimator I had trusted so much was actually in need of collimation itself 😂 but I did have fun with that thing

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Prior to this 14 inch GoTo telescope, my main telescopes were both manual: a 12 inch and the 8 inch featured in the videos. I did not need a step stool for the 12 inch and I am not tall. However, I have to use a step stool on the 14 inch for any elevation angles above about 50 degrees. I usually put one foot on the step stool and one on the dolly cart. Your timing is impeccable - I am recording a video on how to collimate your laser collimator! They almost always come from the factory messed up. So I'm demonstrating my simple method to "collimate the laser collimator". I always use the laser collimator because it allows me to do a precision collimation in less than 5 minutes. Just be careful.

@klttrll Жыл бұрын

So what your saying is, if I upgrade from an 8” to a 12” dobsonian in a bortle 6, it’s pointless? Obviously you could always take it to darker skies if you have the chance.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Bortle 6 is a strange one. In the big city and suburbs, we're dealing with Bortle 7, 8 and 9. I've found that going above an 8 inch doesn't really help at all. But Bortle 6 might be a different matter.

@klttrll Жыл бұрын

Now that I think about it, on REALLY good nights I can just barley see a tiny bit of the Milky Way overhead

@bowrudder899 Жыл бұрын

It was painful watching you sew in the elastic. You can get a skinny bungie cord and the plastic clasps that it fits through, like on a backpack, and have a better system in seconds.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

That sounds like it might be a good idea. In this case, my goal was to restore everything back to original, both in form and function (and even make it better). Thank you for watching!

@bobrogers6650 5 ай бұрын

Is nobody pissed with Orion? This guy is ADVERTISING their gear and they wouldn't service him. Shame on them.

@reflactor 5 ай бұрын

It is a bizarre policy. With regard to my saga to find a drive motor replacement, they did contact me about four or so months later to say they found a used replacement drive motor. Ironically, they contacted me four HOURS after I sold the telescope. But to their credit, they did eventually contact me, lol.