Customer Reviews

Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A lot of telesecope for the money. This gives a nice, clear view of the planets and the moon. Since I live in the suburbs of Detroit, I have not yet seen any deepsky objects. I am getting filters to fix that, however. One quick word of advice: If you're planning on buying a telescope for astrophotography, this would not be a wise choice (cannot mount a tracking motor).

This is not only the ideal scope for beginners but enough of an instrument to show you new things in the sky for years to come. It is sturdy and simple to operate. It has enough light-gathering power (more important than magnification) to reveal dim star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies and good enough optics to show you the surface of planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. Affordable as this scope is, there is no reason to give so much as a glance at the numerous trashy 60mm refractors with exaggerated magnification claims that litter the market.

Some advice on selection. Dobsonians like this one come in a range of sizes. A 114mm (4 ½") is a bit on the small side but still a fine instrument, especially if your ability to carry large objects is limited. A 150-200mm (6-8") scope like this one is in the middle of the recommended range. A 250mm (10") is on the big side, and you should buy one only if you are able-bodied.

Some advice on use. Viewing through a telescope is less like playing a CD and more like playing a guitar. Finding objects takes a little bit of practice. To simplify finding, I would suggest replacing the supplied finder with Orion's superior 8x40 model and also supplementing it with a "red dot" finder; both are available on Amazon. You will also need to buy an atlas (Sky & Telescope's Pocket sky Atlas is the best available), a red flashlight to view the charts without blowing out your badly-needed night vision, and a guidebook to lead you to interesting objects. These investments will greatly add to your enjoyment.

What more can I say? This is the kind of scope that experienced observers have been trying to steer novices towards for decades. Although, I recommend that you do your homework before buying any scope--learn the sky and get to know experienced stargazers who can advise you--when it comes time to purchase, you could hardly do better than this scope.

For more advice, see my encyclopedic guide here on Amazon, "So you want to buy a telescope."

Santa gave my son an XT6. We had never used a reflecting telescope before. Hence my review is not much of a comparison. But anyway :

Very simple to assemble and transport (for most dads it will
not be necessary to separate the tube from the base to a carry it. For his mom I think she would have to carry it in two parts which though not difficult would complicate things with putting the springs back in the dark.

The unit needed collimating after assembly which was clearly documented and wasn't difficult. I had to move the secondary mirror that required a Hex wrench that wasn't supplied (according to the instructions this was atypical).

Within a few hours we had seen the rings on Saturn and a very bright mars.

He is on the short side for a 6 year old and needed a stool to reach the eyepiece. I think he will find it very comfortable to use the finderscope and eyepiece as he gets a couple of years older. He is able to pivot the scope without much difficulty and rapidly got the hang of changing the eyepieces. From that perspective probably good they are <$50 a piece when he inevitably drops one eventually.

The software included was very useful allowing him to get a spaceship view of where we were looking after the event and quickly locate stars. The only thing that was lacking (I believe included in fancier versions) was the ability to turn off dimmer stars to more closer correlate with what we see in my back yard.

Everything seemed well built, I have read other reviews that the optics are reasonable but I can't really judge.

Anyway overall we very pleased

Awesome product! We loved this telescope. Great views of moon and planets. You can get a lot of accessories for it. A little tricky to get used to at first as everything appears upside down as with all reflector telescopes but you soon get used to it. It's mind blowing to see how many stars are in the open sky that you can't see with the naked eye. I recommend this product for all ages!