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Orion SkyQuest XT8i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope
 
 

Orion SkyQuest XT8i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope

by Orion
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


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Technical Details

  • Large Dobsonian reflector telescope with 8" aperture allows you to see faint deep-sky objects such as nebulas and galaxies, in addition to fantastic views of the Moon and planets
  • Locating those faint deep-sky objects is simple with the IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator - it includes more than 14,000 objects in its database, and points you right to each one
  • Select the object you wish to view from the IntelliScope database, then simply follow the directional arrows displayed on the hand controller by moving the telescope until the object is right in the eyepiece field of view - it's easy!
  • The ultra-stable Dobsonian telescope base keeps the reflector optical tube perfectly balanced for easy point-and-view use
  • A precise Crayford focuser allows use of larger format 2" telescope eyepieces - the bright, wide-field view of the Andromeda galaxy in a low power 2" eyepiece is jaw-dropping!
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Product Details

  • Shipping Weight: 21 pounds
  • ASIN: B000P2ZPB2
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • Date first available at Amazon.com: November 20, 2003

Product Description

Orion's SkyQuest XT8i Intelliscope Dobsonian Computerized Telescope combines powerful 203mm-diameter reflector optics with point-and-view simplicity in a nicely portable package. With the included IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator, the amateur stargazer can pinpoint the location of 14,000+ celestial wonders stored in the IntelliScope's databank. It's like having your own personal tour guide to the universe! The optical tube houses an 8" (203mm) parabolic mirror and rides on our state-of-the-art Dobsonian base, equipped with springless CorrecTension friction control for smooth movement and always-perfect tube balance. One-year limited warranty.


 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fine starter scope, October 19, 2009
By 
Ethan L. (OKC, OK United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Orion SkyQuest XT8i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope (Electronics)
One of the best features of Dobsonians is that they offer high aperture at a decent cost. A Cassegrain with the same aperture would cost twice as much. The downside to Dobs is the size of the scopes themselves. Larger Dobs can be almost impossible to carry around. However, the Orion XT8 is a fine compromise in size and weight. With everything assembled it weighs a little over 40 pounds.

The scope's power is more than enough for an amateur getting into astronomy (I found the Ring nebula just the other night). With a 203mm aperture, the main mirror can pick up faint clusters, nebula, and most of the planets. Combined with a recently purchased 8mm Hyperion eyepiece, Jupiter was just an amazing sight. I recommend buying eyepiece upgrades. One line of thought with telescopes is that half of the scope's ability comes from the mirror aperture, the other from the eyepiece power. The two included eyepieces are 'ok', but once you slip in a TeleVue or Baader into the focuser you will definitely notice the difference.

The Intelliscope finder is a different matter. Assembly of the scope and encoder boards have to be spot on for the alignment procedure to work properly. The Intelliscope finder is manually controlled and a two star alignment must be done for proper use. This system works better in theory than in reality, as only slight variations in the star or vertical alignment procedures can throw off the finder's ability. But once you get adjusted to the night sky the Intelliscope finder's use is almost negated.

I'd recommend the Orion XT8i to beginners or to anyone looking to upgrade from a starter scope. But keep in mind that the Intelliscope finder must be installed precisely and used with exact alignment or else it will be so off from its altitude/azimuth that it won't work properly.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice, Well Made Scope, March 31, 2010
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This review is from: Orion SkyQuest XT8i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope (Electronics)
My previous scope was an equatorial mounted 3" refractor. This 8" Intelliscope is much better. I wasn't sure how I would like the Dobson mount, but it works well. It is very smooth, especially if you have the scope level. It is a little less responsive when you are looking at objects that are almost straight up. The Intelliscope computer works well for finding objects in the sky. I have a small patch of light polluted sky for sky observing, so the stars I use for initial setup are not very far apart, but with careful setup I can locate what I want in the sky (provided it's in my patch). All of the parts appear to be well made. I recommend getting the bag, a barlow and a moon filter.
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13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very impressive item, August 13, 2009
By 
Sherrie "sherriechapman" (Scarborough, ME, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Orion SkyQuest XT8i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope (Electronics)
This is a highly recommended telescope. Bought it for my husband for his birthday. He was definitely impressed. It is much bigger than the picture indicates. Nothing in the online material indicates that it is nearly 5 feet long. It might be wise to add that information to the details offered. It does a great job; we've been watching the moons of Jupiter.
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