Thanks for this comparison. I guess I will go directly to a 20" Hubble optics.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

:)

@damienk2372

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video, very informative. At some stage I will probably be moving up from a 10 inch dob so videos like this are great and there is not enough of them on the net.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

@@damienk2372 Glad you found it useful!

@wesleydonnelly2141

4 жыл бұрын

@@damienk2372 Exactly my sentiments too sir!

@stargazer2042

4 жыл бұрын

This video definitely favors the 16". The 12" views were ok, much better than in an 8", but the 16" was just so rich and satisfying.

I upgraded from a 10" dob to a 16 a few years ago and to be honest the difference really isn't as mind blowing as I hoped it would be. There's a few objects that really popped in the 16 like the ring nebula because you can actually see a neon bluish-green color through the 16 and globulars are a little better, most notably M4. I find myself taking out the 10 more now because it's a solid tube and much easier to transport and set up vs. a 16 truss. The views are also satisfying. My friend has a 12 and I always liked his scope a lot. I've thought about selling both the 10 and 16 and buying a 12. It really is the best all-purpose size IMO. Now if you are lucky enough to live under dark skies and can just roll it out of the garage to observe, then get the biggest you can afford.

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

I'd have to agree, a light weight 12" dob is hard to beat. Like they say, the best telescope is the one you use the most. :)

@user-gc1up4yy2h

Жыл бұрын

thanks, I changed my mind and dream about 12", not 10"

@ironman8257

Жыл бұрын

@@user-gc1up4yy2h лол также. Смешно что есть ещё один человек который думает о том же что и ты, да ещё в примерно в то же время

@DavidHaile_profile

6 ай бұрын

I'm a newbie backyard astronomer with a 10" Dobsonian that I've had about 3 weeks. My backyard south-facing patio is a decent place to see stars, but I haven't yet had a really clear dark night with it yet. I've seen the greatest hits: jupiter, saturn, orion nebula, andromeda, sirius, etc. I think I'll take it to a really dark area without lights next week. Time to upgrade the stock eyepieces!

Sir, I wish their were more side by side comparison vids like this one. The biggest question on most newbie astronomers minds is "What will i see with X, Y and Z size telescopes ?" "What more will i see, and what details will i see, if i buy Z instead of Y ?" or "Is it worth spending an extra $1000 on Z instead of Y for an extra couple inches of Aperture ?". IMO this vid is exactly the correct format to help newbies and not so newbies decide how much it's worth spending for the extra inches of aperture, so as to acquire the best "Dollar per inch of Aperture" Ratio, all other variables being equal. Thank You for a great vid sir! Wes, Liverpool, UK.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you found it useful! Thanks for posting.

@toomanyhobbies2011

2 жыл бұрын

There are many comparisons available, but few are videos like this one.

@wesleydonnelly2141

2 жыл бұрын

@@toomanyhobbies2011 I couldn't agree more my friend! Wes.

Sooooo... What you're saying, is upgrade to an Observatory with a 10 foot mirror. Got it!

@hondaxl250k0

Жыл бұрын

Yup. Now how can I mirror a satellite dish?! The curve and focal point is already done!!

@navinsingh1730

4 ай бұрын

20 foot or 30 foot

One of the best, most informative plain and simple no BS videos I've seen on Y/T. Exactly what I've been looking for as I research Dobs..

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I'm glad it's helpful.

@RSTI191

3 жыл бұрын

@@DakotaStarryNights I ended up getting an 18" Webster. Ii opened a whole new world of astronomy...

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

@@RSTI191 That's a great scope! I looked at those but it was way out of my price range. Big congrats on that one!

@RSTI191

3 жыл бұрын

@@DakotaStarryNights Thnx, I lucked out. It fell out of the sky landed in my lap for a song..I'm jacked on deep sky. At present I'm talking with Eric Webster about building a 28" for me. Tough to find parts today though.. This covid shutdown knocked just about every industry on its backside...

Great comparison! Thank you very much for the effort.

Awesome video! This is exactly what I needed as I want to go from 8 to either 12 or 16... Think it's gonna be the 16 now! Greetings from Germany and clear skies!

I've had a 16" dob since 2001 and I love it. What makes the most difference in the image thru the eyepiece is how dark, transparent & steady the skies are. It's all about location & conditions. From a crappy location, a 16" will show a grey fuzzball a little larger than a 12" scope will. From a great location the 12" will show much more detail in a galaxy or nebula than a 16" will from the crappy location. On the best nights from our local dark sky spots in LA. & MS. I can barely see a dark lane in M31. From New Mexico Skies in Mayhill, NM at 7400' altitude, M31 looked like a black & white photo with incredible detail. It was better than a photo. Same with M51. Amazing detail all along the dark lanes in the spiral arms. Great transparency at that site. So far the best planetary views have been from home and local star parties. We get steady skies occasionally, sometimes perfect. I was able to view Mars during the 2003 opposition thru my 16" and a 20" set up next to mine on a night with perfect seeing. Later that night Saturn came up. The views of the planets thru both scopes was perfect. The only advantage I saw in the 20" was an image that was a little larger using the same eyepiece (Pentax 5.2XL). A 14" dob might be the sweet spot of manageability and not needing a ladder or step stool.

@toomanyhobbies2011

2 жыл бұрын

Perfect skies. Hmm you live at 20,000 feet? Sarcasm aside, I'm retiring and have found many near-dark sky sites around the country where I could live. Most of them are close to small cites shaded from city lights by low mountains.

@wesleydonnelly2141

2 жыл бұрын

@@toomanyhobbies2011 I was thinking the same thing myself! lol. I thought "my friend, unless you live on a orbiting satellite around Earth, the views are never going to be "perfect" from any location on Earth due to the atmosphere! But obviously I completely understood what he was trying to convey, that the views were amazing! I'd love to one day be able to go to the top of the tallest mountain in Chile and view the night skies many Blessings through a HUGE Telescope! Maybe, just maybe, one day it might happen...Wes.

@donaldkasper8346

2 жыл бұрын

Location means altitude and away from cities. Like 9000ft elevation. Although, the atmosphere is packed more at lower elevation, so my house at 2500 ft in the Socal High Desert is a lot better off than Los Angeles at sea level. But nothing beats CA Tejon Pass at night to see the center of the Milky Way light up.

Turning into my 60s now, I went back from 16" to 8" - just due to portability and easy usability. With a steady EQ-platform beneath and wide-angle-eyepieces is still exciting and very rewarding "being out there". CS to everybody.

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, there's nothing like a scope you can just pick up and go. Large aperture is great only if you've got the dark skies and muscles to handle it. Thanks for posting.

@MartyInLa

Жыл бұрын

I've never moved a 16" dob in my life, I find my 8" is about the max I can comfortably carry around. Good for you transporting your 16"!

In 1983 a friend of mine bought an Odessy 13.1 Dobsonian Telescope. We would drag that blue monster a few miles outside of town where the sky was pitch black. We'd look through that thing for hours and always be amazed at the things we could see. Such a huge step up from my 60mm refractor.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

13 inches of aperture was huge back then. Not too many around. Must have be awesome!

@jc4evur661

Жыл бұрын

I remember when TeleVue first came out with the 13mm Nagler eyepiece...WOW! It was hard to believe that up to that point Erfles were the hottest wide field eyepiece (65 degree FOV) to own even though half the field was full of seagull stars.

thank you, and thank you for contributing locally

Might’ve been a good idea to use an eyepiece in the 12 that gave the same image scale as the 16. The difference in resolving power would likely have been more evident.

Great Job showing the comparison.

@DakotaStarryNights

10 ай бұрын

Happy to hear you found it useful!

Dakota, very interesting comparison and very useful. Thank you

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Clear skies!

Awesome! Great comparison / contrast!

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Scott! Got some of last night's workshop in there too. :)

Great Video! Very useful for appreciate more my Lightbridge 12" actual telescope! TKS!

Dakota, thank youa lot for all your comments and videos. Always you say very interesting things like in this video. Ricardo Calderon

Terrific video. Thanks.

Remarkable explanation of nuances between 12 and 16.

Love your channel. Always super informative!

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you from Alaska! Excellent video! :)

Well done really good comparison 👍🏼

Wow! Thank you for making this video!

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

:-)

Really nice job demoing these.

Thanks for the tip. You know your stuff amazing videos.

Great video, it's obvious you enjoy your time looking at the sky. Regards from North East Scotland 👍🏻

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Super comparison ! Greetings from Poland

Great comparison, thanks for the video

@DakotaStarryNights

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome. :)

Very informative!

Love the images of the 16

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks. She's a beauty alright. Clear Skies!

As a life long amateur having 3-16” scopes my all time favorite is my 8” metal tube dob for use at home urban/rural skies and the 16 for taking to dark sites where it will be setup for 2 nights. The 8” dob blows away the 16” truss at home with slightly light polluted skies. My all time best observing session was in Utah desert with my 4.5” Astro-can (red ball scope) I ran through the Virgo galaxy chain it was unbelievable.

@DakotaStarryNights

11 ай бұрын

I'd agree.👍 16 for a good dark site and an 8 for urban/rural skies.

...great video thanks for performing the comparison. ...I think the key is the giveaway reflexive thrill and wonder you displayed when the satellites cut across your views and that, after all, is what keeps me dragging out my 12" and being awestruck at the visible universe. You can't measure awe in inches...

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

You got that right. Thanks for posting.

Great video. Thanks

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

Cool!

Thank you!

You are absolute correct, 12" is the sweet spot. I have 12" trusstueb Dob which I stowed it away in a shed on top of my roof and wheeled it out on a dolly. Loved the apeture.

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, 12 is the sweet spot. Thanks for posting.

satellite whizzing by at 11:45 ;) Awesome vid! I got a 6 inch newtonian. im impressed just by that aperture! Makes me want to go bigger!

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

A guy can see a lot with a 6 and they are super portable. Charles Messier did his observing with a 100 mm (four-inch) refracting telescope from a Hotel in downtown Paris and cataloged over a hundred object! =)

Thank You for this video, I’m sure there are lots of amateurs that have always wanted to do similar tests, just to satisfy that curiosity of “what if”.

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

Glad to be of help. :)

thank you sir! very very detailed and informative. my buddy and i are getting a 12 inch because of your video instead of a 8 or 10" (we both have grandchildren and cant wait to stargaze with them!) Keep them coming!

I never knew that you could see that much detail through an amateur scope, awesome. I couldn't see a whole lot through my Celestron CPC-800 other than a lot of smudges of galaxies and nebula unless it was pretty close. In result, I don't use eyepieces anymore and invested in a Hyperstar lens which makes my F16 scope into a F2. In result, I plug everything in, sit back and shoot 45-60 second images and display on my monitor.....amazing views even for non-processed images! I compared an image I took of the Dumbbell Nebula to one that was shot with a 16" Dob with a goto mount.....other than the image was slightly bigger, the clarity and immense amount of background stars with the Hyperstar lens out-did the 16". I do give credit for the Dob shot though, since imaging with a Dob is pretty difficult....I hope to one day move up to a 12" or 14" but I do like my Hyperstar, for I'm seeing things I've never imagined. Great Comparison! Clear Skies.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

I too didn't think it was possible. But a PVS14 has brought me back to visual work. Before I used to just image.

Good video.

Excellent video. I upgraded from an 8in GEM Newtonian to a 14in SkyWatcher goto Dob. I decided to go for the biggest aperture possible that I could still travel with and set up alone. The heaviest subcomponent of the 14in is 50lbs. I figured that was my weight limit. I have traveled with it to the High Sierra many times, and I definitely feel I made the right decision. The 16in lightest component is 75lbs, and that would have been a bit much.

@yarpenzigrin1893

Жыл бұрын

I hope you didn't sell the 8in dobs. It's still good enough for most but the dimmest objects and is portable enough to take it anywhere. I think the 8in is in the sweet spot and I'd only get rid of it if I bought a mak. Which I won't because they're a lot more expensive.

@aemrt5745

Жыл бұрын

@@yarpenzigrin1893 Still have it. Its a classic Meade from 1983. The mirror is in ok shape. I will need to recoat it at some point.

@yarpenzigrin1893

Жыл бұрын

@@aemrt5745 That's a classic. I bet it will serve for many more years if you restore it.

@aemrt5745

Жыл бұрын

@@yarpenzigrin1893 Yep. It has been quite the workhorse. I am the original owner, and got it when I was 14.

@aemrt5745

Жыл бұрын

@@yarpenzigrin1893 It is the classic clock drive German Equatorial Model 826. I learned a lot about how Celestial Mechanics worked because it has manual RA / Dec setting circles.

Nice, BTDT It was nice when I lived somewhere I could actually use a telescope and enjoy it. Awesome hobby

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting. Clear Skies!

@deevnn

4 жыл бұрын

Get in the car and take a drive...simple

@ericmoyer8538

4 жыл бұрын

David Olson just a 4 hr drive. Simple

Love this! Wisconsin here. Rural Fond du Lac.

@DakotaStarryNights

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Fond du Lac downtown looks a lot like Rapid City, Sd, without the lake of course. 😄

Bigger aperture is always better... Great video

Wish I could have been out there with ya. Great comparison, if you need to get rid of one you can send one my way. I'd be more than happy to help take one off your hands.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Well, I've got other projects in mind to fund. So, I'm might be selling the ES12 on Cloudy Nights next month. Just not sure yet.

Having Dakota clear nights beats the light pollution in many other places! Envious! Twelve or sixteen...whatever it takes! Subscribed!

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Dark skies definitely makes a difference. Gives a guy about another inch or two of aperture. Thanks for subscribing! Clear skies.

Great comparison video. I think it was a pretty good representation of what each scope is capable of. I do sketching and astrophotography and have been considering buying a 12" dob for my visual and sketching while I use the 8" SCT or 6" Newtonian for imaging. I'd love to just go all out and get the 16, or even a 20 dob, but the 12 is currently at the upper limit of my budget.

Used to own a 13" reflector on a Dobsonian mount and there was no place I could point it in a dark sky and not see something in the eyepiece. No matter how devoid of stars the area looked to my naked eye, through the eyepiece, there was always something.

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, so much to see, so little time to see it.

Excellent video 16” is the best I have 15” obsession and even planets ore great too

@DakotaStarryNights

Жыл бұрын

Good choice!

It’s amazing how quickly it got dark in this video. 5 minutes in and it’s pretty much just a silhouette. Very noticeable when you back it up from 5:25.

As always, great video, very informative. and a lot of effort clearly went into making it. The problem is the massive light pollution that is clearly taking over much of the United States. Because of this, I have three scopes ranging from 3" to 6", and no larger. My observing rig reflects a quest for mobility (and age!). But if my backyard was in South Dakota or Montana, I would own a 12" scope.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed. If a guy doesn't have easy access to a good dark site to work the larger apertures then it's best to stick with the 3" to 8" range. And sadly light pollution is a growing problem even here in South Dakota.

@JamesAdams-ev6fc

4 жыл бұрын

@@DakotaStarryNights I currently live in Central Florida, where folks seem to LOVE Light Pollution. My dream is to visit a dark sky area with the ultimate mobile equipment: a Canon IS binocular with a collapsible monopod packed in a Pacific Design case. Thanks for the video.

Very informative! Thanks for the look through some awesome scopes albiet vicariously with your night vision eyepiece. Regarding all the satellites, the past few years it seems that every time I put my eye to the telescope, I see a satellite when it used to happen only a few times per night. Am I the only one to notice this?

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

You're not alone. I would imagine with the reportedly 40,000 satellites total planed by SpaceX, along with "OneWeb and Amazon who also have plans for similar fleets of satellites", astronomy will never be the same.

@toomanyhobbies2011

2 жыл бұрын

Deep sky photography probably won't be affected too much because of the tiny angles of view. One should be able to remove occasional images distorted by passing satellites, but you will know in advance when a satellite will pass through your field of view, so you can avoid shooting at that time. Satellites will be a big problem for any wide-field photography and their paths will need to be subtracted from these images.

Not sure that was a meteor, and something else crept over the dumbell shortly after. Very clear well presented video,Thanks, Mike from never view land Manchester.

Great! One of the rare persons showing us live view of deepsky not just planets or processed/still images of DSOs

Now we need a comparison with the different bortal zones.

Thank you, thank you! Now you made me want a 16 inch! The side by side picture made the power of the 16 inch obvious. We would buy one for the things you can't compare or are barely visible. If you ever update this video, please look at the galaxies in Andromeda. I think that would be a better test of the relative power. Thanks again.

@DakotaStarryNights

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Harry! Glad you found it useful. 🙂We'll keep Andromeda in mind for the next one.🔭

@harrysolas2802

Жыл бұрын

@@DakotaStarryNights I screwed up. I meant the Virgo galaxies. Those are faint and hard to see in an eight inch.

Back in the 80s I traded a C8 for a 16 " odyssey and I had a suburban so it was easy to take out I did find Stephens quintet one time and the extra aperture definitely helped

@DakotaStarryNights

8 ай бұрын

bet skies were darker back in 80. BTW Nice catch on the quintet.

Sounds about right. I have an 8" and a 14". Brightness on most objects is about the same, but everything is a bit sharper and more detailed through the 14". Though the biggest reward comes from the Abell catalog of Galaxy clusters, you can't really see them through the 8".

@Dan_P.

4 жыл бұрын

That's helpful. I'm moving up from an old 8" SCT.

Excellent presentation but I never considered viewing the sky in SD. I usually visit for the Sturgis Rally, mainly to enjoy the riding. I would like to connect with your group the next time I'm there and see your setups. I've never owned a telescope or completed an astronomy class and to jump into a 16" is just nutty on my part but...I like it. Price point is about where I can deal with it but maybe there's a deal to get the price lower Being backordered tells me no way but I'll check. Another nutty idea. Track system using a hitch on an SUV or pickup and then out 4-6'. Assemble from the back of the SUV and then slide it out to desired location, lock it down with feet from the bar to the ground. Craziness but I work overseas and always looking for cool things to do when I retire in a couple years.

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

Badlands National Park usually has some kind of astromny program during the summer evenings. This year they're going to have their astromny festival July 29th to the 31st. Lot of telescopes and workshops. Clear skies!

And here I sit with my 6" Dobsonian. I'm just getting used to it, and don't have the funds to upgrade, so I will enjoy it as much as I can, while saving up for a 10" dob in the future.

@Smile4Luyten

3 жыл бұрын

probably 2 months with my 6" orion dobsonian, take it to the darkest spot you can and make sure its collimated efficiently, its actually insane what you can pick up with 6" of aperture, i can see the arms in pinwheel and bodes galaxies and with 10mm eyepiece and good seeing you can see saturns moons

@johndoiron9615

3 жыл бұрын

@@Smile4Luyten Nice. I'm in about a Bortle 6 area. I'm hoping to travel to a dark sky site very soon.

Awesome

00:42 LMAO WTF!? Anyway, great review. Well done!

Thanks for the great comparison video. I've been pondering making the jump to bigger aperture, and I think even with an ultralight a 16 inch is too much work for an urbanite like myself that gets out to darker skies 5-6 times a year. That and I don't know how I'd fit a big mirror box safely in my car. Hopefully when I retire I can move out into the country away from all this light pollution - but that's probably 25 years away so oh well.

@donaldkasper8346

2 жыл бұрын

8in telescope, CMOS camera, hydrogen alpha filter.

Looks at his 8" Dobsonian - "You piece of trash!"

@bennybooboobear3940

3 жыл бұрын

Looks at his 6” dobsonian - “😭”

I have 10" and 13.1" dobs. Definitely see more with the 13, but it's more work to move and operate than the 10. The 10" weighs 48 lbs and the 13 is 53 lbs, both fairly light. I couldn't imagine owning and using a 100+ lb dob unless I could keep it set up in an outdoor shed.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly.

Well, for me it was the 16" all the way. I know it now so the 12" would always nag at me saying "you can see more, in closer, with a 16" Thanks for a great video comparison.

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

I'm hesitating between the Explore Scientific 10' and 12'. I must say the images provided by the 12' are quite impressive :-)

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

I started out with a Zhumell 10" dob. It was pretty decent for the money. So, while the ES 10" would be a good choice the 12 would show you a bit more and you'd still be in "the one that's used the most" category.

@trevorb7645

4 жыл бұрын

Go with the 12..I agree with the video guy..A twelve inch is great all round aperture. I started out with a 10" Lightbridge..I quickly traded in for the 12 inch

"At the end of the day..." Awesome

ill stick with my 6in reflector i can take it anywhere and have it set up in under 10min ready to go plus at 300 dollars if i break it when traveling its easily replaced but god id love a good 12-16in dob with tracking or go to functions

Good point. Problem is that I don't live in the Dakotas.

Hi You mention a meteor going by but overlook an object that passes in a similar fashion (heading towards the right and upwards) out of the green area at the bottom of screen at exactly 06:38. Is this a comet or another meteor? It is going noticeably slower than the earlier meteor. Thanks Peter

Love these videos, I'm just curious to know what would something like that 16" cost? I'm sure they're expensive. Thanks for the video

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

You can check their website for the latest pricing: www.hubbleoptics.com/UL16.html In this video I'm using the f/4.5 version.

Kick Ass video may I say !!!!

This might seem ignorant, but what are those spots that pop up like stars twinkling in and out at around 7:00

I bought myself the es 12" a few months ago. That thing is a beast ! Easy to carry out in my yard in france (50 meters). The only thing that concerns me is the humidity this winter. Any tips to handle this ? Cheers, David.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Congrats on your purchase! You could put the whole mirror box in a plastic bag and add a Desiccant dry Packet: www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Silica-Desiccant-Prevent-Corrosion/dp/B004N6JQFW Clear skies!

Defentley 16"!! Greetings From Denmark

At the pt you need a one foot mirror or bigger, get the mirror and make your own mount to suit you and save the money.

A decent Ritchie-Chretien of about 12" for about $3k. It really is amazing what's available now. 20 years ago you couldn't touch that for 10 or 15 thousand.

22" UC Obsession!😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

So I would like to get a Dobsonian for Outreach, -- and I was planning to get a 12" just because it will be simpler to carry (and I have a sedan) but it seems that the camera could be a better idea. Any inputs on that?

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

A 12" dob is the sweet spot for aperture and portability as you have stated; especially if you opt for one of the ultra light designs. Though I'm not sure what you mean by "the camera". If you are referring to the night vision monocular seen in the video, then it is most definitely a better idea. Be advised it's not a camera. It is a PVS14, used by the military and available to US citizens, which connects to a TeleVue eyepiece. However, you would still need a short focal length telescope of 8" or above. A 12" dob and PVS14 will give you views of nebulous objects comparable to apertures of 20 inches, as seen in the video. Here's a video workshop I did on Night Vision Astronomy: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aKmnrdaqoLmzmZs.html Clear skies!

Great video. OK, I have a sort of basic question. Which is better for clarity, a reflector or a refractor? Which of them turns the image upside down?

@astrodad656

3 жыл бұрын

Refractor is sharper. But aperture [that is, photons] rule. The largest refractor is heavy and expensive. A 10 inch apo refractor...the TEC 10 inch SVT is 56,000 US dollars on sale. The reflector image is upside down. The refractor image is usually used with a diagonal and is backwards but not upside down.

thanks for comparison.I would have a question,going from celestron C9.25 to dobsonian,but cant decide between 12" F5 and 12" F4. what is more suitable,F5 or F4? Its only visual use,as its portable sumerian alkaid dobson.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

The suitability in this case is more of a personal preference. The f4 should be shorter and easier to get to the eyepiece. But it will also have a bit more coma as compared to the f5. With the UL16 I went with the f4.5 to reduce the height of the eyepiece, which was more important to me. Thanks for posting.

Great video for sure - for me as a complete noob - I would like to see the comparisons with something I can understand - what detail of Saturn or Jupiter would be improved, could I see Pluto with any type of interesting detail?

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

Hi John, Typically large aperture like the 16" is at a disadvantage when it comes to the high power views required for planets. Eight inches and under will do better on most nights. The reasons for this can be found here on Dakota Starry Nights: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fX6TltaEm5mpmc4.html That said, a couple of weeks ago I had the UL16 out a Badlands dark site, and by chance, I turned it to Jupiter. I usually don't even bother to look at planets with it as I have more suitable refractors for that job. But as luck would have it, at that moment we were experiencing excellent seeing and above average transparency, rare for South Dakota. The resolution put out by the 16 was nothing short of amazing. Nine of Jupiter's belt zones were clearly visible, including the Great Red Spot. It was stunning. But that's only when conditions are perfect. And that doesn't happen very often. But even then, to answer your other question, Pluto will only appear as very small shinny disk with no determinable detail. Clear skies.

hey i found a 10"dobsonian for 700 dollars, is it worth it and can you see jupiters red spot and saturns cassini division with your eyes from the eyepiece?,and what about nebulae and star clusters can you see them with your eyes or do you need a camera?

for how much did you buy it and where?

Nice comparison. Thanks for your efforts. I guess most people will just settle on a smaller dobsonion. But for the best views the 16 inch would be my choice.

Great video! I can definitely tell the difference in your comparison. I'm pretty new to all of this. I used 15 x 70 binos for about 6 months, then got an 8 inch dob and have enjoyed that for the past year. I've got the fever and would like to make a big step up to a 16 or 20". My question is whether or not to continue with a manual point and shoot set up or get something with a goto type system for tracking. Seems like manual tracking of planets can be a real PITA when done at higher magnifications. I do like star hopping and finding things on my own though but I can't deny the convenience of having a computer find something for me occasionally. These systems can dramatically raise the purchase price, is it worth it? Oh, and as a side story. My son and I took the 8" dob out to a dark sky area near Ft. Davis, Texas last May. I found the pinwheel, whirlpool and sombrero galaxies and Omega Centauri that night, it was pure euphoria and I was hooked from that point on.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

If you intend to move up to a 16" or 20" it will be very expensive and very heavy with built-in tracking. Planetary work does involved high power and benefits greatly with tracking as you've pointed out. But it should also be noted that planetary work requires steady skies, good seeing, which due to the larger column of air a 16"or 20" look through make it very challenging on most nights. For that a smaller aperture refractor, 102-120mm scope is best. Go-to/tracking mounts for this size aperture are readily available and affordable compared to the type required to handle a 16" or 20". Which is why I have a 102mm ED f/11 for planets and the Moon. The 102mm puts up awesome views of those targets. The UL16 is strictly for going deep and for that it can't be beat. On the Moon and planets it does poorly due to the upper atmospheric turbulence out here. It's really great that you're acquiring targets on your own! It's the absolute best way to learn the night sky and share that knowledge with your son. The go-2 systems take the joy of discover out of the experience, with is one of the best parts of astronomy, and soon starts to feel like the remote on the TV. Your also tend to spend less time on any one target. Which means you miss a lot of the finer details and acquired skill necessary to see them. Sure it can take a bit longer to find an object, but once you've found it it yours and you've got bragging rights. There is an alternative for tracking that doesn't involved a built-in system for dobs. An equatorial platform will provide tracking for dobs and as a separate component is more portable. Clear skies!

@toomanyhobbies2011

2 жыл бұрын

Technology won't help you see anything better. I choose to go low-tech with good optics, basically an SCT with encoders and an NGC-MAX computer. This is a good tracking setup for long exposure photography, simplified polar alignment and manual object location using the NGC-MAX. I normally don't use the computer, instead using a start chart and the combination of the red dot, an 80mm pointing scope with a 2" narrow field eyepiece, and finally a wide angle 2" eyepiece through the SCT. That method is fun because it orients me to the night sky and allows me to find very small objects manually.

GREAT VIDEO !! Can you please tell me what eyepiece and any other tool ( night vision ) do you recommend to kind of get those views with a 10 inch dob. Thanks

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

I was using a TeleVue 35mm Panoptic. For a brighter view with the 10" you can try a TeleVue 55mm Plossl eyepiece.

Any comparison like this is going to be a compromise of sorts. Do you keep the eyepiece the saem? Or different ones for the same magnification? Or do you try to match exit pupil? Each is a valid comparison, which will yield different results. And if you look at telescopes on a small increment scale, there won't be much difference 8 to 10, 10 to 12, 12 to 15, etc, but there si a big difference between an 8 and a 15. In spite of this, this video is still valuable to anyone considering the options.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Eyepiece, camera and PVS14 settings, as mentioned in the video, were the same. Clear skies.

I wonder how the dob 16 would compare to the Meade 16 ACF. A couple of advatages I can notice on the Meade are small and closed ota provides better handling and more protection of mirrors.

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

I really don't see how these two compare. They are total different in just about every regard. The Meade 16 ACF is primarily designed for a stationary application. The weight of the mount required to handle it along with the weight of the OTA makes really only suitable for an observatory. It is more than twice the focal length of the Hubble UL16 which limits it to narrow high power views. And it cost more than 14 times as much; and that's without the tripod. Thanks for posting. Clear Skies.

As a general rule, "heavier gets used less in astronomy." It usually holds true. Even more so when you pass 10 inches of aperture. Unless you live under dark skies and aren't trucking scopes around.

@DakotaStarryNights

Жыл бұрын

Agreed.

I’m glad I live in a rural area

Hi, that was very informative Thanks a lot. I have been using a 8" reflector since 10 yrs and I'm trying to go for a bigger aperture now, im so excited abt the 16 ", I want to know about the feasibility of using motor mounts, would the vibration from the motor be a concern or not. Will I be able to do away with constant realigning with manual mounts. Would they automatically follow the star/planet? Would be really helpful to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

@DakotaStarryNights

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Sachin, vibration from a motor used for tracking would depend on the motor and the gears used. I have motorized a dob in the past: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZIJ1ztuqYLXMYpM.html But all you would really need is an Equatorial Platform which will allow the dob to follow DSO's or planets. There's a lot of information online on how to build one; or you could buy one ready made. Congrats on making the jump from 8" to a 16"! You're sure going to notice a difference!

in my bortle 6 skies with my 5 inch dob i can only see the core of the lagoon and the core isnt even bright. the 16 inch is literally insane

**Definitely** worth going from 12 to 16 inches. I did that and my g/f has never been happier......... ;)

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

That only works if your g/f can handle it. It can be a lot heavier, especially if it's an "old school" design. :D

Really appreciate this video. I have one question, how do they compare for planetary viewing, particularly Jupiter? I've been using a 10" f/5 dob for a little while, and am starting to think seriously about getting the Hubble UL16 f/5. I'm more interested in planetary visual observing, than deep sky. Live on the outskirts of a large metro, and mostly observe from my backyard.

@DakotaStarryNights

Жыл бұрын

Hey Okie, For planetary visual work it's a long focal length refractor, hands down. There are a number of advantages such as the perfect collimation needed for high power viewing, quicker cool down, the long focal length, f/11 for example, allows for a larger focus zone, and the smaller column of air it looks through can cut pass subpar seeing, something in the 102mm to 120mm range. Here's a couple of work shops I did on the subject. kzread.info/dash/bejne/fX6TltaEm5mpmc4.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/o4CuybGbh9mfg9I.html Clear skies!

After observing skies thru the years of varying aperture scopes, I've found that observing under poor urban skies, larger aperture scopes seem to magnify mushy skies, and aren't that great. Now take a large aperture scope and compare the views thru a smaller scope under truly dark skies and the larger scope will totally dominate. Yet, one would have to ask themselves...how often do I observe from truly dark skies? and will a larger scope be worth the hundreds of $$$ more? Thanks for the excellent video!

@DakotaStarryNights

10 ай бұрын

My experience as well.

Did you do any basic visual observing without the night scope? I’d be interested to know how the dobs compare in that regard. I may buy a night scope down the road, but I’m not there yet! Thanks for the detailed comparison, and thanks for all the other great videos you’ve posted!!

@DakotaStarryNights

4 жыл бұрын

Yes I did compare the two without night vision. But it is really difficult to get any real-time video without night vision. And to do long exposure photography isn't representative of what a guy would see; and now you're talking astrophotography. That said, the difference between a 16" and 12" isn't jaw dropping. However, night vision is. So, it's best to keep the 12" and save up for a PVS14 night vision monocular. Otherwise you'll end up chasing the next step up to a 20" then 24" ect. I would have been just as happy with the 12" so long as I have NV. But sure, it doesn't hurt to have the extra 4", just not necessary if you have NV.

@m3dinan122

4 жыл бұрын

Dakota Starry Nights Good point on the PSV14 + 12” vs the 16”. Thanks!

@1997saltydog

3 жыл бұрын

What's the deal with using night vision?

@m3dinan122

3 жыл бұрын

I believe it captures IR wavelength light in addition to visible light. It is also more sensitive to light than the human eye; our eyeballs work really well in bright light, but not so well in dim light.

Or, get an 8in that is nice an truly portable, fits on an equatorial mount, and if you need big power, get a star tracker motor and CMOS camera. Above 8in, you need an observatory platform.

Hi! I have a 200mm Newtonian on a motorized EQ mount and I tend to just snap a DSLR onto it and take long exposure pictures. Does it make sense for me to upgrade at all? Thanks!

@DakotaStarryNights

3 жыл бұрын

200mm of aperture is pretty good for imaging. Heck, a lot of guys image with 80mm and some 150mm. So you're above par. As long as you're doing good and producing what you're after then I'd probably stay put.