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Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic Telescope with Bonus Accessory Pack | 
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Brand: Orion
Category: Photography
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Media: Electronics
Resolution Modes: 0.6
Aperature Mode: over-200mm
MPN: 09708
UPC: 759270097080
EAN: 0759270097080
ASIN: B000M88AAW
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| Features:
| • | 254mm aperture and 1200mm focal length for glorious views of the moon, planets, galaxies and nebulas | | • | The ultra-stable Dobsonian base keeps the tube perfectly balanced for point-and-view ease of use | | • | Now includes an upgraded 2" Crayford-style focuser that accepts 1.25" and 2" eyepieces | | • | Includes two Plossl eyepieces, 9x50 finder scope, collimation cap, and eyepiece rack | | • | Now includes a Bonus Accessory Pack with right-angle finder scope, LaserMate collimator and Deep Map |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Our classic XT10 isn't just great bang for the buck, it's a veritable explosion of telescope value. It combines powerful parabolic optics with the ultimate in mechanical stability. The SkyQuest XT10 features an 254mm parabolic primary mirror that will tease out detail in nebulas, resolve stars in globular clusters, and reveal subtle structure in galaxies. The enameled steel optical tube sports an upgraded 2" Crayford-style focuser that accepts both 2" and 1.25" eyepieces. The tube moves effortlessly on Teflon/UHMW bearings for point-and-view simplicity. Comes complete with navigation knob, two 1.25" Sirius Plossl eyepieces, eyepiece rack, quick-collimation cap, and hard dust cap.
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| Customer Reviews:
Extraordinary value for the money March 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I purchased an XT10 a number of years ago and used it almost every clear night for two years. The 25 mm eyepiece and 10" mirror are exceptionally high in quality, providing me with sharp low power images of nearly all of the Messier objects. I highly recommend this scope as a first telescope to anyone who is able to handle the ~40 lb optical tube assembly.
I did find that my mirror was "pinched" by overly tight mirror brackets (tightened down to keep the mirror moving during shipping?)--loosening these brackets greatly improves the optical quality. If you get one of the XT10's with a closed mirror cell, you will want to discard the metal disk that closes the bottom of the tube--this just traps warm air in the tube and keeps the mirror from cooling to ambient (creates tube currents that distort images).
Like a previous reviewer, I found the finder provided with the scope to be almost useless. Recommend purchase of a Telrad or similar illuminated finder.
This is a fast Newtonian (F 4.7) and accurate collimation is essential for good performance. You will want to purchase a high quality laser collimator (I use a Howie Glatter collimator) or a Cheshire with an autocollimator (Tectron makes a set containing a sight tube, cheshire and autocollimator).
All the apeture without the gizmos, for the sliderule astronomer November 18, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you want to find it yourself and this product is at the high end of your budget, buy it. You will not find better quality for the price.
I went to 4 star parties prior to making this purchase and sampled a variety of brands and configurations before deciding on the Skyquest Classic. I have not been disappointed.
I highly, highly recommend contacting your local astronomy club and attending a star party. There are two clubs in my area and both were very helpful. Great free advice and the ability to try out the equipment proved invaluable in this purchase decision.
An excellent buy! October 31, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The XT10 comes in two boxes: one containing the main tube plus the accessories and another containing the base. The base has to be assembled but it's very easy even for someone who has two left hands like me. Once assembled, I then collimated the scope. Collimation is a snap with the laser collimator provided in the bonus pack. I adjusted the tilt of the secondary mirror so that the laser spot was centered on the primary mirror (Orion marks the center for you). I then made some small changes to the primary mirror to get the laser beam return centered in the collimator. Took about 2 minutes. I then took it out to look at Comet Holmes. What a beautiful view. The details of the structure were revealed. I'm looking forward to many hours of observing using this excellent instrument.
The ideal amateur telescope--if you can carry it January 6, 2007
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
This is 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.
Some advice on selection. Dobsonians like this one come in a range of sizes. A 114mm (4 ") 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 is right in the middle of the recommended range. A 250mm (10") like this one 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. The 9x50mm "crosshair" finder supplied with this scope is great for fine searching, but I recommend supplementing it with a red-dot finder to aid in initial pointing. 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."
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