Orion XT6 Newbie experience

Dec 27,2003

After reading through numerous FAQ's, opinions, newsgroup and magazine
reviews I bought an Orion XT6 Intelliscope (for my kids of course!
:-)). I'm hoping that this provides some help for those wanting to
get a telescope soon or planning for getting one Christmas 2004. I
bought it from an Orion dealer very close to where I live.

It is not the cheapest 6" Dob but it was reasonable (until the old
classic came back doh!)

To summerize, this is a very good starter scope and will show alot of
what is out in the sky. If the kids interest wanes, then you won't be
out of very much money. These have a reasonable resale value (if
properly cared for)compared to low end 60 mm refractors. It can be a
great casual scope, as once you get the bug, you will get another
telescope. More details of my experience from setup to first light if
you want to read on. I know someone will always say spend more for
more aperature but you will need additional eyepieces to add to the
viewing experience, so always take that into account. Dobs are the
easiest scope to use (my daughter and son use it no problem - read
below) and the view is very good but be aware that the earth moves so
moving the dob constantly needs to be taught and is something to
consider if you want to spend time looking at one thing or lining
something up so that the kids can see. DObs are also alot easier to
grab and setup and start watching, get a stool it helps. I can easily
see the day when my kids wil be able to take the scope out to use
without my help. EQ mounts need abit of storage planning and setup.
Personally, I don't see the complication in buying an EQ mount but
someone else might,then again I can program my VCR!!. Once properly
aligned (notice the word properly) turning the manual control is
easier than nudging the dob. If you go the EQ mount, spend alot of
money to get a stable mount - if not the shakiness in focusing and
general instability will greatly lessen the viewing experience.
******************************************
Overall I would say the XT6 is inexpensive rather than cheap.

2 boxes - one for dob mount one for OTA.

I assembled the base and put the tube on. No problems I can remember.

Collimation - The secondary was good, no need to tweak anything but
the primary needed to be adjusted. It took a few minutes to figure
out which way to move the adjustment screws but it was easy to line up
the "donut".

Star test yielded concentric circles when de-focusing.

Setting Finderscope - did this during the day, got it close enough to
function well.

As per the requirement of buying a new telescope, the weather is very
bad and after the rains,it is very cloudy so I have to wait for a
break in the clouds and/or clear skies. (update Jan 8 - it is still
cloudy!!)

Finally I was able to look at the sky:
I used the Finderscope to point at Saturn and it showed up as
advertised. Clear view of Saturn and Rings (before it went behind
clouds). One other night was a very good night (clear cold and calm)
where I tried 320x to see how much the scope could do - saw Cassini
division clearly although it was a (very) thin black line around the
ring. I believe I saw three moons, the small points that were around
saturn. The moon was very interesting as the detail of the surface
was quite clear. The 6" dob seems to be capable. I haven't done the
deepspace objects - my backyard suffers from too much light pollution
so I'll have to take the scope elsewhere soon to do that.

My kids (girl - 9 yrs, boy - 7 yrs) loved the view of Saturn, the moon
and the brighter stars. My daughter can move the scope and find
things pretty well (Saturn, Rigel, Betelguese etc) so I have to say
that the dob is easy to use. In fact (because she knows more than I
do) she found an open cluster of stars and was really happy to see so
many stars in the eyepiece. That is one thing the dob is good for,
letting a kid search, find an object and look at it and then start
another search. It seems as if they are not really ready to study
anything for a longer period of time.

This is a very usable scope. So far what we have seen are clear views
of saturn, stars that are bright pinpoints of light and craters and
mountains of the moon. I have a two step (very wide) stool that
allows me to sit comfortably and look through the eypiece and allow
for the constant nudging of the dob.

The advice about starting with 6" aperature is generally correct as it
provides enough light gathering to really get a feel for what is out
in the universe. I say generally correct as it is easy to spend more
of somebody else's money :-) and go for more aperature. Let me say
the usual thing and if you can afford the XT8, get the XT8 (I
unfortunately do not have money coming out of my wazoo and needed to
get additional eyepieces for more viewing pleasure, followed closely
by a book Turn Left at Orion which is needed for someone who doesn't
know what to look for). The weight difference is not big, I picked up
both at the store and it didn't matter to me (I'm 5' 7", 125 lbs).

The XT10 is a whole nother ballgame - don't go there unless you are
serious about the hobby and can afford time and money (i.e. pricier
eyepieces - unless you are one of those people who buy a $4000.00 TV
and then use an antenna on the roof to get "free" tv) and storage
space - this scope is ALOT bigger than my XT6. I figure if your this
serious, you would get high quality eyepieces and you really are not a
kid starting out. (then again if Bill Gates is your dad, tell him to
get you one of everything :-))

I didn't get the XT4.5 because it was too short for me, I didn't think
I could find a suitable platform to get the scope to a better height
for me and I don't like doing the hunchback thing. This was important
for me as I want to be with my kids to show them stuff and how to work
the scope and share viewing omething for the first time. This may not
matter to you if you won't be using the scope. Also, my kids are
growing and soon will be able to handle the dob by themselves, and the
6" will be able to show them lots of things. As a parent I do let the
kids use the scope, my one rule is don't touch the eyepiece lens or
the telescope mirrors with your fingers ever! It is pretty hard to
"break" the dob so I don't worry about that at all. For my kids this
is best because they love doing things for themselves.

Now I want a bigger scope with an EQ mount so I can study things -
can't take notes, look at charts or use higher magnification easily
with the dob. ANy thoughts on an Orion skyview pro 8 EQ or
equivalent?

David wrote:
Dec 27,2003

After reading through numerous FAQ's, opinions, newsgroup and magazine
reviews I bought an Orion XT6 Intelliscope (for my kids of course!
:-)). I'm hoping that this provides some help for those wanting to
get a telescope soon or planning for getting one Christmas 2004. I
bought it from an Orion dealer very close to where I live.

It is not the cheapest 6" Dob but it was reasonable (until the old
classic came back doh!)

To summerize, this is a very good starter scope and will show alot of
what is out in the sky. If the kids interest wanes, then you won't be
out of very much money. These have a reasonable resale value (if
properly cared for)compared to low end 60 mm refractors. It can be a
great casual scope, as once you get the bug, you will get another
telescope. More details of my experience from setup to first light if
you want to read on. I know someone will always say spend more for
more aperature but you will need additional eyepieces to add to the
viewing experience, so always take that into account. Dobs are the
easiest scope to use (my daughter and son use it no problem - read
below) and the view is very good but be aware that the earth moves so
moving the dob constantly needs to be taught and is something to
consider if you want to spend time looking at one thing or lining
something up so that the kids can see. DObs are also alot easier to
grab and setup and start watching, get a stool it helps. I can easily
see the day when my kids wil be able to take the scope out to use
without my help. EQ mounts need abit of storage planning and setup.
Personally, I don't see the complication in buying an EQ mount but
someone else might,then again I can program my VCR!!. Once properly
aligned (notice the word properly) turning the manual control is
easier than nudging the dob. If you go the EQ mount, spend alot of
money to get a stable mount - if not the shakiness in focusing and
general instability will greatly lessen the viewing experience.
******************************************
Overall I would say the XT6 is inexpensive rather than cheap.

2 boxes - one for dob mount one for OTA.

I assembled the base and put the tube on. No problems I can remember.

Collimation - The secondary was good, no need to tweak anything but
the primary needed to be adjusted. It took a few minutes to figure
out which way to move the adjustment screws but it was easy to line up
the "donut".

Star test yielded concentric circles when de-focusing.

Setting Finderscope - did this during the day, got it close enough to
function well.

As per the requirement of buying a new telescope, the weather is very
bad and after the rains,it is very cloudy so I have to wait for a
break in the clouds and/or clear skies. (update Jan 8 - it is still
cloudy!!)

Finally I was able to look at the sky:
I used the Finderscope to point at Saturn and it showed up as
advertised. Clear view of Saturn and Rings (before it went behind
clouds). One other night was a very good night (clear cold and calm)
where I tried 320x to see how much the scope could do - saw Cassini
division clearly although it was a (very) thin black line around the
ring. I believe I saw three moons, the small points that were around
saturn. The moon was very interesting as the detail of the surface
was quite clear. The 6" dob seems to be capable. I haven't done the
deepspace objects - my backyard suffers from too much light pollution
so I'll have to take the scope elsewhere soon to do that.

My kids (girl - 9 yrs, boy - 7 yrs) loved the view of Saturn, the moon
and the brighter stars. My daughter can move the scope and find
things pretty well (Saturn, Rigel, Betelguese etc) so I have to say
that the dob is easy to use. In fact (because she knows more than I
do) she found an open cluster of stars and was really happy to see so
many stars in the eyepiece. That is one thing the dob is good for,
letting a kid search, find an object and look at it and then start
another search. It seems as if they are not really ready to study
anything for a longer period of time.

This is a very usable scope. So far what we have seen are clear views
of saturn, stars that are bright pinpoints of light and craters and
mountains of the moon. I have a two step (very wide) stool that
allows me to sit comfortably and look through the eypiece and allow
for the constant nudging of the dob.

The advice about starting with 6" aperature is generally correct as it
provides enough light gathering to really get a feel for what is out
in the universe. I say generally correct as it is easy to spend more
of somebody else's money :-) and go for more aperature. Let me say
the usual thing and if you can afford the XT8, get the XT8 (I
unfortunately do not have money coming out of my wazoo and needed to
get additional eyepieces for more viewing pleasure, followed closely
by a book Turn Left at Orion which is needed for someone who doesn't
know what to look for). The weight difference is not big, I picked up
both at the store and it didn't matter to me (I'm 5' 7", 125 lbs).

The XT10 is a whole nother ballgame - don't go there unless you are
serious about the hobby and can afford time and money (i.e. pricier
eyepieces - unless you are one of those people who buy a $4000.00 TV
and then use an antenna on the roof to get "free" tv) and storage
space - this scope is ALOT bigger than my XT6. I figure if your this
serious, you would get high quality eyepieces and you really are not a
kid starting out. (then again if Bill Gates is your dad, tell him to
get you one of everything :-))

I didn't get the XT4.5 because it was too short for me, I didn't think
I could find a suitable platform to get the scope to a better height
for me and I don't like doing the hunchback thing. This was important
for me as I want to be with my kids to show them stuff and how to work
the scope and share viewing omething for the first time. This may not
matter to you if you won't be using the scope. Also, my kids are
growing and soon will be able to handle the dob by themselves, and the
6" will be able to show them lots of things. As a parent I do let the
kids use the scope, my one rule is don't touch the eyepiece lens or
the telescope mirrors with your fingers ever! It is pretty hard to
"break" the dob so I don't worry about that at all. For my kids this
is best because they love doing things for themselves.

Now I want a bigger scope with an EQ mount so I can study things -
can't take notes, look at charts or use higher magnification easily
with the dob. ANy thoughts on an Orion skyview pro 8 EQ or
equivalent?

Sweet post David. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

lightshow

David wrote:
Dec 27,2003

After reading through numerous FAQ's, opinions, newsgroup and magazine
reviews I bought an Orion XT6 Intelliscope (for my kids of course!
:-)). I'm hoping that this provides some help for those wanting to
get a telescope soon or planning for getting one Christmas 2004. I
bought it from an Orion dealer very close to where I live.

It is not the cheapest 6" Dob but it was reasonable (until the old
classic came back doh!)

To summerize, this is a very good starter scope and will show alot of
what is out in the sky. If the kids interest wanes, then you won't be
out of very much money. These have a reasonable resale value (if
properly cared for)compared to low end 60 mm refractors. It can be a
great casual scope, as once you get the bug, you will get another
telescope. More details of my experience from setup to first light if
you want to read on. I know someone will always say spend more for
more aperature but you will need additional eyepieces to add to the
viewing experience, so always take that into account. Dobs are the
easiest scope to use (my daughter and son use it no problem - read
below) and the view is very good but be aware that the earth moves so
moving the dob constantly needs to be taught and is something to
consider if you want to spend time looking at one thing or lining
something up so that the kids can see. DObs are also alot easier to
grab and setup and start watching, get a stool it helps. I can easily
see the day when my kids wil be able to take the scope out to use
without my help. EQ mounts need abit of storage planning and setup.
Personally, I don't see the complication in buying an EQ mount but
someone else might,then again I can program my VCR!!. Once properly
aligned (notice the word properly) turning the manual control is
easier than nudging the dob. If you go the EQ mount, spend alot of
money to get a stable mount - if not the shakiness in focusing and
general instability will greatly lessen the viewing experience.
******************************************
Overall I would say the XT6 is inexpensive rather than cheap.

2 boxes - one for dob mount one for OTA.

I assembled the base and put the tube on. No problems I can remember.

Collimation - The secondary was good, no need to tweak anything but
the primary needed to be adjusted. It took a few minutes to figure
out which way to move the adjustment screws but it was easy to line up
the "donut".

Star test yielded concentric circles when de-focusing.

Setting Finderscope - did this during the day, got it close enough to
function well.

As per the requirement of buying a new telescope, the weather is very
bad and after the rains,it is very cloudy so I have to wait for a
break in the clouds and/or clear skies. (update Jan 8 - it is still
cloudy!!)

Finally I was able to look at the sky:
I used the Finderscope to point at Saturn and it showed up as
advertised. Clear view of Saturn and Rings (before it went behind
clouds). One other night was a very good night (clear cold and calm)
where I tried 320x to see how much the scope could do - saw Cassini
division clearly although it was a (very) thin black line around the
ring. I believe I saw three moons, the small points that were around
saturn. The moon was very interesting as the detail of the surface
was quite clear. The 6" dob seems to be capable. I haven't done the
deepspace objects - my backyard suffers from too much light pollution
so I'll have to take the scope elsewhere soon to do that.

My kids (girl - 9 yrs, boy - 7 yrs) loved the view of Saturn, the moon
and the brighter stars. My daughter can move the scope and find
things pretty well (Saturn, Rigel, Betelguese etc) so I have to say
that the dob is easy to use. In fact (because she knows more than I
do) she found an open cluster of stars and was really happy to see so
many stars in the eyepiece. That is one thing the dob is good for,
letting a kid search, find an object and look at it and then start
another search. It seems as if they are not really ready to study
anything for a longer period of time.

This is a very usable scope. So far what we have seen are clear views
of saturn, stars that are bright pinpoints of light and craters and
mountains of the moon. I have a two step (very wide) stool that
allows me to sit comfortably and look through the eypiece and allow
for the constant nudging of the dob.

The advice about starting with 6" aperature is generally correct as it
provides enough light gathering to really get a feel for what is out
in the universe. I say generally correct as it is easy to spend more
of somebody else's money :-) and go for more aperature. Let me say
the usual thing and if you can afford the XT8, get the XT8 (I
unfortunately do not have money coming out of my wazoo and needed to
get additional eyepieces for more viewing pleasure, followed closely
by a book Turn Left at Orion which is needed for someone who doesn't
know what to look for). The weight difference is not big, I picked up
both at the store and it didn't matter to me (I'm 5' 7", 125 lbs).

The XT10 is a whole nother ballgame - don't go there unless you are
serious about the hobby and can afford time and money (i.e. pricier
eyepieces - unless you are one of those people who buy a $4000.00 TV
and then use an antenna on the roof to get "free" tv) and storage
space - this scope is ALOT bigger than my XT6. I figure if your this
serious, you would get high quality eyepieces and you really are not a
kid starting out. (then again if Bill Gates is your dad, tell him to
get you one of everything :-))

I didn't get the XT4.5 because it was too short for me, I didn't think
I could find a suitable platform to get the scope to a better height
for me and I don't like doing the hunchback thing. This was important
for me as I want to be with my kids to show them stuff and how to work
the scope and share viewing omething for the first time. This may not
matter to you if you won't be using the scope. Also, my kids are
growing and soon will be able to handle the dob by themselves, and the
6" will be able to show them lots of things. As a parent I do let the
kids use the scope, my one rule is don't touch the eyepiece lens or
the telescope mirrors with your fingers ever! It is pretty hard to
"break" the dob so I don't worry about that at all. For my kids this
is best because they love doing things for themselves.

Now I want a bigger scope with an EQ mount so I can study things -
can't take notes, look at charts or use higher magnification easily
with the dob. ANy thoughts on an Orion skyview pro 8 EQ or
equivalent?

Sweet post David. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

lightshow

David wrote:
Dec 27,2003

After reading through numerous FAQ's, opinions, newsgroup and magazine
reviews I bought an Orion XT6 Intelliscope (for my kids of course!
:-)). I'm hoping that this provides some help for those wanting to
get a telescope soon or planning for getting one Christmas 2004. I
bought it from an Orion dealer very close to where I live.

It is not the cheapest 6" Dob but it was reasonable (until the old
classic came back doh!)

To summerize, this is a very good starter scope and will show alot of
what is out in the sky. If the kids interest wanes, then you won't be
out of very much money. These have a reasonable resale value (if
properly cared for)compared to low end 60 mm refractors. It can be a
great casual scope, as once you get the bug, you will get another
telescope. More details of my experience from setup to first light if
you want to read on. I know someone will always say spend more for
more aperature but you will need additional eyepieces to add to the
viewing experience, so always take that into account. Dobs are the
easiest scope to use (my daughter and son use it no problem - read
below) and the view is very good but be aware that the earth moves so
moving the dob constantly needs to be taught and is something to
consider if you want to spend time looking at one thing or lining
something up so that the kids can see. DObs are also alot easier to
grab and setup and start watching, get a stool it helps. I can easily
see the day when my kids wil be able to take the scope out to use
without my help. EQ mounts need abit of storage planning and setup.
Personally, I don't see the complication in buying an EQ mount but
someone else might,then again I can program my VCR!!. Once properly
aligned (notice the word properly) turning the manual control is
easier than nudging the dob. If you go the EQ mount, spend alot of
money to get a stable mount - if not the shakiness in focusing and
general instability will greatly lessen the viewing experience.
******************************************
Overall I would say the XT6 is inexpensive rather than cheap.

2 boxes - one for dob mount one for OTA.

I assembled the base and put the tube on. No problems I can remember.

Collimation - The secondary was good, no need to tweak anything but
the primary needed to be adjusted. It took a few minutes to figure
out which way to move the adjustment screws but it was easy to line up
the "donut".

Star test yielded concentric circles when de-focusing.

Setting Finderscope - did this during the day, got it close enough to
function well.

As per the requirement of buying a new telescope, the weather is very
bad and after the rains,it is very cloudy so I have to wait for a
break in the clouds and/or clear skies. (update Jan 8 - it is still
cloudy!!)

Finally I was able to look at the sky:
I used the Finderscope to point at Saturn and it showed up as
advertised. Clear view of Saturn and Rings (before it went behind
clouds). One other night was a very good night (clear cold and calm)
where I tried 320x to see how much the scope could do - saw Cassini
division clearly although it was a (very) thin black line around the
ring. I believe I saw three moons, the small points that were around
saturn. The moon was very interesting as the detail of the surface
was quite clear. The 6" dob seems to be capable. I haven't done the
deepspace objects - my backyard suffers from too much light pollution
so I'll have to take the scope elsewhere soon to do that.

My kids (girl - 9 yrs, boy - 7 yrs) loved the view of Saturn, the moon
and the brighter stars. My daughter can move the scope and find
things pretty well (Saturn, Rigel, Betelguese etc) so I have to say
that the dob is easy to use. In fact (because she knows more than I
do) she found an open cluster of stars and was really happy to see so
many stars in the eyepiece. That is one thing the dob is good for,
letting a kid search, find an object and look at it and then start
another search. It seems as if they are not really ready to study
anything for a longer period of time.

This is a very usable scope. So far what we have seen are clear views
of saturn, stars that are bright pinpoints of light and craters and
mountains of the moon. I have a two step (very wide) stool that
allows me to sit comfortably and look through the eypiece and allow
for the constant nudging of the dob.

The advice about starting with 6" aperature is generally correct as it
provides enough light gathering to really get a feel for what is out
in the universe. I say generally correct as it is easy to spend more
of somebody else's money :-) and go for more aperature. Let me say
the usual thing and if you can afford the XT8, get the XT8 (I
unfortunately do not have money coming out of my wazoo and needed to
get additional eyepieces for more viewing pleasure, followed closely
by a book Turn Left at Orion which is needed for someone who doesn't
know what to look for). The weight difference is not big, I picked up
both at the store and it didn't matter to me (I'm 5' 7", 125 lbs).

The XT10 is a whole nother ballgame - don't go there unless you are
serious about the hobby and can afford time and money (i.e. pricier
eyepieces - unless you are one of those people who buy a $4000.00 TV
and then use an antenna on the roof to get "free" tv) and storage
space - this scope is ALOT bigger than my XT6. I figure if your this
serious, you would get high quality eyepieces and you really are not a
kid starting out. (then again if Bill Gates is your dad, tell him to
get you one of everything :-))

I didn't get the XT4.5 because it was too short for me, I didn't think
I could find a suitable platform to get the scope to a better height
for me and I don't like doing the hunchback thing. This was important
for me as I want to be with my kids to show them stuff and how to work
the scope and share viewing omething for the first time. This may not
matter to you if you won't be using the scope. Also, my kids are
growing and soon will be able to handle the dob by themselves, and the
6" will be able to show them lots of things. As a parent I do let the
kids use the scope, my one rule is don't touch the eyepiece lens or
the telescope mirrors with your fingers ever! It is pretty hard to
"break" the dob so I don't worry about that at all. For my kids this
is best because they love doing things for themselves.

Now I want a bigger scope with an EQ mount so I can study things -
can't take notes, look at charts or use higher magnification easily
with the dob. ANy thoughts on an Orion skyview pro 8 EQ or
equivalent?

Sweet post David. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

lightshow