Skywatcher HERITAGE-100P Tabletop Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope

Product Information

I power this with a Talentcell battery and it works very well and is nowhere near empty after 2 nights observing. Other measurements such as the PV and RMS are important too. With these measurements, the lower the number the better as it shows less curvature on the lens. The flatter an optical lens, the better it will perform. The PV rating (Peak To Valley) is a measurement from the highest point (Peak) to the lowest point (Valley). From this we get the RMS (Root, Mean, Square). This is a similar figure to the PV and measured exactly the same way. The RMS is basically an average height difference from the PV so again, the lower the better. As you can see form the example below, we measured an RMS of just 0.027 wave which is a very good value. Eyepiece– This is an optical device that goes into the focuser or diagonal. The optical tube gathers light but it is the eyepiece that provides the magnification. Eyepieces come in various focal lengths, each providing a different magnification according to the focal length of the optical tube according to the formula Focal Length Optical Tube / Focal Length Eyepiece = Magnification. Therefore a 10 mm eyepiece will provide different magnification depending on the focal length of the telescope. Eyepieces are standardized on 1.25” and 2” diameters. Which size you can use is determined by the focuser and diagonal. Housing the same superb Parabolic Primary Mirror as our highly-renowned Explorer-130P, this telescope is an excellent and capable all-rounder which will provide wonderful views of both the Moon & Planets as well as Deep-Sky Objects. The collapsible patented FlexTube™ system has been incorporated making it even more convenient to transport and store. The uncomplicated manually operated Dobsonian alt-azimuth mount makes it a superb, highly portable, grab-and-go system. The complete telescope & mount comes fully assembled straight out of the box. Supplied in presentation Giftbox. The Sky-Watcher Heritage 150P borrows a lot from the smaller 130P, having essentially the same features but with 20mm more aperture. That extra 20mm may not seem like much, but it makes a significant difference when it comes to viewing galaxies and globular star clusters.

Super.Great little scope for the price, ideal to grab and go i finaly managed to get a clear night to look at the moon with it with a 25x eyepiece and it showed the craters on the moon nice and sharp and clear. Well worth the money and excellent service from Harrison telescopes. 10/10. (08/03/2020) Anne - Cumbria UK. This is a good scope for the money. I use it on an old Manfrotto tripod at the lowest extension and its just the right height. Its easy to collimate with the supplied collimation cap.The finder is zero magnification, with its small red dot projected onto a clear screen, and we found it very easy to align with the main telescope. Controller: Free SynScan App for iOS and Android mobile devices or Synscan Hand Controller (available separately) The Sky-Watcher Heritage 100P is a 100mm (3.93”) f/4 Newtonian reflector with a 400mm focal length. Compared to a small refractor, this scope has quite a bit more light-gathering and resolving power, as well as no chromatic aberration, since it is of course a reflector. However, you do not get nearly as much light-gathering power as a 114mm, 130mm or larger Dobsonian with this telescope and those instruments will perform at least a little bit better on high-resolution targets like the Moon, planets, and double stars as well. For a medium magnification between 30x and 75x, we might also recommend a 15mm gold-line (50x), which provides a good balance of field of view and magnification for viewing many deep-sky objects. If you’re willing to spend extra, there’s the SVBONY 15mm 70-degree with a wider and sharper field of view, as well as a more comfortable eyecup. This is a good telescope for lunar and planetary viewing, but we would recommend a Barlow lens or high-powered eyepiece, otherwise objects tend to appear small.

Another benefit of dobsonians is their unrivalled light gathering capabilities when compared to the cost. Another telescope with the same size and aperture such as a Schmidt would cost twice as much. Seasoned astronomers know that the more light you can gather, the further away you can see and the more you’ll be able to explore. Unfortunately, Dobsonian Telescopes tend to be quite heavy. Key Considerations when Purchasing a Dobsonian Telescope i) Consider the ApertureThe Heritage 150P will show a wealth of festoons, storms, and cloud bands on Jupiter ranging from blue, to red, to tan, to pink, to gray and brown. The Great Red Spot is also clearly distinguishable, even as it continues to shrink over the years. You’ll also be able to see the 4 Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) as tiny disks, with equally tiny shadows when they transit across Jupiter and eclipse its cloudy surface. The 25mm eyepiece supplied is fine although the 10mm is "basic" but thats the norm with bundled eyepieces. You don’t have to be a technical engineer to buy an awesome telescope, but if you understand a few concepts and terms like the ones below, you’ll be fine. How about a state of the art, fully computerized dobsonian telescope to give you a huge head start? The Orion SkyQuest XT8i Dobsonian IntelliScope is the smart solution for the tech loving astronomer willing to make a solid investment.

The Zhumell Z114 features just a bit more light-gathering and resolving power than the 100P along with better quality control for its optics and easy tool-free adjustments for collimation of the primary mirror. Its fast f/4 focal ratio and resulting 450mm focal length also give it a lot wider of a maximum field of view than a 130mm f/5 tabletop scope, though it is of course a little less powerful.

SkyWatcher Skyliner 350P FlexTube Dobsonian Telescope

Lift them out of the box, set them on a tabletop or other flat surface and you can get on with observing the night sky. Tabletop Dobsonians and other tabletop telescopes have come a long way over the past few years, and are a great hassle-free option both for beginners and seasoned observers. What makes Dobsonian telescopes incredibly popular with beginner astronomers is that they are very easy to setup and use. For most of the models, all you have to do is place the tube on the mount and get it working. You don’t even need to be a professional or even a bit familiar with equatorial mounts to install. Likewise, it’s pretty much a point and look type of telescope that rotates any way you want. The Skyliner 300P isn’t for everyone. It’s a big telescope that requires a large vehicle to transport, and you’ll need to be in fairly good shape to easily lift and carry the 17kg base and 21kg tube around. However, the views through a telescope this size are amazing, especially if you’re fortunate enough to get it away from city lights. With 4 times the light gathering ability of a 6” telescope and 2 times the light gathering of an 8”, you’ll be able to view thousands of interesting targets under good conditions. A decent pair of eyepieces are provided to get you started, though you’ll be sure to want more.

The Ursa Major 8″ is not a tabletop scope, but rather rests on the ground independently, with a tube approximately 1.2 meters in length. The scope is undeniably less compact than a 6″ or smaller tabletop instrument, but you are rewarded with twice – yes, twice – the light-gathering ability, 33% more resolving power, and a robust, freestanding telescope that can endure a lifetime of use. The Ursa Major 8″ is also compatible with 2″ eyepieces, thanks to its 2″ diameter single-speed Crayford focuser. Alternative

Best Dobsonian Telescope Reviews

So you finally made up your mind about getting a Dobsonian telescope? Well, you’re no doubt finding out just how many different models and types there are in the market. But before you get overwhelmed and make a hasty decision, we’ve chalked up this here buyer’s guide and some of the best telescopes already making rounds in the UK.