Dob Recomendation - Lightbridge vs. Zhumell

I'm getting back into this hobby after a few years hiatus. After owning Dobs, Refractors and Maks of varying size, I've decided that my casual observing requirements would be best met by a good quality 8" Dob and a couple good EPs. I've narrowed down my choices to the 8" Meade Lightbridge and the 8" Zhumell.

The Zhumell offers one heck of a lot of bang for the buck and the latest models even include dual speed Crayford focuser for a very attractive price.

I'm reaaly intrigued by the Lightbridge truss tube design, although I'm wondering if a truss tube design is really warranted in an 8" scope. Maintaining collimation is my main concern with this one.

I probably should be most concerned with the mirror quaility.

I;d appreciate any feedback from you all on my choices.

Thanks,

Dave

Dave: Here's my thinking...

- Guan Sheng Optical makes both the Zhumell and the Meade so the mirrors are likely a toss up, probably pretty darn good for the money.

- The two speed focuser is a nice addition.

- For $350 shipped, the Zhumell is a heck of a deal, pretty hard to go wrong on that one.

- The only advantage I see of the MEade is that it takes up less car space when traveling. This could be an advantage if you have a small car and are car-camping but otherwise, an 8 inch F/6 tube DOB fits in most any car.

- If you decide to go with the Meade, it is worth considering the 10 inch F/5. Actually it's worth considering the 10 inch F/5 Zhumell as well. One of my favorite scopes is my OPT Starhunter 10, it's a 10 inch F/5 DOB made several years ago by GSO. It gets a lot of use even though I have 12.5 inch and 16inch Truss/Strut DOBs, that 10 inch F/5 is a sweet spot, somewhat heavier than the 8 inch F/6 but the OTA is about the same length, the base weighs about the same, from a manageability standpoint, it like overgrown 8inch F/6. From a performance standpoint, it captures significantly more light, 56% and about 25% more resolution, definitely noticeable. The down side is that it is more sensitive to collimation error and the F/6 provides better edge correction with simple eyepieces.

That's my two cents. I really like 8 inch F/6 DOBs but since I acquired my 10 inch F/5, at least four 8 inch F/6 DOBs have come and gone (actually 3 come, 4 gone) because the 10 inch F/5 offers more capability in a similar sized package. (Disclaimer: I do have a Paracorr and good eyepieces so the edge correction is not an issue.)

The good thing: Any choice you make is a good choice, you can't go wrong here.

Best

Jon

Dave,
The Zhumell would be my choice from reading your post.

If you are most concerned with keeping cost down, you really can't beat a tube dob. You get a fairly large aperture at low cost, with the main downside of having an unwieldy OTA.

That aside, I'd go for the 10" LB instead of the 8" if you decide on the Meade. For the same hassle of moving a smaller tube, a truss scope gets you into a larger mirror. If you stick with a tube, anything after 8" does tend to get heavy and fairly bulky to store.

Also, don't forget about Astromart classifieds! At least from my experience, astronomers keep their equipment pristine for the most part. Buying a used telescope can save a ton of cash, with little to no downsides against buying new.

Dave,
Take some advice and think larger. 8" is just not big enough for good DSO performance. 10" is about minimum for this.
I know, flame me if you wish, but this is based on my own experiences and mistakes. 8)

Dave Lowe said:

I'm getting back into this hobby after a few years hiatus. After owning Dobs, Refractors and Maks of varying size, I've decided that my casual observing requirements would be best met by a good quality 8" Dob and a couple good EPs. I've narrowed down my choices to the 8" Meade Lightbridge and the 8" Zhumell.

IMHO, a truss configuration is not warranted until you get to about 12-inches, and a smaller-than-that solid tube dob is quicker to set up and less of a pain in the rear. My choice? The Orion Intelliscope 8 or 10.

8)

Did you read the acticle in the Astronomy Technology Today on the Zhuemell Scopes? They person who wrote the article gave it a very good rating?