Orion XT and Intelliscope Experts.......

On my recommedation a friend just bought his first scope an Orion XT8i but against my recommendation he also purchased the intelliscope DSC's. I wanted him to keep it as simple and frustration free as possible for a first scope. My question to you XT and intelliscope experts is what modifications will he have to make to the Orion dob mount and encoder mounting system to ensure that the DSC's will be even remotely useful. I have a hard time believing that these mounts are even close to orthagonal out of the box but maybe I am wrong about that.

Any suggestions on mods to ensure usefulness of the DSC's would be appreciated. thanks.

Hi Vince,

I have the XT8i. The DSC is very accurate. The mount is orthogonal if assembled properly. I did have to replace a malfuntioning Azimuth encoder disc after several months (Orion sent me a replacement free of charge) and since then it has performed without problem. I usually get a warp factor of less than 0.4. The disadvantage is I didn't get to learn the sky well as a newbie.

Wingko

I had the 10 XTI and it was quite accurate, just a good as the Sky Commander. If you do the vertical alignment and set the stop as stated in the manual, then alignment is a snap.

I have the XT10 as well and have never had an issue. Works great all the time and with a 15mm EP things always in the fov.

I always use Polaris as the 2nd alignment star. Usually Mizar as the 1st. Usually get Warps between .3 and .6. I have noticed it sometimes does not like Polaris as the 1st alignment star for some odd reason, so always use it as the 2nd as it's very convenient and always up there

The Intelliscope DSCs on my XT12i worked perfectly out of the box and almost a year later, continue to work flawlessly. So long as he follows the instructions precisely while assembling the scope and installing the encoders, spacers, etc., it should be a troublefree experience.

After the scope is assembled, it is important to continue to follow the instructions regarding making sure the OTA at vertical rest is perpendicular to the baseboard. Use a spirit level/bubble level. Do the washer adjustment described in the manual to set the vertical stop so that the top edge of the OTA is level (parallel) with the baseboard. Once done, it is unlikley he'll have to revisit this step.

Orion has the benefit of huge volumes. Their consistency unit to unit has become quite good. These aren't fancy scopes, but the are functional, easy to use and very affordable for the level of performance offered.

Regards,

Jim