Orion XT10 - Where's the market?

What's up with this scope? Is it for a beginner, advanced or
a mentally challanged individual? What are we paying $600 for? Its definitely not the optics since they only have 88% reflectivity and just recently have been made of pyrex. It must be the all new important exclusive collimation cap, navigation knob, and 2"/1.24" eyepiece rack. According to the catalog, this scope is for a level 3 or advanced person. I can tell you I don't need a navigation knob to move a tube in both RA and DEC. It started out as a 3 vane now its a 4 vane spider. I'll attempt to restrain myself from purchasing one until the 5 vane spider is available. Instead, Orion should concentrate on incorporating enhanced coatings on the primary and secondary for maybe an extra $200... then I'd purchase one, as I really like the appearance and light weight design for a scope of this aperture. So, where's the market?

Me, for one.

Clear skies,

Tom

We live in great times when $600 for a 10-inch telescope is seen as needing additional justification! I mean, all these new doodads are unessential to be sure, but they were accompanied by a $50 price DECREASE.

I'd be pretty darn happy to have one; I've looked through one a bit and was grinning from ear to ear at the views. And unlike many more expensive dobs, it never has balance problems. Ed Ting put a Paracorr AND a 31mm Nagler in one, and the scope stayed put!

As for the optics - Ed Ting recently added to his review this comment:

" I've seen two more of these XT10s in recent months. Both
have had really nice optics. One retained a sharp image on Saturn at 400X+, something I would not have believed had I not seen it myself. "

To be fair, this is in response to sporadic but not too-rare reports of spherical abberation.

Still I don't understand the incredulity at the popularity of $600, decently made 10-inch scope from a company with well-regarded customer service. Anyone who wants a big-ish scope but is on a budget might want one.

P.S.: I'd call myself "intermediate".

With all due respect, Rob, the market's right in front of your face.

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You honestly don't get this? Do you truly believe the XT10 is overpriced? or are you simply ragging? Do you think the XT10 isn't selling? or do you think the thousands who've bought one are mentally challenged?

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So, "good optics" is all about reflectivity? Do you think the XT10 has bad optics?

The previous spider's vanes were much thicker. It's called diffraction. Look it up.

Four-vane spiders have *always* outsold their three-vane counterparts (and probably always will). That's a market thing. Go figure.

Maybe XT10 buyers -- and there are LOADS more of them than buyers of any other 10-inch Newtonian -- don't care much about an extra three percent reflectivity per surface which can be effectively and easily reduced to "less than enhanced" by adding numerous eyepiece &/or barlow lens surfaces (whether by a beginning or advanced stargazer).

Maybe they can't even discern the difference (at the eyepiece) between a 10-inch scope with net/system transmission of ~82% and another with ~77%. Maybe very few humans can.

Maybe they simply want the most bang for their buck, and maybe they feel Orion's customer service (plus the XT10 itself) gives that to them.

Maybe they're just not aware of the same-priced competitor. Or maybe they *are* aware of the competitor but don't give a hoot.

The market for a very good $600 10-inch reflector (with accessories) from a long-established company with a reputation for excellent customer service...?

Gee -- sounds ludicrous. I can't imagine what all those thousands of XT10 buyers were thinking...

Oh well.

All,

Thanks for everyone's feedback. The purpose was to find out which level of people are utilizing this scope, and how they feel about the bells and whistles related to the optics. Personally, believe its a great value, but prefer the better optics. Now if Orion would compliment the current XT10 w/ a an enhanced coating version, I think that would give them a competitive edge. I'm not aware of any other manufacture that produces a new light weight (< 60 lbs) 10" DOB w/ enhanced coatings and can ship it out within a few days after ordering one. I'm very impatient, as I went through panic attacks and convulsions awaiting for my AP 130 to be delivered. I don't think I can go through that again.


Clear skies,

Rob