GSO Dobson Deluxe 8-10-12 vs Sky-Watcher Dobson 8-10-12 - dragons' war (KNOWLEDGE BASE / EXPERT NOTE) tips and advices opinie

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Dobsonian Telescopes - colloquially known as Dobsonians, are a type of telescope mount. The Dobsonian mount is essentially an azimuthal box-type mount, although there are variations of it. Let's compare two of the most commonly chosen brands and sizes: Sky-Watcher Dobson 8" - 10" - 12" (manufactured by Synta, www.skywatcher.com - PRC) and GSO Deluxe 8" - 10" - 12" (manufactured by Guan Sheng Optical, www.gs-telescope.com, R.O.C. / Taiwan).
 
These models differ not only in brand but also in significant construction and equipment features. Due to numerous inquiries, we have prepared the most important differences between the two most popular brands offering Dobsonian telescopes: the Chinese Sky-Watcher and the Taiwanese GSO.
 
1. Eyepiece holder
GSO: 2" with a 1.25" reducer, CNC machined, with precise 10:1 micro-adjustment (micro focuser)
Sky-Watcher: 2" with a 1.25" reducer, cast, without a micro focuser
Conclusion: a big advantage for GSO (a micro focuser for Sky-Watcher costs 200-350 PLN, a new CNC-extracted micro-adjustment, like the one in GSO, costs 400- 450 PLN)
 
2. Standard Eyepieces
GSO: 30mm 2-inch Erfla eyepiece (5-element, 70 degrees field of view, new price 239 PLN) and a second Ploessl 9mm eyepiece (4-element)
Sky-Watcher: two 1.25-inch Kellner eyepieces, 25mm and 10mm, 3-element design. The 25mm is decent, while the 10mm is weak. Generally, nobody sells such eyepieces, and their value can be estimated at around 30-40 PLN.
Conclusion: a big advantage for GSO.
 
3. Attaching the Tube to the Dobsonian Base
GSO: notches (quick attachment and detachment of the tube from the base)
Sky-Watcher: screw handles, significantly longer time to detach the tube from the base.
Conclusion: not obvious, as the handles in Sky-Watcher make it very convenient to carry the telescope with two people, but more challenging with one person (handles need to be unscrewed, elements can be misplaced). However, for a single user operating the telescope, GSO offers a much better solution (quick separation of the tube from the mount).
 
4. Possibility of adjusting the center of gravity of the tube on tube rings
GSO: Yes
Sky-Watcher: No
Conclusion: a plus for GSO, especially when using heavy eyepieces. This is advantageous. It should be noted that Sky-Watcher has stronger tube position control, so it handles the attachment of very heavy eyepieces slightly better. Both brands can be additionally balanced, for example, by using magnetically attached counterweights from the Orion brand.
 
Base Bearing (Azimuth Axis)
GSO: Roller bearings
Sky-Watcher: 8" and 10" have Teflon pads, 12" (305 mm) has bearings
Conclusion: for 8" and 10", GSO is better, for 12", both companies offer the same solution.
 
5. Battery-powered fan for mirror cooling
GSO: Yes
Sky-Watcher: No
Conclusion: Those who know how can add it themselves for about 20-30 PLN (computer fan, AA battery holder, soldering iron) - despite that, GSO already has it, while with Sky-Watcher, you would have to add it.