Product Details

Accessories

Orion Moon Filter, 13% Transmission, 1.25"

Price: $19.95

Customer Reviews

High Performance, Low Price
by Apollos , 2009-12-10

I've had my SkyQuest XT6 for almost a month. One of the parts didn't make it with the telescope and it was a week later until it came. So I had a brand new telescope that I couldn't use for a week. I've always heard that Orion has a reputation of great customer service, and I don't doubt that. But it shouldn't have taken a week after the day my telescope arrived to get a very small part to me... small but required, to be able to turn the scope on its mount.

As to its performance, to me the XT6 is pretty amazing. I once had a Newtonian with an 8" mirror that I had custom-made to precise optics and it didn't perform as good as this "off the shelf" XT6. I live in the city so deep sky objects that are observable are few, so I haven't been able to test it on those yet. But my passion is lunar and planetary observing anyway. The craters and mountains on the Moon are absolutely razor sharp. Jupiter is also crisp and well-defined, and is a spectacular sight with its 4 largest moons. Seeing 2 moons on each side of the planet, all 4 lined up in a straight line, is an awesome sight.

The Dobsonian mount is very sturdy and stable. And that's the one thing I would put a note of caution on -- the weight of the telescope if you're a senior citizen (like me) and/or have a bad back or bad neck (like me), or bad knees or whatever. The optical tube weighs about 13 lbs and the Dobsonian mount about 20 lbs. Doesn't sound like much, but the 20 lbs all concentrated in a relatively small area... even using the handle on the mount... may be very heavy for certain people, or for a child to try to handle. But if you're strong and in good physical shape, the telescope should be no problem for you.

And last of all, the most amazing thing about the XT6 is the unbelievable quality of the optics and mount at such an incredibly low price. This has got to be the best deal on the market for a moderate size Newtonian telescope. I can't imagine anyone having a better 6" f/8 Newtonian reflector even at a higher price. The XT6 is a beautiful optical instrument that I'm extremely proud to have.

One other thing that I forgot to mention before: The telescope was almost perfectly collimated upon delivery. I had only to "tweek" it just a hair to get it centered. This is very remarkable when you consider how easy it is to get a Newtonian's optics out of alignment, and that the XT6 arrives by UPS truck. I tip my hat to Orion for that.

Weight not an issue
by R. Tompson from 720 mps from home, 2009-04-30

This is my first telescope, so I'll refrain from any comparisons or ratings, apart from things I know something about.

I'm having a blast with my XT6. I bought it used, but it's very easy to use. Its going to be fun learning about the heavens with it.

In retrospect, though, I should have bought the 8" one. I was scared of the weight... I'm 56 years old, and will be moving it from my suburban home to my rural getaway fairly often, and I was worried it would be too heavy for me to carry from the car into the field.

I should not have worried. The 6" scope is quite easy to transport, even with a stool and my milk crate with eyepieces, flashlight, atlas, notebook, etc. The 8" one is 7 pounds heavier, which I could easily handle. And since the optical tube easily separates from the base, breaking into 2 20 pound units, I could make multiple trips if I wanted to. But I shouldn't have really worried... 40 pounds is not a problem for me at all.

Every boat owner wants to buy a bigger boat, and I guess every astronomer wants a bigger bucket. I'm not an astronomer yet, but I do want that XT8 some day soon.

Buy the 6" and know it's a great piece of engineering... or save up another month and get more aperture.

Fantastic !! Easy to assemble and easier to use
by online buyer from Texas, USA, 2009-04-21

This is a great telescope. Easy to assemble and even easier to use. Not too heavy to move about. My son (age 10) is absolutely thrilled with it. Recommend it? Definitely.

Unbelievable!
by Joseph T. Pastor from St. Louis MO, 2009-03-24

This was my Christmas gift to myself. I must have been good this year. Currently I have only two eyepieces, one is the 25mm that came with it, the other is a 20mm I already had. Those give me 48x and 60x magnification respectively. The optics should support much higher magnifications. So far I am blown away. I've seen the Orion nebula, amazing detail in the moon, Venus resolved to a very large disk, and the rings of Saturn. Even from my light polluted south St. Louis backyard I can make out two of Saturn's moons.
It is very portable, weighing about 35lbs, mount and all. If I decide to drive out to a suburban park on a moments notice, I can have it disassembled, packed and in my car in five minutes. Then setup is equally fast. I can pick it up and walk anywhere with it. I can't wait to get some higher power eyepieces and drive out to some darker rural skies. For a guy who so far has only owned a pair of 20x80 binoculars and a cheap refractor when I was a child, this thing is unbeatable for the price. If you are thinking about buying a refractor, this might be the one.

5 Stars but I Suggest You DON'T Buy It.
by R. Kirkham from Rushville, Illinois USA, 2009-01-10

I just picked up one of these scopes and I can't say enough good about it. I love EVERY part of it. It is easy to carry in and out of my garage. The optics are great. It is easy to use. It is not designed for photography, but that's ok with me. I like my new scope.

Q. So . . . why wouldn't I endorse it?

A. If I had it to do over I would go for the 8" model. The 8" is about the largest aperature that I could lug in and out of my garage and it gathers substantially more light. I purchased mine because I got a good deal and couldn't afford the 8". Now I've got aperture fever and want bigger and bigger (at least as big as I can handle).

If you just don't have the money for the 8", do not worry. The 6" will allow you to see enough to keep you busy for years, perhaps a lifetime. If I ever succumb to aperture fever and purchase a larger model, I think I'll keep my 6" for its portability. I really like this scope! Yep, that's it, a big gun for home and a grab and go for the road.

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Orion Moon Filter, 13% Transmission, 1.25"

Price: $19.95