In the 1960's, American amateur astronomer, John Dobson, designed a revolutionary kind of astronomical telescope featuring a lightweight large-aperture reflecting system on a simple mounting, using the then-revolutionary material called teflon. The design combines simplicity and portability with large-aperture prowess. Thirty years later Dobsonians remain supreme for visually observing faint deep-sky objects and are one of the best-selling large telescopes in the USA and Europe. This popularity is reflected in the recent increase of companies now heavily marketing Dobsonians, in particular, Meade (the "Lightbridge" range), Orion USA (XT Intelliscope series), and Skywatcher (Skyliner and Flextube models). This book is the ultimate guide to buying and using commercial Dobsonians, both 'Econo' and 'Primo' models, with in-depth accounts for the various models (plus accessories) on the market and descriptions of the many innovations that amateurs have made to optimize their telescopes' performance.
In the 1980's, on the sidewalks of San Francisco, amateur astronomer John Dobson began showing throngs of people how to build and use large aperture scopes, often from scraps. The Dobsonian,'Dobs,' are now the best-selling large telescopes in the world. There are a great variety of different Dob styles, ranging from elaborate and decorative creations to simple mass market designs, and new models appear all the time. In this title, Neil English presents the ultimate guide to buying and using a commercial Dobsonian for recreational astronomy. He provides in-depth accounts of the various models (plus accessories) on the market - both economy and premium - together with describing the wealth of innovations that amateurs have made to their Dobs to optimize their performance in the field.
Even after thirty years of innovation, the Dobsonian Revolution shows no signs of abating. Find out where the future lies for these large aperture 'scopes and the exciting avenues John Dobson's vision will take us down in the coming years.
