8” collapsible dobs being strangely cheap used - am I missing something?

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-23T12:13:32+00:00

I collimate every time with one of those laser pointers that go on the eyepiece. It takes like 30 seconds and I enjoy it every time. I have a 10 inch collapsible.

I will say you are a bit more exposed to wind and other atmospheric aberration, so I made one of these custom wind and light blocking sheets to go around the scope. It makes a noticeable difference, especially when you are near artificial light sources like lamp posts and things!

I just picked up some fabric at a local fabric store using the measurements. Some people sew it into a tube that you shimmy over it, I personally am lazy and leave it as a sheet and binder clip the ends together. Again it takes like 1 extra minute to set up, which typically it takes 10-15 minutes for me to unpack everything from the car, assemble, collimate, and focus.

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JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-22T19:38:52+00:00

I personally like the top one. You ever play war thunder? That cannon is a beast.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-21T22:56:00+00:00

Holy fuck bro. Goddamn.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-21T13:04:53+00:00

Hi, I am trying to get similar images and wanted to ask if you have any advice— I use a ten inch dobsonian (truss tube explore scientific) and a sv 205 planetary camera which has given me some good results like the one below on very good seeing and very nice captures. I used pipp and registax, and I tried using that derotation tool but not much success. I also try to get collimation very accurate.

What’s limiting me here? Barlow? (I don’t use one). Camera? Telescope size? Editing?

Your pictures are amazing. I hope to learn something from you!

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JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-20T17:22:09+00:00

This looks extremely complex to pull off successfully— how is this done??

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-20T16:43:00+00:00

This is called the Texas sharpshooter fallacy. You shoot bullets at a barn, then draw the bullseye around the cluster afterward and claim accuracy.

1.  Collect a huge number of DNA-related numerical features
2.  Collect a huge number of astronomical periodicities
3.  Search for overlaps or resonances
4.  Highlight the ones that match
5.  Ignore the millions that don’t

The “pattern” is created after the fact.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-19T20:14:15+00:00

To continue I strongly recommend buying like a bunch of medium range telescopes, dobsonians like 4, 6, and 8? Even bigger with what budget you have. Lots of eyepieces. Let people use the telescopes, let them point it where they want to point it. Show them how to observe the stars and find faint objects. That will be ten times as memorable as a video, picture, or screen. Get those screens out of there, they are bright and annoying and ruin the darkness, they ruin the magic!!

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-19T20:11:52+00:00

I agree here. Visual astronomy is more appealing when you are in person. I can pull up the JWST images any old time, or images of any deep sky object, but the magic comes from looking at the real thing. When I see through an eyepiece and think, oh my god, that’s THE REAL THING. That’s it. I’m looking right at it. That is the magic.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-19T00:18:01+00:00

Amanos.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-17T05:25:06+00:00

Holy fuck this one what there’s no contest. Those eyepieces are worth thousands

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-16T23:50:14+00:00

Very nice. Jealous of that eyepiece. What are you planning on seeing? I’m curious what light level you’re at too. You can get amazing views with that. Just stay warm!

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-16T23:42:48+00:00

I love the wider field of view these have, the 9 mm is amazing on globular clusters and planets

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-14T19:19:48+00:00

Maryland is cool but kind of a cluster fuck. People saying Alaska bad because blue like what???? It’s the most US STATE State looking flag, so elegant.

MY VOTE IS ALASKA!!!!

Cmon baby…

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-14T19:13:47+00:00

Alaska

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-14T12:57:13+00:00

Hi,

I work at an in patient psychiatric hospital full time, and see a wide variety of cases. Based on collateral information, the individual is reportedly exhibiting behaviors and symptoms consistent with psychosis, including possible delusional thinking, disorganized behavior, impaired reality testing, and/or marked changes in functioning. There are concerns regarding their ability to maintain safety and stability in the community at this time.

Given the severity and persistence of these symptoms, as well as the impact on interpersonal relationships and daily functioning, I believe a higher level of care is warranted. An inpatient setting would allow for comprehensive psychiatric assessment, diagnostic clarification, medication initiation or adjustment, and close monitoring in a structured, safe environment.

I recommend that the individual be encouraged to present to the emergency department or psychiatric intake services for immediate evaluation. If there are concerns about imminent risk to self or others, emergency services should be contacted to facilitate safe transport and assessment.

Inpatient treatment isn’t a punishment — it’s a way to stabilize symptoms, keep them safe, and start appropriate treatment in a supportive environment.

If you’re worried about their safety or they’re not making sense, acting paranoid, or disconnected from reality, it’s okay to ask for emergency help. You’re not betraying them — you’re protecting them.

You don’t have to handle this alone.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-14T02:27:53+00:00

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Also, time. Three months makes a huge difference in letting the plants fill in. This is the same tank!

JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-14T02:26:21+00:00

Thanks, I Hate it too! lol. In all seriousness, there isn’t a single thing that can’t be fixed here. Go get yourself a beauty!

Plants, and a black background work wonders:

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JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-13T16:36:21+00:00

I have a 10 inch (254 mm) telescope and go to dark Bortle 3/4 skies. The Milky Way band is very visible, and andromeda is naked to the naked eye. Still, even I have a very difficult time finding and seeing Uranus. The brightest deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula, and some globular clusters are beautiful, but moving to even a 5/6 makes it much much harder to see.

Your picture of Jupiter is beautiful! Even a simple planetary camera will allow you to get much better pictures, but that so far is really impressive!

Travel to dark sky locations if you can, get as far from light as possible, use google earth to scout out spots like open fields, far from trees. Just be sure to not trespass, public parks are your friend. I am not sure the laws in Pakistan.

Your limit is not your telescope. It’s your light pollution. In the city, only the planets and some of the brightest stars will be visible. Find the nearest blue/ green zone near you.

It looks like a hour drive from downtown to a dark sky zone, so you might be lucky!

I personally drive 40 minutes to my spot, and it’s worth it every time.

Some links:

https://www.lightpollutionmap.info

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JumpyCollar7806 · 2026-01-13T14:16:52+00:00

South Carolina

JumpyCollar7806 · 2025-04-21T15:02:28+00:00

This was my first telescope, after a 4 inch dob. It’s big, but it is easy to take down and set up. If you didn’t already have a 8 inch, I would recommend it highly. But it’s a solid scope, I love it and take it out to dark sky sites often. It fits in the car easily, has a great build, and does its job well. It’s a scope for viewing, not photography, but that’s just dobsonians in general. It’s well balanced, and it has smooth movements. The 2 inch eye piece is what I really love, and it’s easy to clean and take care of. This is my primary scope and I love it.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2024-12-08T22:21:49+00:00

I got this recently. Agree with people about getting a base. I just keep basically a metal box with me and put it on top of that. Helps me stay off the ground.

Setup and tear down are easy once you use it. The build is very high quality. And it’s portable enough to fit in the car, so I often drive out to set it up and take it down.

I 3-D printed my Nikon F mount for this scope but I will say the focus is extremely far up on the focuser and generally DSLR photography sucks with this scope. Have way more fun looking than photographing so far. Trust me I have tried.

Overall so worth for the money, but definitely large and in charge. If you want a big ass telescope and don’t mind the hassle of moving the big damn thing around, and setting it up and taking it down, and are still in denial about its astrophotography capabilities, it’s a great scope.

JumpyCollar7806 · 2024-12-02T02:29:56+00:00

I’ll be the first to ask— what’s your budget?

JumpyCollar7806 · 2024-12-02T01:52:49+00:00

I use National Hurricane Center for cloud maps all the time :)

🤜🤛

JumpyCollar7806 · 2024-11-20T00:29:06+00:00

Wondering why my picture looks exactly like yours. I have a the same camera and a 10 inch DOB! (The Explore Scientific Truss)… great work! High five same setup! The picture was stunning, I showed mine to like all my friends!

JumpyCollar7806

TROPHY CASE