Orions launch new Range of Truss Intelliscope Dobs

Someone scooped Orions Teaser Ad campaign reveal due tomorrow night. They found this page on the Orion servers!!

tinyurl.com/6jeygu

What does everyone think?

Suh-weeet! Looks the biz (metal effect everything) at a very affordable price, with GoTo funtions (14,000 objects). Considering the mount style (AltAz allignment) would this be the biggest competitor to the ETX/LX Meade series? Easy transportation without the need for accurate ground polar allignment.

Seanie.

Its actually a 'Push-to' Seanie, not a Goto.

S'funny though, that was a big discussion point on a Cloudy Nights thread discussing the Teaser ads for this new scope. ie. "Orion pulled a rabbit out of the hat in 2004 with their Intelliscope system which was as accurate and arguably more user friendly than the likes of Sky Commander, Magellan and even the Argo Navis at 700-1000 and yet added only 150 to the price of the scope. We all said, wouldn't it be amazing if they did the same with a 1500 $ Stellarcat style goto system and fitted it to their scopes for 300."

Well they didn't....pity, but then again they didn't need to. With Meade not in a financial position to do the R&D and bring out their own INtelliscope DSC type system for their dobs, well Orion still had one up on Meade. All Orion needed to do was make a Truss to one up on Meade. No need for the R&D on a goto drive system. Maybe when they renew the lineup again in 2012??

Still although there is nothing truely innovative in their new scopes it is nice to see they have listened to customer gripes about the few problems that the XT's had.

ie. They have side bracing to reduce flexure. Large 8in Altitude bearings, Ebonystar and Teflon AZ bearings and an actual true 4 point truss system like obsessions. Even better than the Meade Lightbridges.

Skywatcher have launched a pair of collapsible dobs in 10 and 12 inch sizes that look good.

Here's the site for the 12"

www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/produ...&class1=1&class2=106

that skywatcher one looks well dodge. id say there is always gonna be a little give in those poles!

The poles do look a little thin, but the only way to judge it is to see it in action.