Explore Scientific 20 Inch Ultra Light Dobsonian Telescope

Further details

The Explore Scientific Ultra Light 20 inch Dobsonian is the largest of Explore Scientific's Dobsonians - offering enormous light gathering power in a comparatively portable package. If you're looking for a telescope that will actually delivery the types of deep sky views you've been dreaming of without the necessity for permanent observatory mounting - then the Explore Scientific Ultra Light Dobson 20" f/3.6 Generation II could be the ultimate telescope for you.

Transported easily in small cars and is assembled within minutes without tools. The construction was optimized for maximum rigidity with a minimum of mass. The combination of big altitude wheels and an optimized aluminium-sandwich construction allows for small movements even at high magnifications. The focus position is already positioned to accept Explore Scientific's Coma Corrector (part No. 0510330), making it the ideal workhorse for the deep-sky enthusiast. A telescope with a 20-inch/ 500mm aperture gathers more than 5100-times more light than the naked eye. Details on planetary surfaces stand out even to unexperienced observers and countless deep-sky objects show details and traces of color. Bright globular clusters are resolved down to the core and the view of the lunar terminator will provide a unforgettable experience.

Both the fast 20" f3.6 main mirror and the large 120mm secondary mirror are made of high quality quartz material, which means cooling time is reduced to a minimum and the Dobsonian is quickly ready for use. Every main mirror is delivered with an individual optical test certificate, which guarantees the highest quality. A laser engraved center mark of the main mirror allows easy adjustment of collimation. The optical surface has a high-quality aluminum silvering with 94% reflectivity and an extremely resistant quartz protection layer. This overcoat allows the mirror to overcome frequently occurring fogging and dew residue cleanups without any fear of damaging the surface and guarantees a long service life.

A complete redesign of this Dobsonian was necessary to ensure the significantly increased requirements to stiffness and load bearing capacity of the optical components. All connections of the tube structure were made in the TIG welding process and no rivets and screws were used. This has made it possible for us to produce this 20" light weight Dobsonian so unbelievably stiff in spite of the low weight - a noticeably good quality which is searching for its match. The production of almost all mechanical components is carried out by our partners in Hungary and the final assembly of the optics and subsequent quality control takes place in Rhede, Germany.

The design and equipment specifications of the smaller Dobsonian models, which have not he market for years now, have been used as a basis for this design. First of all, of course, the very easy deconstruction/reconstruction and transportability are paramount. Set-up and dismantling can be carried out without tools. The main and secondary mirrors are adjustable during the observation and only two adjusting screws have to be moved. Thanks to the use of precision ball-heads in the main mirror cell and a precision hinge for secondary mirror suppport, the adjustment is absolutely easy and guarantees excellent stability. All connecting parts of the tube trusses now consist of CNC machined aluminum and are attached by stainless steel dowel screws. The secondary mirror can now also be adjusted by the adjusting screws in the direction of the optical axis. The tried and tested 2.5 "HEXAFOC focuser with 1:10 fine adjustment has been used for years - this allows vignetting-free observation despite the fast aperture ratio. A second 40 ° displaced installed mounting plate with a viewfinder shoe allows the rotation of the tube top in combination with a favorable position of the viewfinder tube or the mounting of an additional TELRAD viewfinder. The 6 supporting feet underneath the rockerbox offer a perfect stability and guarantee a smooth tracking in azimuth. Four smaller fans are installed in the side of the mirror box as well as a large fan is installed under the main mirror. This allows an even quicker adaptation to the ambient temperature and reduces the tube seeing (boundary layer removal). The lateral altitude wheels can now be stowed comfortably in the foam layers of the mirror box.

Last but not least another gimmick: The optical tube and the mirror cell are designed to use also on heavy äquatorial mounts.

Dimensions for mobile use:
Total: 680x680x1790mm; Rockerbox 678mm x678mm x347mm; Mirrorbox 590mm x590mm x361mm; Trusses approx. 1084mm; Truss diameter: 25mm; Eyepiece height while pointing at zenith approximately 1,63m; 20“ Total net weight: 53 kg; 20“ Mirror Box + Altitude wheels: 35,8kg; 20“ Secondary Cage: 3,8kg; Rockerbox: 10,6 kg; 20“ 4 Truss pairs: 2,8kg; 20“ Primary mirror: 20kg.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Truss-Dobsonian telescope in full Aluminium construction
Handcrafted in HUNGARY and GERMANY
Fast 20" f3.6 optics with 1800mm focal length
Large 120mm secondary mirror (short axis)
Quarz primary- and secondary mirror set
Laser engraved central mark on primary mirror
Eyepiece height while pointing at zenith approximately 1,63m
Full welded rigid telescope structure - no rivets and no screws
Telescope tube and rockerbox powder-coated
Collimation while observing with the delivered tooling
DeLuxe 2,5" HEXAFOC focuser with 1:10 gear-reduction
8x50 finder scope with red illuminated reticle
Slider bearings made from TEFLON und GRP for smooth and precise movement
Improved primary mirror cell with completely redesigned mechanics
High precision hinge system for secondary mirror holder
Secondary mirror holder with adjustment mechnism along the optical axis
6 larger feet to improve stability
Counter-weights (2 x 1.0 kg) included
2 universal finder slots to enable an easy finder position
Quick-lock fasteners with new springloaded design for comfortable use
Large powder-coated yellow altitude wheels for smooth tracking
Altitude wheels can be stored in the mirror box
5 cooling fans are speeding up the cool-down time

WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
Truss Dobsonian Telescope
Individual optical test report for primary mirror
8x50 finder with red illuminated reticle
Stray light shield for secondary cage
Primary mirror collimation tool
Battery compartment with bag for fans
Extension tube for focuser
Reducer 2"/1.25"
Manual
Delivery is normally 2-3 business days with this product.

Delivery charge £5.95