| It's no wonder customers heap 5-star ratings on this "gentle giant." For not only does its jumbo-sized optics and uncomplicated design bring a "new level of joy to simple observing," raved Astronomy magazine, but it's also one of the most affordable quality Dobs on the market. The SkyQuest XT6 Classic isn't just good bang for the buck, it's a supernova of telescope value! The XT6 Classic gives you the deep-space thrills without the deep-pocket frills. We've kept it lean and mean to keep its price low for tight budgets. But rest assured, it comes fully equipped for adventure, whether you're a beginning stargazer or are graduating to a more capable instrument. It features an expertly figured parabolic mirror housed in an enameled steel optical tube. The tube rides on a stable Dobsonian base that allows easy point-and-view navigation and has a convenient carrying handle. A 2" Crayford focuser, EZ Finder II aiming device, 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece (1.25"), and quick-collimation cap are all standard equipment. Setup takes only a minute, leaving the rest of the evening to marvel at the planets, the Moon, and a myriad of deep-sky treasures. Enjoy the fantastic views - and savings! One-year limited warranty. |
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 HUGE bang for buck |
| Review Date: September 6, 2008 |
| Reviewer: black thumb, Berkeley, CA USA |
It is unbelievable to me that a scope this good can be had for this price. Six inches is a LOT of aperture. Forget those little blue rigs with the computerized pointing--you don't need a computer to find stuff, you need *aperture* so you can actually see it. Download some free planetarium software (like Stellarium), buy a sky atlas, and get a nice fat telescope like this one. You'll enjoy it more because the views will actually be good enough to linger over, and you can take pride in finding observing targets on your own. If you want a computer to do all the work, why even buy a telescope? Stay on the couch and surf for some Hubble images.
The scope is rock solid, it was in nearly perfect collimation right out of the box, and I put it together in about an hour while I watched TV. Then it was out the back door and BAM! The moon looks so good you may get stuck there for a while. Cloud belts on Jupiter are a breeze, as are the rings of Saturn. Star clusters look like diamonds scattered on black velvet. Galaxies and nebulas seduce your eyeballs until you realize that it's well past midnight and you're frozen half to death.
One warning: the best scope for you is the one you will use the most. At 35 lbs assembled this is about as much scope as I want to be moving by myself. So think about the weight. If you decide it would keep you from using this scope very often, get a smaller one. Orion's XT4.5 is this thing's little brother, it weighs half as much, and it has gotten uniformly good reviews just about everywhere.
One last thing: Dobsonians are not useful for most kinds of astrophotography but I have taken some stunning pictures of the moon just by holding my digital camera up to the eyepiece of this telescope. Give it a try--you may end up decorating your entryway with moon photos you took yourself. |
High Performance, Low Price
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| Review Date: December 10, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Apollos, |
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
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| Review Date: April 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. Tompson, 720 mps from home |
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.
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5 Stars but I Suggest You DON'T Buy It.
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| Review Date: January 10, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. Kirkham, Rushville, Illinois USA |
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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Unbelievable!
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| Review Date: March 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Joseph T. Pastor, St. Louis MO |
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. |
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