Dobsonian telescopes are one of the easiest entry points into the world of amateur astronomy, and in fact, were designed with that purpose. They are relatively lightweight and compact compared to other telescopes, and are much easier to transport and operate. On top of that, because of their streamlined design, Dobsonian telescopes also tend to pack a lot of punch for little price. Known as light buckets because of their Newtonian Reflector optical tubes, which are able to accept a large amount of light, these telescopes are incredibly versatile, able to accomplish both planetary viewing as well as deep sky viewing.
Orion is known as one of the best manufacturers in the telescope business, and with their SkyQuest XT Classic Dobsonian line, they continue that tradition. While we review the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope, with a six inch aperture and a price of $349.99, the series also is family to the XT 4.5—which has an aperture of four and a half inches and a price of $299.99, the XT8—which has an aperture of eight inches and a price of $449.99, and the XT10—which has a ten inch aperture and a price of $599.99. It should also be known that each of these telescopes are able to be upgraded in two ways: the first is into the XT Plus model, which features an array of unique upgrades from the XT Classic line including a lighter build and higher reflective external coatings to make the telescope easier to work with in the dark, and the second is into the Kit, which includes a Barlow lens and a Stargazer’s Toolkit. The upgrades themselves are relatively affordable, and are recommended should your budget allow it.
Alongside Celestron and Meade, Orion is one of the top three in telescope manufacturing. An employee owned company, founded in 1975, Orion excels at offering affordable telescopes and a wide variety of accessories. They are best known for their complete telescope kits, which simplify the telescope shopping experience by keeping consumer needs in mind. On top of that, this upgrade is very affordable for what you get with it. Considering the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope, the kit upgrade brings the total cost of the telescope to $379.99, a price rise of only $30 over the base model. The Barlow lens that comes included is worth this in itself. Orion is a consumer focused company that offers some of the most affordable deals in the hobby.
Dobsonian light bucket with Orion touch
The six inch aperture, a focal length of twelve-hundred millimeters, and f/8 Focal Ratio of the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope means that this telescope packs a lot of punch for its price. This telescope will enable you to see all of the sights on any amateur astronomer’s wish list, including the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, the Galilean Moons, Saturn’s Rings, the Cassini Division, and the limiting magnitude of 13.5 will also allow viewing of distant galaxies and nebulae. This telescope does everything that you would expect of a Dobsonian. And, thanks to Orion’s upgrades on the Dobsonian design, this Dobsonian presents an easy to operate and smooth viewing experience.
The telescope utilizes Orion’s CorrecTension Friction Optimization system, which enables the optical assembly to connect to the base with both security and balance. This ensures that the telescope will remain balanced and won’t slip out of position throughout your viewing experience, even with the weight of attached accessories. Orion has also gone out of the way to produce a relatively lightweight Dobsonian. The optical tube weighs in at only thirteen and a half pounds, while the base weighs in at just under twenty-one pounds, ensuring a stable set up. When fully assembled, the telescope weighs in at a total of thirty-four and a half pounds. This means that each piece of the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope is easy to transport and carry, making setup, breakdown, and storage as easy as can be.
The optics are also backed up with a built in 1.25″ PTFE lined rack and pinion focuser, the coating guaranteed to reduce both friction and wear. The focuser is also designed to be compatible with any one and a quarter inch Orion eyepiece or accessory. Through the use of two knurled thumbscrews, the focuser is guaranteed to safely secure your eyepiece in place while providing clarity and sharpness to your viewing experience, whether this is the craters on the moon, or a cloud-like nebula.
Comes with plenty of accessories
The Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope comes with a variety of accessories guaranteed to improve your viewing experience. This includes a twenty-five millimeter Sirius Plossl eyepiece with a wide fifty-two degree field of view that provides extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast, as well as an Orion EZ Finder II red dot sight that enables precision aiming of the telescope. You will also receive a collimation cap that will allow for quick and easy alignment of the primary and secondary mirrors.
Perhaps the most useful of all the accessories is the included Starry Night Special Edition software that runs on both Windows and Mac operating systems. This planetarium software enables you to see what celestial targets are available at your viewing location at any date or time. This software can help you to plan your viewing sessions, removing much of the guesswork involved in locating objects.
When you upgrade to the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Kit, you will also receive a Shorty 2x Barlow lens which will double the magnification of the Sirius Plossl eyepiece, as well as a RedBeam Mini flashlight that will allow you to see your setup in the dark while still allowing your eyes to adjust to the night sky. The kit also comes with a number of resources for locating objects in the field, such as the MoonMap 260 that easily helps you locate and identify lunar features, as well as a Star Target Planisphere that will help you to see what constellations and objects will be visible on any day of the year when you are away from your computer. For beginners, it also comes with the Orion Telescope Observer’s Guide book, which is designed to teach beginning amateur astronomers to learn how to locate and observe over sixty interesting objects.
Features and specifications
- The Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope features advanced optics with a six inch aperture and f/8 Focal Ratio, with a limiting magnitude of 13.5, enabling both planetary and deep sky viewing
- The telescope utilizes Orion’s CorrecTension Friction Optimization system to keep the optical assembly stable during viewing
- The telescope comes with a built in 1.25″ rack-and-pinion focuser that allows crisp and clean viewing experiences and is compatible with a vast number of Orion eyepieces and accessories
- The telescope includes a 25mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece
- The telescope come with the Starry Night Special Edition download, a planetarium software that helps with planning of your viewing sessions from any date, time, or location
- The telescope weighs thirty-four and a half pounds when fully assembled, and can easily be broken down into two pieces for transport and storage
- Purchase of the telescope includes a one year limited warranty from date of purchase
- For only an additional $30 you can upgrade to the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Kit, which will give you an additional Shorty 2x Barlow lens, a RedBeam Mini flashlight, the Orion Telescope Observer’s Guide book, a copy of a MoonMap 260, as well as a planisphere
User impressions
The Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope is featured on a number of different retailer sites, including Orion’s main site, OTP, and Amazon. The telescope has earned high ratings with over three-hundred reviews, boasting a 4.9/5 on Orion’s main site, a 5/5 on OTP, and a 4.8/5 on Amazon.
Users agree that the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope is “absolutely, one hundred percent a must have for anyone wanting to get into star gazing” that is “simple enough to use to get instant gratification, but powerful and versatile enough to last a lifetime of use.” This consensus is backed up by another user, who remarks that “I have had this now for more than nine years,” in which time they have “looked at everything from the moon to the Andromeda Galaxy,” and are continually impressed by the “super solid build,” the fact that the telescope is “reasonably portable,” and that in that time the “mirrors have rarely needed collimating.”
Users say that “if you are on a budget,” then “you CAN NOT go wrong with this scope” which is both “solid” and sold at a “great price.” The telescope is “very portable” and “easy to load in the back seat” of a compact car, despite the fact that “the telescope and base are quite large.” Thankfully, this is built into the design of the telescope as “the base is heavy enough and low to the ground” so that “there is no fear of knocking the telescope over” due to shifting and movement, and to make things easier “there is a handle on the base which makes carrying it a breeze.” When the telescope arrives after shipping, users claim that it is “easy to set up” and “very easy to assemble the base,” which takes about “thirty minutes” and is the only assembly required. Even better, the telescope comes “very nearly collimated,” and “the instructions are simple enough to make the minor adjustments to perfectly collimate it” without much effort. Likewise, “the telescope’s controls are easy and intuitive to use.”
In regards to the software download that comes with the telescope, users report that the Starry Night Special Edition download really helps to “delve deeper into astronomy,” and the “simulation is like having a planetarium on your computer and is informative and interesting.”
Some users have experienced some negatives, such as some small damage involved in shipping that is covered by Orion’s warranty, and one user purchases the telescope used and was not aware that the warranty only covered the original sale. Users also found that “the pads in between the base plates of the Dobsonian mount don’t do much in terms of reducing friction,” and that there is “too much tension in the altitude springs.” While most users applaud the finder scope, some claim that the “finder-scope is a flimsy plastic effort with hard-to-access dials but once calibrated it works well enough.”
Overall, the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope is a great telescope for beginners that is supported by Orion’s limited warranty and customer service. The telescope is easy to assemble and operate, and is an affordable means to enable viewing of both planetary and deep sky objects. One of the best aspects of the telescope is the ability to upgrade to the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Kit for an additional $30, which is well worth the value. While the telescope as a whole is rather large, like any Dobsonian of this aperture, it can break down into two smaller pieces which are relatively light and easy to transport. The telescope also comes with the planetarium software Starry Night Special Edition download, which aids in planning your viewing sessions and provides valuable and insightful knowledge of the objects available to you in the night sky. Orion also offers a number of additional and quality accessories to add to your setup over the course of your use, which can easily last for well over a decade.
Comparable telescopes
While we endorse the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope, you might also consider the following products:
- Sky Watcher Classic 150 Dobsonian 6-inch Aperture Telescope
- Zhumell Z8 Deluxe Dobsonian Reflector Telescope
- Explore Scientific Firstlight 8″ Solid Tube Dobsonian
Additional accessories
Here are some accessory suggestions that will improve your experience with the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope:
- Orion 1.25″ Premium Telescope Accessory Kit
- 44″ x 11.5″ x 13.5″ Orion Padded Telescope Case
- Orion Deluxe 6-Piece Optics Cleaning Kit
