Specification:-

SkyQuest XT10 IntelliScope

• Primary mirror: 10inches/254mm diameter, Pyrex, parabolic, centermarked
• Focal length: 1200mm
• Focal ratio: f/4.7
• Focuser: Crayford, accepts 2" and 1.25" eyepieces with included adapter
• Altitude bearing diameter: 5.75"
• Optical tube material: Rolled steel
• Azimuth pad material: Teflon
• Altitude bearing material: Ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene
• Eyepieces: 25mm & 10mm Sirius Plössl, multi-coated, 1.25" barrel diameter
• Eyepiece magnifications: 48x and 120x
• Finder scope: 9x power, 50mm aperture, right-angle correctimage, achromat, cross-hair. 5° field of view
• Eyepiece rack: Holds three 1.25" eyepieces and one 2" eyepiece
• Mirror coatings: Aluminum with SiO2 overcoat
• Minor axis of secondary mirror: 63.0mm
• Optical tube weight: 28.9 lbs.
• Base weight: 26.3 lbs.
• Tube length: 47.25"
• Tube outer diameter: 12.0"
• IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator: Optional

 

Reference links:

• SCS Astro (the only UK supplier I could find of the Orion USA Skyquest XT range)
• Orion (USA) at Telescope.com
• Orion XT Intelliscope Instruction Manual (PDF) The manual is well written and has clear photos and instructions.
• The original Skyquest XT Instruction Manual (pre-2003 for comparison to todays XT scopes) (PDF)
• Orion SkyQuest IntelliScope Computerised Object Locator Manual (PDF)
• The Pickering "Seeing" Scale
• Astronomical Seeing - Wikipedia
• Damian Peach: Predicting Astronomical Seeing in the UK (PDF)
• Carte du Ciel - free astronomy software capable of linking to IntelliScopes
• The Sky6 - not so free, but excellent professional software that will link with IntelliScopes
• Stellarium - excellent free software, highly recommended!

 

Other Topics in this XT10 Review:

• About Orion USA (If you have only just come to this site, start here).
• Popular & High Quality
• Primary Mirror
• Primary/Secondary Mirror Collimation
• Dobsonian Base
• CorrectTension Altitude Bearing
• Azimuth Bearing
• Aperture is King
• Setting expectations! - How The Human Eye Works
• What is Transparency?
• What is Seeing?
• Crayford Focuser
• Included Eyepieces
• Finder Scope
• Using The XT10i
• The Skyquest™ IntelliScope System
• Specification
• Useful Links

 

Construction of the Orion XT10

That's the end of the main Orion XT10 Review, but the next section of this web site deals with the assembly of the Orion XT10 with plenty more pictures showing the process:-

• Assembly of the Orion XT10 with Construction Photos