(Figure. Before the review, I have to remind you that Zhumell Z12 and Apertura AD12 are the same telescopes. They are just marketed under different brands. Enjoy the ride I did! Add the “Tweaker’s Dream Package” (add $149 to base price), and you make a wonderful scope even better. Apertura DT12 12" Dobsonian Telescope. The included components of the “Tweaker’s Dream Package” include; Ultra-Smooth Secondary Washers, Soft Grip Guide Knob, Collimation Thumb Screws, an additional 5 Hole eyepiece tray, and last but certainly not least, Fidelio velvet lining (Figure A). Figure B. I wish ALL dobsonians included this mount versus the Teflon in many dobsonians. The Apertura DT Series telescopes make the most out of its Dobsonian design and give observers a chance to explore the … The adjustable tension on the altitude bearings are also nice and smooth (Figure E). “Try it with a 6mm ORTHO and the Barlow” a voice said, but surely that would be insane I thought? What I did see was fleeting disk of a planet with noticeable detail, but not better then the 8.8, so back to the 8.8mm and the fantastic view that presented me. The Crawford focuser can accommodate 2” or 1.25” eyepieces, and has a nice 10:1 micro focuser with non-marring compression rings too. But calmer minds prevailed; I guess the thought of gaining a 4th telescope at the price of loosing a girlfriend has a way of doing that to a fella. The base assembly was easy enough; I think it took me about 20 minutes from start to finish following the step by step instructions. I was pleasantly surprised that the OTA shipped almost entirely assembled, so you only have to install the altitude bearings and that’s it, so that was nice. Of course my previous star tests hinted at this as well, but I almost decided right then and there, with Jupiter shining in glorious detail, that I needed this scope. Also included with the base package is a fan (4 AA batteries not included) to ensure your optics reach thermal equilibrium as quickly as possible. Community Forum Software by IP.BoardLicensed to: Cloudy Nights, This is not recommended for shared computers. So I took a deep breath, told myself that I just don’t have room for another telescope (at the moment) and to just immense myself back into the view that I am experiencing right now, and enjoy the ride. Sky Watcher Flextube 300 Dobsonian 12-inch Collapsible Large Aperture Telescope – Portable, Eas… Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality. A quick search on the forums confirmed what I had visually experienced; larger aperture scope naturally collect more light, and thus bring out the true colors of stars better then smaller aperture. 10% off The DT Dobs from Apertura are joining the ranks of fantastic Dobsonians that are great for beginners or established amateur astronomers. The rest of the assembly took about another 20 minutes if that, with most of that time experimenting a bit with the adjustable altitude bearing assembly, since this was the first time I had a chance to see this in action up close and personal. Chronicling the Golden Age of Astronomy: A History of Visual Observing from... http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2492, 2 inch, dual-speed Micro 10:1 Crayford style focuser, with 1.25" adapter, Right Angle Correct Image (RACI) 8x50 finderscope, 1.25" 9mm Plössl eyepiece (high-power) with 52 degree field of view, 2" 30mm SuperView eyepiece (low-power) with 68 degree field of view, Battery operated primary mirror cooling fan (8 AA batteries required - NOT INCLUDED), Dobsonian base with roller bearings for azimuth and sealed ball bearings for altitude, resulting in super-smooth adjustment in all dimensions. This roller bearing on the azimuth base means a more fluid motion for tracking, and you will appreciate that when viewing at higher powers, trust me. Then I put in my 8.8mm UWA. (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2492). Intrigued, I just started to slowly scan around and noticed that the stars indeed seemed to be more “colorful”. Interestingly enough, I searched online for another possible method of balance or tightening up the tension knobs, and found an interesting link. Believe me, you will want to ensure this light bucket performs at its best optically; a 12” scope can deliver jaw-dropping views if the optics are up to it. You will be able to see a close-up of the Moon and the planetary system. It’s all about what’s at the eyepiece with these scopes, and that’s exactly where they deliver; a fantastic visual observing experience for those of us that long for those faint fuzzies. Sign up for our email list and receive Popularized by their creator, John Dobson, these telescopes are large and sturdy but surprisingly lightweight at the same time. By the way, the best feature of the base was the roller bearing on the azimuth (Figure C). TelescopesPlus.com This can be a pain in the neck, well actually your back for such a large OTA as the 12”, so my recommendation is to attempt this before ever venturing out with the scope and with your most often used eyepieces. OpticsMart also thought of collimation for the AD12, and included a laser collimator that helps you take guesswork out of proper collimation. As the night progressed from resolved balls of light, rings of nebulosity, to colorful clusters and pairs of stars, I noticed that the king of the planets, Jupiter, had finally rose high enough to permit an adequate view. If I had only one critique of the scope, it’s that base could be a bit stiffer to reduce some shakiness when your viewing through the eyepiece and centering objects at the same time. The seeing was no doubt good, and coupled with the 12” aperture of the AD12, the view was stunning. Click DISCLAIMER: OpticsMart announced themselves as a new astronomical telescope and accessory vendor through contacting me via email, as they heard of my radio show on BlogTalkRadio. This decked out … With 12" of aperture, this huge light-bucket is capable of delving into the deepest reaches of space to … The OTA had a few blemishes that looked like lint or something during painting, but these were only about the size of a quarter, certainly nothing that distracted the overall beauty of this scope when fully setup, and it is one gorgeous telescope when fully assembled. My star tests showed good results, with concentric rings that matched closely on both inside and outside of focus. Open clusters M11, M45, M36, M35, M37, NGC 457, and the Double-Cluster were outstanding. (Figure D) The 8x50 RACI finder is a big help in star-hopping. You'll be ready to observe the Universe right out of the box with the amazing 12" Apertura Dobsonian telescope! They no doubt listened to amateur’s and researched what tweaks most amateurs perform on their dobsonian telescopes that would make these scopes more functional and enjoyable to use out in the field, thus offering this special set of preinstalled “tweaks” onto their exclusive line up of Apertura dobsonians. Our team of telescope experts is here to help! Regarding the tweaks, I’m of the opinion that the flocking is a great help to reduce stray light and increase contrast, even my own 6” dobsonian has a bit of flocking added. The OTA isn’t bad at 47lbs, but it’s the 57” length that makes it a bit challenging to move around. This 12" reflecting telescope comes with quality optics figured to an astounding 1/12th wave! Apertura is known for their incredibly functional and great performing AD Dobsonian telescopes. Copyright 2007 - 2015 All Rights Reserved. When you add up the sheer joy of ultra smooth motions on both axis’s, and good optics, you’re bound to enjoy yourself during a night full of visual observing. The AD12 package includes everything you'll need to get started, including a full-sized right-angle (RA) image correct 8x50 finder scope, two eyepieces, a laser collimator, cooling fan, and more. Not that stars changed from white to orange, but stars that are white seemed slightly bluish now, stars with subtle tinges of blue or yellow were much more noticeable, and stars hinting of orange were now much deeper shades of orange, some approaching red now. What a pleasant surprise that turned out to be, since colorful doubles are also a favorite object of mine. Have questions about an item or need advice on selecting the right astronomy gear? You see, those Teflon bases are ok, but I find you need to exert more pressure to initially nudge the scope, thus inducing some issues keeping the object centered, especially at high powers. This view almost single handedly confirmed that the optics in the Apertura AD12 were very good indeed, in my opinion. Your first purchase on TelescopesPlus.com. We promise you unbeatable selection, service, and total shopping satisfaction. I achieved an acceptable level of balance with my 1.25” eyepieces, even the included 2” 30mm, but add my 24mm Meade UWA that I affectionately call the “Eye-Grenade”, and the scope wants to tilt down, even with the tension knobs as tight as I can get them. The Apertura AD12 delivered just that experience. Sure you can add clip-on counter weights to the rear of the scope I’m sure, but being that this is an evaluation model, I didn’t have that option available, so you may want to include weights as a must have accessory if you have heavy 2” eyepieces. Nothing quite prepared me for the view I was about to have, for when I placed Jupiter within the field of view of this light bucket, and I focused with the very smooth dual-speed Crayford focuser, I was greeted with my best view I have ever had of Jupiter, bar none. For the sake of simplicity, I will use the name “Zhumell Z12” for the rest of the review, but everything I say applies to Apertura AD12, as well. I own two 8” CAT’s, and the light gathering capacity of the 12” vs. those 8” was very noticeable, as one would expect. Thus, when the opportunity presented itself evaluate a new line of scopes exclusively offered by OpticsMart, I jumped, and jumped into the deep end so to speak, asking for and receiving no other then their top-of-the line, large dobsonian, the Apertura AD12 with the “Tweaker’s Dream Package”. Figure E. Adjustable altitude bearings are smooth. I’ll put the specs from the manufacturer below for you to review. I’m confident however that when you’re an owner of such a scope, you can find creative ways to shore up the base if you find the degree of vibrations objectionable. The scope arrived in overall great shape, with only a few minor scratches on the base boards, but all seemed to be on the interior, so no worries. Globular clusters were outstanding, more then fuzzy balls with some resolution; these were glorious spherical balls of stars that you could see to the core. OpticsMart takes things a bit further however, and offers the “Tweaker’s Dream Package”. If your not going to be observing from your home, and plan on taking this scope to a dark-sky site often, you better be prepared physically to haul it out and about. Nobody wants to chance dropping an Allen wrench or screw-driver down the tube one night while your trying to collimate your scope. Opticsmart looks professionally done and extends all the way, the best feature of the stars indeed seemed be. 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