Skywatcher's Dobsonians are an affordable alternative, and very popular with amateur astronomers of all levels. The 1200mm focal length allows better eyepiece selection to achieve high magnifying power, and the  teflon bearing surfaces of the mount ensure smooth tracking ability about both axes.

All models have a paraboloidal primary mirror to eliminate spherical aberration and a four-arm, secondary- mirror bracket with fine supports (0.5mm thick), to reduce diffraction spikes and light loss. In addition, all models include a 2" focuser with a 1.25" adapter, allowing the use of either eyepiece size.

The 203mm (8") model includes the new feature-tension control handle. The secret of the design is to correctly balance the optical tube with special designed handles on the base. The design adds enough friction and tension to allow the tube to move easily when nudged but to stay in position when not. Users can easily add or reduce tension by turning on the handle. This feature solves the common balance problem found on many Dobsonians.