Reddit mentions of Zhumell Z8 Deluxe Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

This is /r/telescopes so regardless of your ability to store it, transport it, or find DSOs with it you're going to be recommended an 8" Dobsonian, might as well go with the Zhumell Z8.

Let me let you in on a dirty little not-so-secret in amateur astronomy.

Look at these four telescopes:

GSO 8" Dob,
Orion Skyline 8" Dob,
Zhumell Z8, and
Apertura AD8

Q: What's the difference between them?
A: Other than price, paint, and logo, NOTHING. These are the same telescope. All four of these telescopes were manufactured by Guan Sheng Optical (GSO) Out of China and re-branded by Orion, Zhumell, Apertura, and a handful of other companies.

There are three or four manufacturing firms in China and Taiwan that produce most of the equipment sold by the main brands. Synta in Taiwan created the Skywatcher brand in 1999 as a main outlet for their products, and then bought Celestron in 2005. Several of their products are the same telescopes with a different brand name and paint scheme. Orion, a US company, imports products from multiple manufacturers which it then makes minor alterations to, slaps their logo on, and sells. They actually currently have two lines of Dobsonian telescopes, the Skyquest XT series, made by Synta, and the Skyline series, made by GSO.

Meade, Orion, Celestron, Skywatcher, Levenhuk, Apertura, Zhumell, Astro-Tech, TPO, and several other brands are all made by these Chinese companies. Some brands to make some adjustments, possibly switching out an accessory or two or making minor optical enhancements, but the primary optical components are the same.

Another example: I was in the market for an 8" Imaging Newtonian for a while. Several years back, Astro-Tech started selling the AT8IN 8" Imaging Newtonian. For a little while, OPT in California had these in stock. They then started selling the TPO (Third Planet Optics) 8" Imaging Newtonian. Its specs were nearly identical to the Astro-Tech scope. In fact, it was the same scope. Astro-Tech adds baffles to the tube, which the TPO version didn't have, but otherwise they are the same GSO 8" f/4 Newtonian telescope.

The only major differences between these brands will be price and service/support. Some brands are well-known for their support, others may have poor support. I've never had to deal with them, but I'm told that Orion has great support for original buyers, though less so for second-hand buyers.

So, what do you buy?

First thing, I'd recommend joining an astronomy club. There's a lot of reasons, but learning more about the equipment before you buy is the chief reason. You'll also find a lot of people in clubs buy and sell equipment among one-another. I've bought most of my equipment used this way, and nearly all of it has been in nearly-new condition for a markedly reduced price.

Next, decide WHAT you want. Look at your budget, look at your goals, and determine what fits those goals and budget restrictions best.

Then buy a Dob.

We say that a lot, but for new telescope users, it's usually the best option. A Dobsonian telescope has the lowest price for the given capability level you'll find. They are very easy to use, require little maintenance, and there's very little that can go wrong. Another nice thing about a Dob: if you take decent care of one, it lasts. Buy an 8" Dob and it will last you a long time. You may move on to a bigger or more complicated scope in time, but you'll probably till use the 8" Dob from time to time due to its ease of use.

I have multiple scopes. My main imaging telescope is an 8" Imaging Newtonian on a German Equatorial Mount set up in a backyard observatory. But if I want to take a quick peek at something, I pull out my Dob. Even though it only takes about 5-10 minutes to open the roof of my observatory and power things up, the Dob takes 2-3 minutes to run out to the yard and slide an eyepiece into.

If an 8" Dob (around $450 to $500 USD) is a bit much, a 6" is a decent backup plan (Often available under $300). My 6" Dob is my "I want to take a quick peek" scope.

Don't worry as much about brand. Worry about price and capability.

If money is no object, then get a Planewave CDK or a Takahashi refractor. :P

Can't go wrong taking the plunge with an 8" scope. I agree with /u/Gwaerandir that the Orion XT8 is not the best value 8" dob you can get. Cheapest is SkyWatcher 8" Traditional, and best equipped is the Apertura AD8. The Orion SkyLine 8 is the same as the Apertura AD8, but it's more expensive, so I don't ever recommend it.

Also, apparently the Zhumell Z8 (which is the same as the Apertura AD8 and Orion SkyLine 8) is back on the market: https://www.amazon.com/Zhumell-Deluxe-Dobsonian-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B002SCV6P6

So, I've had my Zhumell Z8 (Amazon) / GSO 8" Dobs for under a week now, and I'm loving it - even with the bright moon and mediocre conditions.

But this one thing has been perplexing me - when I'm using the 30mm "wide angle" eyepiece, I can't get it to focus with the eyepiece fully inserted! I crank the focuser out to the full (for me) 2.5cm if I recall, but that's not far enough. I don't wear corrective lenses, and I don't have this issue with the little 9mm plossel. (And, I think the plossel is already a bit further out, due to the 2" -> 1.25" adapter).

Is this usual/typical/expected? Everything seems to work well when I have it set like this, but it still seems a bit odd.

All help appreciated - and "durr noob" comments tolerated. (;