Ursa Major 6-inch f/8 Planetary Dobsonian

A decent option for would-be planetary observers on a limited budget

- CHARLOTTE DANIELS

The Ursa Major 6-inch f/8 telescope is part of a family of budget-friendly Dobsonians, ranging from 80mm to a substantial 8-inch. This model is offered as a planetary option, thanks to its long focal length of 1,200mm, and we were keen to see whether the optical quality promised by the coated, high-reflectivity primary mirror (guaranteed at least 93 per cent reflective) would support this.

The Ursa Major arrived in two boxes, one for the optical tube assembly (OTA) and the other for the wooden mount, which was flat-packed and so required assembly. The assembly instructions are on the First Light Optics website. We found them easy to follow and had it built within 30 minutes.

Inspecting the setup, the feel of the telescope is as we'd expect for a budget Newtonian. We were impressed with the look of the focuser and the finderscope bracket, both of which exceeded expectations. The mount and base were robust, although it took a few tweaks to get everything fitting together. For example, the side panels needed a few adjustments for the OTA to cradle properly. We also played about with the side bearing spring system. However, this fine-tuning didn't take long.

A selection of accessories are supplied to get beginners started: two eyepieces, one a low-powered 25mm and the other a higher-magnification 9mm, both Plössl and 1.25-inch fit, along with a finderscope.