I have used the DOB Tracker from North Star Systems for two weeks and I am a satisfied customer.  In fact, it is so easy to set up and use that I ordered a second DOB Tracker.  I believe it gives the most bang for the buck of any equatorial platform on the market.

Set-up:  Put the DOB Tracker on a fairly flat surface with the motor side facing north.  I attached a compass to help with this.  Shim the back leg to level the platform. Put the upper portion on in a flat position and then set the dob on top.  Lift the northeast corner and move the upper portion to the reset position. Find a target and turn on the motor.  Increase the magnification and center the target.  If you see the target drift, increase or decrease the motor speed until the drift stops.  Repeat this process until the drift is small at the highest magnification you will use.  This may take up to five minutes.  Once set, the platform runs for up to 75 minutes before it has to be reset.  I turn on a 40-minute timer when I turn on the motor.  This gives me plenty of quality viewing time before I have to reset the platform.

First-use impressions:  Wow!  This will spoil me.  I could point my telescope at an object and then fully study it without the distractions of image drift and having to move the scope to bring it back into the field of view.  I started with my 6-inch f6 mak-newt, set in a dobsonian base, and trained it on Jupiter.  Bands were distinct and I could see the Great Red Spot and its companion, as well as a few festoons.  I easily took the magnification up to 450 power.  Then I moved to various star fields at 29 power with my 31 mm Nagler.  Outstanding!  I replaced the mak-newt with my 8-inch dob, which has a high-quality f6 mirror, a curved 3-vane spider, and a dual-speed crayford focuser, and looked at the same objects.  At 400 power, stars near the edge of the field of view hovered there for almost two minutes.  Finally, I replaced the 8-inch dob with my 10-inch dob, similarly upgraded.  Although the skies were fairly transparent, they were not steady enough to support the resolution potential of the 10-inch dob.  The double cluster was bright and impressive at 39 power but the image broke down above 200 power.  When I packed up I concluded that it had been a great evening of viewing.

Impressions after the first two weeks:  The more I use the DOB Tracker the more I like it.  Once you get the tracking speed set and the balance adjusted, it does its job very well.  It has really improved my viewing experience. The bottom line:  The DOB Tracker has become an essential component of my viewing experience.  True, it is a no-frills unit, but that is an advantage since there is less to go wrong.  It does what I need it to do, at a very reasonable price.  It is easy to set up, align, and take down.  It easily supports my various dobsonian telescopes and allows me to study detail at high magnifications.  Finally, it lets me show family and friends the wonders of the night sky that I enjoy so much.

Steve Bauer

10/12/08