Orion UP16 Premium UltraPortable Truss Dobsonian

Manufacturer: Orion Telescope & Binocular

Categories: New Products; Telescopes

Orion UP16 Premium UltraPortable Truss Dobsonian
A Premium, Portable Design - About half the weight of traditional Dobsonian telescopes
A Quantum Leap in Performance - The UP16's huge 16-inch diameter primary mirror gathers 400% more light than popular 8-inch reflectors and 250% more light than a 10-inch telescope
Outstanding Images - Premium quality, diffraction limited Newtonian optical systems are individually hand-figured to deliver stunning views of the heavens from dark sky sites
Extreme Portability - The Orion UP telescopes can be disassembled into ultra-compact packages so you can take them to your favorite dark sky site without filling your car
Patent-Pending Optical Technology - The Orion UP16 features a lightweight sandwich mirror with thermal optimized design that cools up to 10 times faster than regular mirrors of solid design
Fast Optics - The fast f/4.5 optical systems deliver bright images and a feature a short tube keeping the eyepiece conveniently close to the ground
Enhanced Reflectivity Mirrors - 96% reflectivity Aluminum mirror coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors grab as much light as possible for brighter images
Light and Strong - The Orion UP16 features a precision machined all-metal construction. Fully assembled the UP16 weighs about 60 pounds
Two Telescopes in One - Orion UP Truss Dobsonians are complete Dobsonian telescopes, but with the optional Dovetail Mounting Adapter, the OTA can be supported on sturdy equatorial mounts

Orion's UltraPortable UP16 Premium Dobsonian Telescope
Every telescope design has a "sweet-spot," a combination of design choices and parameters that make it excel at particular astronomical tasks. For example, short f-ratio refractors or reflectors can deliver exceptional views of large swaths of the Milky Way or extensive emission nebulas such as the North America Nebula. In the case of the Orion UP16 Premium UltraPortable Dobsonian telescopes, the sweet spot is a design optimized to offer serious observers high-quality, large-aperture telescopes designed to break down into very compact packages for extreme portability. With an Orion UltraPortable Dobsonian, you are free to travel to your favorite dark-sky sites anywhere across the globe, without a telescope that's bigger than your neighbor!

Why would you select an Orion UP16?
Some observers want, and can afford, the biggest possible mirror to grab as much light as possible. Others want a big scope, but are more limited by space and by how much weight they want to lift. Our best advice is for you to carefully consider how much telescope you want to move around (size and weight) against how much light you want to capture at the eyepiece. The UP16 is a great compromise between a telescope with huge light-gathering capability and unbeatable portability - and if it's the telescope that gets taken out of the garage or from the back of a car to be used frequently, you'll discover that it's the best telescope for you!

Moving the UP16 - All the light grasp but only half the weight:
Orion designed the UP series to be as light and compact as possible, making the task of transport to your favorite dark-sky site as easy as possible. The heaviest component of the Orion UP16 is the primary mirror, which weighs in at 27 pounds, and the entire telescope tips the scales at about 60 pounds, which is remarkably light for a 16-inch telescope (some traditional 16-inch Dobsonians are more than twice as heavy). Most people will find this a pretty easy telescope to take to a star party, set up, and explore the sky. In addition, with its fast focal ratio mirror, the Orion UP16 telescope has an eyepiece location that can almost always be reached when you are standing with both feet on the ground (67" from the ground when the UP16 is pointed at zenith). Indeed for objects lower in the sky you will likely want to be comfortably seated in an observing chair!

Experienced observers know that "aperture rules" - the bigger the telescope aperture (objective size) the better the view. The Orion UP16 is a serious telescope that will deliver satisfying views for serious observers. In the Orion UP16, most NGC objects can be found from a dark sky site - they may not be too obvious, but you can chase them down. During the product development testing cycle, the Orion UP16 revealed hints of color in bright emission nebula such as the Orion Nebula and some of the brighter planetary nebulae (The Blue Snowball, The Saturn Nebula and others), incredible detail on Jupiter and, using an H-beta filter, a very distinct Horsehead nebula. Results will vary according to observing conditions and other factors. The Orion UP16 is a telescope that can provide a lifetime of satisfying observing experiences in a 60 pound package!

Features of the UP16:

Premium Optics: With an Orion UP16 you'll experience a premium optical system. Not only are the mirrors huge, but they are all individually hand-figured to exacting standards to deliver diffraction limited performance of 1/8 wave or better. Orion's optical lab where these mirrors are polished and figured has even supplied optics to NASA - they're that good!

The UP16 has a classical Newtonian configuration with a parabolic primary, a full 16-inch diameter of polished optical surface (the mirror blank is actually about 16.4-inches in diameter), not a 16-inch or 400mm blank with beveled edges. The Newtonian design is a favorite for serious deep-sky observers and nearly ubiquitous for Dobsonian telescopes, with its fast f/4.5 focal ratio, images are bright and contrast-rich (assured by Orion's effective baffling in the dual-speed focuser and the standard glare-blocking secondary mirror cage light shield). This fast optical system also means the field-of-view is wide at low powers and the eyepiece is low to the ground, about 67" when the scope is pointed straight up, so most observers don't need a ladder to aim this telescope anywhere in the sky. The diffraction limited optics deliver sharp, contrast and detail rich images at the center of the field-of-view that will only be limited by atmospheric seeing conditions and by the aperture of the optics. A Newtonian design of f/4.5 focal ratio does exhibit some amount of stellar enlargement at the extreme edge of a wide-field eyepiece due to an optical characteristic called coma which is present in all Newtonian optical systems. The effect will vary with different eyepieces and is so minor that most observers won't even notice it unless specifically looking for it. Sharper star images at the edge of the field-of-view can be further enhanced by the addition of a field corrector lens, or coma-corrector; although most observers feel they are getting totally satisfactory views without the need for such a device.

Enhanced Optical Coatings: The precision optical surface quality of the Orion UP16 Dobsonian is augmented by enhanced optical coatings to assure it collects as many photons as possible to focus it into a bright and contrast-rich image. The primary mirror has an enhanced, 96% aluminized coating with a protective over-coating of Silicon Dioxide (quartz) to protect the reflective aluminum coatings from oxidation caused by contaminants in the air and to provide some level of surface protection from scratches. Likewise, the same high-efficiency coatings are on the precision, flat secondary mirror.

Fully Collimatable Optics:
Premium optics won't perform well if you can't accurately collimate them. Collimation refers to alignment of a telescope's optics so the optical system delivers the converging light cone directly into the eyepiece with the eyepiece image plane being exactly perpendicular to the optical axis. The Orion UP16 has a secondary mirror that is supported by a rigid three-arm secondary support structure that is attached to the back of the secondary mirror with three adjustment screws that allow the tilt to be adjusted for collimation. The primary mirror can be centered within the telescope by eccentric cams and locked in position. The primary mirror also has a three-point collimation system that adjusts the entire mirror and steel mirror cell. The primary collimation system also features locking set screws to assure collimation is not lost once you align the mirrors.

Engineered Mirror Support: Premium optics are only as good as the support system they rest on. The UP16 has an extensively modeled 6-point suspension system that performs better than traditional 9-point mirror cells. The frame of the mirror support is fabricated from steel and has lateral locking screws in addition to the locking screws on the collimation adjustments.

Patent-Pending Sandwich Mirror Technology: For the UP16, Orion has incorporated an advanced mirror technology - what we call "sandwich mirrors." The sandwich mirror technology has been used to manufacture research-grade optical elements and proven by over a half dozen years of successful applications at research facilities such as NASA, California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, for the US Army, and in amateur telescopes around the world. Orion UP telescopes have lightweight sandwich mirrors that feature two solid glass plates separated by a thermally optimized "open core" - pillars of fused glass between the plates. The open core allows air to circulate freely in between the layers of the mirror. This design allows the UP16 mirror to reach thermal equilibrium up to 10 times faster than a traditional solid 16-inch mirror and means the mirror can deliver great views even as the air around the telescope is changing temperature. Even faster acclimation can be reached if you add optional cooling fans to accelerate thermal equilibrium.

Why is thermal equilibrium so critical? The main issue is "mirror seeing," the turbulence seen through the eyepiece of the telescope when the air above the mirror is cooler than the mirror itself. Since a sandwich technology mirror cools far more rapidly than a solid mirror of the same thickness, this major source of distortion is eliminated quickly, giving you sharp views.

All Metal Construction: The Orion UP Dobsonians aren't made in a garage or cabinet shop, they are fabricated from steel and aluminum. Orion chose an all metal design after extensive prototyping using wood and composite materials. These telescopes have been engineered to perform using 3D AutoCad and FEA software. The mechanical structures have been extensively modeled to provide optimal thermal performance and stability. Machined with Numerical Control (NC) technology and hand fitted to assure proper fit and finish, these telescopes are a joy to look at as well as look through.

Two Trusses are Better: The UP16 has been engineered to be light, but to possess superior rigidity. The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) of the Orion UP16 is a double truss design, with a lower and upper set of truss tubes joined amidships by a welded steel frame. This design is not only extremely compact, strong and light, but also allows the use of an optional dovetail adapter bar to mount the OTA to a sturdy EQ mount (the dovetail adapter bar and equatorial mount are not included).

Optimized Truss Poles: In addition to the dual truss design, Orion has gone to the extra engineering effort and expense to optimize an 8-pole truss design for added stability. Having eight thinner poles optimizes rigidity, low weight, and compactness when disassembled.

Dual-Speed 2-inch Linear Drive Crayford Focuser: The Orion UP16 comes with a precision dual-speed, 2-inch diameter focuser. It's a beautiful piece of precision machining that enhances the viewing experience as well as the overall impression of a premium quality instrument you'll have with this telescope. This focuser is robust! It is a zero-backlash "Crayford-style" design further enhanced with modern "linear bearings" meaning you get a rock-solid, super smooth focusing experience that can handle the weight of even the heaviest of modern eyepieces. Of course, its tension, the pressure on the drawtube, is adjustable to lock heavy equipment in place if desired. Being a Crayford-style design (named after Jack Wall of the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society in England) there is no wobble in this focuser. The two focus controls are knurled to allow ease-of-use, even when observing with gloves in colder conditions. The smaller of the two concentric focus controls adjusts focus at a rate 10 time finer than the larger focus wheels. this fine adjustment allows for critical focusing during high power visual observing or for imaging applications. The focuser has 2-inches of travel distance. If you've never used a dual-speed focuser before, one night's use will make you a life-long convert.

Advanced Bearings: Dobsonian aficionados will tell you the secret of "Dobsonian nirvana" are good bearings. The huge Orion UP16 Dobsonian azimuth ball bearing is adjustable to suit the personal preference of each observer with a simple tension adjustment knob. The friction on the altitude bearings has been carefully optimized to allow easy altitude motion yet it is sufficiently stiff to allow the interchange of most various visual accessories on the focuser and not (usually) require re-balancing of the OTA with counterweights. Using sufficient resistance on the altitude bearing also assures that critical focus can be achieved at high power without the telescope moving off-target.

Optimized Light Baffles: With a carefully selected secondary mirror, baffled focuser, and standard removable secondary light shield, the views generated by the Orion UP16 are contrast-rich and allow chasing those "faint fuzzies" right up to the edge of bright stars.
Product Specifications:
Use Astronomy close × Telescopes can have multiple uses depending on their design. Refractors and Cassegrains can provide a "correct-image" view, so they can be used for daytime land viewing as well as astronomy. Reflectors render the image upside down so they are not recommended for daytime viewing. This is not an issue for astronomy, however, because there's no "right-side up" in space.
User level Advanced close × Beginner - Telescopes suited for beginners are easy to use and maintain. Very good optical and mechanical quality. A great first telescope that will show you the moon and planets.

Intermediate -Telescopes for the intermediate user are more robust in features and performance. Excellent quality in optics and mechanics, and more complex in use. An intermediate telescope will allow an enthusiast to "grow" in the hobby.

Advanced - Advanced telescopes are high performance, with exceptional quality. They may require more commitment to use in set-up time and technical savvy. Some advanced telescopes are easy-to-use but large and heavy. An advanced telescope is a purchase for a lifetime.

Expert - Expert telescopes offer uncompromising optical and mechanical quality for the most demanding amateur astronomer. They may be technically involved or designed for specialized use, such as astrophotography or detailed deep sky observation. They carry a premium price; but are designed to provide the ultimate performance in the field.

Optical design Reflector close × A small, quality achromatic refractor of 60mm to 80mm aperture makes a fine starter scope for observing the Moon and major planets. They're affordable ($100 to $350), portable, and maintenance-free, all desirable factors if you're just "testing the waters" of Astronomy. If nebulas and galaxies are your main interest, a Newtonian reflector or Schmidt-Cassegrain is the way to go. Moving up to a 90mm or 100mm refractor will snare more objects and provide better performance, for a higher price. Renowned for crisp, sharp images, refractors are the priciest per inch of aperture of all telescope types. A refractor is the scope of choice if you will be doing most of your stargazing from city or suburbs, where the night skies are moderately light-polluted. Since viewing is restricted mostly to the Moon and planets a big scope would only amplify the skyglow, yielding poor washed out images. Reflectors Newtonian reflectors are great all-around scopes, offering generous apertures at affordable prices. They excel for both planetary and deep-sky viewing. Of course, the larger the aperture, the more you'll see. Smaller, 3" and 4.5" equatorially mounted Newtonians will provide a nice "survey" of celestial luminaries, and they maintain their portability. Six-inch and 8" Newts have enough aperture to deliver captivating images of fainter star-clusters, galaxies, and nebulas-especially in a reasonably dark sky. Although the 6" to 8" Newts are bulkier and weigh more, with a Dobsonian mount they are easily manageable by one person making them a wonderful beginner scopes. Dobsonian-mounted reflectors have lower price tags than their equatorial counterparts, starting in the mid-$300s for a 6" Dob. Schmidt-Cassegrains If portability is important to you, you might want to consider a "catadioptric" scope such as a Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain. They pack a hefty aperture into a very compact tube. An 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain provides excellent views of the Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects, and is well suited for astrophotography. Schmidt-Cassegrains should be considered as an investment priced over $1000 for the most basic 8" models (and hundreds more to outfit it for astrophotography). The Bottom Line Now that you've received the crash course on telescopes, here's some parting advice for aspiring astronomers: Get as much aperture as you can reasonably handle. Big aperture is desirable, however you don't want to end up with a scope that is too big or complicated to conveniently set up, haul around-and use! Also, avoid those gee-whiz, techno-toy scopes with the hefty price tags that are showing up in the big chain stores. For a first telescope, we recommend a basic refractor of 90mm aperture or smaller, or a Newtonian reflector of 6" aperture or less, unless you're really committed. After you've learned the basics of observing and developed an appreciation for the hobby, then you can move up to a bigger, fancier scope.
Optical diameter 406mm close × The optical diameter (also known as aperture), is the size of the telescope's main light collecting lens or mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. As the diameter increases, more light is collected and the resolution increases.
Focal length 1800mm close × The distance from the center of a curved mirror or lens at which parallel light rays converge to a single point. The focal length is an inherent specification of a mirror or lens and is one of the factors in determining resultant magnification for a telescope (along with the focal length of the eyepiece being used).
Focal ratio f/4.5 close × The focal ratio of an optical system is the ratio of a telescope's focal length to its aperture. Short focal ratios (f/5, f/4.5) produce wide fields of view and small image scales, while long focal lengths produce narrower fields of views and larger image scales.
Optics type Parabolic close × Newtonian reflectors will have either a spherical shaped mirror, which is less expensive to produce, or a higher quality parabola, which does not result in spherical aberration. Cassegrain telescopes routinely use spheres in addition to other lenses in the optical path to correct for residual spherical aberration. Refractors use a series of lenses to provide a clear image. Designs range from a standard air-spaced doublet (two lenses in a row) to exotic designs such as oil-spaced triplets and 4-element multi group lenses.
Glass material Soda-lime plate close × Refractors use glass lenses to focus the light, and the glass material plays an important role in the quality of the resulting image. Standard achromatic refractors routinely use Crown and Flint for the two elements, but more expensive apochromatic refractors can use ED (extra low dispersion) glass for one or more of the lenses. Reflector mirrors are made from glass with different levels of thermal expansion. Standard mirrors are made from material such as Soda-Lime Plate glass and BK-7 glass. Glass with Pyrex or other low thermal expansion material will not change shape as dramatically during the cool-down period, resulting in more stable images during this period.
Eyepieces included None
Resolving power 0.28arc*sec close × The theoretical resolving power of a telescope can be calculated with the following formula: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 4.56 divided by aperture of telescope (in inches). In metric units, this is: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 116 divided by aperture of telescope (in millimeters). Note that the formula is independent of the telescope type or model, and is based only upon the aperture of the telescope. So the larger the telescope's aperture, the more it is capable of resolving. This is important to keep in mind when observing astronomical objects which require high resolution for best viewing, such as planets and double stars. However, it is usually atmospheric seeing conditions (not the telescope) which limits the actual resolving power on a given night; rarely is resolution less than one arc-second possible from even the best viewing locations on Earth.
Lowest useful magnification 57x close × Lowest useful magnification is the power at which the exit pupil of the telescope (the beam of light exiting the eyepiece) becomes 7mm in diameter. Powers below this can still be reached with the telescope to give wider fields of view, but the image no longer becomes brighter at a lower power. This is due to the fact that the exit pupil is now larger than the average person's dark adapted pupil, therefore the eye cannot absorb any more light.
Highest useful magnification 300x close × The highest practical limit is different from the often used "highest theoretical magnification" specification. The "theoretical" limit generally is 50x the aperture of the scope in inches (2x the aperture in mm). So for example, an 80mm refractor is capable of 160x, and a 10" telescope is theoretically capable of 500x magnification. But after approximately 300x, theory breaks down and real world problems take over. The atmosphere above us is constantly in motion, and it will distort the image seen through the telescope. This effect may not be noticeable at lower powers, but at higher powers the atmosphere will dramatically blur the object, reducing the quality of the image. On a good night (a night where the air above is steady and the stars aren't twinkling), the practical upper limit of a large telescope is 300x, even though the theoretical limit may be much higher. This doesn't mean the scope will never be able to reach those higher "theoretical" powers - there will be that rare night where the atmosphere is perfectly still and the scope can be pushed past it's practical limit, but those nights will be few and far between.
Limiting stellar magnitude 15.7 close × The limiting stellar magnitude is a measure of the faintest star you can see through the telescope.
Optical quality Diffraction limited close × "Diffraction Limited" means that the limits of image detail are determined by the physical properties of light, and not by optical defects in the telescope.
Finder scope EZ Finder II
Focuser 2in. dual-speed linear bearing Crayford
Secondary mirror obstruction 79mm
Secondary mirror obstruction by diameter 20%
Secondary mirror obstruction by area 4%
Mirror coatings/over-coatings Enhanced Aluminum and Silicon Dioxide
Mount style Dobsonian
Astro-imaging capability Simple moon shots close × The astro-photographic capability of the telescope is based on the style, stability, and accuracy of the mount and tripod. Telescopes on either very lightweight mounts or non tracking mounts (such as Dobsonians) are capable of only very short exposures such as lunar photographs. If a motor drive is attached to an equatorial mount, even a small lightweight mount is capable of capturing some planetary detail. Larger EQ mounts that utilize very precise tracking and excellent stability are capable of longer exposure deep-sky photography.
Bearing material AZ: Ball Bearing, ALT: Teflon
Tube material Aluminum
Tripod material Aluminum and Steel
Length of optical tube 70.0 in.
Weight, optical tube 52.0 lbs.
Weight, mount/tripod 8.0 lbs.
Weight, fully assembled 60.0 lbs.
Additional included accessories EZ Finder II, 8-strut, double-truss optical tube Assembly, Pre-drilled cooling fan locations
Other features Enhanced mirror coatings; 94% reflectivity, Aluminum tube truss struts
Warranty One year

Included Items:
Dobsonian-style mount and telescope
All-metal Optical Tube Assembly (OTA)
Aluminum tube truss struts
Manganese Steel secondary mirror spider veins (support struts)
Adjustable secondary mirror
Enhanced reflectivity secondary mirror coatings with protective overcoating (96% reflectivity)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) protective coatings on secondary mirror
Collimatable 3.1-inch secondary mirror
2-inch Crayford focuser
Linear Bearing Crayford focuser
Dual Speed Crayford Focuser
EZ finder II - A Unit Power, Red Dot finder
Dual Finderscope ports
One dovetail finder base
Welded Aluminum center frame
Finger-friendly knobs for quick assembly on most connections
Independent flotation mirror support
Collimatable primary mirror
Diffraction-limited 16-inch primary mirror
Patented (and Patent-Pending in some areas) sandwich mirror technology
Lightweight 16-inch mirror; center marked for easy collimation
Sun warning label
Virgin Teflon and laminate Altitude bearings
66 cm Azimuth Ball-bearing bearing
Three drilled and tapped locations for an equatorial mount dovetail adaptor (adaptor bar sold separately)
Enhanced reflectivity primary mirror (96%)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) primary mirror protective overcoat
Secondary mirror light shield
Primary mirror dust cover
Stainless steel hardware
ABS pin mirror attachments
Pre-drilled cooling fan locations
8-strut, double-truss optical tube Assembly (16 truss struts total)
Hardened steel mirror cell, Collimatable; secured with locking bolts
Push-pull collimation screws with locking set screws
Dual-purpose optical tube assembly (Dobsonian or Equatorial mount)
EZ Finder II battery