Why choose a custom Dobsonian telescope from Doc Telescope?
Discover what real astronomers say about their handcrafted builds – from portability and precision to deep-sky performance.
From Garage to Galaxy: A 20” Dobsonian That Fits in a Dacia
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Total Customization & Human Support
“Working with Marco is like designing your own Dobson personally.”
“Every request can be discussed, designed, thought and then realized.”
Exceptional Mechanical Quality
Uncompromised Portability
“Everything fits in a Dacia Sandero. I solved my back pain problems forever.”
Smart Modular Engineering
Stunning Observing Experience
Built Half a World Away. Feels Like It Was Made Next Door
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Trust & Customer Experience
“Even though he is half a world away, I feel like I’m dealing with a manufacturer with integrity who cares about his reputation and his customers’ satisfaction.”
“Marco has been a pleasure to work with and I feel I received a very high-quality structure at a fair price.”
“It’s been obvious that he cares very much about his work and his products.”
Build Quality & Design
“The fit and finish of the scope are excellent.”
“It looks well-made and feels well-made.”
“To my untrained eye the parts, both off-the-shelf and machined, look first-rate.”
Modularity & Ease of Transport
“Marco designs his scopes so that the entire truss/UTA can be removed from the mirror box all in one piece.”
Early Optical Experience
“I was very pleased with the views of Jupiter and Saturn.”
Shipping & Packaging
“Marco did an excellent job packing and shipping the scope from Italy.”
“All of the items were packed with great care and I was relieved to see that all arrived unscathed and in excellent shape.”
Collimation Didn’t Move a Millimeter.
French astrophotographer Jean-Pierre Brahic tested his new
450mm f/4 Zerodur optics mounted on a
Doc Telescope Altazimuth GoTo system
(Stellarcat HR + Nexus DSC with WiFi). This first session was meant to explore the challenges of high-resolution lunar imaging using an Altaz Dobsonian.
See the full review in:
Imaging Readiness & Structural Stability
“Setup and teardown take just 5 minutes.”
“Collimation didn’t shift by even a millimeter — even with a Cat’s Eye!”
“It hadn’t moved at all — just impressive!”
“Even during high-res lunar imaging attempts, the structure remained stable.”
Light, Precise, Beautiful: A Telescope That Truly Fits
Mariachiara, an Italian astrophotographer with years of experience in deep-sky imaging,
was looking for something entirely different: a telescope built for planetary imaging,
but also lightweight, elegant, and easy to handle — a scope that matched both her vision and her needs.
With Doc Telescope, she co-designed her dream instrument: a 16” f/4.5 GoTo Dobsonian named “Diamond”, equipped with Astroreflect + Zen optics, a Tecnosky motorized focuser, and the full power of the OnStep control system — GPS, Wi-Fi, and software integration included.
Built from laser-cut aluminum with a smart modular structure, Diamond combines performance, portability, and beauty into a telescope that’s as powerful as it is personal.
See the full review in Gruppo Astrofili Monte Subasio:
Portable, Even for Me
Outstanding Build & Finish
Fast, Modular Setup
“The structure that fixes the truss tubes […] allows the entire upper section (secondary and trusses) to be removed in one block, making setup extremely fast: 5 minutes or less.”
Collimation Made Simple
“I collimated the mirror in a very short time by adjusting just two knobs.”
Full Control with OnStep
“ONSTEP is an advanced GoTo system […] It includes a GPS for immediate location, and a Wi-Fi interface that allows control via smartphone or tablet. It can also be connected to planetarium software like SkySafari.”
Jaw-Dropping Views
“Under a good sky, I observed globular clusters (M13 well resolved and with great contrast), planetary nebulae (Dumbbell Nebula M27 clearly visible, Ring Nebula M57 beautiful and huge), and even some galaxies (M51 surprised me I couldn’t stop observing it).”
A 20” Dobsonian That Turns Heads and Starts Conversations
Jonathan had tried commercial scopes, built community around star parties,
and knew exactly what he wanted: a no-compromise 20” Dobsonian that combined
industrial-grade precision with refined aesthetics – and a drive system ready for the future.
What he got was more than performance.
His Doc Telescope LaserMax II is the world’s first with Nexus StarDrive,
handcrafted in Italy with aluminum and stainless steel,
and so striking it literally made people stop, stare, and say “wow.”
A scope like this doesn’t just track galaxies – it starts conversations.
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Chosen for Its All-Metal Build
“I thoroughly loved the design of his scopes, with a clean and “Italian” line made entirely of stainless steel and industrial-grade aluminum”
World’s First Nexus StarDrive
Travel-Ready and Field-Tested
Brilliant Optical Performance
Audience-Proven Reactions
Crafted with Care and Precision
From Wooden Struggles to Aluminum Precision: My 20” F/3.53 Dobsonian
After years with a bulky wooden Dobsonian, Peter needed a larger aperture
without the transport issues. His solution? The Doc Telescope LaserMax II 20” F/3.53 —
a custom ultracompact scope with Zen quartz optics,
an aerospace-grade laser-cut aluminum structure,
and the stability to hold collimation even at fast f/3.53.
Upgraded with ServoCAT precision encoders and built for portability,
his scope fits into a Tesla Model 3 and sets up in under 20 minutes.
From the first light on M13 and the Veil to planetary imaging sessions,
Peter now enjoys a rigidity and responsiveness he never had before — and 24/7 support from Marco himself.
See the full review in:
From Heavy Wood to Lightweight Power
“The primary component weighs significantly less than the rocker base of my previous…”
Chose the 20” for Handling, Not Just Size
Incredible Rigidity and Optical Stability
Deep Sky Views with 3D Effect
Support That Never Sleeps
Compact Enough for a Tesla
