calling on 250 and 300 flextube owners.

[brantuk]

There is a tube cap that fits either the mirror box or the top of the secondary assembly. Dust shouldn't be a problem any more than a solid tube. The weight difference between solid and flex tube at a given aperture is insignificant - where you would have had tube - instead there's trusses.

The difference in views will be significant however - so will portability, storage, car size, overall lifting weight, manouverability, etc - all side issues to the actual astronomy side of the scope. Only you can answer how much those offset your desire for the better views of the 300, and choose the size that best matches your personal criteria.

It's good that you're thinking about these things though, when some go in blind and buy the biggest without realising how big "big" actually is lol.

[AstroNinja]

I have 8" (solid tube) and 12" (the flex tube model) dobs. The 12" is on the limit of portability for me so I bought the 8" as a grab and go. Whilst I do enjoy the 12", I would certainly suggest you go and see both 10" and 12" models and try lifting them. As others do, I have to carry tube and base separately and am building a trolley. In my experience I would say the 10" would be fine. Cannot comment too much on different views, but I do not think you will see much difference between the two. Dark skies are obviously as important as aperture.

Shrouds for the flextube are an issue which can be solved by some lycra and clever sewing

Jon

[RikM]

I have the solid tube 10" and it's just right for me. Big enough to see everything I want, small enough that I can carry it about with relative ease.

I do almost all my observing from home with a fair amount of LP (mag 4.5 skies) and under those conditions I couldn't really tell much difference between the 10" and 12". I couldn't cope with the size of a solid tube 12" and couldn't justify the extra £££ for a flex tube 12" given how well the solid tube 10" performed.

If I had darker skies I might have gone for a flex tube 12", but I don't, so I didn't and I don't see myself upgrading any time soon. If/when I do, I will go for a 16" or bigger but I will definitely be keeping the 10" as well for grab and go. It's just perfect.

TV plossls are good in any scope.

[thunderchild]

thanks to all of you for the advice i will now go and find out who's got the pair actually set up, that's going to be a job and ahalf but hayho. I just looked a rother valley optics and they are cheaper than FLO which was a surprise on all the scopes,once again thanks to all of you.

[Daryl]

So visually looking through the standard eyepiece with a x2 barlow at for example saturn on a good night, what would that extra money on a 12" dob give you over a 10"

Is the difference a planet the size of a 2p rather than a 1p (just an example)

Sorry I guess its been asked a 1000 times but I have been looking for unedited, unshopped examples of planet images to guage the differences but not got very far

[Earl]

Having owned a 250flex and a 300p solid ota, i agree with Russ.

[RikM]

So visually looking through the standard eyepiece with a x2 barlow at for example saturn on a good night, what would that extra money on a 12" dob give you over a 10"

Is the difference a planet the size of a 2p rather than a 1p (just an example)

Sorry I guess its been asked a 1000 times but I have been looking for unedited, unshopped examples of planet images to guage the differences but not got very far

Go to http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fov.htm and open it in two tabs. Put 250PX one side and 300P on the other side. Set it to eyepiece view and set both scopes to SW Super 10, with 2x Barlow. Set it to show Jupiter and then flick between the two tabs to see the difference. Then decide if you think that difference is worth an extra £400.

[Moonshane]

I'd have to say yes!!

do bear in mind Daryl, that astronomy is often about light gathering not magnification. you can get Saturn the size of a 2p piece at arms' length if the seeing conditions allow it in both of the scopes.

what the bigger scope gives you is 1) more light gathering, 2) more resolution 3) more weight 4) more cost 5) longer cooling times.

are the views with more aperture worth it? yes, for me they are but for some the size of the scope makes it impractical.

I use Orion Optics UK dobs which have a much smaller footprint but I can fit the tube of my 16" for in the back of the Rover 200 (seats down) and the base too.

[russ]

As Shane says its not all about magnification or aperture, there are other factors and they are what makes it a tricky decision. Otherwise you would have already bought the 300P. From my own personal experience, if someone offered me a 300P Flextube as a straight swap for my 250PX Flextube, i would turn the offer down. I think the 250PX has the perfect mix of aperture, performance and portability. I can lift the 10 as whole if i need to change observing location. To shift the 12 is a step operation every time.....take tube out of box, relocate box, put tube back in box. It's a little thing but makes a difference. I can sling the 250 in the car without retracting the tube and the base fits nicely in the boot. The only thing i wish i had is the solid tube version.

[thunderchild]

afternoon Russ, i see from your comment above that you much prefer the 10" solid tube and that the 12" could be a bit of a pain so in think that there will not be a 12" at T/H.

[russ]

Sent you a PM Stu

[Daryl]

Many thx for those detailed and interesting replies...certainly does make sense.

Rik, many thx for the website link...just wat ive been looking.

[thunderchild]

Good afternoon, i wanted to give you guys an update on what i have done, taking in to consideration all of your comments good and bad i have just received my new scope and it is, wait for it

it,s a flextube 300p what an absolute beast but lovely to.

thanks to all of you:icon_salut:

[swamp thing]

Congratulations.

A 12" scope will give you a life time of great observing.

Regards Steve

[RikM]

Good choice. They really are very nice.

[Pingster]

Congarts, i cant wait to hear how it compares to your old scope. I wished i had made a 12" scope my first

[RikM]

Congarts, i cant wait to hear how it compares to your old scope. I wished i had made a 12" scope my first

I don't. I think everyone should start out with a 6" scope. Your first views through a telescope are generally not as good as you hope, no matter what scope you start with. If you start with a dinky little 130 or 150 you can still see loads of stuff. Then when you graduate to a 250-300 you a far bigger WOW, because you have the experience of the views in the smaller scope. You have a frame of reference on which to base your expectations.

If you start out with a 12" you get: wow, that's a dim grey smudge. If you have had a 6" for a while, when you get the bigger scope you feel, WOW that's loads better. I am so happy, that is what I hopped it would look like when I bought the first scope.

I think you appreciate it more.

[Pingster]

Hi Rik. As a big geek i do very much agree with your view. As i love comparing tech just as much as i love using them. My personal experiemce i found with the 8in scope i suffered from ap fever very soon after getting it as DSO is my main aim. Therefore i recommend new customers buy the bigget one they can afford and manage. From my 1 months experience i feel a 12in dob is a good starting point as DSO start to look good.

And i fully agree with you, having somting to compare with lets you appreicate the 'upgrade'. And for me i feel lucky to be able to do so as my 16in flextube skyliner goto just got delievered today. I look forward to writing a side by side view for people like myself to be able to judge what should be their first scope xD i cant wait! Shame about the clouds here in London TT

[thunderchild]

Pingster, my 300 is big enough god forbid the 400,i can only just manage to move mine because it,s awkward but like you i'm waiting for clear skies. Good luck with it. stuart

[Keano]

Regarding the 250p flextube auto can anyone tell me how much noise the motors make? was watching a video on youtube with a 250 auto and the motors were making a hell of a racket,should I take that with a pinch o salt with it being a youtube vid?

[Space Cowboy]

The motors don't make much noise. My lady's snoring is far worse!

[swamp thing]

I don't. I think everyone should start out with a 6" scope. Your first views through a telescope are generally not as good as you hope, no matter what scope you start with. If you start with a dinky little 130 or 150 you can still see loads of stuff. Then when you graduate to a 250-300 you a far bigger WOW, because you have the experience of the views in the smaller scope. You have a frame of reference on which to base your expectations.

6"? Blimey wish I could have afforded one of those when I started. I started with a 2" frac which was a present and I thought it was awesome.

First telescope I bought was a 4.5" reflector. I used it for many years and felt privileged to own such a "powerful" scope

Starting small may not suit everyone, but I agree it gives you a great reference point, and the first upgrade is a real wow! Moment for sure.

Regards Steve

[Pingster]

Haha. I saw te exact same video and thought omg! I wont be able to use goto in my back garden. Today when i setup my new scope ill tell you how the noise compares to my 8se.

[RikM]

I started with a 2" frac which was a present and I thought it was awesome.

1979 - 7th Birthday present from my Grandfather (Geography teacher and Headmaster), my first scope Japanese Prinz Astral 400, 60mm f/12 frac on a woden alt -az from Dixons. I still have it and use it with a white light filter for solar viewing.

First scope I bought for myself was 8x56 binoculars about 5 years ago, then a 150P in January last year.

[swamp thing]

1979 - 7th Birthday present from my Grandfather (Geography teacher and Headmaster), my first scope Japanese Prinz Astral 400, 60mm f/12 frac on a woden alt -az from Dixons

Cool! Those little scopes may have been a bit limited but you gotta admit they fuelled the fires for the future.

Regards Steve