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Skywatcher Flextube Portability


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I would like a large aperture for visual use but portable , so that I can drive it to my alternate dark sky site ( other side of my hill ! )

I can see the classical Dob mounts where the OTA can easily be lifted out of the semi-circular altitude bearings.

But how does this work on the Flextube scopes, the alt bearings appear to be enclosed and none of the sites that I have visited show the beast in two parts, nor do they say what the mounting proceedure is.

In other words, is it a routine and easy process to dismount the OTA from the base unit.

Is this compromised (with gears and drives and encoders and things attached) in the models with AUTO or GOTO ?

thanks for help,

Malcolm.

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Hi Malcom,

The manual flextubes work in the same way the solid tube Skyliners do - the optical tube is easily removed by just unscrewing the two handles that project each side - it takes just a minute to undo them and lift the tube off the mount forks.

I've seen it done with the tracking and GOTO versions and it's a little different but still pretty quick and easy.

In weight terms the Flextubes are around the same as the solid tube versions. The convenience is that the tube is much shorter when it's in the "collapsed" position.

I reckon 12" is about the max that a single person could manage. I had a good look at a 14" Flextube recently and just carrying the base was a 2 person job !.

Hope that helps.

John

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Hope that helps.

Yes, thanks John it does very much.

I think we were online and crossed in the post at the same time as I was adding ny edit about gears and AUTO etc

Yes, I saw those handles in pics., but they were usually described in the manuf. waffles as carry handles, so I was puzzled

( I thought no prob. early evening my wife is a match for any 2 man team, but not best pleased to be raised from her pit at 3am !lol! )

I can lug 20 - 25kg sacks of chicken feed about if I am careful of my back angle, but once put it out by picking up a birthday cake baked by my wife (shhh!) not sure yet about the shape of Dobs

I have Metro and Volvo available but flextube would aid cupboard (cabinet) type storage I think

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I had a good look at a 14" Flextube recently and just carrying the base was a 2 person job !.
On paper, I mean on the screen !, the weights dont seem too bad but I guess when presented with the real-life phyisical bulk you found that a challenge? Just getting hold of the thing ?!
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I had the 200p flextube, it is very easy to put together and take down, just place in the base as it just sits on its ALT bearings and then put in the handles, thats it.

It's not to heavy and you should have no trouble carrying it around, as for transporting in a car i have a Mondeo and the base fits nicely in the boot with room for all my other bits and bobs and the OTA on the back seat.

Storage when not in use is good to, just put it on the base with the OTA collapsed, the height then is nice and small.

It is a really good scope and well worth the money.

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On paper, I mean on the screen !, the weights dont seem too bad but I guess when presented with the real-life phyisical bulk you found that a challenge? Just getting hold of the thing ?!

I was at the Astro Fair at Sidmouth. The folks from First Light Optics had a 14" Flextube GOTO on display so I had a good look and chatted to them about it. It was James of FLO who told me about the 2-person carry. It looked a very substantial scope to me :(

I found the 45 llbs OTA of my old Meade Lightbridge 12" a bit of a handful to be honest. It's not the weight as much as the bulk and the fact that you know that some delicacy is required if you are not to have a major re-collimation job on your hands once the scope is setup. Unlike you though, I'm not used to heavy carrying plus I have a lower back injury that I didn't want to re-aggravate so I downsized to a 10" Orion Optics which is much, much easier to move around ;)

Having looked through a number of large dobs from 16" to 20" I'd love a big one myself but, from bitter experience, I also know that it would simply not be practical so I'm sticking at 10" :)

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Weight in theory and practise is very different. I'm a farmer and used to carrying 25kg bags of corn so thought I could easily carry the auto flextube 250 in one piece but reality was very different as you need to carry it out in front away from your body. After a couple of back breaking sessions I quickly decided to carry in 2 pieces. Very simple to setup just one bolt that fixes OTA to mount. The flextube OTA is actually heavier than the standard OTA. I'm glad I did not get the 12" version.

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The 12" is definitely too much to carry in one go. I've seen photos of people doing it, but they are either stupidly strong, else they were just lifting it up rather than walking with it in front of them. In two bits it is fine, even if you aren't very strong. I looked at the 14" but the base was too wide to fit through the door from my garage to my back garden. Even the 12" base has to be tilted at an angle slightly. If you are considering 12" of more it is definitely sensible to see one in the flesh if you can.

In a few more years I imagine the ultra portables will be a lot more common. The David Lukehurst 22" is only a couple of kilos heavier than my 12" :(

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Thanks guys, that's all very helpful. It is good to know that they are easily and routinely separated into two parts.

I had not noticed that the flextubes are a bit heavier than their tubed counterparts.

For what it's worth the Orion Optics dobs are lighter and have a smaller footprint than their Skywatcher and Meade counterparts. They are more expensive though and they don't (as far as I know) do truss / strut versions.

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