Skywatcher 10" solid tube dobs

[Black Knight]

Telescope House are showing these as in stock. I thought they were discontinued ages ago. Are Skywatcher bringing them back?

Skyliner-250PX 10” Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope

[spaceboy]

Probably old stock or the last of the last. If you want a solid tube I would think this is your best chance of getting one before they are all gone.

[Black Knight]

Shame - I'm not in a position to grab one at the moment.

[spaceboy]

Drop it on the credit card you know you want to

[Black Knight]

Ha! I'd love to ....

[crashtestdummy]

you can still get the 12" solid tube from Germany and im sorely tempted

[Neil1194]

Why the shortage - are they not making them anymore?

[tony4563]

I think the trend is for the flex tubes now... Seems to be the in thing at the moment. I dont like them to be honest, preferring a solid tube. I dont think they save THAT much space, or are that much lighter?

Anyway, shrouds are for undertakers

At the moment I have an oldish Revelation 10" Dob with spring tensioners, which I hate. I can never get the balance right with heavy eyepieces/dewshield etc and I dont want to bother with counterweights.

Today I have just ordered the 10" GSO solid tube deluxe from Teleskop Service in Germany. They have the updated adjustable knob tensioners (which are brill!) and a better twin speed Crayford focuser. I could have gone larger, but I'm sticking with a 10" again because I've had a 12" Dob before, and I found it just a little too big and heavy for me to enjoy my hobby. The 10" is perfect for my needs and will also fit across the back seat of my car if I wish to venture to a dark spot.

I'll flock the new tube (again) when it arrives and swap the Bobs Knobs and Upgraded Collimating Springs from the old tube to the new. The old tube will then be listed on ebay.

That should see me ok for a few years... he says!

[garethmob]

interestingly on the back of this months sky at night mag there is an advert for optical vision showing the skywatcher dobsonans

solid tubes are DOB76, DOB100(never hered of it),DOB 130, DOB8",DOB10",DOB12"

flex 8", 10", 12",14",16"

so does it mean their bringing them back? and what is the 100dob?

[Black Knight]

Yeah, OVL's website list the 10" and 12" solid tube dobs as well. Colour me confuzzled!

[John]

... I dont think they save THAT much space, or are that much lighter?.....

The Flextubes actually weigh a little more than the solid tubes, oddly. Even without the light shroud.

I tried a 12" dob and found it a bit too much as well. 10" is a great aperture - perhaps the largest readily portable one ?

[Dunkster]

Do the solid tubes hold collimation better, with the secondary not moving up and down?

And how about cooling?