Thinking of a change.

[Tribal-Wolf]

Thinking about selling my Flex dob and buying a 200P on an EQ mount.

My concerns are the awkward positions I have heard people say they need to get into to view things, the weight and the height.

Can you use and EQ & tripod sitting down or is it too awkward?

[swamp thing]

Hi Chris

IMO unless you're thinking of starting in AP I personally see no advantage at all in a EQ mount. On the contrary I think it's a step backwards. The eyepiece will indeed disappear into some very awkward places, requiring the tube to be constantly rotated.

You may get moments sitting down but on the whole you'll be limbo dancing around the scope trying to chase the eyepiece.

Set up and take down will take about three times as long. And it will be more awkward to store.

As I said unless going into AP stay with the Flextube.

Regards Steve

[RikM]

I'd agree with that. I have both a Dob and EQ mounts. The Dob is by far the most comfortable to use for visual use. If you don't intend to hang a camera on it, stick with the Dob.

If it's just tracking for visual you want, how about an equatorial platform to put your Dob on?

[StuW]

The eyepiece on my 200p on a HEQ5 occasionally gets into some very inconvenient positions, to the point I need to get the stepladders out... and I'm 6'1"!

[Black Knight]

I'd have to agree with the above posters. For visual you are far better off with a dob.

[ollypenrice]

For visual observing you can't beat alt-azimuth. You don't care if the image rotates slowly in the eyepiece. The contorsions of German mounts are one of the joys (?) of astrophotography but if you can dispense with them...

Olly

[JamesM]

If you are wanting to view the night sky using an an equatorial mount whilst remaining seated, you will need to change the scope to a Catadioptric (Schmidt/Maksutov) or a refractor, although the latter alternative can still have you in some funny positions. The dobsonian is the only other mount that will allow you to be seated.

James

[ismangil]

I paid £85 to Beacon Hill to build me a Dobsonian mount... As the EQ was taking an extra trip to setup, and the need to rotate the tube a lot.

Now with my smartphone I have a pushto system.

Perry

[zuni]

i have a flextube dob,and had an eq mounted scope before it.

i have to agree with what has been said.

one option,if you choose to go down the eq route is a set of

wilcox rings.either make some,or buy some.

[LukeSuppalot]

Have to agree with all above. A Dob is far easier to set up and use for visual most of the time. The only time the EQ is better for visual is when you're viewing an object that is very low in the sky, which isn't very often and the view is never that great.

Luke

[Tribal-Wolf]

I think in that case I maybe better off getting a smaller scope on an eq mount for AP to go along side my dob. I might have to sell a kidney or something then lol

[RikM]

I think in that case I maybe better off getting a smaller scope on an eq mount for AP to go along side my dob. I might have to sell a kidney or something then lol

That's the spirit

[ismangil]

That's the spirit

Selling body parts?

[Tinker1947]

My 250P DS gets in awkward positions, i just spin it round untill its where i need it to be, it has a large clip and plastic strip above to the top tube ring so it maintains balance.

[Caldwell 14]

You could always go for the AZ option and go for a giro III mount, far more comfortable that a dob with a better ep height

[Tribal-Wolf]

The mount I have is fine but I was thinking of maybe AP in the future but then I like the dob for visual and the goto is very good because you don't have to wait or mess about you just push somewhere near then let the goto do the rest.