skywatcher goto dob question

[Stargazer_00]

Currently have fixed tube 10 inch. Thinking About upgrading some point possibly to a 12 flex goto.

I currently have to move my score in two pieces..I can't see how the goto scope comes off the mount. Doesn't appear to have the tension bolts of the manual dobs. Also Can these goto dobs be used as manual without power or do the motors sieze up the movement when there is no power? The duel encoder system gives the impression of manual

[Stargazer_00]

No one own one of these? :/

[Luke]

We had a 12 inch auto flextube that we used as a goto. There was a large bolt that fixes the scope onto the goto arms inside the rocker box. You unscrew it in a few seconds then can whip the tube off the mount

We now have a 16 inch flextube goto, which has the same kind of bolt plus another one on the other side for good measure.

I can use my 16 goto without power. But it is not as smooth I think as a manual version, definitely not in the same league as my 10 inch GSO manual solid tube.

We could use the 12 auto without power too. Again, not as smooth as a manual and there was a bit of slop that did not bother me as I saw it as a bonus being able to use it manually, but if you hoped for it to be about as good as a dedicated manual, you might be better off with a manual.

I don't know if the 12 inch gotos are now the same, but with our newish 16 inch you have tensioners that need to be tightened up for the goto to work, and you can't move the dob freely while they are tightened up as far as I can see, so I let the dob do all the slewing rather than giving it a hand here and there.

This is different to our old 12 inch auto converted to goto, that we could move freely at any time. That said, the goto is so good on the 16 that I'm very happy to let it do its thing, it's much more accurate off of a two star alignment than I thought it would be. I am really impressed with it!

Whether the 12's are the same, I don't know. Hopefully someone with a 12 inch flextube goto can chip in?

[Stargazer_00]

Thank you for a very comprehensive response answered my question any any follow ups I had