Skywatcher Skyliner Flextube AUTO

[FLO]

The NEW Skywatcher Skyliner Flextube AUTO Dobsonian telescopes have arrived

Spiel:

Skywatcher's patented collapsible FlexTube system has now been combined with powerful dual-axis servo motors and encoders in the base unit for automatic slewing and tracking of celestial objects via easy handset commands.

Available in 8, 10 and 12-inch apertures.

Features:

• Eyepieces Supplied (1.25"): SP10mm & 25mm
  
• Dual-Fit 1.25"/2" Crayford Focuser
  
• Parabolic Primary Mirror
  
• 0.5mm Ultra-Thin Secondary Mirror Supports
  
• 9x50 Finderscope
  
• Direct SLR Camera Connection
  
• 3-Point tube locking system, fully retractable
  
• Alt-Azimuth Mount with Accessory Tray and Built-in Heavy-Duty Servo Motors
  
• Auto-Tracking Handset
  
• Choice of 1x, 4x or 8x Sidereal rate speeds in “Tracking-On” mode
  
• Choice of 32x Slow, 64x Medium or 800x High-Speed Slewing in “Tracking-Off” mode
  
• Quiet Operation
  
• Power Requirement: 12v DC Power Supply (Tip Positive) or LR20 Batteries (not supplied). 17Ah Power Tank Recommended.
  
  

For details of these and other Skywatcher Dobsonian telescopes please visit our website.

[FLO]

We will take a Skyliner 300P FlexTube AUTO to the SGL-4 Star Party and make it available for all to use

[Mark at Beaufort]

Steve

I am really looking forward to seeing this new scope at SGL4. How many other types of scopes, binos are you going to bring?

Mark

[FLO]

Steve

How many other types of scopes, binos are you going to bring?

Details HERE

[James]

I've been able to have a quick play with FLO's new 300P Flextube AUTO for a few minutes this afternoon. A full report will follow on Monday but I can confirm that the OTA is easily removable - you just need to remove one locking screw.

I'm not optimistic about using it under the stars tonight as a layer of high cloud his moved in and is thickening.

[John]

......I can confirm that the OTA is easily removable - you just need to remove one locking screw. ....

Thats good James

They would have to be sold with a body building course otherwise !.

John

[DaveGibbons]

James, where is the motor positioned for driving in Azimuth? Any pics?

cheers

Dave

[James]

The azimuth motor is on the base, in the middle directly underneath the OTA.

I have some pics and will post some soon (I'm still drying out and warming up after Kielder).

James

[FLO]

From Skywatchers importers: We have just been advised by Sky-Watcher that a GOTO Upgrade will NOT now be made available for the Skyliner FlexTube AUTO Motorised Dobsonians.

[johninderby]

Too bad about that. Wonder how the lack of a future GOTO upgrade will affect sales? They're still a bargain though for a dob with tracking.

My dob (The Blue Whale) with the ServoCAT system did have an Argo Navis as well for full GOTO, but I took the AN off as I just didn't use it very much. The tracking was the main thing that made the dob so much more useable.

John

[calibos]

I can't imagine they would have announced the possibility of the Goto upgrade if they hadn't made sure it was technically feasible.

To me this back tracking on goto is pure politics. ie. Sister company Orion kicked up a stink that a full goto Skywatcher would kill their entire Intelliscope line including the new XX12. ie a Goto Skywatcher would have everything, Tracking, Goto and a 50,000 database of objects with Synscan.

Due to Orion politics one now has to make a choice. If you want Push-to get the intelliscope, if you want tracking get the Skywatcher but we won't let you have both.

GRRRGGGHHH!!

[calibos]

Then again. I just remembered seeing Orion Branded GEM Newts on Syscan goto mounts in the new Orion catalogue. Maybe this decision isn't so much to prevent Skywatcher having a feature that an Orion scope can't have but merely a decision to drip feed the features. Ie Orion saying, let us sell the XX12 for a year or two alongside your non goto flextubes auto's and then introduce the features to both lines of scopes and get both sets of buyers to upgrade again in a year or two.

ie. A tracking goto dob with a 50,000 database is a 'Killer App' but why 'empty the clip' in one go when a dob with built in tracking is still a killer App in its own right. Save the best till last etc.

[Bigwings]

Certainly an interesting scope but without the GOTO option I think I will wait and pick up a cheap non motorised one when people are upgrading.

I wonder if they will bring out a 16" to give the lightbridge ripoff merchants a run for their money.

Anyone want to hazard a guess as to the tracking being up to imaging?

[Whippy]

To me this back tracking on goto is pure politics. ie. Sister company Orion kicked up a stink that a full goto Skywatcher would kill their entire Intelliscope line including the new XX12. ie a Goto Skywatcher would have everything, Tracking, Goto and a 50,000 database of objects with Synscan.

Due to Orion politics one now has to make a choice. If you want Push-to get the intelliscope, if you want tracking get the Skywatcher but we won't let you have both.

I think you're reaching a bit here. Orion are resellers of many maufacturers (Intes, GSO, Synta etc etc) kit and AFAIK nothing to do with Synta unlike say, Skywatcher and Celestron that are owned by them. My understanding is the Intelliscopes are GSO OTA's so I fail to see where the 'politics' part comes into play. I would imagine that the lack of a non-GOTO version or upgrade is probably either a supply or technical problem.

Personally, I was rather looking forward to a GOTO enabled 14" or 16" flextube. I hope this is a temporary rather than a permanent issue.

Tony..

[FLO]

Personally, I was rather looking forward to a GOTO enabled 14" or 16" flextube. I hope this is a temporary rather than a permanent issue.

Me too...

[ZOG]

Hmmmmm I've has a theory for years, mostly to do with computers, that I call the "technology vault"

The theory is that technology is moving so fast that there wouldn't be enough profit in one item before a better item superceded it. So technology is stored in a vault and drip fed to the public. This enables manufacturers to squeeze every penny of available profit from an item before an upgrade is released.

But then again, I believe in the moon landings as well.

[GazOC]

I notice they are still advertised as being shipped with the encoders, looks like the GOTO path is open. Maybe someone will figure out a way to wire in an existing DSC handset or use a planetarium program to access the encoders?

[johninderby]

The encoders are needed to give positional feedback so that the motors speed can be constantly adjusted to give accurate tracking as the loading varies depending on the OTA position etc.

One question that comes to mind is what resolution are the encoders? Are they good enough to allow the upgrade to full GOTO? For tracking only a high resolution encoder isn't needed.

John

[GazOC]

Ah, so they are needed for just the basic tracking operation? Still, as long as they are there I'm sure someone will figure out how to sort out a GOTO system.

I'd assume that the encoders were designed to have been good enough for the mooted GOTO upgrade?

[johninderby]

You could have a "dumb" tracking system that would just depend on the constant speed of the motors, but without encoders you would have to manually set the position of the OTA before it could track as it wouldn't know where it was starting from, plus accuracy would suffer without feedback to correct the motor speed.

I'm more familiar with the ServoCAT system on my dob which uses it's own encoders for each motor so that the ServoCAT computer knows the position of the motor output shafts. If used with an Argo Navis then the AN has it's own high resolution encoders as well for it's computers.

As mentioned in my earlier post low resolution encoders are good enough just for tracking but need to be better for GOTO. I would assume that the encoders should have been good enough unless the supplied ones weren't up to spec perhaps. The big question is did SkyWatcher run into problems with the GOTO using the standard encoders or are they just delaying the release?

John

[GazOC]

I suppose we'll find the answer to the last question if and when the GOTO comes out and whether or not it just the handset or handset and encoders. Theres no really groundbreaking technology being used (that I can see) though, I'd be surprised if theres problems in that area.

[pmesquita]

Hmmmmm I've has a theory for years, mostly to do with computers, that I call the "technology vault"

The theory is that technology is moving so fast that there wouldn't be enough profit in one item before a better item superceded it. So technology is stored in a vault and drip fed to the public. This enables manufacturers to squeeze every penny of available profit from an item before an upgrade is released.

But then again, I believe in the moon landings as well.

It's not a theory. It's a fact. They only release new technology when the old has reached the base of the consumer pyramid. Then it is time to set everyone chasing for the new toy and it starts all over again. I know... I've been an advertiser for 23 years...heheh

[calibos]

Good news gentlemen. Just read a full back page advert for the flextube auto on the back of the new edition of S&N magazine.

Theres a boxout panel with a picture of the Synscan and the words:

Upgrade to Goto

Synscan AZ Goto

handset and cable

Product code 20109

40,000+ Database objects

.................£149.00

This info is not just in the little boxout panel. Its in the large features list for the scope and its also in the heavy font headlining at the top of the advert.

So unless the marketing division didn't get the memo about the synscan upgrade being cancelled then its literally 'All systems are go"

Oh yeah 200mm/8in Flextube auto £599

250mm/10in £799

300mm/12in £1099

[johninderby]

Unfortunately as the publishers deadline for changing the ad would have been late February and the GOTO was only cancelled earlier this month that doesn't mean a lot. Hopefully it's just cancelled for now and will show up eventually.

John

[GazOC]

Nice!