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Skywatcher Skyliner Flextube AUTO

FLO

By FLO
in Sponsor Announcements and Offers

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calibos

calibos

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Something in favour of it still being a goto for launch :) is that only in the last 2 weeks has this scope been officially announced in OZ. Members of ICEINSPACE have posted info from the Australian distributors which talk about the goto upgrade path and pricing for same.

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FLO

FLO

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The tracking was certainly effective and silent in use. It allowed us to line up an object then for others to take their turn at the eyepiece without our needing to interrupt them to 'nudge' the target back into the field of view. I also liked the way there were no clutches or clamps so you could swing to a new target without any concern for the motors. It did take me a while to get used to using the handset to fine-tune the objects position in the eyepiece, rather than nudging the tube.

HTH

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GazOC

GazOC

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I also liked the way there were no clutches or clamps so you could swing to a new target without any concern for the motors.

You must be a mind reader, I was meaning to ask this question! I'd assumed there would be clutches, that there isn't any is a pretty big plus point and keeps to the whole ethos of a quick and easy to use Dob while adding the tracking.

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FLO

FLO

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They are not interchangeable, the standard flextube has a large disk bearing on either side that drops onto teflon blocks whereas the new type slots into the drive/bearing/encoder mechanisms. We ought to have taken more pix, we will at the first opportunity.

HTH

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makszutov

makszutov

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What is the material of the primary? I read somewhere that certain SkyWatcher dobsonians still use pyrex but afaik this glass has been discontinued. Now what is the truth? Do they use some proprietary low expansion material?

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FLO

FLO

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So far, Skywatcher has only used Pyrex for the primary mirror supplied with the 250px models. As far as we know that has not changed but we'll ask when next we speak with them.

HTH

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FLO

FLO

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Not an evaluation as such but we and a number of other people used it at SGL-4 and were impressed.

Essentially it does everything it says it does, which is good. In particular the motorised tracking makes it better for high magnification lunar and planetary observing than a traditional non motorised Dobsonian. It is also handy when observing in company as you can sit back while everyone takes their turn at the eyepiece safe in the knowledge that the object will stay in the field-of-view.

It is currently with James so over time we will be able to offer a considered opinion.

HTH

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Andrew*

Andrew*

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I hope you don't mind if I throw in some comments of my brief experience with this scope.

Not much to say about the optics, build etc. Think of the excellent mirror set we've got to know and love from the Skyliner 300P, the build quality and ingenius design from the FlexTube 300 and picture that with a couple of neat motors for the two axes...

I found both axes of movement quite stiff to move. It's quite likely you can tweak them to suit your preferences though. However, even if not, it is good enough to get you to the right area, and the max slew speed is appropriately fast enough to do finer slewing without too much of a wait. Also, the fact that you don't need to push-pull to track objects means the stiff axes isn't too bothersome.

What I liked is that there aren't any clutches to have to bother with. You can yank the tube around like an ordinary dob and as soon as you let go it is tracking for you. The tracking was perfectly accurate enough too.

The alignment also seemed dead simple.

The best thing about the whole thing is it maintains the simplicity and "find it yourself" naturue of a dobsonian, and yet opens up comfort at the eyepiece for viewing at high power.

On the whole, definitely a cool scope.:icon_rolleyes:

Andrew

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athlon

athlon

Posted
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I hope you don't mind if I throw in some comments of my brief experience with this scope.

Not much to say about the optics, build etc. Think of the excellent mirror set we've got to know and love from the Skyliner 300P, the build quality and ingenius design from the FlexTube 300 and picture that with a couple of neat motors for the two axes...

I found both axes of movement quite stiff to move. It's quite likely you can tweak them to suit your preferences though. However, even if not, it is good enough to get you to the right area, and the max slew speed is appropriately fast enough to do finer slewing without too much of a wait. Also, the fact that you don't need to push-pull to track objects means the stiff axes isn't too bothersome.

What I liked is that there aren't any clutches to have to bother with. You can yank the tube around like an ordinary dob and as soon as you let go it is tracking for you. The tracking was perfectly accurate enough too.

The alignment also seemed dead simple.

The best thing about the whole thing is it maintains the simplicity and "find it yourself" naturue of a dobsonian, and yet opens up comfort at the eyepiece for viewing at high power.

On the whole, definitely a cool scope.;)

Andrew

Sounds excellent.

any more news on the "will they/wont they" situation with the Goto?

:icon_rolleyes:

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Kai

Kai

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I think Andrews comments above pretty much sum up my experiance of the scope at SGL4 , optically is the same (as Steve mentions) to my std 12 inch flextube but when tracking the object just stays in the eyepiece.

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FLO

FLO

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Bigwings, see posts #38 & #39

athlon, it is currently living in James' garage so will get more use over time. We'll also take some pix of the bearing/motor assembly.

HTH

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Bigwings

Bigwings

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I cant but feel that we are not being treated fairly with this not available.

I sell for a living and have been a sales manager in my last company and present. Now customers have REAL power. If you guys want GOTO then we should tell SkyWatcher in no uncertain terms.

Lets do a poll and vote on a motion to boycott the purchase of Dobs till they either agree to include the upgrade or say why its not possible. The latter is not credible because they have already indicated it is possible. Its called consumer sovereignty

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FLO

FLO

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We'll also take some pix of the bearing/motor assembly.

We have taken some pix, will post the here soon ;)

is there going to be a 14" or 16" (driven or undriven)?

I don't know for sure, and if I did I probably wouldn't be allowed to say. However, I am confident enough that we will see a 14" to have put in a request for the first one that reach our shores.... (FLO has managed to secure the first of all three versions of the 300p, so we are quietly confident). As for a 16" ... fingers crossed!

If there is going to be a driven one - put me down for it.

You will be the first to know :icon_rolleyes:
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