Solid tube or flextube Auto?

[GazofCorra]

I have ordered the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Solid Tube but i am now wondering if i should have chosen the SW 200P FlexTube AUTO instead, i realise it costs more but is having the tracking ability of the auto worth the extra cash?

As this is my first scope and knowing that i have to nudge the scope about to track objects is worrying me a bit or am i panicking for no reason?

Does the flextube have any drawbacks compaired to the solid tube, i think one is that the flextube requires collimating more often than the solid tube, but once i have collimated my scope a few times this is supposed to be an easy process to do.

Would any of the users of the Auto dobs go back to a manual dob?

I know i definately made the right choice of picking a dobsonian as my first if not last scope, but will the auto version make using the dob a more pleasurable experience?

I am also trying not to surcome to aperature fever but still keep wondering if the 10" would be a better purchase in the long term? does it give much better views over the 8"?

Gaz

[brantuk]

The 200P is a nipper compared to the 300P flextube auto which I have and will be much easier to lift and handle in the solid tube version. The motors are quite heavy so the base on a manual has the advantage of being lighter.

Collimation is the same on both scopes and will need to be done fairly frequently unless it's in a permanent fixed position. Tracking is a personal preference and there is no reason at all why you shouldn't get on well with "push to".

A Wixey and an AZ setting circle will make a world of difference finding stuff when used in conjunction with something like Stellarium or Cartes du Ciel. Of course the larger the aperture, the longer it takes the object to drift across the fov and the more detail you'd be able to tease out of faint stuff.

I'd go back to manual "push to" quite hapilly but only for a much larger aperture 16" and above. But maybe you are panicking, the 200P solid tube is a great scope for a first instrument and I think you'll get a lot out it.

Join a local group or astro soc and you'll get to play with all sorts of large scopes. Yours will hold value quite well when you come to upgrade. Hope that helps

[stolenfeather]

I have a Skywatcher dob myself and what I love about it is the fact that it is manual. It gives me the feel of knowing the night sky more,.... well by hand. I guess it all comes down to preference. I have a 10" myself and love it. Wait till you receive your scope and give yourself time to become acquainted to it. I'm sure you will love it. I'm looking forward to exchanging notes!

Isabelle

[Adz]

Hey Gaz,

I am in a very similar situation to you. At the moment I am decided on the solid tube. With the auto you have to have a power pack as well. It is also more reliance on technology which some people don't like.

From what I understand, if you spend more money on eyepieces that have a greater field of view then the object stays in tracking through the eyepiece for longer. So it makes views better and manual nudging easier.

Does anyone know how well the flextubes hold their collimation compared to a solid tube?

I would also like to put a variant on your question and ask does anyone with a manual dob now think they would of prefered an auto? Is it also possible to upgrade from manual to auto?

Do you travel to your darksite? I based my 8" decision over the 10" because of fitting into my small car and also being more forgiving with collimation. I can also allow a little more money for eyepieces.

HTH

[brantuk]

I usually check my collimation every time - but I do a star test first to see if it's needed. I have to travel to a dark site which makes this necessary, but it holds collimation for two or three sessions quite nicely despite this.

[stolenfeather]

I've had my "10 Dob for two years now and have never checked the collimation. My views seem fine though. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Oh my,.. I guess I'm showing my "newbie" roots now.

Isabelle

[stolenfeather]

I have to say though,.. I prefer manual. I do even if I should collimate more often

[GazofCorra]

Many thanks to Brant, Adam & Isabelle after sleeping on it and reading your posts i am now convinced that the 8" solid tube is a very good first scope and i am going to stick with it.

I am learning the night sky with books and charts etc but this will take time.

I have invested in some good quality televue eye pieces and bought a Telrad finder, i also have a Baader MKIII laser collimator, so it looks as though i have the right kit so far.

Brant, could you explain what the AZ setting circle is and what it does? also where does it go? i know the wixey is a device for measuring elevation in degree's, is there any setup procedure to using the wixey and can you place it anywhere on the scope?

Thanks guys & gals

Gaz

[brantuk]

The AZ setting circle goes on the fixed part of the base around the circumference. It's got all the degrees from 0 to 360 marked on it ( and sub divisions ). A pointer is fixed to the rotating part of the base and you can read off what angle you're pointing at.

The Wixey is magnetic and will stick on anywhere - usually near to the finder or telrad. So you instantly have Alt/Az readings that you can look up in Stellarium and swing the scope to. It works remarkably well.

You get instructions with the Wixey for initial callibration. Usually you have to put it on a surface you know to be level and set it to 0 degrees (eg the scope base after levelling with a good spirit level.

[Adz]

A good decision and one I think I shall share Gaz!

I am jealous of the televues though, which ones have you decided upon? I would love to read a review when you have time.

Perhaps one other suggestion might be a magnet to use as a counter weight to move along the tube for balancing if you are using heavy eyepieces.

I will also get the wixley me thinks!

[GazofCorra]

Brant thanks for the info mate, the idea of the wixey and setting circle sounds great and will help in finding objects a whole lot easier than star hopping, can you buy setting circles for the skywatcher dobs?

Adam i have bought the panoptic 24mm and the 13mm nagler type 6 i also have a televue 2x barlow and a SW panaview 2" 38mm, so i am covered on my EP's for now, i will only use the TV barlow with the 13mm EP so i get good eye relief with high power veiwing but i am not to sure if the exit pupil will be better by using the barlowed 13mm EP compared to a dedicated 6.5mm EP the nagler has a 82 degree fov.

I don't think i need a counter weight as the EP's are not that heavy, but this may be different when the Telrad and wixey are fitted.

The SW SkyLiner 200P comes with 2 EP's 25mm & 10mm i will compare the televue EP's against these, but it should be a forgone conclusion that the TV's rule.

[brantuk]

There will be no comparison - once you've looked through the TV's going back to the SW supplied ep's will be like looking through frosted glass lol

There's a site where you can print off the setting circles but I forget what it's called. To save time pm Doc (moderator) - he uses them all the time and has the info to hand

[GazofCorra]

There will be no comparison - once you've looked through the TV's going back to the SW supplied ep's will be like looking through frosted glass lol

There's a site where you can print off the setting circles but I forget what it's called. To save time pm Doc (moderator) - he uses them all the time and has the info to hand

I knew from the beginning that i wanted some quality eye pieces as they can be used with any scope i buy in the future, so are a good investment rather than trying this and that EP for each scope.

I will try and PM doc and mention our chat about setting circles.

Thanks again Brant