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Without wanting to contradict Martin in any way, I've found the SW 8" goto model can require some balancing when using heavier eyepieces/barlows, whereas the larger models with the significantly heavier mirrors are probably less prone to requiring balancing. My old 16" certainly never needed any balancing, but my 8" will become very "top heavy" with a largish eyepiece. I use the velcro strip method running down the back of the tube, with a 1.5kg gym weight also with a velcro strip wrapped around it attached wherever required. It's certainly enough to balance a scope, and there have never been any issues with the weight falling off when the scope gets near vertical - if your velcro is decent you'll need to give it a decent tug to remove the weight. Just remember to remove the weight before dropping the tube struts when you're packing up!
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