GSO Dob tension spring system, good enough?

[jason_kelly]

I am trying to choose a 10 inch dob and can't decide which is more inportant. I love the fact that the GSO dobs have a dual crayford and I love the fact that the skywatchers don't have the spring tension system on altitude. Which will bother me more if I buy. Does every GSO dob need some kind of counterweight system, or is the spring system adequate. Not to mention the GSO is sginificantly cheaper and has more free accessories(laser collimator, 2xbarlow,cooling fan, 26mm 2"SP and 1.25 10mmpl Skywatcher only come with two 1.25 PLs)). But if the scope doesn't hold altitude how frustrated will I be. I don't really want to have to fool around with mods or counterweights. SHould I spend the extra money for the skywatcher? Or will I be happy enough with all the extra accessories and the spring system on the GSO?
Cheers
Jason
PS. on all the pics I've seen at various sites the 8" and 10" skywatcher flex dobs have different focusers with the 8" looking the lesse quality of the two. Can anyone confirm this, does the 8" skywatcher has a lower quality focuser than the 10"? On the skywatcher USA saite they are the same, but I live in Korea and can only get the Non-usa version.

[AdrianF]

My 10" GSO Dob is OK with the spring tension. If I take mine off the scope wont stay where I point it, so I leave mine on. I will admit that the tensioner is not the best and could do with improving which I might look into sometime If I come up with an improvement I'll post it here.

Adrian

[ving]

my 8" was fine with spring tention... i say was cause now its EQ :)

[rmcpb]

If I had to choose between a dual speed crayford and an altitude tensioning system I would say its a no brainer. The crayford will win hands down.

I used to use my 8" with no springs and just slide a couple of speaker magnets, with stick on felt on them, up and down the tube as necessary. Too easy.

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

I found the springs a pain. Just disconnect them and get about 3 or 4 old speaker magnets which can be slid up and down the tube as required, as others have said, easy.

Cheers

[wavelandscott]

I don't mind the springs...they work a well on my 8 inch Bintel Dobsonian reflector.

The springs even hold my heaviest eyepieces and Binoviewers without a problem...

While there may be other more elegant solutions, the springs do work.

[ColHut]

The springs are fine on my 10"GSO with a 2" 30mm superview. The azimuth was slightly more frustrating but a number of milk bottle washers did the trick as well as some floor sliders (see Mr Salways's article).

cheers

[AdrianF]

If I dont use anything with mine eg camera and camera mount mine is OK but with the extra weight I have a problem unless I use counter weight in the form of wheat bags.

Adrian

[erick]

Be careful with the bigger magnets and felt. Works fine until the dew settles, then the OTA becomes a slippery slide, in my experience. You forget and lift the scope towards the zenith and hear "swish", "thunk", "thud" as the magnet slides down, thunks into the mirror cell flange, then falls onto the ground where the magnet collects every bit of iron-containing dirt/rock within metres! :mad2:

Then you go "Gosh" or similar, and go looking for the magnet in the dark, leaving the scope with its heavy eyepiece/barlow to take off and bang down on the horizontal end stop. Add a nice big rubber bumper!