Skywatcher motorised dob - coming soon

[Starkler]

http://firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=skyliner_300p_f lextube_auto

For those who rule out choosing a dob due to the lack of tracking and goto....
Well you can now have it all, and at a much cheaper price than an equivalent sized sct :thumbsup:

[Lyinxz]

If I knew SW were going to be realeasing this when I bought my 10" version I would of got this 100%

Very upset now :sadeyes::sadeyes::mad2:

[AlexN]

nice looking setup!

[Glenhuon]

Looks good. Be nice to hook a DSLR up to it and see what transpires on DSO's :)
Around the A$2500 mark in UK, but I reckon you'll be looking at nearer $4000 when it gets to the shops here.

Bill

[Starkler]

No it should be cheaper here than the equivalent GBP value in the UK.

If we think we have it bad price wise in Australia, the Europeans have it much worse.

[telecasterguru]

How would you go about guiding the scope for DSO?

[toryglen-boy]

LOL

3 weeks after i get mine, this is announced !!

i quite fancy the 14"

;)

[GrahamL]

Real men push there dobs !!:P

Does look very neatly put together though

[wavelandscott]

Thanks for posting that...looks neat!

I bet I'll get to see one soon as I am hoping to make it to NEAF...it is only about an hours drive from my house. Here is hoping my bonus cheque gets deposited in time (not for the scope in the post but for other goodies)!

[AlexN]

I dont think it would be useable for DSO imaging, as its still alt/az... short exposures only.. but for planetary imaging these would make quite a splash I would imagine... 12 + inches of aperture with tracking for what will be MUCH less than the cost of equal aperture on an equatorial mount....

[Starkler]

I agree wholeheartedly :thumbsup: If the addition of tracking motors detracted in any way from the ability to make it move easily and smoothly in push-to mode I would see it as a big minus.



Whats an unknown at this stage is how smooth the motor drives are for high power imaging.

[AlexN]

Too true...

[ColHut]

You must be nuts - That one des not include SynScan :)

That is not all! These can be easily upgraded to a full GOTO system by the addition of a SynScan AZ handset and cable (available soon).

you might just as well buy

http://firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=sw300peq6pro
at £1495.00

My 10" dob (not quite the same league) was AUD 499

If you want the works buy them - but why irritate yourself with a non-eq mount for the same price. You will need a truck to movie it anway! :)

[Starkler]

I say the opposite. Why irritate yourself with the weight and set up hassle of an eq mount unless photography is your main purpose.

Newtonians on eq mounts for visual? Too much hassle polar aligning, having to rotate the ota each time you shift object potentially screwing your alignment, and too much weight. Yuk

[netwolf]

If the tracking is good then this will make a very nice spalsh in the Planet, Comet, NEO imaging and finding scene. Dob's are cheaper and alt/az mounts are much simpler to use than the EQ mounts. This is welcome news indeed, look forward to real word reviews of its performance. I just hope the price is kept low. If this is Synscan compliant then perhaps a Altazmod similar to the EQmod could be developed for this. Also i wonder if they are using servos or steppers.

[ColHut]

Pah! It wil be so heavy you'll need caterpillar tracks for mobility:lol:

[TJD]

my scopes exactly the same but with out the moters just woundering if i could atach goto to mine its a 12"colapable skywatcher black diamond dob:prey:it would be great if there was a divise that could turn a ordenary dob in to a goto monster

[toryglen-boy]

*cough*

Argo Navis

*cough*


:thumbsup:

[Starkler]

Argonavis +servocat

Cost will be more than what you paid for the scope :whistle:
Goto is overrated imo when you can have push-to for much cheaper.

[pete_pumpkin]

I just found some local prices from the following site:

http://www.sirius-optics.com.au/index11.htm

[netwolf]

Andrews has also released pricing for the Slew and Track dobs.

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm

NEW! Flex-tube auto tracking Dobsonians arriving soon.

200mm...$1499
250mm...$1899
300mm...$2999

Upgradeable to full "Go-To"...

Looking at the non-goto, you could almost get a Servocat or even cheaper the Sitech system for this. Without the ArgoNavis it woudl be a tracking only, but you could use a laptop for both to give goto. With these SW tracking scopes you would need something like EQMOD to get goto with a laptop.

8" 499 (+1000 for slew and track)
10" 799 (+1200 for slew and track)
12" 1499 (+1500 for slew and track)

[toryglen-boy]

this was all posted yesterday guys


http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=436404&postcount=25


:P

[sally1jack]

I just purchased a servocat & by the time it landed & made through customs it cost me $3200 , so there is still a gap
Phil

[toryglen-boy]

Even so, the ordinary dob can be had for $1200, so $1800 just for tracking ... that seems a bit steep to me. That kinda money would get you a brand new HEQ5 Pro with Go-to and a 4" refractor to put on it !!

i think its far too much money. $1000 more then yes, but only just, but 1.5 times the price of the entire 12" scope just so it will track, and with no go-to?


no thanks. Argo Navis here i come.

;)

[sally1jack]

I agree tracking is an expensive sport when it comes to Dobs
Phil

[Calibos]

I pity you poor guys. the UK pricing looks great.
I just posted this on the UK forums
http://stargazerslounge.com/sponsor-announcements-offers/76959-skywatcher-skyliner-flextube-auto.html#post1209594

[toryglen-boy]

yeah, i can get one shipped out from the UK to here, and its still cheaper than buying locally.

unbelievable.

:screwy:

[Calibos]

<Shudders at the thoughts of the amount of U.P.S. ('Ups' :juggle: I dropped it) guys that would have to handle it along its 9000 mile journey>

:D

[toryglen-boy]

I know !!

although if the mirror could be removed, and packed and sent seperately ..


it might not seems so crazy ...


:P

[toryglen-boy]

i wonder how hard it would be to buy an 8" auto tracking dob, and just convert the machanics of it over to my 12" and sell the 8" on?

seems to be a much cheaper way of doing it, that said i havent been able to find any reviews of one, or any pictures of the point where the OTA meets the mount ...


:shrug:

[tnott]

Well people have cannibalised cheaper DS Meade scopes for their GOTO stuff so it would be possible.

Don't know how well this system would work though, as cheaper GOTO is often a nightmare to get to work properly.

As for imaging with it........?

[Starkler]

Youd take a fair value hit on the holes left in the 8"ers base.

[toryglen-boy]

Looks like they have revised thier prices ....

200mm...$1349
250mm...$1649
300mm...$2549


:P

[Sab]

Hi All... Has anyone managed to try out one of these bad boys?

If so are they any good?

p.s this mob in NZ claim that is comes with GOTO handset with Synscan database... :shrug:

http://www.nztelescopes.co.nz/dobsonian.htm

[mbaddah]

So these skywatcher flextube only come with the ability to track from a point you've manually selected and not automatically "go-to" preset location in the sky?

How would this rate in comparison to the argo-navis in comparison as I've been tempted to either buy an argo-navis or just sell off my current dob and by a skywatcher flextube with the goto, thanks :)

[MortonH]

A recent post from someone in China for the eclipse said that they visited the Synta factory and saw an "awesome new handset" due to be released later this year. Could this be for the Dobs?

Or maybe goto on heavy Dobs is too much for the motors and they just shelved the idea.

Morton

[Sab]

I emailed Bintel about this to see what they had to say... apparently its not a GOTO handset, just "a simple slew and track system"

Their recommendation was to go for the Argo Navis

Still might be useful for imaging...

[toryglen-boy]

i think frame rotation would probably put the mockers on any imaging you want to do on it ..

:(

[Sab]

Good Point...

Gee telescope shopping is hard work.

[toryglen-boy]

i used to be the biggest advocate of these scopes, now i am not so sure.

It seems like your paying twice the cost for a mount, that is now pretty widely known, only tracks, and doesnt have goto.

So, the normal 12" is about $1500 , the version that tracks is about $3000, to my mind, thats $1500 that would be better spent on the non-goto, adding an argo navis, and maybe 2 good pentax ep's etc.

I mean, how import is tracking on this anyway? apart from the planets, i use my dob to look at things at magnifications of between x25 - x75ish i can easily keep something centred with a slight push of my digit, and a WA eyepiece.

no, the more i look at this, the more i think they have dropped a clanger, just think, for $500 less you can buy a 16" scope !!!



:doh:

[toryglen-boy]

Gerry Gibbs Camerahouse is now advertising these. The oridinary 12" is $1250ish, and the tracking version is $3400

That more than the cost of the ordinary 12" version, 12" tube rings, and an EQ6 mount !!!

madness!!


they can keep it

;)

[DavidU]

Exactly !

[toryglen-boy]

Glad you agree !!

or to put it another way, a 16" GSO dob, and Argo Navis, would cost the same

;)

[seanliddelow]

Whats the point of tracking paying that extra money for a machine i would rather spend it on a 5mm eyepiece (Which didnt come with the dob:mad2:).