12" Skywatcher Collapsable Dob

[MattT]

This refractorholic is seeking a cure for aperture fever.
So for all Skywatcher 12" Collapsable Dobbie users give me their thoughts on this scope. I'm interested in this one over other Dob's for the ability to use bino's without the OCS, by shortening the distance the UTA is from the mirror.

Is there any flex in the UTA with heavy eyepieces? Is the scope just as good as it was when new with the collapsable parts? Hope this makes sense and finally if anyone has a 10" do you wish you had gone a bit bigger?
The only Skywatcher reflector I've had was an 8" Black Diamond which was a really nice scope.
Matt

[Sarge (Rod)]

Matt,

I have the SW 12" collapsible. It lives up to the "light bucket" name. It's about 4 years old and still works just like new. Extends and locks everytime. Do need to tweek the collimation each set up, but that's only about 2-3 mins work. I changed the focuser to a dual speed moonlite, the SW focuser worked well enough as a single speed, but was annoying with the 2" and 1.25" adapters. I have some large TV eyepieces and it handles their weight easily. The only down side (which I didn't find out about till I bought a goto mount), is that it is not goto nor has tracking. It did help me find my way around the sky star hopping, but now I get real lazy and just tell the NEQ6 what to point at and let it go. So the only further upgrade might be the SW goto mount that is now available.

Good scope, good optics and best views for the bucks.

Clear skies

Rod

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Hi Matt,

I had a 12" collapsible dob and while it was awesome for beautiful images, my penchance for wanting to take photos was one of the reasons I sold it, so I could get an 8" on an HEQ5 Pro. Heavy eyepieces weren't an issue and the colours in some nebulae were quite visible (Orion, eta carina etc).

I agree with Rod, if you can afford it (check out Andrews Comms), but the goto version so you can use the laptop or the handset to "make it so" and go to anything you want, without having to star hop, which becomes annoying at high power if there is no tracking.

Fantastic bang for your buck and very easy to setup and collimate, the secondary cage is very rigid and holds collimation well.

Cheers

Chris

[Allan_L (Allan)]

I have a SW 10" Flex Dob.
I am very happy with it.

I previously owned a CPC1100. (11" SCT Goto)

I now prefer the 10" DOB.

I originally wanted a 14" (push to) DOB. (the Orion XX14i intelliscope)
and only bought the 10" as stop gap while waiting for one to come along.

But this scope is so good, optically, easily transported, easy to set up...
I am happy to stay with it ...
... well, at least until a 12" or 14" are being "given away".

I use heavy eyepieces. TV Panoptic 2". ... with TV paracorr.
No problems, but you do need to add aftermarket balance objects.
I check to collimation each set up (not that it is ever out by much).

Note the SW (and the Orion) both use pyrex which I understand to be better than BK7 glass used by other manufacturers.

Sorry I have never tried a bino viewer with it.
I find the TV eyepieces deliver sufficient depth of field alone.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

Hi Matt,

Good luck with your project.
I have the 12" sw goto, the tube locks into position quite well, I manage to have my 2x Barlow + 5x power mate + dslr on there without too much trouble.

Whilst youre going visual you might be interested in the pics I've made with mine, below including deep space.

Cheers

Rusty

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80336656@N07/

[MattT]

Thanks for the replies. The 12" will cure the 'fever' very nicely. Rod and Chris you have me thinking about a goto, but I'm a star hopping type with the EQ5 and 6" frac, so goto's not as important but would love some kind of tracking...more research for this Dobbie newbie coming up! Alan I did think of a 10" too, 10" or 12" is going to be a big light jump up from the 6" refractor.
Nice piccies Rusty specially the Horsehead, it's on my visual list
Matt

[Varangian (John)]

Hi Matt, can't comment on the truss design of the SW Dob but I noticed an increase in light gathering capacity moving from a 10" Saxon Dob to a 12" GSO Dob a few months ago. Plus, when you get a 12" out of the car and set it up it makes you look all business

Until someone sets up their 20" Obsession next to you

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by MattT

. I'm interested in this one over other Dob's for the ability to use bino's without the OCS, by shortening the distance the UTA is from the mirror.

The OCS also gives a slower light cone that can actually get through the long internal light path. Simply removing it and getting closer to the mirror does not remove the bottle neck . The cheap binoviewers suffer from this problem worse than the expensive ones.

[EricB (Eric)]

For me it was a toss up between the SW 12" truss push-to or the 10" truss GoTo. I got the 10" GoTo in the end because of the lesser weight and because the GOTO function appealed to me.

For a while I wondered "what if I had got the 12"?". "Would it have make a significant difference?" But now I have no regret. As I do mostly lunar and (some) planetary imaging using the tracking function, the 10" offers plenty of aperture for what I use the scope for. Had I been more interested in visual, I would probably have got the 12" push-to.

Cheers,

Eric

[MattT]

To bring this full circle. Shortly after the last thread I bought an Orion Optics (UK) VX 10 Newt from Lars on the classies. These have hand figured mirrors and are bit better than the average. It was a scope I had thought about getting new from Teleskop Express but dismissed mainly for price and this one was a bargain, thanks Lars. Added a Feather Touch focuser to it and also around the same time, also from the classies an NEQ6 from Lewis... great mount. I know a Newt on an EQ mount is a bit tricky but I tend to look at a small area of the sky at a time, so it's possible to get the eyepiece in a decent viewing position.
The Newt is still sitting in my mums house in Canberra and hope to get it in October....
Thanks to all who replied.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

"Reflecting on refracting" comes full circle too,

On ya, Matt. I hope you get many photon filled hours with the beastie.

Mental.

[MattT]

Thanks Alex.
Might have to rephrase that to...Refraing from Refracting...
Actually I love the 6" refractor.