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KRS1
member
Reged: 02/02/09
Posts: 81
Loc: Anglesey, Wales, UK
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Given the choice between the 10" Skywatcher Flextube or solid tube which is the better? Ignoring the price diference between the two.
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Chris
Skywatcher Heritage 130p
Orion xt10i (on the way)
Some eyepieces & a barlow, I'm just starting out.
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Lane
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/19/07
Posts: 1494
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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I have seen quite a few reviews of the flextube and nothing negative. It is certainly easier to transport in vehicle. Every review said it holds collimation extremely well, which would have been my biggest concern. The primary apparently cools down quicker than the solid tube version. About the only semi negative issue I saw was that the secondary mirror will dew up easier if you do not use a shroud.
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CGEM, ORION SIRIUS, AT Voyager
OTAs: C6, C8, C9.25, C11, Pronto, ED80
Orion 9x63, Fujinon 10x50 & 16x70
Ethos 13, 17 Nagler 9t1,12t4,16t2,22t4 Panoptic 27,35
Antares 1.6x, TV Powermates 2x & 4x, TV Barlow 3x, TV Plossl 8,11,13
Baader Hyperion 21, 8-24 Zoom, UO HD Ortho 6,7,9,12,18
TMB Planetaries 3.2,4,5,6,7,8, Pentax XW 10,14,40
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KRS1
member
Reged: 02/02/09
Posts: 81
Loc: Anglesey, Wales, UK
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I agree that the collapsed tube is easier to transport and even though it weighs a little more is easier to handle because you can hold onto the truss rods. But is the solid tube a better option beacuse of collimation and dew protection? I won't have to move this scope far and if I do I have and SUV with plenty of room in it.
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Chris
Skywatcher Heritage 130p
Orion xt10i (on the way)
Some eyepieces & a barlow, I'm just starting out.
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Jim Haley
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/04/07
Posts: 726
Loc: Surrey England (SW of London)
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I am not sure if my experience is relevant, but I have a 5" flex tube. It makes me wonder if I will ever purchase another solid tube. None of the hassle of a truss tube, but much less "bulky". My 5" f5 is shorter stowed than a Starblast f4 114mm. And extending the upper cage in and out does not seem to impact calibration. Not sure if the 10" would be the same.
I remember carrying my 11" solid tube in one piece through door ways. I always had to be careful not to bang against the top of door ways. With the flex tube the finder/telrad would be right in front of my face making getting through door ways much easier. No need to "look up" or duck down. That would make carrying a 10" much easier.
If a 10" behaves like my 5", then I see a day when solid tubes will be the rarity. It is just so much nicer to drop the upper cage assembly before transport and during storage. I believe with the 10" it would still be a piece of cake to store the tube vertical inside the base in the back of your car. That is half as bulky, the tube is well protected, and the mirror is horizontal.
What's not to like?
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Jim Haley
12.5" f6 Starsplitter Dob because aperture and focal length rule.
Orion 8" XTi (with computerized object locator) because I view from the city and I won't always lug out the 12.5
Orion 114EQ reflector, Heritage 130P flextub Dob (My super portable dob is always in the car).
80mm f6 refractor (great for daytime use)
76mm Mini Dob (skywatcher brand). Hyper-portable dob base mounts to heavy duty ($100) tripod.
Edited by Jim Haley (11/01/09 12:17 PM)
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Old Rookie
member
Reged: 09/05/08
Posts: 41
Loc: Mansfield, Ohio
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I bought a 12" Skywatcher in September and I've used it about a half a dozen times since. The first 4 were without a shroud although it was backordered. I thought dew would be an issue also. I was wrong since the first 4 times I used it, I had dew dripping everywhere except for the secondary. I went ahead and installed the shroud because winter's just around the corner. As for the rest of the instrument - it's a steal!!
Enjoy
John
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John
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!
Skywatcher 12" Dob - Manual Setting Circles
Richland Astronomical Society
Club Telescope: 31" f/7
Club Telescope: 16" Lightbridge
MegaStar 5
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astrosmurf
member
Reged: 06/23/07
Posts: 39
Loc: Toronto, ontario, Canada
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i have the 10" flex tube
love it...solidly built
go with the flex over solid
will not be sorry you did
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dave
skywatcher 10" Dob collapsable
31mm nagler type 5
24mm panoptic
13mm nagler type 6
10mm pentax xw
6.7mm meade uwa 5000
5mm x-cel
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KRS1
member
Reged: 02/02/09
Posts: 81
Loc: Anglesey, Wales, UK
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Quote:
i have the 10" flex tube
love it...solidly built
go with the flex over solid
will not be sorry you did
I've gone with the solid tube. I chose it because the intelliscope feature was something I thought would be useful.
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Chris
Skywatcher Heritage 130p
Orion xt10i (on the way)
Some eyepieces & a barlow, I'm just starting out.
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skypilgrim
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/25/06
Posts: 558
Loc: Under a cloud
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I have to admit, besides transportation and storage in some cases, I just don't see a huge advantage for a flex tube for an 8" and even a 10" (if it's an F/5).
Besides the collimation issue that others have raised, I'd be concerned about stray light leakage through a gap or fold in the shroud. 98% of my viewing is in town so there's plenty of stray light to contend with.
I've always thought these shorter dob tubes (~48 inches) are super easy to transport whether in the back seat or trunk and there is zero set-up or take-down at the end of the viewing session. That's the time I'm tired and just want to toss things in the back and go.
Me - I hope I never see the "day when solid tubes will be the rarity". 
Sam
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AL Messier certificate #2078
AL Double Star certificate #354
Area of interest: Cultural Astronomy
My Blog: http://fathersky.wordpress.com/
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Tiny
super member
Reged: 05/02/08
Posts: 191
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To my knowledge the only maker of shrouds for SW dobs is astrozap, and they do not have any gaps of any sort. And the flex tubes are far easier to man handle. In the case of the 10" you can strink the entire length of the tube by 12 inches, 24 inches on the 12", its a considerable amount of space. Without this ability i'd be just barely squeezing this sucker into the back of an SUV, let alone a trunk of a car.
The amount of work this takes to extend and collapse the tube is about 20 seconds worth. You unscrew the 3 locks a turn and either pull it up or push it down then retighten. If you cant do this at the end of the night you probably shouldnt be driving, period.
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skypilgrim
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/25/06
Posts: 558
Loc: Under a cloud
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Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to start a flex vs solid "war". I was just objecting to one design eliminating the other. There certainly is a niche for the flex just as there is one for the solid.
I'm just hoping both designs continue to be available.
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AL Messier certificate #2078
AL Double Star certificate #354
Area of interest: Cultural Astronomy
My Blog: http://fathersky.wordpress.com/
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