#Sky-Watcher Flextube 8" vs Saxon 10" Collapsible

14 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

dry compass
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I originally intended to buy the Sky-Watcher Flextube 8" for $700 AUD (see https://www.ozscopes.com.au/dobsonian-telescope-skywatcher-black-diamond-collapsible-8-inch.html), however, it is on backorder until 24/02.
The store offered me an upgrade to the Saxon 10" collapsible (see https://www.saxon.com.au/telescopes/saxon-10-deepsky-ct-dobsonian-telescope.html) for an extra $200, so $999 total.

Would it be worth upgrading to the 10" one? From what I can gather, Saxon is just the Australian version of Sky-Watcher.

Thanks.

knotty quail
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Out of curiosity, why do you want a collapsible scope? I am asking as I got a 10” version of skywatcher (collapsible) and when I decided to put it on a eq mount it turned out it’s close to impossible due to this collapsing mechanism.

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I also fold it as rarely as possible, as this spoils the collimation. The light gets inside so it has to get covered.
The only benefit of this is that I could put my back focus pretty much wherever I wanted without any kind of lifting the mirror

dry compass
knotty quail
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I ended up buying a new telescope, but if these are not issues for you then I believe it’s a good scope (I am referring to the skywatcher 250px). I still use it from time to time but only for the moon photos. Here is the photo I took a few days ago with it:

the_moon_3_12_2025_stitch.jpg
dry compass
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Looks quite nice. Is this with it collapsed? I read that can help with focusing when using cameras. I don't intend to use it for any type of astrophotography though.

knotty quail
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You might want to get a new eyepiece as the ones provided are quite bad (especially the 10mm one). I would also suggest an electronic focuser or at least a diy way of increasing the precision of the focuser knob as the one provided isn’t that precise. Initially I did it by just attaching a pencil and using it for precise adjustments;)

dry compass
tawdry grove
knotty quail
tawdry grove
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I don‘t know the specifics of this dob, therefore I‘ll assume that it performs about as good as any other 10“ dobsonian. So the „following statement“ counts not only for this scope.

With a 10“ dob, you‘ll be able to see a lot further into the universe, because for one it has a bigger mirror and a longer focal length. Due to the bigger mirror, you‘ll collect more light and therefore will be able to see fainter stuff. I‘ve looked at M51 through an 8“ and a 10“ dob, and I can say that with the 10“ dob the galaxy appeared a lot clearer.

As for the focal length, the longer focal length will definitely be of use for the planets. For deep sky targets this can be counterproductive, but as long as you have something like a widefield 40mm eyepiece, this should‘t be a problem either.

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In conclusion, I‘d recommend a 10“ dob over an 8“ dob if you can afford it.

dry compass