Ideal for all of your vast observation needs, Sky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope is a big gun. If you are shooting for well resolved, elusive 12th-magnitude fuzzies, you now have the power. In fact, a very significant wow-factor extends down to viewing the stuff people usually concentrate on with 8″ and 10″ telescopes. Except they say, “WOW!”, when they view through this super aperture amateur 12″ SW telescope. You can not only be a hero to yourself, but a mystical guru to other backyard astronomers, scout groups, friends, and neighbors. Astronomy is a great hobby to share, and the Sky-Watcher 12″ DOB Telescope makes you potentially the hit of any star party. Well, so much for ego satisfaction-the point is-the SW 12″ DOB is a serious telescope that will be purchased by a serious amateur who wants serious deep-sky penetrating resolution. Be advised this Light Chariot is one sweet astronomical ride! Everything in deep-space appears brighter, and wider in extension with the Sky-Watcher 12″ Dobsonian Telescope. Many of the more challenging to resolve objects in smaller diameter telescopes now reveal their essential structure. Objects just within the threshold of a 10″ aperture now appear more prominent and may be worth dwelling upon for extended periods. Comet hunters will delight in the fainter magnitudes that are possible to discern in the SW 12″ DOB. Here at last is a telescope within the threshold to tackle elusive deep-space gems like the Horsehead Nebula in Constellation Orion. Located in Constellation Perseus, M76, is a very faint nebula of 11th magnitude. The SW 12″ will capture this baby like you want to see it. M97, a planetary nebula in Ursa Major is very faint, but as a serious amateur you will want to see it. No worries, the Sky-Watcher 12″ Telescope will fulfill your quest. M61, a spiral galaxy in Constellation Virgo, will reveal spiral arms as you would hope to see them, but you will need a SW 12″ telescope to resolve them well. The list goes on, and you will delight in planning your own journey of exploration. The incremental resolving power of the SW 12″ aperture is beyond just being impressive, it’s within amateur astronomy’s super aperture threshold where the lucky observer is able to resolve well, many, many objects that smaller telescopes just don’t have the horsepower to detail satisfactorily because they can’t pull in enough light. Again, Sky-Watcher’s compact, collapsible optical tube design makes this super aperture 12″ DOB a far more practical decision to purchase. Observing with a Dobsonian has been described akin to shooting ducks in a gallery because it is so easy to find your target. Just swing your SW DOB to the quadrant of sky to be searched, and scan the vicinity. An 8x50mm Right Angle optical viewfinder provides both magnification and light-gathering to help narrow your search for those elusive fuzzies when star-hopping. The standard-equipment backlash-free 2″ Crayford Focuser insures ultra smooth focusing adjustments. Multi-coated, 4-element Plossl eyepieces (25mm and 10mm) provide a spacious 52mm Apparent Field of View. To ensure mechanical ease-of-use, SW uses a high performance Teflon bearing system in both axes combined with tension adjustment in altitude to facilitate setting the appropriate amount of friction, assuring smooth vertical and horizontal manual movement without free-play from small bumps or gusts of wind. This also eliminates the need to have a balanced optical tube as in an equatorial mount. Sky-Watcher’s Teflon bearing system is preferable to the use of ball-bearings. Ball-bearings make unintended movement of the optical tube more difficult to control. Fortunately, at low power, deep-space objects leisurely drift through the field of the Sky-Watcher 12″ DOB Telescope, so constant mechanical adjustment of the telescope’s orientation isn’t needed to keep objects in the field of view. Sky-Watcher’s revolutionary truss-support concept allows the optical tube’s front and back cells to collapse together, aligning on the truss support rods which can then be locked down for easy and secure telescope transport. This one piece, low-hassle OTA design is mechanically simple and results in large aperture telescopes that can be reasonably handled and transported by one individual. This innovation gives Sky-Watcher users tremendous functional ease-of-transportability. The Sky-Watcher 12″ DOB utilizes quality components throughout. Pride of workmanship manifests itself in high quality standards of optical and mechanical fabrication. The polishing process for primary and diagonal mirror yields smooth mirror surfaces ensuring good contrast, and properly corrected optics show minimum alterations to the optical wave-front. On each primary mirror, and elliptical diagonal mirror aluminum is vacuum deposited to the front glass surface and then over coated with hard quartz (SiO4). Additional layers of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and (SiO4) are then applied. Dust covers are provided to help keep your DOB clean when not being used. The mechanical and structural components of the OTA exhibit rigid construction and outstanding stability. The mount construction is sturdy and rigid. Mount design, while simple, facilitates smooth motions about both axes. Quality accessories enhance the observer’s viewing experience. For a great way to make sure you have one of the best resources the observation industry has to offer, choose the Sky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope. Specifications for Sky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope: Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector Aperture (mm): 305 mm (12 in) Focal Length: 1500 mm (59 in) Focal Ratio: 4.92 Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 (mm): 25 mm (0.98 in) Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 60 x Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 (mm): 10 mm (0.39 in) Magnification of Eyepiece 2: 150 x Finderscope: 8×50 RA Viewfinder Mount Type: Dobsonian Highest Useful Magnification: 720 x Lowest Useful Magnification: 44 x Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 14.9 Resolution (Rayleigh): 0.46 arc seconds Resolution (Dawes): 0.38 arc seconds Light Gathering Power (Compared to human eye): 1898 x Optical Tube Weight: 46.2 lbs (21 kg) Features ofSky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope: 12″ (305 mm) Dobsonian-style Newtonian 1500 mm focal length (f/5) 2″ Crayford-style focuser with 1.25″ adapter 4-element Plossl 25 mm and 10 mm 1.25″ eyepieces 8×50 right angle erect-image finderscope Solid rocker-mount with Teflon bearings and tension clutch for altitude Aluminum plate with needle bearings for azimuth Eyepiece height at zenith: 55.5″ Package Contents: Sky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope
Sky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope S11740
$1,715.00
SKU: A468FEA6
Category: Sky Watcher
2 reviews for Sky Watcher 12in. Flextube 300P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope S11740
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$3,929.00
Warhawk –
I started out with a 4" MAK go-to electronics. The go-to feature was nice, but I could never see DSO. After long debate between the SW and Meade 12" dob collapsible, I went with SW. Transportation is a breeze with this SW. The 3-pole truss design is stronger than I imagined. The scope holds culmination for the night, longest was 6 hours so far. I threw away the factory eye pieces as I have a complete set of Explore Scientific 82* which I highly recommend. The primary mirror isn't a Zambuto it works quite well for my needs. There are a few phone/tablet apps that assist with star hopping on your way to the DSO's. I also added a Telrad finder and kept the original finder. Both work really well in unison. I added a 12v fan to the bottom of the main mirror and also a light shroud to the open truss. Only downside was the focuser, changed the SW out with a Moonlite focuser and this telescope is a dream to use now. With the tube collapsed, it will fit in the back seat while the base goes in the bed of my truck.
Fabio –
This is a seriously big and bulky scope. Not so much the OTA, but the base is really wide and bulky. If I had more money, I'd gone for an obsession telescope, but hey it's 4 times the price. In the end, I'll move it around with my car, is not that I have to carry it for miles on my back, and a foldable trolley costs just $25. I am not sure a SCT would be less heavier: once you are in the 12", everything is heavy, a SCT will have a very heavy fork and very heavy tripod, and good luck lifting the OTA and fork to place it on the tripod!As a cloudynight user has reviewed, the focuser requires an adapter for the 2" eyepieces, which is weird but I'm sure there's a good reason for it. I didn't like the finder scope, not useful for me, I replaced it with a $40 telrad and I couldn't be happier: it's simple, you just need to align it once; if you remove it and put it back on it is still aligned, I love it!! Finding stuff is easy if you have charts at hand, and you don't need special Telrad charts.The eyepieces the scope comes with are cheappy, but it's always the case. I bought a ES 82 30mm for now which gives 50x, then later I'll check for a 14/15mm and something between 9-7mm.The movement of the scope is smooth and well balanced. I was very worried that with a manual scope I wouldn't be able to find the objects, but I'm happy I haven't settled for a smaller but computerized scope. Let alone the cost, with a manual scope I really have the fun of *doing* stargazing and I get to learn the sky so much quicker.If you go 12", and you should, and want a Newtonian for the price, this is the one you should get.Clear skies!