Are enormous performance, the ease of use offered by Dobsonian telescopes, as well as space-saving design and easy transport important to you? And do you also value the convenience of GoTo control? If so, we recommend the SkyWatcher Flex-Goto 400/1800 Dobsonian telescope, whose unique collapsible design makes it extremely space-saving both during transport and storage. It is particularly worth noting that it can be collapsed to its transport size without disassembly. When ready for use, the tube is 168.5 cm long; when collapsed, it is only slightly longer than one metre, measuring just 107 cm!)
Thanks to GoTo control, observed objects always remain in the centre of the field of view, even at high magnifications.
Thanks to its GoTo system capable of tracking the sky, you can use this astronomical giant as effortlessly as if you were not operating one of the heavyweight champions. However, this instrument, designed primarily for visual observation, provides views worthy of an observatory-grade instrument on a clear night—whether observing the breathtaking surface features of the Moon and planets or catching sight of deep-sky objects.
Advantages of GoTo control
GoTo control means that your telescope, mounted on a highly practical Dobsonian base, is capable of tracking the sky—so observed objects do not “drift out” of the field of view (unlike with non-GoTo mounts)—allowing you to observe them for longer, with greater precision and, moreover, at higher magnifications in complete comfort.
With the supplied SynScan controller for the SkyWatcher Flex-Goto 400/1800 Dobsonian telescope, tracking the rotating sky is easy. At the beginning of an observing session, simply align the Dobsonian with two stars. After that, whichever object you select in the sky using manual movement, the telescope will track it. However, if you do not feel like searching for celestial objects or want to start observing as soon as possible, you can select any of the 42,900 objects programmed into the hand controller—the telescope will slew to it and then track it, continuously keeping it in the eyepiece field of view. All that remains for you is to observe.
Impressive optics combined with easy operationThe SkyWatcher Flex-Goto 400/1800 Dobsonian telescope is characterised by enormous optical performance. Its impressive 406 cm aperture collects 40% more light than its 30 cm counterpart. This is naturally reflected in the range of objects visible through the telescope. Star clusters can be resolved into individual stars, and the spiral arms of many galaxies are easily recognisable. Numerous interstellar clouds of gas and dust reveal forms almost identical to those familiar from photographs.
With this aperture and instrument, under dark skies you can venture as faint as magnitude 17!
The instrument's extremely precisely manufactured primary mirror is premium quality, at least diffraction-limited, and made of low-expansion Pyrex. Its quality makes it ideal for observing the Moon and planets—on nights of good seeing and transparency, it reveals fantastic details on the surface of our celestial companion, while even the Encke Division can be seen in Saturn's ring system. It is also a precise, high-quality instrument for examining close double stars.
Precision mount, extensive equipment
The Teflon pads of the Dobsonian base of the SkyWatcher Flex-Goto 400/1800 telescope provide precise sliding bearings, while the adjustable brake system keeps the telescope properly balanced at all times. Naturally, this premium telescope comes with a precise 2" Crayford focuser. The 2" focuser enables an enormous field of view—it also includes a 1.25" adapter, allowing eyepieces of this diameter to be used with the telescope. The telescope comes well equipped: the included 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces provide 72x and 180x magnification, while a 9x50 finder scope is also included as standard.
The GoTo mount operates from 12 V, and the manufacturer supplies a cigarette-lighter power cable, although it can also be operated from other power sources (e.g. a 12 V gel battery, PowerTank or 12 V mains adapter).
