Sky-Watcher Skyliner-200P FlexTube Dobson Telescope (Enhanced Standard Edition)

If you want the best value for your money, you will quickly end up with an 8-inch Dobsonian. The Skyliner-200P FlexTube takes that concept and immediately solves its biggest drawback: the size. Thanks to the retractable FlexTube optical tube, you collapse the telescope in seconds, without fussing with loose poles. The collimation remains intact, so you set it outside, extend it, and start observing.

This Enhanced Standard Edition features something you rarely see in this price range: borosilicate glass mirrors (similar to Pyrex). This glass hardly expands at all when exposed to temperature changes, allowing the telescope to reach operating temperature more quickly and helping the mirror retain its shape better as it cools. In practice: a sharper image, without a fan. The parabolic primary mirror and secondary mirror are finished with Sky-Watchers’ RAQ (Radiant Aluminum Quartz) coating with 94% reflectivity, and the extra-thin 0.5 mm secondary mirror fins minimize diffraction spikes.

With a 203 mm aperture and a 1200 mm focal length (f/5.9), this is a true all-rounder: the Moon and planets reveal a wealth of detail, and under a dark sky you can effortlessly pick out star clusters, nebulae, and the brightest galaxies. You find objects the classic way, with a star chart and the smoothly rotating Dobsonian mount. The tension controls on the mount can be adjusted in seconds, so the optical tube stays neatly balanced even with a heavy eyepiece.

The accessories are more generous than with the standard factory version. You get a 9x50 correct-image 90-degree erecting finder scope instead of the straight-through finder, which is a lot more comfortable for viewing. Furthermore, it includes two 70-degree wide-angle eyepieces (12.5 mm and 20 mm), a 2-inch single-speed Crayford focuser, a 1.25-inch adapter with brass compression ring, and a universal smartphone adapter to take your first moon photos with.

Are you hesitating between this one and the Deluxe Edition? The only difference is the focuser: the Deluxe has a dual-speed focuser with 10:1 fine adjustment, while this Enhanced Standard has a single-speed one. The rest is identical.

Specifications

• Opening: 203 mm (8 inch)
• Focal length: 1200 mm (f/5.9)
• Primary mirror and secondary mirror: parabolic, borosilicate glass (low-expansion)
• Coating: RAQ (Radiant Aluminum Quartz), 94% reflectivity
• Secondary mirror: 47 mm (minor axis), 0.5 mm vanes
• Focuser: 2-inch single-speed Crayford, with 1.25-inch adapter and brass compression ring
• Finder: 9x50 right-angle finder (90 degrees), erect image, with crosshairs
• Eyepieces: 12.5 mm and 20 mm, 70-degree field of view (60x and 96x)
• Maximum useful magnification: 400x
• Tube length: 1115 mm extended, 835 mm retracted
• Weight: tube approx. 11 kg, mount approx. 12.1 kg
• Base diameter: 520 mm
• Includes universal smartphone adapter (for phones 54-90 mm wide)