A qualified recommendation - Sky Watcher 8in. Flextube 200P Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope S11700

I have another 8 inch Dobsonian telescope that has a solid tube and does not readily fit in car. So I got this model since the tube folds down and it is much easier to transport.

It is well made; however, I do have some concerns.

First, one reviewer stated that he could see nothing with this scope. Please be aware that the secondary mirror is wrapped in tissue which is held in place with a rubber band. Unless you remove this protective tissue, you will indeed not see anything.

Secondly, the locking screws for the primary mirror adjustment require a 2.5mm Allen Wrench which was not included with my scope.

Third, no matter what I have tried, I have still not got the primary mirror to be properly aligned (collimated). I think it might be "close enough" but I prefer to have it exactly lined up with the secondary mirror. I am going to try removing the primary mirror with its holder, rotating it one-third or one-fourth turn and then reinstalling it to see if this makes a difference. WARNING: Never touch the surfaces of the two mirrors.

Fourth, in another review it was mentioned that a 4mm eyepiece which is one of the two that comes with this scope is not appropriate for a scope of this size. However, a "rule of thumb" is that the maximum "power" of a scope is about 50 to 60 "power" per inch of diameter of the objective lens or the mirror. In theory then, an 8 inch mirror could achieve a power of 400 to 480X under ideal conditions. Since the focal length of this mirror is 1,200mm and since you divide this number by 4mm (for the eyepiece", the resultant "power" would be 300X. So if the optics are good, the 4mm eyepiece should still be usable with this scope.

Considering the problems I am having getting this scope collimated correctly, I recommend that if you do not have experience with a scope of this size you consider getting someone from a local astronomy club to help you.