unkabin

Yes, something like the StarSense phone app, with mount sold as an accessory is what I would like. This would leave my lovely C8 (yes, okay, I do adore it) in its original condition including tripod and mount, and would leave most of my $ in my pocket. And yes, I meant the AVX, but, as I cool down, I think for my use in the near future, barring StarSense or similar available as a simple accessory, I’ll hold off and maybe buy a focal reducer since I seem dead set on treating myself to something now that I’ve been using my scope more often again. And now I have to check out for a while. I do have a job! And a wife. And kids…😄

Barring a solution that doesn't (yet?) exist, I think I may eventually be looking at the VX equatorial mount. It seems to be highly regarded for quality and portability, which is what I want. I live in town and always have to go somewhere to view decent skies. Edit: Or maybe not now that I see that it weighs 50lbs. Why not just a phone attached to the OTA? Easy peezy, done.

Ideally, I would like to keep the mount I have, connect my phone to the OTA as a viewfinder, and have an app that guides me to push to what I want to see. Starsense seems something like this, but it interfaces with a computerized mount. And I see something like this on Orion Dobsonians with Skyquest. Why not just a cell phone with its own camera, compass, and a "push to" mode for an app such as SkySafari?

Thanks for this. I will definitely be watching videos and reading, because other than a reasonable mechanical inclination, I have nothing.

That said, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at an equatorial mount with goto…

We’ll, you are obviously a man after my own heart. I’ve been in your neck of the woods, too, by the way. I spent about 6 weeks in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. A few Pilsners around a scope in the high Tatras would put a smile on my face.

Thanks for this good information. I’m increasingly leaning toward putting the nexstar mount out of my mind for now for the C8. If one fell into my lap for a good price, and I could just stick on the OTA I have, I’d still be inclined, but maybe one new good eyepiece, zoom or otherwise, and doing something with the paint issue would satisfy my GAS.

Yeah, I get it. I’m not ready or in a position to spend much right now, though, so just about any other goto mount is out of reach or just too big an investment for how much I actually get out with my scope. My choice is, either forget about a goto mount and continue with what I have, or spend $350 for a used nexstar mount. I should probably just use this C5 with its nexstar mount when I want the convenience, but I know that every time I do, I’ll wish I was looking through the C8. So I think about buying the 6/8 inch nexstar mount and maybe selling the C5. It’s a rough life…🙂 Maybe now that I’ve committed to doing something about the paint job and doing some cleaning and maintenance my desire for a shiny new object will fade.

Just to be clear, if I were to buy a used Nexstar SE 6/8 mount, it will allow me to mount this with the existing rail?

Another question now that I look more closely. My rail is 1 3/4 inches wide, but now I'm seeing that the rail on the SE is much thinner. Can I mount this with a 1 3/4 inch rail?

Yes, thanks. I did look this up, and mine appears to be 1980.

Yes, that's my plan. And this will be a learning experience so you may see more posts from me with questions about DIY maintenance. I bought the scope 15 years ago, used of course, when eBay was fairly young and buying online was a bit like the wild west. Bought it from a guy in Alaska, and it arrived with the flaking paint. I got an extra $50 refunded, but that wasn't the point. I wanted a collector's item as well as a telescope to use. Hopefully, I can get it back into good shape, but I'm a bit sad that it will no longer be in original condition. I'm already thinking about how I can preserve the "special coatings" label and reattach it after painting!🙂

I agree wholeheartedly. The tripod is very stable, and other than the difficulty leveling, which is by design not a defect, there is no problem with the tripod or fork mounts. And, yes, it's beautiful to my eyes, too, and I like having it set up in the corner of the living room. I enjoy using it in the same way I enjoy sailing and working with nautical charts. But using the C5SE was also a bit of an eye opener. Pretty fun to just click and go. In another matter, I'm also dealing with a cosmetic issue. The scope is beautifully preserved internally, but the paint is flaking off. I don't know if there was a problem during manufacture, or if this is common, or if the previous owner cleaned it with something that affected the paint, but here's a photo of the other side of the tube from the one I picture above. I have it off the forks now and in flaking off the bad paint, almost all the paint is coming off. My plan is to prime and find a flat orange that matches the original as well as I can and repaint.

Okay, I took the OTA off the forks and weighed it. With 8x50 scope and rail, it is 12.2lbs. With that and 1 1/4 diagonal and 32mm Plossl eyepiece, it is 13.2lbs. So weight seems on par with modern C8. I think I may buy this used SE mount. I understand they’re not great for photography, but given my budget and lack of current interest in photography, this may work for me. I’m a touch hesitant because I like finding objects with coordinates and dialing it in. That’s always been part of the fun for me — like birdwatching, I suppose. However, I don’t like the frustration that sometimes comes in when I can’t find something. In particular, the legs on the original tripod don’t adjust beyond small screws near the head that allow slight variation to level by splaying the legs more or less (however, the legs are connected at the base with rods that interlock for stability, so movement is limited). If the surface is not nearly level, then it’s very trying to get the tripod level. And if it’s a bit off, then things can get frustrating. Edit: to say that the tripod screws don’t really splay the legs but instead allow the head to decenter a bit as the screws are adjusted, kind of like on some Christmas tree stands, such that the head ends up sitting slightly askew. Still, adjustment is quite limited and the process isn’t fun.

Would it handle the weight of an older C8 of this vintage? I’ve never removed the OTA from the arms to know how much it weighs alone. It looks heavier than modern C8s, but I don’t know in reality.