MarsG76

Not by the look of it... I suspect that it has something to do with the release of the 8" RASA. Continuing with fastar on C8s makes the 8" RASA unnecessary, where as with a C8 you get both, observing and imaging at higher focal lengths along with f2 capability except for a considerably lower price. Business move.. I think the edgeHD OTAs are still fastar compatible.

Oh hang on... check your autoguide cable... perhaps one pin came loose and so the mount isn't getting a guide pulse.

Hi all, After much deliberation, I decided to get another C8 instead of the C9.25 or C11, except with Fastar compatibility.. Reason for my decision was that 1. That there were only 2 Fastar OTAs left, so outside of EdgeHD, Celestron is not adding Fastar to their OTAs... the other reason is that I would have to basically get new accessories for a bigger OTA, namely the refractor dovetail, the solar film, a new FR if it would be a EdgeHD scope, a new piggy back etc.. this way I have the possibility of fastar imaging and a new scope. The unboxing... Followed by the setup... I upgraded the secondary with Bobs knobs, installed my illuminated 9x50 finder instead of the supplied 6x30 finder scope, but also added a TelRAD to the kit... The unit is collimated and aligned, and it all came in at 14Kg... 30lb.. with 10lb to spare for the CGEM max rated load.... of course as I finished setting up the scope, clouds stopped me from a proper first light imaging... ... but the system is ready to go on the next clear night.... Clear skies, MG

Thats what it was, the shop was buying the whole sets, C800 CGEM/AVX, and selling the OTA and CGEM/AVXs seperately...

Nice report of a great night dodging cloud in the summer heat...

Increase the calibration step time, perhaps you had a reset to default... if that is not the case, than make sure that the mount operates properly when you're using the hand controller at sideral speed.... if it does than make sure that the mount didn't reset to factory defaults... My CGEM has a feature called "Calibration", if yours does also than run it and check you backlash settings....

Total garbage that it occurs every 150 million years... the andromeda galaxy is a naked eye object in dark skies and bigger angular size than the moon all the time... When reading this "article".. or pharticle... I was looking for the link to send some money to guarantee the view, HAHA 😄

Thats much closer to it... Yes, M22 passes overhead, I don't think I ever imaged it but did see it in the eyepiece and in my 14" scope it's a amazing sight... almost like your photo, except with no color and stars were twinkling slightly.

Looks good.. might be a little red in the whites... but very good detail...

Phoaaa. nice.. I like....

Enjoy... that is one of my favourite telescopic views to witness.....

Finding a guide star for OAG guiding might not be easy, but when I plan on imaging a object, I check on Starry Night Pro whether there is a potential guide star candidate within the OAG prism circle.

Yes I am....

The original is a bit pasty..... but the reprocessed image is great...

Fantastic.. can't wait to see the finished obsy.

Nice image and detailed.. the lack of sunspots lately is staggering.

What a career to have lived... RIP.

I found that theres not much that beats the view of Saturn on a extremely clear and stable night, where Saturn can be magnified 406X on a 8" SCT or 500X on a 14" Newt and the disc is massive and very very detailed....

That makes sense... thanks

Cool detail there.. are you going to get SII and OIII data and create a SHO image?

I did that initially.. they didn't have an answer.. but they did say that they had the scope for about 3 years, but this would mean that they are the last generation before the EdgeHD so they have to be C8-A XLT.... All I can do is go for a ride and check it out in person....

Great detail... will good great in color

No.. Both are available numbered 91020-XLT with CG5 and 91024-XLT with CGE dovetail bar... I'm starting to think that C8S is a typo since even Celestron website has it as C8-A and no mention of C8S or C8-S.

Are you planing on using more than one filter stacked?? Normally the filter goes on just befre the CCD, but the different filter will change your focus slightly.. for two reasons, the thickness of the filter glass will alter the focal point and even if the filters are "Par focal" or same thickness, the different light spectrum has a focus point thats at slightly different for each color, ie. red, green and blue focus at a slightly different point, hence the chromatic aberration in refractors... I find that slight refocusing is required at each filter change. If you're planning on stacking a light pollution filter with with R, G, B or NB filters than I'd say that is not necessary, especially with NB filters which are the best LP blockers... and your exposure level should be limited to control the LP in your wide band imaging subs...

I understand and I read the fact that some SCT tend to last 30 years and longer... I was wondering about the C8S and C8A designation.. both a StarBright XLT and are sold as brand new... just curious... I'm sure that if I got either, there would be no difference in its operation.