celestron8g8

Congratulations ! Can you post pictures of the scope ? Is it the collapsible type ?

Thanks for the info David . I'm aware of the size and I drive a pickup with a Super Crew Cab (4-door) so have plenty room in the bed or I can raise the back seats and carry inside . Mainly tho it would be for at home where all I need to do is roll it out to the patio out back . I need to find and see what a 12" looks like tho to see the size . But i'm open to other brands also if they have good mirrors . I like the collapsible SkyWatcher dobs . Right now the 10" is for sale at BHPhoto for $625.00 . Doesn't sound like a bad idea . But have to sell the Celestron first . https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=3390&fct=fct_brand_name|sky-watcher%2bfct_aperture-in-mm_863|10in-250-254mm%2bfct_aperture-in-mm_863|12in-300-304mm&N=4100994428&

I’m thinking maybe sell my Celestron 8”SCT on a eq mount and buying either a 10” or 12” Zhumel if i can sell my Celestron . It might be much easier to maintain and transport.

Fantastic sketch of M92 ! I got to get out soon and do some looking . We been having nothing but cloudy skies and rain for the last two months .

This is one thing I highly agree with and always have . Yes imaging is fun but you miss out on a lot of enjoyable viewing unless you divide your time up and give viewing ample time . Images cannot replace actual viewing .

This is a great Dob which just as i was getting ready to buy one Celestron quit production on them and what was left on the market sold like pancakes ! Since then i have not as much as seen on for sale new or used anywhere ! Now at the moment i cant afford one and I’m in the process of retiring from most astro work except keeping up with what’s going on here .

How old is your Sigma lens ? I have an older version Sigma 135-400 APO lens and it has terrible lens creep so i never use it for astroimaging . Also Sigma lens use to have reputation of being a somewhat soft focus which is also my lens problem . I bought it for astro and wildlife imaging but got big dissappointments . So if your going to astroimage i suggest either a different lens , using a creep band on big lens 400mm and larger or even better use a prime telephoto lens or best use a refractor of equivelant needs .

I always used a three legger like this . https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=xjgeS%2f%2bg&id=7A7162433D8666B13F4445CC6C9FBDD25E4B97EE&thid=OIP.xjgeS_-g2kg0PvMWKizDbAHaHa&q=three+legged+camp+chair&simid=607993571483189837&selectedIndex=0

The tax is because the government changed tax laws on internet purchases . Made alot of people upset but nothing we can do about it . That’s why internet sells were so high , no taxes .

Is there any chance you can return and exchange for the Celestron f/6.3 ?? If so I’d do it before i used the one you already received .

Personally I don’t think i need pictures anyway as proof . But i think anyone that has been owner of three of Celestrons best scopes should speak for itself ? Otherwise they could all be Meade scopes .

As i mentioned i was expressing my personal opinion and this was in 2004 . I know your professional but why are challenging MPO ? How do i pull up evidence when you know I can’t from 14 yrs ago ? The OP asked for opinions on difference and i merely told my experience and MPO cause i did have the chance for a comparison . But i also know that Celestron has always made their parts to work with their equip better . That’s a factor cause all manufactures do the same exact thing . Me and my friend switched EPs’ also but that’s not in the OPs’ question . I used my scope for example cause how else can you compare FRs’ without a scope ? No way , you can’t.

I understood the OP was talking about FR comparisons . My point i was trying to explain was the fact the OPs’ scope was a Celestron and that such items made by Celestron work better and give better results with their own products . Some may not understand or believe that but myself having Celestron products for 21 yrs now . I have had some Meade parts and don’t like them as well as my Celestron parts . The only Meade part i used alot was a Tele-Extender .

I’m just going to give my personal review and thought . I have a C8 on a German EQ5 mount with tracking motors . I have a friend who had the Meade LX200 also in 8” size . We both had FRs’ for our scopes . One night in the summer back about 2004 we setup side by side and found every DSO in Scorpio and Milkyway . We compared views with both scopes . Sadly to say his Meade never produced any viewing of clarity period compared to my C8 . Not one object was better in his Meade . I have always bragged about my Celestron SCTs being better than Meade ever was . My friend loved my scope ! We made sure corrector plates were clean before hand and tested for collimation and both scopes were even on both . Needless to say i still have my C8 . My friend ......., sold his scope a couple years later and never bought another Meade . Now he’s totally retired from any astro stuff and sold everything astro wise . This test was done with and without our FRs’ and still results were the same . So would i choose a Meade FRs’ over Celestrons FR 6.3 ?? Nope , never will .

Hopefully these picts turn out right . Stellarvue AT1010 , 80mm, 480FL .

As mentioned scope size makes the big difference . I have a 8” sct i use with a 25mm and a 2x barlow for very nice views and compared to jupiter which gives about the same size viewing . Then i have a 80mm refractor which using the same setup still nice views but very small . For a bigger size compared view i need my 18mm or 12mm plossi with barlow which gives me 6mm equivelant . However i much more prefer the 18mm with barlow . As mentioned , if too much power then views actually break down instead of clearing up .

Ok my C8 on a German CG-5 EQ mount has a serial # 918813 . I thought i bought this in 1997 but the owners manual that came with it shows Copyright 1998 with date 04-98 printed on back and i found my original receipt shows i bought it June 1998 . Black tube , Starbrite , smooth butt plate .

If yours was orange and had the same type butt plate cover as the one in the picture of the link you posted its definitely an 80s’ model or previous 1980 . That mount looks similiar to the 80s’ model tho . Mine is black , smooth butt plate , Starbrite coating . I bought it in 97’ late summer from www.astronomics.com . They told me they just recently got it in on shipment from the factory (Celestron) so I’m sure mine is dated early 97 cause they shipped out pretty quick after being built . I’m at work so no access to ser# .

Is the Astro-Tech scopes available where you live ? This is affine scope within your requirements : https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-at102ed-4-f7-ed-refractor-ota_p20548.aspx Other than that the SV102 Access would be great : http://www.stellarvue.com/stellarvue-sv102-access-f-7-super-ed-apo-refractor-telescope/ I don't know Vic that's owner of Stellarvue but I do know he holds high standards for all his scopes and all are top quality . I also know he grinds all of his own glass to perfection and none goes on the market without approval and no defects . Long time ago I bought his AT1010 80mm called the tank . STill have it and love it !

I have Celestron 15x70s' . I use them on a camera tripod but i'll get a different type in the future I hope .

I bought “Night Watch” by Terance Dickinson back 15 yrs ago and still have it . Great book showing constellations and their jewels . Great for binocs or scoping . Thats how i learned the night sky . I also have Cartes Du Ceil program which is a free excellent program for printing off any section you want .

No the one that came with my C8 new was a prism . The 2" diagonal now that Celestron has is mirrored

If it's the actual original one made by celestron then it's good unless your into spending highend dollars for something that may or may not show much of any difference . But if you want to go a little better but not max amount you could buy a Celestron 2" diagonal which has adapter for both 2" and 1.25" EPs' . I have the original 1.25" that came on my C8 from 1997 and in 2010 I bought the 2" diagonal which has the XLT coatings . Honestly I cannot tell the difference in the prism . But it also depends what EPs' you have . If you have high $$$ EPs' then you should match the glass with likewise diagonals . https://www.celestron.com/products/2in-mirror-diagonal-with-xlt-coatings

Well usually when you quote someone the message is directed at the one you quoted so since you quoted me I take it your directing your reply to me since you did not mention the OP .

Been knowing what you said for the last 25 yrs . But what is your point , are you not understanding or are you just adding to what I already know but didn't mention ?