Taken the leap.........

[ScubaMike]

Decided to make the leap and got myself the scope I really wanted, on a mount that could handle it.

Hope I've not overpaid !!!

CGEM Pro GoTo, with C9.25 XLT, Paid £1,500 (gulp!) All brand new, with full warranty.

The "All-Star" polar alignment swung it to the CGEM over the EQ6. Pretty much everything else was equal.

Was a hairy moment when I expained to the better half how much I'd spent, but seeing as I don't spend on other stuff (and had just paid her car road tax for her!), she was OK about it.

Looking forward to first light, will be sure to write a report.

[ollypenrice]

Good setup. I have two imaging rigs, one of which cost nearly twice as much as the (excellent) little car I bought new. The other one cost about the same. I consider all of these purchases real bargains because they all make me happy. You can't say that about everythining you buy. I think you will say it about your telescope. It will put you in touch with a wider world unknown to many less imaginative people.

Rejoice!

Olly

[ScubaMike]

Wise words Olly,

I think I have what I want now and will hopefully get years of enjoyment from it.

How often can you spend so little for so much. (taken on a cost/time basis of course )

If only it was here NOW for the prospective clear night tomorrow.

I just know we'll have weeks of rain & cloud when it arrives

Just realised.... I can cross two of three items off my wish list!

Now... about those clouds.

[twotter]

You can't take money with you, so enjoy it now

[AztecastroMcJ]

well done i agree money well spent

thats sounds like bargain btw where did u buy from ?

cgem mount usual over £1000 alone

James

[asteria]

Sounds like a great buy for such fantastic gear. Enjoy! Ed

[RogerTheDodger]

Bah, more clouds then....

[Willarnold]

It will give you a lifetime of enjoyment, but thanks for the clouds

[lw24]

Envious to say the least

[MikeWilson]

Yay! Looking forward to your report :-)

---

- Sent from my mobile using TapaTalk (so please excuse bad grammar & spelling!) :-)

[Sam]

So it's because of you that it's snowing here!

Enjoy the new kit and I'm sure it'll bring you a lot of enjoyment.

[Charon]

Enjoy

[JoLo]

As Olly astutely pointed out, it makes you happy, run with it! I plan to check out with a $0 balance in my checking account, and my cards maxed out. I am balancing a new OTA and autoguider, with getting Mary the new kitchen she wants. As the wicked witch of the west said, "all in good time my pretty".....

[faulksy]

i no were you got it from scuba mike it was on the bay only 2 bids and i emailed them and it was a genuine jewel lucky sod lol

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

That is a beautiful piece of kit. Really good all-round visual scope, cracking planetary imaging machine!

Clear skies!!

[ScubaMike]

i no were you got it from scuba mike it was on the bay only 2 bids and i emailed them and it was a genuine jewel lucky sod lol

Bang on Faulksy,

Was delivered today.

Still sealed in the boxes! Guarentee still in the box.

Opened it up and my god, it's a thing of beauty (am I allowed to cuddle it?) My wife says I'm like a kid at Christmas - can't wait for it to get dark.

Looks a lot bigger that the one I saw in RVO. maybe it was a 6" or 8" I saw there.

[Steve]

All brand new, with full warranty.

Was delivered today.

Still sealed in the boxes! Guarentee still in the box.

Congratulations, that is a very nice outfit

Be aware though that the Celestron warranty is not transferable, it can only be used by the original purchaser. Having the paperwork will not help. Fortunately Celestron kit is generally reliable.

HTH

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Brilliant, you must be so pleased. Fingers crossed for good weather.

[ScubaMike]

Be aware though that the Celestron warranty is not transferable, it can only be used by the original purchaser. Having the paperwork will not help. Fortunately Celestron kit is generally reliable.

HTH

The warranty has not been activated, so presumably it will not be being transfered? Will look into it.

1st problem.

Scope will not balance in RA.

Single weight at most extreme is underweight.

Two weights as close in as possible is overweight.

Got round it by using a lighter weight from my EQ5, but would prefeer to sort out properly. Had not put any EP/diag on the scope, was going for a rough set up, so maybe fully kitted out it will just balance.

[johninderby]

A Celestron scope I sold on to another SGL member needed a part replacing and the dealer honoured the warranty even though it wasn't the original owner. All the new owner needed was a copy of my invoice.

John

[fatwoul]

The warranty has not been activated, so presumably it will not be being transfered? Will look into it.

1st problem.

Scope will not balance in RA.

Single weight at most extreme is underweight.

Two weights as close in as possible is overweight.

Got round it by using a lighter weight from my EQ5, but would prefeer to sort out properly. Had not put any EP/diag on the scope, was going for a rough set up, so maybe fully kitted out it will just balance.

That's most peculiar. My understanding was that counterweight bars were designed to a length precisely for that reason - so that 1 weight at maximum distance was the same as 2 weights at minimum distance. Is the bar definitely fully extended and not catching on anything?

[ScubaMike]

That's most peculiar. My understanding was that counterweight bars were designed to a length precisely for that reason - so that 1 weight at maximum distance was the same as 2 weights at minimum distance. Is the bar definitely fully extended and not catching on anything?

Bar is fully screwed in (screwed into the locking nut - then screwed into the mount).

It is close in both cases, but just a fraction off. I'll try again and be *firmer*. Maybe I was being too gentle and not tightening fully.

[perfrej]

Balancing it perfectly is not really the way to go if you want steady tracking - at least that's my experience. I always balance it slightly off, doesn't matter if it's on the light side or on the heavy, to remove gear slack from the tracking precision equation.

And that was just a typical "my two cents" comment

All the best and good luck with that beauty!

/p

[ScubaMike]

That's most peculiar. My understanding was that counterweight bars were designed to a length precisely for that reason - so that 1 weight at maximum distance was the same as 2 weights at minimum distance. Is the bar definitely fully extended and not catching on anything?

Another thought, I didn't level the tripod (was just on garage floor so will be slightly out). Maybe that contributed.

I only put it together to see how it looked.

I'm hoping for a break in the clouds at the weekend, so will try again then.

Odd thing is the tripod is the opposite way round to my EQ5 - north is between two legs instead of over one. Means I will be epoxy'ing a few more washers to the patio

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Adding the diagonal and EP changes the balance considerably, but I still would expect you to achieve balance without them. If the tripod top is not quite level this should not change the centre of mass along the declination axis, so that is no explanation either.