What is the Celestron 6/8 SE Mount Like

[E621Keith]

Yep. The powertank is a good idea as normal AA batteries will only last an hour or so.

Actually, I found a set of fully charge Ni-MH (Maplin brand) can go on for a few hours. I did a Messier half marathon in spring this year on a single charge.

A power tank will last longer, but the AA battery will serve as a nice back up in case someone accidentally pull out the 12V cord.

[Dunkster]

I've just been offered a 6SE at a bargain price. What to do

[Matt2011]

Sounds awesome, I would love to have a 6SE and gonna get one and would exchange my new CG-5 GT and a part payment for one also.

[Reggie]

Personally, I think they 6SE/8SE scopes are fine but the mounts are pretty cruddy. They're OK as a visual mount, but they have their share of quirks. The software is average, they suffer from backlash (being servos and spur gears, so much so that there is a 'technique' to approaching your star from the opposite direction to the one the stars are moving in) and the mount has a tendency to 'rock' the target slowly in the FOV.

If you are remotely thinking of doing anything more than planetary imaging in the future then I Would not get a 6/8SE, by all means get a 6/8" SCT from celestrion just don't get the mount

It sounds like I'm really slating the 6SE, I'm not, the scope itself is fine, the mount is also fine for visual work and lunar/solar/planetary imaging.

[LukeSkywatcher]

First impressions of the tripod/mount now i have it here are excellent. Its light but very sturdy. I have not used it yet so i cant comment on it in that aspect.

I'm more then happy though. Cant think of a bad thing to say about it.

[smudgeball]

Hi

The 6 / 8 SE mount is great.

Tripod is really sturdy.

I connect my webcam up and do a bit of planetary imaging and get good results.

There's no way you are going to compete with the bigger EQ or EQ PRO mounts, but that's not really the point of this set up.

I'm a limited time grab and go amateur astronomer and that's why I got the 6SE.

It stores away in a small corner of my living room and gives me lots of viewing pleasure outside.

Job done.

Neil

[Matt2011]

Hi Smudgeball, I am saving up for the 6SE and could you tell me what this set up is like as far as portability and optically and how good are the views of the planets and the moon with one of these and would the set up be more easier than my CG-5 GT equatorial mount. I have a 127 5" Skywatcher Mak and would I see much more with the 6SE and does the extra inch make a lot of difference meaning the inches in aperture with say a 5" and a 6". Thanks

[smudgeball]

Hi

To answer your questions,

The 6SE is very portable. I kept my foam packaging and converted a "JCB" Tool bag from B&Q to transport it. The tripod folds down quite small.

Views of planets are great. In good seeing with a barlow on you get some great views.

BUT I don't see it as a natural progression from the 127 Mak ?

The problem is that I would recommend going for the 8SE with a 3" jump in aperture IF you are looking for an ALT/AZ goto scope ??

Now you'll be reading this and thinking the 8SE is £440 more than the 6SE ! But I'm concerned that the improvement in viewing won't be that much better than the 127?

Having said that, the 6SE (and I'm sure any nexstar scope) perform really well.

I can carry the OTA on the mount with one hand and the tripod in the other. Not that you would, but it is very portable and I'm set up in around 10 to 15 minutes (plus cooling down).

Tough one.

If you get it you won't be disappointed but should you stay with the 127 ????

Hope that's helped (a bit)

Regards

Neil

[Demonperformer]

Have to agree that the 6SE mount is very good for an alt-az mount. Spending a couple of minutes making sure the tripod is level, I find the one-star align to be great, although adding another star about 120 degrees away in azimuth means the GOTO is almost perfect. Probably cannot compete with an eq mount, but for ease of setup and portability I would not fault it.

[Matt2011]

I think I iwll have to put my CG-5 GT mount up for sale in the Astro Buy & Sell as I still cannot set this mount up right and sometimes you wanna persevere but it has its limits, I am looking for a mount that takes no time at all to set up but I am interested in buying a 6SE Nexstar or a Skywatcher 200p Dobsonian but I believe the 8SE Nexstar is way out my budget cause I have a Skywatcher 127 5" Mak OTA and even though its only an extra inch the 6SE appeals to me even though I will have to save a bit to get one but if these mounts that the Nexstar scopes are easy to set then I will want one. Which set up would anyone recommend and is the Skywatcher Skyliner 200p Dobsonian any good for planets and the moon and what difference would the images and detail on the moon and planets especially be compared to the 127 5" Maksutov and are these gr8 quality scopes and easy to set up. Many Thanks:cool:

[Dunkster]

It's cloudy here again tonight so I can't compare the two of them

The mount is definitely an improvement, but the 6SE is twice the price of the 127 the money has to go somewhere! The computerised part of it is the same as the other Celestrons. Basically, level the mount and follow the handset instructions to align. Pretty straightforward.

Optically it's only an extra inch, so I'm not expecting other worldly experiences over the 127.

However, it has upgrade potential! This is the same mount as the 8SE, so it should be OK to stick any similar weight/dovetailed C8 on there. Hopefully an expert will correct me if I'm misguided

[Matt2011]

Hi Dunkster, I wish you well with your 6SE and please let us know how you get on with it and set up and all. I am seriously considering one even for an extra inch but will need to sell my complicated CG-5 GT mount first and thinking also that when I place the advert in the ASTRO BUY & SELL I will suggest swapping my mount which is 3 months old for a 6SE with a partial payment. Payed £530 for the mount from FLO which is in good condition and have found set up quite hard being an Equatorial Mount but if I have to buy a 6SE then I think FLO is the cheapest place to buy. Do the legs on the 6SE tripod have to be fully extended to make it level usually. Cheers :)

[Dunkster]

Will do, though it looks like I provoked the "curse of the new scope"

The legs appear to extend by quite some distance - almost double - but that pushes the OTA up quite high then. When observing, I sit out on a relatively low garden chair, so don't expect to want to extend the legs much. This should keep it more on the sturdier end of things.

I suppose whether they need to be extended at all to level depends on your surface

[Matt2011]

Going to also look at the 200p Skyliner Dobsonian but not sure how well these perform on the planets and the moon :)

[Matt2011]

Its seems like its certainly "The Curse" of new scope syndrome, Always happens when you got a new scope but I don't want to burst your bubble lol but looks like more bad weather to come but maybe where you will be fine but down here its forecast is cloudy and wet but its the time of year but I am sure there will be some good weather on the way. Yeah I am gonna get the 6SE and save up and hope you post pics and all and also I have a Celestron SkySync GPS unit so that will be a gr8 accessory to have for it and gonna place my ad later for my CG-5 GT mount. Hope you enjoy your new scope and hope for clear skies for you

[Dunkster]

The 200p is a pretty popular scope... I'm sure with the right EP it's a great performer! I'd love one, almost bought one a while back but lost my bottle and went with the little goto that could

It's hammering with rain at the moment. I'll save my clear sky wishes for when we get closer to Christmas with the new moon and time off work

[Matt2011]

There awesome value for the money and at least I wouldn't have to pay the price of an 8SE NEXSTAR but I heard the Dobsonian needs collimating and not sure if its something I can do myself and how easy that would be to do. I have never had a reflector before but mainly had refractors but may save up a bit and may even get the Skywatcher 250p version or the Flexishield one but I am gonna have a look and see how much cash I get pay day and sell my CG-5 GT mount but in my opinion the 8SE is way over priced but looks like an awesome scope at the same time bu mainly as well your paying for the software and the quality of the optics:cool:

[LukeSkywatcher]

Will do, though it looks like I provoked the "curse of the new scope"

The legs appear to extend by quite some distance - almost double - but that pushes the OTA up quite high then. When observing, I sit out on a relatively low garden chair, so don't expect to want to extend the legs much. This should keep it more on the sturdier end of things.

I suppose whether they need to be extended at all to level depends on your surface

I agree. I see no point in extending the legs fully. The tripod in its collapsed state puts the EP in a very comfortable viewing position for seated observers. Four legs good (a chair),two legs bad (standing).

Course you may have to extend one of the legs to make the tripod level while observing but that will only be by small amounts.

[Demonperformer]

@Matt2001

I have tried to PM you, but the system won't let me. If you contact me, you may hear something to your advantage.

Thanks.

[Anne S]

I've been using a 8SE on the Nexstar mount for quite a few years. I found the mount easy to use as long as you centre the alignment stars from the right directions because of backlash. The handset is comprehensive. The only problems I had were the lack of clearance at the rear for the 8 inch scope . I do use a 2 inch SCT diagonal on it OK but if you use too heavy an eyepiece there is a risk you can have the clutch slip, and the power lead isn't the best fit. Both lead to loss of alignment which is irritating! My husband had to spread the pins in the socket and I now tie the cord in a knot as advised on the Nexstar site - this helps to keep contact.

A further problem is that my battery compartment no longer works - I suspect I need to take everything apart and re-solder something but now I've fixed the power lead I don't use it. I used to keep batteries in it in case the power cord disconnected.

It's a great portable mount - particularly if you don't have very dark skies. It breaks down into 1 box and separate tripod with the telescope tube in another - none of which are at all heavy or large.

I wanted a large telescope that wasn't too heavy - I couldn't have handled a permanently mounted scope like the Meade LXs or the Celestron CPCs.

I did find the 8 inch tube worked fine for observing on the CG5 mount also and I now have it mounted on a HEQ6 as I like imaging (or trying to)!