Dovetailling a problem with a C8...

[ubermick]

Lads and lasses...

I'm on the hunt for a used Celestron C8 OTA to use with my recently acquired CG5-GT mount. Posted "wanted" ads on various sites (this isn't me trying to cheese more offers!) and got a couple of nibbles.

The more promising one is one that I'm on the fence about. It's a newer C8, without anything - no dovetail (actually, it has a dovetail for a CGEM, but I need a vixen one?), no finderscope, no diagonal - but it is Fastar equipped. I can't see myself using Fastar, personally, but I could see myself wanting to upgrade to a bigger tube down the road, and I'd imagine that a fastar-capable OTA would be better at holding value than one of the standard orange tubes I've seen a lot of.

The issue I have in my head though is having to add all the bits and bobs to get it functional for my use. I've read plenty of reviews of the C8, and have heard on more than one occasion that the stock finderscope is utter pants, and the included diagonal isn't much better, but regardless, adding that stuff to the cost of buying this used tube means I'm only saving about $200 off the cost of buying a new tube (guy wants $500, a bog diagonal is $30, finderscope is about $50, and dovetail is $60-$110 depending on who I ask, and the OTA new from High Point is $889 out the door.) Granted, the new tube wouldn't be fastar ready, but as I mentioned, that means nothing to me (at least not for the forseeable)

Question on the dovetail too... some people say I just need a dovetail like this one: Farpoint - Vixen Style Universal Dovetail Bar - Telescopes.net from Woodland Hills Telescopes: Sky and Telescope, Astronomy Telescope, Binoculars

But others are saying that in addition to that I need radius blocks as well? Farpoint - Dovetail radius blocks only for Celestron 8" SCT. Use with existing dovetail bars; mounting screws. - Telescopes.net from Woodland Hills Telescopes: Sky and Telescope, Astronomy Telescope, Binoculars