Is the Celestron 127 SLT / SW Skymax 127 mount's really that bad?

[Stargazer_00 749]

Literally ready to buy one of these GOTO scopes as a grab and go for my garden but everywhere I read says the scope is great but the mount is rubbish.

Is it really that bad?

Is it worth getting the Nexstar 4SE instead?

I want the scope for moon/planets and globs using binoviewers. Could care less about astro / webcam or any of that guff.

[M4lcs67 344]

I personally don't have a problem with mine. Yes there are some who have posted that 4SE has a better mount, but not owning one I cannot comment. Yes the 127SLT mount and tripod are a little wobbly, but if you put a bag of sand on the eyepiece tray and perhaps get some anti-vibration pads then It should be ok. Also the additional inch of apeture that you will get with the 127 SLT could come in very handy.

[Stargazer_00 749]

I would use it on grass, would that dampen the wobble? I can put a 5kg or 10kg weight on the tray if that would help. Got some old freeweights in my loft somewhere from a previous health kick that lasted 5 minutes.

[M4lcs67 344]

Yeah that would be fine. I use mine on grass with anti vibration pads (not the Celestron ones) which are totally overpriced. I bough mine off Ebay from a seller called Astro Developments. Theirs are a third of the price of the Celestron ones.

[dephelis 64]

The mount doesn't stop you doing planetary webcamming either as the following picture taken with the Celestron 127 SLT and default mount will demonstrate.

Jupiter, Europa and Great Red Spot (#1) by dephelis, on Flickr

[M4lcs67 344]

Wow, dephelis,

That is a proper great pic. Excellent.

[dephelis 64]

Thanks Malc. Can't wait to get a filter wheel and filters to go with that DMK21 I got at Christmas.

[Dunkster 258]

Literally ready to buy one of these GOTO scopes as a grab and go for my garden but everywhere I read says the scope is great but the mount is rubbish.

Is it really that bad?

Is it worth getting the Nexstar 4SE instead?

I want the scope for moon/planets and globs using binoviewers. Could care less about astro / webcam or any of that guff.

You mention globs... if your "home counties" light pollution is anything like mine, you're going to struggle to see anything more than fuzzy blobs with the 127. Aperture matters. I wasn't able to start resolving globs such as M13 until I got the 8" SCT, ymmv.

The mount isn't the most sturdy mount in the world, it is what it is. It's built to a price but is small and light, therefore very portable. When I upgraded to the 6SE, I found the mount to be noticeably more rigid, but before long I stuck the 8" ota on it and I was (almost) back to square one So long as you accept it for what it is and relax, it'll probably be fine, just be aware of its limitations.

Note that the mount/tripod with the 6SE (and 8SE) is not the same as the one on the 4SE/5SE.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Dunkster

[Stargazer_00 749]

It's a grab and go scope for when I'm feeling lazy. the ST80 is good for this for widefield low mag views. I want something for high mag.

When I want detail and DSO i will just cart out the 10 inch dob

thanks for the reassurance. I will put an order in and then explain to the wife when it arrives why i needed a 3rd scope. lol

EDIT: that's a truly awesome picture, i've seen pics come off much much larger SCTs that look worse than that. top work.

One more thing. Can the tripod part be upgraded to something that IS good, like maybe an AZ4 base? Keep the GOTO part and put it on a stronger, sturdier mount? The pictures of the scope suggest the GOTO part is intergrated into the mount legs etc.

I had plans to get an AZ4 at some point in the future is all.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Stargazing00

[Dunkster 258]

The 127 has a standard Vixen type dovetail, so you can stick it on anything that'll accommodate that

Keep us posted with how you get on

Btw, it's not the 3rd scope that is the hardest to explain

[Stargazer_00 749]

Does this come with any means to power it? http://www.firstligh...ar-127-slt.html

Like an AC adapter?

Im going to get a power tank from Maplins. But I'd like an option to just run an extension lead the 30-50 feet it'll mostly be used into my garden if I choose.

Batteries is obvioulsy a non issue.

Also can this mount but driven manually with an unlocked cluth of some kind, or is it powered or nothing?

EDIT: this will be my 4th scope in 2 years, I sold the first one (150p/EQ3-2) I guess she is quite forgiving

Edited January 16, 2013 by Stargazing00

[smudgeball 248]

I will put an order in and then explain to the wife when it arrives why i needed a 3rd scope. lol

Please share this gift that you have ?

Edited January 16, 2013 by smudgeball

[Dunkster 258]

It can take batteries, but they don't last very long The scope is motorised only, and requires power, you can't move it manually. This is essentially the same ota if you fancied growing your own - http://www.firstligh...ax-127-ota.html

Most versatile is a power tank as you describe, and the skytron cables supplied by FLO are good quality. You might also want a dew shield, but might be worth seeing how you get on. You can get mains transformers for them - I have one but don't remember the last time I used it...got too hairy in the dark worrying bout tripping over the cable (sorry, can't find a link so far, long day!)

[Stargazer_00 749]

Which cable. The cigarette lighter one? Thanks

[M4lcs67 344]

Yeah, Blimey. Trying to break the news to the missus about my C9.25/CG5 combo last year was a tough one. Managed it in the end though. All set up with the 3 in 1 maplin powertank. Works a treat. Before I got the powertank I had one observing session in particular and the normal batteries were dead after half an hour. Suffice to say I switched to the powertank pretty quick.

[dephelis 64]

Does this come with any means to power it? http://www.firstligh...ar-127-slt.html

Like an AC adapter?

Im going to get a power tank from Maplins. But I'd like an option to just run an extension lead the 30-50 feet it'll mostly be used into my garden if I choose.

Batteries is obvioulsy a non issue.

Also can this mount but driven manually with an unlocked cluth of some kind, or is it powered or nothing?

EDIT: this will be my 4th scope in 2 years, I sold the first one (150p/EQ3-2) I guess she is quite forgiving

Based on my own usage it'll last 5-7 hours on 8 AA Duracells. GOTO function will be quite impaired after 5 hours but tracking will be fine.

I use a standard multi voltage adapter set to 12v (tip postive) when in the garden and not mounting it on my EQ mount.

[perks2008 0]

Hi I just got my first telescope do u know how I can see nebulae I got a skyliner 200p

[dephelis 64]

Hi Perks2008,

It's normally better to start a new thread rather than derail someone else's!

If you want to see a nebula right now, then pint your telescope at the constellation of Orion. Look at the three stars that form the Sword of

Orion, target the middle star. Say hi to the Great Nebula in Orion.

[perks2008 0]

The mount doesn't stop you doing planetary webcamming either as the following picture taken with the Celestron 127 SLT and default mount will demonstrate.

Jupiter, Europa and Great Red Spot (#1) by dephelis, on Flickr

[perks2008 0]

Do I need a filter or somthing 2 see a bit more detail ov Jupiter

Sz 4 being apain

[Dunkster 258]

No, just good seeing. The bands should be readily visible at under 100x

[dephelis 64]

You can use a blue visual filter to bring out the clouds/GRS a bit more ... you shouldn't really need to though.

[Icey85 5]

Hi I just got my first telescope do u know how I can see nebulae I got a skyliner 200p

Perks2008, I saw you were having trouble working out how to post. Essentially, from the SGL forums homepage, pick the topic are you want help with (click the title 'Getting Started General Help and Advice ' for instance), then to the right of the screen, on the same row as 'Page 1 of 1000', click 'Start New Topic', write you gubbins in there and click 'post new topic' at the bottom when done.

As Dephelis says its polite not to Hijack someone elses thread Im new myself but if i can help PM me.

Thanks Stargazing00

[jgroub 1]

Hopping in a year and a half later to give some more info about making this mount better for future reference.  I haven't experienced any problems with this mount myself, but I have also read that the mount for the NexStar 127SLT leaves something to be desired.  

Regardless, there are some things you can do to make it steadier.  Some are pretty easy: 

1.  Go around the whole scope and tighten up every screw one-quarter turn.  Where the tripod bits meet the mount, the part where the accessory tray sits.  You don't want to tighten more than that, because you might crack some of the plastic bits, and that wouldn't be good.  

2.  As others have mentioned, you can get vibration pads, but you'll only need these if you're on a solid surface, like a wooden deck.  If you're on the ground, the dirt is its own vibration pad. 

3.  Tying some weight off below the accessory tray, or just putting a weight on top of the tray.  This will lower the center of gravity and make the mount much more stable.  

These 3 will make the mount very nice indeed with very little effort.  

4.  Tying a tent stake to the accessory tray and pounding that into the ground.  

That will really make the mount stable.  

Those 4 are easy.  Beyond this, I've also read where people put some sort of weight (like sand, or lead shot) inside the tripod legs somehow.  Don't ask me how they do this.  Others have gone around the whole tripod and injected epoxy into the tiny cracks between where plastic meets metal on the tripod, to stiffen the connection between them.  I don't know how to inject epoxy either.  

But between all these methods, you can really make this into a pretty decent mount.  

[jaydeeuk1 5]

Just read this thread, have got this scope on order for xmas and can't wait to get cracking with it! After a year or so with it, what eye pieces did you end up purchasing? Ive short listed several but will make my mind up when i've had chance to play with it. Cheers, james