At Long Last

[TJExcalibur]

After trying to move my CPC 925 down the garden steps before I finally decide whether to keep it I came back indoors kaput. Even though it has Scope Roller wheels for the level bits it was still too much effort. Only had it a few months and even got all the extras I wanted to complete the setup. What's % loss on such items. I spent around £2500 before I add in the ES 82 degree eyepieces. I have been researching weights of ota's and tripods to see what is there that I can handle. Best I forget the goto idea, it is good but more weight and I found it as easy to find what I wanted to see using the finderscope.  Live and learn......

[LukeSkywatcher]

Sad to read this but glad you have found out so quickly that the scope doesnt suit you. Time to sell up and move on to something more suitable. No point in "flogging a dead horse".

What are you thinking of now?. You really shouldnt lose too much money on the resale (£200-300 maybe). Keep the EP's. I'm sure they will be ok with whatever you go for next.

Nice healthy budget you have when you sell the 925.

Go-To really adds very little weight to any scope, so dont write it off just yet.

My 1st scope was a simple 90mm refractor on an EQ mount. All in all........(for me) it was too much weight/shape and a nightmare to carry to the garden (im in a wheelchair). It was 28Lbs of unusable optics. It saw maybe 5 outings before i decided it wasnt for me and i sent it to room 101.

 

[Dude_with_the_tube]

This is a sad moment and i guess it awaits everyone when you realize that your long cherished and wanted instrument is becoming too heavy to handle.

in this case as you are sort of restricted to your back garden observations only,you need to decide what you want to observe.i understand you will not be traveling out to dark places,how heavy is your light pollution?Is deep sky of any interest for you or its planetary,doubles?

based on that we surely could recommend instrument fitting its purpose,weight and certainly to be manageable for you.

[noah4x4]

The 9.25 CPC is almost Battleship Class as regards weight. My elderly pal bought one and he now envys my Evolution 8, which I initially thought was so bulky that I quickly bought an additional Nextstar 4SE for 'grab & go'; and there is a lesson.....

My advice is take your time over your replacement purchase. There is no point in having overly large kit that never gets used because it is too troublesome to move and set-up, nor is it sensible to end up with dual kit so similar that (like in my situation) one of the scopes is probably redundant. I should possibly sell my SE4, but fear that I will stumble into some other unforeseen issue and regret it!

In practice,  once you sort out the initial perceived transport packaging issues, either of my scopes are as portable as the other (e.g compared to the much heavier CPC).  So once you have identified a scope that is easily moved into your back garden (again, note I am an elderly person)  then its transport further afield is also realistic. But my pal's CPC has barely been 10 metres from his conservatory as it is so heavy.  He now has to use a wheelbarrow.

Perrceived issues also often arise because the price of regular Celestron transport cases is enormous. That is what primarily persuaded me to seek an additional smaller scope, having not even considered that (nor my light polluted back yard!) before purchase. Today, I currently use a wheeled cricketers bag for both, but am also considering a heavy duty wheeled tool box for the smaller.

So in summary; having already concluded that you don't need a Battleship, before dropping down to a Motor Boat, do consider Cruiser size (Evo 6 or 8). 

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'm throwing this in early............

8" SCT 

The budget is there,the aperture is there and the portability is there. You can even use it very happily while sitting down.

[happy-kat]

If you have a good budget to work with you might find it suits you better to get a replacement mount separate from a telescope.

I'm thinking you might like something like this member did.

I'll add the link when I get back on the pc.

Celestron se6/8 mount but with a nice refractor.

[Chris]

Evo 6 if you ask me  There is a deal on at the moment where you can claim a decent EP to go with it free

I can't understand where the extra money is on the Evo 8? It seems alot more expensive considering the price difference between the C6 and C8?

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/nexstar-evolution-telescopes/celestron-nexstar-evolution-6-telescope.html

I'm a bit biased as I'd like one (worth bearing in mind  )

 

[TJExcalibur]

So far I have been eyeing up the Skywatcher Skymax 180 pro and the Celestron CPC 180 ota. Decided not to bother with a goto setup, power supply or battery etc. Keeping it simple and settling for a simple point and view. Had a look on a field of view calculator using my ES 82 degree eyepieces. Fantastic program. Then it is the tripod but plenty of time.