New equipment purchase

[Rick King]

I just ordered a celestron 8SE with the lens and filter kit, wifi module, power tank, neximage 12mp camera, wide angle 7mm lens, wedge, and celestron illuminated RACI finder scope. Can anyone think of anything else I may be forgetting to get? I thought about the star sense but that's kinda pricely. 

I've got an Astromaster 130 EQ but I want more out of a scope than it could give. It's been a gr8 scope. I'm paralyzed from the waist down and my chair has knocked it over 4 times in the dark and hasn't so much of put a scratch on it. Gr8 scope for someone in my shoes or a kid. I'm probably not gonna b around much longer so I figured I want to b doing something that I absolutely love so I spent 2 grand on a nice setup. I hope it gets here b4 the eclipse. 

[Ricochet]

Congratulations on the new scope. Normally I would advise not rushing into buying accessories straight away but if you want to use the telescope during the eclipse you'll need a full aperture solar filter. You can either buy a sheet of solar film and make the holder yourself or your local supplier may sell pre made units. You'll need a fairly long focal length eyepiece to get a full solar disk with the new scope, 21mm or more if you've got 50° eyepieces. 

[constantino]

4 hours ago, Rick King said:

Can anyone think of anything else I may be forgetting to get? I thought about the star sense

I also upgraded from an 127SLT to 8SE recently. There are bits I found very useful, on the 8SE and 127SLT:

Binoviewer: the best investment I made since the telescope : https://www.celestron.com/products/stereo-binocular-viewer  I got it from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007UQNXG/

Mains power adapter: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Adapter-12v-2-5-Amp-Celestron-18778-/352033882015

Zoom eyepiece and barlow: probably the only eyepiece you'll ever need https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/baader-hyperion-universal-zoom-mark-ivbarlow.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIms-IldPY1QIVhZztCh2JtAGrEAQYASABEgKuKPD_BwE

Sun filter: I got this one before it sold out: https://www.celestron.com/products/eclipsmart-solar-filter-8-sct-and-edgehd I bought it here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1340584-REG/celestron_94244_eclipsmart_white_light_solar_filter.htm

This sun filter is basically the OTA cover with a hole in the middle. If you can't find it anywhere, you could probably buy the OTA cover and filter sheet separately: 

OTA cover: http://www.microglobe.co.uk/celestron-8-inch-lens-cover-for-8se-cpc-800-c8-and-hd-optical-tubes-p-13118.htmlSolar film: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/baader-astrosolar-safety-film-nd-50.html

I actually thought about modifying my existing OTA cover (removing the middle of the cap, fitting the film on the inside, then re-attach the middle with tape for storage) but since I found the same thing already made for under £50 , I just bought it

Windows tablet: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linx-EM-I8270-Quad-Core-Processor-storage/dp/B00O636WJU  This is what I use with my Neximage camera. Because it is a Windows tablet, you can install all the applications you need on it - and use it for anything else when not stargazing. I got it on ebay for abut £30. It comes with microusb connection, so you need a small USB to microusb adaper: http://r.ebay.com/4Dxq6Q

I also thought about the Starsense but I found it to be too expensive. I'm also looking for cheaper alternatives (maybe using the neximage camera and tablet, somehow)

iPhone adapter: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1077119-REG/celestron_93678_smartphone_adapter_x_cel_lx_to_iphone5_5s.html This is how I shot my Saturn profile picture/clip. You need to decrease the exposure all the way down to filter out all the glare

[gnomus]

Not sure about your local climate, but I absolutely need to have dew control in place to use my 8" SCT.

[Rick King]

Oh yeah, gr8 idea. I live n south Mississippi. The humidity down here is so bad. After about 8 pm every night the dew falls and my telescope will start dripping water off of it from the dew. I'm gonna order that. Thanx for the idea. 

[johnoelliott]

Definite for the dew shield and heater, and I'm thinking if you can swing it, given your mobility issues, you might be better off scrapping the RACI and buying the Star Sense adapter and possibly replacing the Celestron RDF with a Telrad although that would depend on the state of the RDF you receive, mine was barely usable.

[LukeSkywatcher]

On 8/15/2017 at 04:36, Rick King said:

I just ordered a celestron 8SE with the lens and filter kit, wifi module, power tank, neximage 12mp camera, wide angle 7mm lens, wedge, and celestron illuminated RACI finder scope. Can anyone think of anything else I may be forgetting to get? I thought about the star sense but that's kinda pricely. 

I've got an Astromaster 130 EQ but I want more out of a scope than it could give. It's been a gr8 scope. I'm paralyzed from the waist down and my chair has knocked it over 4 times in the dark and hasn't so much of put a scratch on it. Gr8 scope for someone in my shoes or a kid. I'm probably not gonna b around much longer so I figured I want to b doing something that I absolutely love so I spent 2 grand on a nice setup. I hope it gets here b4 the eclipse. 

As a person who is also paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair, let me just say that you have picked the perfect scope. I bought the same scope a few yrs back because i wanted as much aperture as possible while being as light weight and portable as possible. The 8SE gives me all of that. A scope of any size on an EQ mount, really is not a wheelchair users best friend. I also have a 90mm refractor on an EQ mount and quickly found it useless. It has stayed in the attic for years. 

The 8se is great because the eyepiece is never to far from your face/eye. You dont have to be a contortionist to use the scope. I also spent about 2K on my 8SE, but i figured it was worth it cuz its the last scope i will buy/need.

I also have a 70mm Celestron Travelscope which i use for solar observing with a hershel wedge and safety filters. Also i own a SkyWatcher Heritage 130P.

One thing you will really need is a red/white head torch. They are hands free (obviously) and a great help when outside in the dark, for setting up,reading star charts etc. 

*warning* 

Do not attempt to observe the eclipse with a telescope,binoculars etc with any kind of optics without proper safety filters installed. Eclipse glasses are fine. Welders masks, Sweet wrappers etc just aint acceptable.

[Piero]

Congratulations! An 8" telescope is very capable!  

[Louis D]

Since you live in the US, feel free to add a green laser sight to your scope to make aiming it a whole lot easier.  Just don't light it up if there are any planes nearby visually or audibly.

You might want to consider investing in a pier mount to make it easier to get up close to your scope without knocking it over.