Does anyone have experience of the Celestron Nexstar Evolution 925

[CanNik]

Please.

I have a son with Aspergers, I too have Aspergers and ADHD so gave up ages ago on EQ mounts.  We used to have a great William Optics EzTouch AltAz mount with 100mm APO but times change.

Now he and I want to get back into Astronomy with the least hassle.

 the Celestron Nexstar Evolution 925 appears to be too good to be true, is it right that it can be as simple as going to a star party, taking it out of the car and with the use of Star Sense no star alignment is needed and off you go

Any input much appreciated, thank you

 

[noah4x4]

The Evolution with Starsense is an awesome 'scope....

1. Easy to set up; Starsense auto-alignment can be done with your eyes shut. Well almost! You do have to switch it on. But if using WiFi/tablet you don't even need to input time/date/location (as it is taken from tablet).

2. Built in battery - no cordwrap.

3. Metal worm gears, reliable; sure; precise tracking.

4. Loads of clever design features; even the tripod legs are marked with a measured scale to ease set up. Can fold tripod legs without removing leg spreader.

5. Nearly forgot......WiFi and Tablet/phone control. Great fun!

BUT....

The 9.25" is a big heavy beast. Consider the 8" Edge HD.

The 9.25" is OK if you are prepared to assemble and disassemble it on every use. I have the regular 8" (not Edge HD) and keep it fully assembled in my conservatory. I can comfortably carry it assembled (toss the caber style) the ten yards to my back yard, or transport it with OTA still attached to its mount to a dark sky site (e.g. so only its tripod needs removal - easy given the spreader feature).  If you add a wedge for long exposure AP that adds another 15lbs (ouch!). But....

The larger (9.25") version also has a much heavier tripod. Nigh on impossible to carry when assembled. My pal carries his 9.25" tube/mount out in a wheelbarrow and often says that he wished he had compromised and instead bought the 8" Edge HD (e.g. rather than regular 9.25"). Although there is loss of aperture, the HD optics are superior and the weight remains manageable. 

I love my Evolution and Starsense is a joy. Early versions suffered from flaky WiFi, but current models work fine and Tablet control using the SkySafari APP is super. If you want to spend the maximum time observing and least time on set-up and aligning, it's a great choice. But perhaps consider the 8" Edge HD if  ease of portability is an objective.

[des anderson]

noah4x4 has got it in a nut shell. Des

[Cosmic Geoff]

I second the ease of carrying the assembled 8" versions. Also Starsense saves time and  effort at setup. 

[CrashEd]

I've owned the Evolution 6 with Starsense  for some time - as they guys say, it really is that simple. Brilliant scope!

[JG777]

I have the 9.25 with Starsense and it is a fantastic scope and Starsense works very well. Yes you can take it out of the car switch it on and after entering the time and date into the hand controller Starsense will align the scope for you.

Would I swap the 9.25 for an 8 absolutely not. Not even an Edge version which are only really better for imaging. One of the ladies in our astronomy group has the 8 and yes it is lighter and easier to move around but the views in the 9.25 are way better than the 8 which is why she spends more time at my scope than her own. 

If you get a 9.25 you can always put an 8 on at a later date, and benefit from that stronger tripod.

[cletrac1922]

Welcome from land down under

Skywatcher dob is simplest way to go

No electronics

Just plonk on the ground, aim and enjoy

I put mine also on a small waterproof ground sheet, to protect the base from moisture

Get a right angle spotting scope to go with it as well, as easier to use

For aiming, I just lay a laser pointer beside the mount for the spotting scope, and rotate the mount top where I want to view

Have enclosed pic of my 10" collapsible dob taken at a recent public viewing night with my club on the Goldcoast, Australia

John 

  

[MBJ]

i use the 8" version with starsense and yes..it really is that easy.

 

[newtyng5]

@cletrac1922  Nice scope, but I hope you let the lil' dog have a look. Or did he see a 20inch odyssey dob over yonder?  

As for the question I have the 9.25 on an avx mount, it's really good, so the EVO should be even better.

[JOC]

I've just looked up the telescope in the title on Google and one of the links reckons it weighs: Total Telescope Kit Weight‎: ‎61.4 lbs

That's a fair old lump of kit! 

I've got an 8" Skywatcher collapsible Dob. with a Goto unit.  It is another option that may not be too difficult to setup.

[baggywrinkle]

You still need a battery pack to power a dew heater. SCT's are dew magnets.

[newbie alert]

.25" is OK if you are prepared to assemble and disassemble it on every use. I have the regular 8" (not Edge HD) and keep it fully assembled in my conservatory. I can comfortably carry it assembled (toss the caber style) the ten yards to my back yard, or transport it with OTA still attached to its mount to a dark sky site (e.g. so only its tripod needs removal - easy given the spreader feature).  If you add a wedge for long exposure AP that adds another 15lbs (ouch!). But....

I wouldnt suggest you even keep the scope assembled on the mount..as it's been said they're heavy beasts..and all that weight on the gears isn't a great idea..as for carrying it all assembled too! Not a good idea for the mount or for yourself..

[25585]

Check YouTube. There are unboxing & setting up videos by new owners discovering their new scope's kit for the first time. 

[DoubleScoops]

I've recently purchased a 9.25 and love it. I'm a real beginner and there are some obvious issues with it, but it is certainly a bit of kit that you can get your teeth stuck into. VERY heavy, especially with the HD Pro Wedge fitted but that doesn't bother me too much. The weight and mass means it won't move around too much. The gears are now worm gears so backlash is less of an issue, although they do make a bit of noise when slewing. The Wi-Fi does have reported issues, but many successfully use it with the Skyportal software. I prefer mine tethered with cables as I need one to get images back to my PC and having two cables (20m Active USB cables) is no more a problem than having just one. The battery lasts 10+ hours of use, there is also a USB power outlet to recharge your tablet/phone if using Skyportal app. If you need anymore views from a complete beginner just shout.

[2STAR]

Come on guys, the 9.25 EVO set up is not that heavy, I am 67yr old and find setting up no issue as far as weight goes, after all, you don't carry the Tripod/Mount/OTA all together.

[DoubleScoops]

4 minutes ago, 2STAR said:

Come on guys, the 9.25 EVO set up is not that heavy, I am 67yr old and find setting up no issue as far as weight goes, after all, you don't carry the Tripod/Mount/OTA all together.

I try to carry my tripod, wedge and mount out together, but it is a struggle. Luckily the OTA goes on easily, and so does the mount if I'm not feeling that strong. The extra time and hassle this takes is easily made up with the stability it forms. I've got the suppression pads for the tripod feet as well for good measure.

[Zayvin]

4 hours ago, 2STAR said:

Come on guys, the 9.25 EVO set up is not that heavy, I am 67yr old and find setting up no issue as far as weight goes, after all, you don't carry the Tripod/Mount/OTA all together.

Hope you are right!

I am not a small 40 year old and picking up my brand new 9.25 this evening was a bit more than i was expecting, i am hoping a lot of that is packaging ....roll on tomorrow when 'she' will be unwrapped! 

For what it is worth, i will report on my 9.25 (and first scope) experience tomorrow, if the rain holds off.

[25585]

Yeah my scopes are "shes" as well