Thoughts and reccomendations on new scope

[RParker762]

Mods, if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it. Wasn't sure where to put it.

 

So, my first scope I bought was an 8" Meade Dob some 22 years ago. Not knowing anything about telescopes at the time, I was amazed the first time I saw the rings of Saturn. Ended up selling that and never got another scope. Big mistake. Fast forward ten years and my wife surprised me with a Meade 114 EQ.... Had high hopes but the first night was such a disappointment with it's tripod that couldn't sit still at all.... In the closet it went in hope of getting a better tripod or making a table top dob mount for it. Then picked up an Orion Starmax 90mm tabletop cass. This little thing had re peaked my interests in stargazing. Then yesterday I hopped on the Offerup app and was looking at telescopes in hope of finding a cheap 6 to 8" dob again. No luck but I did come across what I think is the best purchase I have ever made. I saw a Celestron Celestar 8" SCT with the wedpod.

 

Guy only wanted $150 for it. So i had to jump. Figured there might be something wrong with it. Got there and the thing looked great. Optics look clear. No scratches and just a small dent on the tube. The motor just clicks but I think it's just the batteries are weak or dead. Then he opens up a bag and says they are the rest of the pieces. The eyepieces pictures, a power cable, some cheap Meade 25mm and 9mm eyepieces, a 2x barlow and a few different camera T-rings. The diagonal was broken but I can use the one from the Starmax,

He said his parents used to buy at estate sales and they got this at one. It sat in his garage for a few years. It even had the store hang tag on it.

Of course I get it home and it's a cloudy, rainy day and didn't clear up till this morning. Cant wait till tonight to see what I can see.

 

Might think about flipping it and buying a DOB still but if I can get the motor working I might just keep it. Time will tell.

 

 

[DougM43]

Nice find looks like a bargain to me,, I suspect it's a keeper.

[dweller25]

Great find and a great price

PS - Welcome to SGL.

[NGC 1502]

Well done to find that. You have said you may flip it for a Dob. Now I’m a definite Dob fan, love them, suit me fine. But I’d give your new scope a good try out, at least several sessions before you jump. 8” SCTs are popular for a reason, decent aperture in a compact tube, tracking as well. It takes a while to fully evaluate a scope.  Hope you can fix the motor. Maybe let us know how you get on.

Cheers from Ed.

[Knighty2112]

If it’s anything like my C8 you’ll get great views with it. Enjoy!  

[RParker762]

So I took it out a while ago. Since I don't have the controller I was just using the knobs to control it. It took a bit but I finally saw the Orion Nebula better than I ever have before.... Amazing. And the moon was crisp and clear. Bout all I had time for since I work early in the morning. So, initial thoughts, the tripod is shaky so I need to figure something out there. The knobs are kinda stiff. The finder scope actually has some decent quality to it but it is not aligned. It's close but not close enough to get the object in the scope. The focus is touchy. I think some of the shakiness comes from the play in the gears.

 

Any recommendations as to fixing some of the issues? Are there different mounts I could use? Recommended eyepieces? I like wide angle and it seems that the higher power you go, the harder it is to focus it clearly. Recommended accessories or must haves? If the motor does work, I would like to try some limited photography. I have a Canon DSLR, the 1100D, and Backyard EOS which I've used before. But regular viewing is top priority.