Change of OTA on Celestron Nexstar 80GT Goto mount?

[GavinC]

Hello,

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about whether it's possible to mount alternative OTAs with a dovetail or rings to the mount that comes with a Celestron Nexstar 80GT?  In particular I am wondering about attaching a SW Heritage 130P?  I know that Celestron did a 130mm reflecting 'scope on his mount, but it looks to also have that plastic tube clamp, seen on the 80mm image below.

Thanks,

Gavin

[Demonperformer]

Looking at the manual, I would have serious doubts. It says that the OTA and arm come as a single piece. If they were seperable, I would think they would be shipped that way.

[johninderby]

This mount doesn’t come with a dovetail type mounting arrangement for the OTA but a moulded two piece tube clamp so you have to replace the whole tube clamp. If you could find the clamp assembly for the 130 then you should be able to change to a 130 OTA. 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/celestron-site-support-files/support_files/1228334587_nexstargt.pdf

 

Edited July 9, 2019 by johninderby

[Demonperformer]

But does the tube clamp separate from the arm? Genuinely don't know ... it might, but if so why ship the two bits attached? Strikes me as a bit inconvenient for packaging.

[johninderby]

The tube clamp screws directly to the mount and isn’t removable although can be opened to fit the OTA.  To change OTAs you would need to replace the complete two part clamp. Finding the new size clamp would be the problem. These scopes date from about 2000 so getting parts is a bit tricky. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by johninderby

[GavinC]

Thanks for all your replies.

After quite a bit of digging, and has been pointed out, this is an old scope, I did find the following information here https://www.nexstarsite.com/Reviews/BaaderBrackets.htm that says Baader made an adapter for this mount to take a dovetail.  An email to Baader solicited the following reply:

"After the GT mount was discontinued some years ago, we stopped production and sold out these items.

Because the newer mounts (NexStar SLT) all have such a bracked already built in, there was no need anymore to produce these brackets

 

Very sorry!
 

Perhaps you find something used somewhere"

I've posted this here so that if anyone else find themselves in a similar situation both bits of information are in one place.

The 80GT scope and mount was actually on a charity shop eBay listing and sold for £10 which, for that price, was probably a bargain if it worked but I didn't bid for it in the end.

Thanks again for all your earlier replies.

Gavin