What to buy next for a vintage c8

[leo82]

With regards to paint peeling... If it does bother you, I would put a vinyl  wrap on it rather than prepping and repainting. The last thing you want is paint or dust to get onto the optics!

Edit..the last few unread posts just came through, I didn't realise you wanted to repaint it.

Edited August 28, 2022 by leo82

[unkabin]

Yeah, I get it. I’m not ready or in a position to spend much right now, though, so just about any other goto mount is out of reach or just too big an investment for how much I actually get out with my scope. My choice is, either forget about a goto mount and continue with what I have, or spend $350 for a used nexstar mount. I should probably just use this C5 with its nexstar mount when I want the convenience, but I know that every time I do, I’ll wish I was looking through the C8. So I think about buying the 6/8 inch nexstar mount and maybe selling the C5. It’s a rough life…🙂

Maybe now that I’ve committed to doing something about the paint job and doing some cleaning and maintenance my desire for a shiny new object will fade.

[SthBohemia]

3 minutes ago, unkabin said:

Yeah, I get it. I’m not ready or in a position to spend much right now, though, so just about any other goto mount is out of reach or just too big an investment for how much I actually get out with my scope. My choice is, either forget about a goto mount and continue with what I have, or spend $350 for a used nexstar mount. I should probably just use this C5 with its nexstar mount when I want the convenience, but I know that every time I do, I’ll wish I was looking through the C8. So I think about buying the 6/8 inch nexstar mount and maybe selling the C5. It’s a rough life…🙂

Maybe now that I’ve committed to doing something about the paint job and doing some cleaning and maintenance my desire for a shiny new object will fade.

Agreed 100%, 🙂 Goto is for those 2 lazy to suffer the joys of searching!! Some want mounts with so many bells and whistles, plus an array of electrical cables that would drive me suicidal... Electric focusers, strange cameras that cost a fortune connected to computers and heaven knows what else! I am obviously not into the 'imaging' craze... 🙂 Playing Picasso with computer graphics, that's what it seems to me (then again I am computer illiterate) 🙂 

Maybe a max of 3 EP's 10-20-30mm which can be thrown in ya pocket, a star diagonal, a dozen or so cans o' beer and the old faithful scope on its original fork mounting 🙂 

What more do ya need? 🙂 

[Cosmic Geoff]

1 hour ago, unkabin said:

Just to be clear, if I were to buy a used Nexstar SE 6/8 mount, it will allow me to mount this with the existing rail?

The Nexstar 6/8 mount requires a Vixen (a.k.a 43mm) rail, same as that on the C5.  It's now a universal pattern used for mounting almost all smaller scopes. If that is not what is attached to the side of your C8, you will have to source another bar.  A guy in the same position of you, who de-forked his old C8, and posted about it on this forum,  managed to source a bar kit that screwed straight on.   An alternative is to buy a length of Vixen bar and use the other bar as a pattern to drill holes in it (hopefully the old bar is not too wide.)  My own C8 is attached to its bar by 3 screws - one at front and two at back.

If you end up going down a different route for the mount, larger scopes mount with a wider bar called the 'Losmandy' about 70mm wide, and some C8 OTAs are now offered with this bar as an option, which fits various of the heavier duty mounts.

[unkabin]

31 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

The Nexstar 6/8 mount requires a Vixen (a.k.a 43mm) rail, same as that on the C5.  It's now a universal pattern used for mounting almost all smaller scopes. If that is not what is attached to the side of your C8, you will have to source another bar.  A guy in the same position of you, who de-forked his old C8, and posted about it on this forum,  managed to source a bar kit that screwed straight on.   An alternative is to buy a length of Vixen bar and use the other bar as a pattern to drill holes in it (hopefully the old bar is not too wide.)  My own C8 is attached to its bar by 3 screws - one at front and two at back.

If you end up going down a different route for the mount, larger scopes mount with a wider bar called the 'Losmandy' about 70mm wide, and some C8 OTAs are now offered with this bar as an option, which fits various of the heavier duty mounts.

Thanks for this good information. I’m increasingly leaning toward putting the nexstar mount out of my mind for now for the C8. If one fell into my lap for a good price, and I could just stick on the OTA I have, I’d still be inclined, but maybe one new good eyepiece, zoom or otherwise, and doing something with the paint issue would satisfy my GAS.

[unkabin]

36 minutes ago, SthBohemia said:

Agreed 100%, 🙂 Goto is for those 2 lazy to suffer the joys of searching!! Some want mounts with so many bells and whistles, plus an array of electrical cables that would drive me suicidal... Electric focusers, strange cameras that cost a fortune connected to computers and heaven knows what else! I am obviously not into the 'imaging' craze... 🙂 Playing Picasso with computer graphics, that's what it seems to me (then again I am computer illiterate) 🙂 

Maybe a max of 3 EP's 10-20-30mm which can be thrown in ya pocket, a star diagonal, a dozen or so cans o' beer and the old faithful scope on its original fork mounting 🙂 

What more do ya need? 🙂 

We’ll, you are obviously a man after my own heart. I’ve been in your neck of the woods, too, by the way. I spent about 6 weeks in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. A few Pilsners around a scope in the high Tatras would put a smile on my face.

[unkabin]

That said, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at an equatorial mount with goto…

[SthBohemia]

7 minutes ago, unkabin said:

mount with goto…

Maybe 4 the some future time... Consider a Celestron CPC mount if you wish GOTO, dual armed and quite stable. The size is not important be it 4 an 8=9.25-11 as there is a very simple modification that allows you to drop any scope with a Losmandy/Vixen  fitting onto it....

[Cosmic Geoff]

The CPC mount series is the direct descendant of Unkabin's mount.  I have no idea whether the old C8 OTA would drop straight in.  I did not mention it earlier lest it doesn't, wheras the old OTA would attach to any single-arm mount with little bother.  I have a CPC800 - it's a great mount but rather heavy, to the point where I would not want to own one of the larger models in the series.

[Stu]

Just one word of caution if planning on disassembling the scope. I believe the corrector and primary were orientated with respect to each other so as to optimise performance. It’s best to mark the position of the corrector so as to get it back in the same position. Same with the primary depending on how far you strip it down.

Someone with better knowledge may say this is not necessary, but until then I would certainly proceed like this.

[SthBohemia]

10 hours ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Unkabin's mount

@Cosmic Geoff never heard of the above, do you have a link to it? I was/am under the impression that the CPC is simply a later version of the Ultima fork mount  http://www.astrosurf.com/benschop/Ultima8PEC.htm saving production costs by utilising some plastic construction. The single arm Nexstar being a further cost cutting (and stability) innovation 😞 

Neither the Ultima or CPC's are overly heavy @approx 20Kg.

@Stu Unkabin is not silly (anyone who adores the old oranges cannot be 'silly') thus will carefully mark the edge of the lens with a 230mm angle grinder, if lacking one of those, maybe a very fine needle file, very carefully making a tiny indentation on the outer edge of both the lens and its cell...

[Stu]

29 minutes ago, SthBohemia said:

 

@Stu Unkabin is not silly (anyone who adores the old oranges cannot be 'silly') thus will carefully mark the edge of the lens with a 230mm angle grinder, if lacking one of those, maybe a very fine needle file, very carefully making a tiny indentation on the outer edge of both the lens and its cell...

On the contrary, plenty of very sensible people can make silly mistakes through not knowing something. No harm in reminding anyway, so no damage is done 👍

[Cosmic Geoff]

2 hours ago, SthBohemia said:

Neither the Ultima or CPC's are overly heavy @approx 20Kg.

Depends on what your definition of 'overly heavy' is.  I looked up the UK Health & Safety recommendations for weight handling, which gave an interesting table.  According to this, a man should not try lifting a 20Kg weight from ankle height or at arm's length, and a woman should not try lifting a 20 Kg weight at all. In the past I have suffered back strains from lifting heavy CRT monitors and other kit at work and it was not amusing.

[RT65CB-SWL]

8 hours ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Depends on what your definition of 'overly heavy' is.  I looked up the UK Health & Safety recommendations for weight handling, which gave an interesting table.  According to this, a man should not try lifting a 20Kg weight from ankle height or at arm's length, and a woman should not try lifting a 20 Kg weight at all. In the past I have suffered back strains from lifting heavy CRT monitors and other kit at work and it was not amusing.

You should see what some airline passengers bring to the airport and think their four wheel designer trolley bag, (which is about the same size as a suitcase), is carry-on/cabin baggage and will fit/squeeze inside the overhead locker/bin or under the seat.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Philip R

[unkabin]

16 hours ago, Stu said:

Just one word of caution if planning on disassembling the scope. I believe the corrector and primary were orientated with respect to each other so as to optimise performance. It’s best to mark the position of the corrector so as to get it back in the same position. Same with the primary depending on how far you strip it down.

Someone with better knowledge may say this is not necessary, but until then I would certainly proceed like this.

Thanks for this. I will definitely be watching videos and reading, because other than a reasonable mechanical inclination, I have nothing.

[unkabin]

Ideally, I would like to keep the mount I have, connect my phone to the OTA as a viewfinder, and have an app that guides me to push to what I want to see. Starsense seems something like this, but it interfaces with a computerized mount. And I see something like this on Orion Dobsonians with Skyquest. Why not just a cell phone with its own camera, compass, and a "push to" mode for an app such as SkySafari?

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by unkabin

[unkabin]

Barring a solution that doesn't (yet?) exist, I think I may eventually be looking at the VX equatorial mount. It seems to be highly regarded for quality and portability, which is what I want. I live in town and always have to go somewhere to view decent skies.

Edit: Or maybe not now that I see that it weighs 50lbs. Why not just a phone attached to the OTA? Easy peezy, done.

Edited August 29, 2022 by unkabin

[Cosmic Geoff]

36 minutes ago, unkabin said:

 Why not just a cell phone with its own camera, compass, and a "push to" mode for an app such as SkySafari?

Sounds very like the Starsense smartphone app, currently only available bundled with various manually mounted Starsense telescopes.  (Not to be confused with the Starsense camera/handset system).

VX=AVX?

[unkabin]

14 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Sounds very like the Starsense smartphone app, currently only available bundled with various manually mounted Starsense telescopes.  (Not to be confused with the Starsense camera/handset system).

VX=AVX?

Yes, something like the StarSense phone app, with mount sold as an accessory is what I would like. This would leave my lovely C8 (yes, okay, I do adore it) in its original condition including tripod and mount, and would leave most of my $ in my pocket.

And yes, I meant the AVX, but, as I cool down, I think for my use in the near future, barring StarSense or similar available as a simple accessory, I’ll hold off and maybe buy a focal reducer since I seem dead set on treating myself to something now that I’ve been using my scope more often again.

And now I have to check out for a while. I do have a job! And a wife. And kids…😄

[SthBohemia]

Ohhh I am left behind at the mentioning of mobile phones (had one once, threw it into the bush in disgust) and other quirky computerised thingies 😞  Tearing apart scopes, grinding mirrors, making mounts and machining- all else is a foreign language...

@Cosmic Geoff I shall tell the 'Pour Made' not to exert herself and not carry one 30Kg bag of cement around due to safety, from this day on I shall insist she carries 2 at once 🙂 

[catburglar]

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Edited August 29, 2022 by catburglar
Posted in error