Diagonal help please do i need a new one?

[Altair]

HI everyone I am still getting used to my new or not so new Celstron Celestar 8 SCTscope C1997 - tonight i tried observing Jupiter as the GRS would be on view but after a couple of hours I was quite disappointed as no matter what eyepiece i used i was unable to see great detail.. then i had the idea of removing the star diagonal and inserting my zoom lense directly into the tube and WOW the detail was so much better and after my eyes adjusted i saw the GRS quite clearly and so much more,,, so ..Ive got the feeling its my star diagonal that is not so great,,, its the old Celestron one supplied with the scope.. Having read previous reviews of the scope others have described the diagonal as being "Pants" but not actually saying why,, so please if you think i need to get a new one .. can you suggest something better that might not be too expensive? as i just bought the hyperion zoom and some colour filters .. and my purse is nearly empty!!

thanks so much!

[eddy]

How about Diagonals - William Optics 1.25" Carbon Fibre Dielectric Diagonal ? I was reccomended one of these, not yet got it but heard good things about it! They also do a 2" version but for the extra gold doubloon of course!!

All the best

Eddy

[Ben Ritchie]

Replacing the standard diagonal is usually one of the best upgrades for a SCT - both the Meade and Celestron standard ones seem to be fairly poor. If you only have 1.25" eyepieces then there's little if any benefit from buying a 2" diagonal, although it allows you to use 2" eyepieces in the future.

The William Optics one is pretty good, I have the 1.25" one myself.

Diagonals - William Optics 1.25" Carbon Fibre Dielectric Diagonal

or the Revelation ones are good value for money. I wouldn't get too worried about which brand, and the more expensive ones are certainly a case of diminishing returns.

[Moonshane]

the good news is that you did exactly the right thing. if you ever think there's something wrong in the chain of optics, just remove one 'link' and see if things improve.

I agree the WO diagonals are great. personally, though if your scope can handle 2" fittings, I'd get a 2" diagonal. the reason I say this is that with the scope you have, you may eventually decide on the wider view of 2" eyepieces and why have to buy another diagonal if you do. a 2" one will always generally have a 2-1.25" fitting of course.

I am also of the view that whilst the fit and finish and optical quality of the WO unit is probably second to none, there are lots of alternatives, and any new or good used branded diagonal is likely to be a major step up.

don't forget there's a used forum on here which you can see after 50 relevant posts.

good luck with whatever you choose.

[Altair]

hey thanks so much for your replies! I have taken the plunge and ordered a 2" with adapter Revelation Quartz Dialetric diagonal 80 pounds including postage Well it didnt seem as expensiveas others and i had read some fair reviews AND i put it on my Credit card anyway so i can forget about payment for a while! Oh yes and i took apart the Celestron Diagonal tonight to give it a clean with optic tissues and spray from the local camera shop... well I could see there was some movement in the placement of the diagonal it wasnt inserted level and seemed to be pushed up one end - i have cleaned it and put it back together more evenly so will give it another try tomorrow night and hope i havent knackered it totally!

thanks again

here's hoping for clearer views and clear skies for all of us!

[Ben Ritchie]

Good choice, I think the Revelation is very good value for money - I had one until recently, and it worked very well.