C8-SGT or NexStar 8 SE

[Ewan]

Hi everyone,

Over the next three months or so im saving the shillings for a new scope, the Celestron C8-SGT or Celestron NexStar 8 SE.

To be honest apart from the mounts that come with each scope, Single Fork Arm Altazimuth on the SE & CG-5 Equatorial on the C8-SGT there does not seem to be much differnece between the two.

Some minor things ie weight, slew speeds & tracking modes etc, what i am after is something giving good clear images, astrophotography suitable, compact really.

I'm not a complete novice but there are so many 'good' scopes out there, like my son in a sweet shop, he just wants them all :-)

I have read that the SE suffers a little wobble at higher mag in a light breeze which is not ideal for imaging, or is that wrong ? where as i assume what looks like a sturdier mount under the SGT this should not occur or at least not as much.

I was originally looking at a new 300mm reflector because i have only ever used those before, but as i understand these two scopes with there long focal length of 2032 can achieve better images.

I am not going to impulse buy as i want to use this scope for many years to come so i can be patient, i am looking at a budget of upto £1,500.00 all, i already have a few 1.25" ep's, filters etc.

Btw the ad for the Nexstar 8 sais this:-

FREE NEXIMAGE WITH THIS TELESCOPE PLUS Free More Powerful 10mm Plossl Eyepiece and 30mm for deep Space along with the Nexremote Telescope Control Software and Lead. EXTRAS COMBINED VALUE £194!!!!!! SAVE £290!! <<<< Is this a good deal ?

Whereas the SGT said :-

SAVE £100 RRP £1130 Free Binoculars, Kson Multi-eyepiece holder or Digi-scoping adapter (you Choose, leave note at checkout), and Includes CD-ROM "The Sky" Astronomy Software which provides education about the sky and printable sky maps, all with Free Delivery

I'm more interested in the setups tbh.

Please throw some good advice my way & pitfalls of each if you can ?

I have found that you can only Google general info for these scopes but i love to hear from some serious user's in here so i make the right choice that suits me.

Thnx for any replies

[BlueAstra]

I have the 8se and find it a good grab and go visual scope with goto facility. However, if you are even considering photography at some point I would probably go for the equatorial mount (or in my case get the 8se and then an equatorial mount a few months later!). I'm not sure what the load limits are on the SGT mount, but check it will take possible add-ons: cameras, filter wheels, guidescopes, etc.

The 8se on its own is good for visual. You can also webcam planets and the moon, taking its long 2000mm focal length advantage, and add a barlow for greater scale. DSO with an SLR/CCD is also possible with a focal reducer (0.63=1230mm), but now you may reach its limitations due to wobble, target rotation, guiding at long focal length and hardware clash at high declinations.

The SGT will aslo do visual and planetary/moon webcam, but will have added advantages for DSO/CCD imaging: No image rotation, more space for equipment, more rigid (?). Slightly less compact and a bit more to setup.

[shepsboss]

Hi, I too am looking at Celestron C8-sgt Advanced, still researching but keep coming back to it. Look at FLO site (sponsers link above) but out of stock until mid Feb.

[malc-c]

Look at FLO site (sponsers link above) but out of stock until mid Feb.

That's only four days a way !

I was looking at getting the C6-SGT on the same CG-5 EQ mount, but chose to re-think due to two reasons. The first was that there was a national shortage of Celestron scopes of this type (inc the C8 tube), and secondly the noise the drive system makes. The alt-az mounts are not much better on the noise front either. This might not be a problem when in the middle of a field, but in the back garden can be a problem (search for coffee grinder - you'll see several posts detailing this).

If you want the C8, have a think about getting the OTA with a Skywatcher EQ-5 Pro Goto mount (or HEQ5 if you can afford it). The drives are a lot quieter and will provide a really stable platform for imaging. This was going to be the option I was considering, but due to the delivery issue ended up with the Skywatcher 200P Newtonian on the EQ-5 goto mount, which also worked out a bit cheaper too

[MarkSix]

I just bought the C9.25 Advanced SGT a couple a weeks ago and I was a bit worried when I read about noise issues. But so far I cant say that the mount is very noisy but maybe I was lucky and just got a mount that makes less noise.

[shepsboss]

Hi, I just looked at FLO and the C8-SGT XLT has risen in price from £1015 to £1185, so much for lots of research before buying! Thanks Malcolm I was aware of the 'coffee grinder' but I am rural. I decided to take it slowly and carry out all the 'academic' research prior to getting hands on with equipment, just to narrow the field. Such is life....

[WhiteShiva]

I bought the C8 with the EQ5 mount in October 2010 after choosing between the c8, cpc800 and the nexstar 8. I think in every case, the tube is relatively the same. What made me take the decision of the C8 is the mount and also looking at the type of pictures you can get from it. The CPC 800 was also much more expensive. The motors do make a noise but it's not that bad. I am continuously amazed at the quality of view in this scope. The mount, motor and counter weight combination is a bit heavy, but it's definitly worth it for the quality of pictures you can take and the view through the scope. I take it down two sets of floors when I go observing!

[Ewan]

Thanks all for comments so far.

There is just so many to choose from, i too looked at a Skywatcher 250PDS on a goto mount but after seeing some of the images achieved from the more compact scopes i decided against it, i have the room for it i'm just thinking of my family as well as i tend to leave the scope set up. This is why i was looking at the C8-SGT or NexStar 8 SE.

The noise & wobble at higher mags concerned me though, i guess the same scope on a very good mount is the ideal combination as suggested.

I have been 'scope hunting' for a while now & these have caught my eye also

The Skymax 180 Pro £749.99 + mount is very nice also the Advanced Series C10-NGT reflector on a CG-5GT mount £1270.00.

I have £500.00 saved so far (wife might have something to say though) towards my new kit, i think i am deffinatley going for a compact high focal length Go To scope, i don't mind negotiating the night sky myself but my 4 children & wife would love to use it as well & to be able to 'tap & go' would be ideal for them & keep boredom at bay.

Any of you got any tips or want to point me in the direction of a good deal then that would be great, i'm really looking forward to the warmer evenings & getting into imaging i can't wait

[shepsboss]

Hi Ewan, you seem to be following a similar path to me, the Skymax 180 Pro has also come into the equation. The recent rise in price of Celestron kit has been a real disappointment, I expect the rest will follow. I am trying not to let it push me into buying too soon but it's really frustrating. One point, I recognise the wording from the advert you quoted, might be worth taking a look at the 'Retailers - Suppliers review' section on this forum.....also google the suppliers name...... Good Luck

[Ewan]

Hi :-)

Im scouring the internet as this late hour still looking / learning.

I came across a classified ad for a Meade LX90 8" GOTO + GPS UHTC for £900.00, i have spoken to the owner who said the scope is 5 yrs old & he owned it for 1 of those years, it looks in very good condition visually but optically i wouldn't know.

I am concerned that the UHTC coating may be affected by now & if so can it be re-coated ? cost ?

Am i right in thinking for astrophotography i would need a wedge for this mount ? or is it suitable as it is ?

I have spinal surgery on tuesday so he is happy to hang on to it till after i am up & about (a week i hope ) then i can go & see him.

Sorry about lack of info but it was late & i didnt want to ask too much yet.

Thanks for any help you have all been great / patient so far.

Shepsboss there should only be 2 telescopes available to cut down the choice lol & make it easier for us. How long have you taken so far deciding what you are after ? i always try to do a lot of homework before i buy as well.

[red dwalf]

if you are going to get into imaging then a eq mount is a must, one rule is to start with the best mount you can afford then build on the scopes, a good eq mount will take lots of different scopes, sct, maks, reflectors and and small or large apo`s, so a good mount will be very versitile.

i also had a cg5 gt mount and i found in the dead of night they are loudish compaired to a skywatcher heq 5 pro, but they track very well and are easy to set up

[erigby]

I've just bought the 8SE a couple of weeks ago and was immediately impressed, I'm new to the astronomy game though. As far as everything I've read the scope itself is great but the mount is not sturdy enough for real astrophotography. I've bought all the accessories in the past few days including the t adapters for a Nikon DSLR. The camera arrives tomorrow and I'll see how it goes but just using my new eye pieces last night I realised immediately I need a better mount, even after being in the game only a couple of weeks. One advantage I'll have when I eventually get around to buying a new mount is I'll have a quick easy mount for viewing and a better mount for photography, the new mount may even lead to a new scope.

I would look at spending your money on the mount immediately if you want to get into astrophotography

[Skuber]

I've just removed my post, didn't realise how old this thread was...