What are your thoughts on a second hand Celestron SCT

[h0ughy]

Now,

I am only looking, and I just found a second hand 8" SCT. Does any one know of the quality of these scope AKA 1997 black tube vintage that came off a fork mount.

"Celestron C-8 OTA, Black with Starbright coatings.

Complete with Celestron Dew Shield, Celestron 7x50 finder on removable
mount, Meade 2" SCT diagonal, Celestron Skylight screw-on filter and Parks
ALP SCT filter and Bob's Knobs. Various Celestron photo adapter fittings
are also available, fitted to the top of the OTA is an ADM mini Rail with
125mm Quide Scope Rings.

Excellent optically, a few wear marks on the tube"

so that was the AD, what would you pay for a setup like this? :wink2:

[Striker]

I would pay $1199.....and only by it of a person named John....lol

[h0ughy]

cheeky ! then you know where I found this???? :wink2:

[Striker]

Wouldn't have a clue..????

[h0ughy]

so seriously, the 8" sct, are they OK? or would I be better off with a 9.25" or a 10", but then I have a 12. the 8" sounds nice and portable

[h0ughy]

He is driving to the dairy to take some pictures of it for me. It is housed in an observatory (looks like a sirus one) on a GM8. ;)

I also hope to get him hooked on IIS if he is already not a member!! :)

[acropolite]

Add up the new cost for the main bits. A new meade 8 inch OTA can be had for $1579 from Bintel. The ADM dovetail and rings are around $200 Oz new. The finderscope would probably cost around $150 new and the 2 inch diagonal lists @ $186 adds up to $2115. The dewshield, knobs and miscellaneous bits would probably add another 200 buckazoids to the total. If those bits are of use to you it would be worth the money if the OTA is optically OK.

[h0ughy]

the scope was hand picked by Peter Ward for this guy, comes with a hartmann mask, a travel trunk, a few more bits and pieces and the losmandy rail.

[h0ughy]

Thanks for the confirmation of value Phil :wink2:

[beren]

:) geez mate your going to spend more time pondering which scope to look through then using .....here a link that may help http://www.telescopebluebook.com/

[h0ughy]

this was the image supplies so far :)

[RB]

Too late Dave, I already bought it from John, what a bargain.
He's a good friend of mine.

:jump2:

[RB]

Just kidding.

:face:

[Striker]

Buy it Huffy...tell him to throw in the G11 with Gemini aswell.

Say hi to John for me...lol

[[1ponders]]

Yep it is a GM8 h0ughy.

If the price is the one Tony quoted, go for it. With all the extras thrown in it'd be great value. If you don't like it or don't use it you can on sell it for a profit np.

[Robert_T]

looks great Houghy - what u gonna mount it on if u get it? Be a nice portable planetary outfit (I've seen some excellent planetary with the C8) coupled with a toucam and a cheap go-to equatorial like the advanced series CG5 or LXD75.


cheers,

[h0ughy]

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=4730&highlight=intes+eq6

I think this will be OK :wink2:

[h0ughy]

Done deal Paul! :lol: :drink: :P

First light will probably be LOSTOCK..........

[RB]

Congrats Dave, well done.

:drink:

[ausastronomer]

Houghy,

Something is only cheap if you have a need for it.

My wife also suffers from this very disease, where she cannot avoid buying heavily discounted products regardless of the fact she has absolutely no use for them now or in the future.

You already have a 12" SCT as a main scope and the Intes 500 5"/F10 Mak Cass as a travel scope. So wtf is this scope for ? a slightly larger travel scope :) You sure your not related to Tony and Louie ? and all brothers to my missus ?

CS-John B

[[1ponders]]

Shhhhhhh John....I might have a GM8 coming up for sale soon that I want to go to a good home ;)

[Sausageman]

Geez Houghy,

How many scopes can you look through at once?
Maybe you should get one of those twin 6" scopes with the bino ep's so you can use both eyes at once.

Mike

[h0ughy]

:lol:

Thanks for the vote of confidence there John :wink2: .

I have a plan mate, it will come to fruition at lostock, but I have a plan. if you saw my earlier link you will have read that. One can never have enough scopes :lol: . the 12 is too heavy for me and will reside in the observatory, one day

[h0ughy]

yes and for $100 isn't Paul ;) :P

[[1ponders]]

Should cover delivery h0ughy

[h0ughy]

gulp :scared:

[[1ponders]]

:rofl:

[h0ughy]

I should have it by friday, or Monday next week

[h0ughy]

My portable setup is almost complete, my EQ6 attachment bars are now finished....

""Hi David,

Your order is finished and packed and will be shipped out tomorrow. I completed it yesterday and I'm sure you will be impressed with both the Dual Saddle Assembly and the G-8 /EQ6 adapter (2.25"/2.5") . I made certain both will fit your dovetail bar. I added a special feature to the Dual Saddle ... The Adapter is spring loaded with two locking knobs on brass treads (extremely smooth action). Please let me know how you like them.

Best Regards,

Ken...
=================================== ============""

Ken Dauzat has bent over backward to get this finished for me and has turned these around in less than a week after ordering them. I should have them here by friday or monday next week :drink: :) :) :) ;)

So to those coming to the IISAC, lookout for this photon collection unit!

[netwolf]

h0ughy, I have seen many old Celestron SCT's on Astromart and am tempted myself sometimes. Especially becuase the older ones often also have Fastar, hence the scope can be used as an astrograph. From what i have heard from friends these older tubes are quiet good usually, and the Fastar are especially worthwhile. The Celestron Ultima comes up quiet often on astromar at quiet amazing prices.

Regards.
Netwolf.

[janoskiss]

Don't the mirror coatings degrade after so many years? :shrug:

[h0ughy]

can do but if they are sealed with a 1a rear skylight dust seal and filter probably not, my meade mirror is in pristine condition, wihtin 10 seconds of leaving the carton and removing the rear dust cover it had one of these applied. ie has never been removed, I have had it since 1999, no dust.

[ausastronomer]

Just remember to be wary of scopes from both Meade and Celestron that were built in the mid to late 1980's. Some of them leave something to be desired optically and mechanically as they were built to meet the rapid increase in scope demand at the return of Haleys Comet in 1986. Some of them are fine but be wary, if you are buying sight unseen, of scopes of this vintage.

CS-John B

[h0ughy]

John,
I am pretty sure mine was in 96-97 vintage?

[ausastronomer]

Houghy,

The scopes from the mid to late 90's are usually very good.

CS-John B

[h0ughy]

everything is now ready

[Jooster]

Have had an 8inch Celestron C8 for the last 5 years and happy with it. Bought it primarily for astro photography. The scope came with a pod, wedge and eye piece. I have added dec motor and electric focuser and a 50mm finder.

The only iddue I have is that is quite heavy and cumbersome to set up and the observing can be difficult without a chair once you want to observe something close to the zenith. Overall, it is a good scope.