My latest aquisition

[togo54]

Call me nostalgic....but I just love the retro look of the old orange tube Celestron C8. Primary is a bit dirty along with the corrector. First clear skies will determine wether or not to clean. Scope has "Special Coatings". Externally the OTA could pass as new. Finder scope has a few scratches. Came with original OTA/fork trunk and wedgepod. $405 USD. Hell, even if I got to have the mirrors recoated...well worth the price. Also got a deal brewing on a Skywatcher EQ6 mount/tripod combo (non goto but with dual drives and handbox) that is 3 yrs old and used 4 times for $375 USD shipped. It's gonna be a good year...if the rain stops...29 days straight now. What's next? A Toucam Pro obviously;)

[ving]

now that is a good deal!!!! :D

congrats!

[togo54]

A laptop will be soon to follow. Just got to study up on how fast a processor I'll need.

[ving]

hey tom, your cats escaped!!! :eek:

[togo54]

Dave
Tell me about it. Still gotta explain the EQ6 setup to the wifey. She doesn't quite unterstand "good deals" like I do. I mean hey...an EQ6 for $375 USD shipped??? I could put that dude on fleabay and make at least $200 USD profit.

[ving]

whys is so darn cheap? is the tripod missing a leg?

[togo54]

Here's the original url:
http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=336171
Mind you...$375 USD shipped...hard to resist

[Robert_T]

easy fixed, just convert to wife dollars - one wife dollar should buy 4 standard ones, so your EQ6 really only costs $95WFD ;)

[netwolf]

Togo do you mean to say that its ony 75$ for shipping?? who does shipping that cheap. I too was looking at the older EQ6's up for sale, but thought the cost of shipping would be prohibative. Would you care to share shipment costs and weight of your C8.

Regards

[RB]

Well living in a place called Rainier you have to expect a bit of precipitation. :lol:
We've had terrible weather downunder too so your not alone. :sad:

Great buy mate, well done. Congrats on the bargain.

[asimov]

Congrats on the new addition to the family Tom, looks/sounds like a bargain.

[togo54]

netwolf
The C8 and wedgepod assembly was not shipped. I bought the setup locally. The EQ6 is being shipped to me in Oregon from a fellow in New Jersey. He told me the shipping via fedex would be $75. The EQ6 will come in two boxes that have a combined weight of 82 lbs.

[h0ughy]

:lol: I like that currency conversion factor!

[h0ughy]

save you dollars and get a synscan or skyscan for it, I did for mine!

[iceman]

Don't forget togo is in the US, so US$75 shipped to the US.

Shipped to Australia would be more like AU$300.

[h0ughy]

actually mike the eq6 shipped to me only cost around 80 dollars
from melbourne

[ving]

wife dollars... I am so going to use that!!! :D

[h0ughy]

Yes Ving not only has Tom contributed to his own Astronomical existance he has improved and forever changed the face of Australian Astronomy. A nobel prize is on offer for that effort!

Wife dollars = what Australian males have been searching for for generations, the perfect excuse without telling the whole truth

[togo54]

h0ughy
I might give the Autostar conversion for the mount a try. Quite a bit of info on the subject and it can be done for about $150 USD (37.5 USWFD;)) including all necessary components.

[h0ughy]

I had thought of that myself but i liked the stronger gearing of the eq6 upgrade. pity the autostar would have made life easier

[togo54]

h0ughy
A quick question. Does a Celestron CG-5 dovetail work on the EQ6 mount?

[h0ughy]

should do they look similar, although I haven't seen that particular dovetail. GO to www.kendauzat.net and have a look

[netwolf]

am confused here 82lb with Fedex from US to Aus for USD $75 thats way to cheap...
Should it not be more like AUD $300 like Mike indicated.

Houghy i assume you mean $80 for interstate within Australia.

[togo54]

netwolf
I live in the USA

[h0ughy]

yes, AUS currency for me ;)

[netwolf]

Now I c Tom, so thats why you got it so cheap.. hey would u consider starting a gateway service for your fellow iceinspacers downunder. I mean to say we have it shiped to you and you forward it on to us using better options. etc etc... ;)

[togo54]

Wow. About 7 years since I was last here. Sometimes life throws us a curve and hobbies have to be set aside. No, I haven't spent the last 7 years incarcerated :) I still have most of the telescope gear tho I've ebayed off some of the C8 stuff (wedge and fork). I did wind up with the Skywatcher EQ6 mount and upgraded it to Synscan goto. Unfortunately when I upgraded it they were supplied with version 2.xx controllers. Saving up now for a updateable version 3.xx controller

[Kunama]

It is about time Tom :mad2:, I've been waiting for the first light report for years. :confused:
Welcome back ........................ they all come back eventually :welcome:

Actually I find it very interesting to read some of the old threads to see how the Astro Hobby & community has evolved...

[togo54]

Thanks Matt.
I originally was going to rejoin the forums at astromart but the $15 fee turned me off even tho I bought and sold many items on their site. 7 years worth of ISP changes and I can't remember my username since I last logged on there so here I am.

[togo54]

Just curious. Does Mike still own this site or did he sell it?