Hi everyone
,
Today for sale is my Celestron Nexstar 4SE Maksutov Cassegrain scope.
It has a 4" (102 mm) aperture and is given at F/13, resulting in a 1325mm focal length.
That makes it a perfect grab n go scope! For most of us, grab n go is a synonym of observing from the city.
And when one is talking about observing from the city, one is mainly talking about planetary & lunar targets.
This small mak with its F/13 is just GREAT for that!
It also is VERY tiny! And it's light (only 2kg!)!
Another great feature with this scope is the absence of maintenance! There is no need to collimate it at all. The collimation as it is, is great! Nice airy disks are easily visible under reasonably stable skies.
For this reason, I feel it also is a great scope for beginners.
Because of its long F ratio, it has a small secondary with a low obstruction, delivering sharp images with a high contrast. I have compared it side by side with a 92mm high end triplet APO on Jupiter, and the APO is ahead but not by much. Considering the price difference between the scopes, this one is a no brainer.
I have been truly impressed with the optics on this model. Maybe I got lucky? Anyway it is difficult to let this tube go. But I need the cash for an upgrade.
I was also pleased by the cooling time! Because part of the rear end of the scope is made of plastic, the cooling down time is kept short.
It also has the Starbright XLT High transmission coatings.
It comes with a red dot finder and a generic 30mm plössl eyepiece.
It has a solid vixen dovetail attached to the tube. There is also an integrated flip mirror system.
The mount:
The mount is the celestron GOTO motorised mount with the SkyAlign easy alignment procedure. Just enter the location and time, point 3 bright objects and you're done!
The pointing accuracy is great, and the tracking is very very sweet! It is very quiet so you won't be disturbing the neighbours.
The OTA can easily be disassembled from the mount for transport and storage and the mount can be used with other instruments equipped with a vixen dovetail. It makes it very versatile.
It becomes a great travel mount: if you have the chance to travel under dark skies and want to do a bit of casual observation but cannot carry the whole family + your scope, mount and all, you will enjoy the compactness, easy alignment and GOTO functionalities!
The mount is powered by 8 AA batteries: I bought a set made of 4 Energizer 2000mAh and 4 Duracell 2450mAh. I will include these in the package together with an Energizer charger. The batteries and charger are new - I got them just a couple of months back and have not used them much (weather, weather). I paid $45 for these at Coles.
It is a great table top and the 3 rubber feet provide a solid base.
It is mainly made of aluminium with some parts holding the controller made of plastic. One arm is needed to move the entire setup with the OTA attached!
Please note:
- The front cover of the OTA is missing: simple reason: I walked on it in the dark, and the flimsy plastic cracked immediately. I made a replacement one using a CD which diameter is perfectly suited. Don't be fooled by its appearance! It might not look very nice, but it is extremely efficient! It weights nothing, fits perfectly and is inserted in a very smooth fashion! Also because of its light weight and tight fitting, it won't slip when you transport the tube, even when facing downwards. It is all made of plastic, so it will spent the whole night outside without a problem! The cd at the front makes it rigid and effectively protects the corrector. The sides are flexible however, so if you step on it, it won't break (I've learned my lesson, see
). Really: it doesn't look good (I admit that!) but it is VERY efficient at doing its job!
- The mount does not come with a tripod.
- The lot comes with a computer cable and extension power cord (never tried - female to female - maybe 2-3 meters long).
OZScope sells the lot for $1000.
I am asking
$400 + shipment (probably around $20 depending on where you are).
I will ship Australia wide.
Pickup also available in Maroubra (Sydney Eastern suburbs).
Direct Deposit, Cash on pickup, Paypal (I'll cover the fees).
PM only please.
Thanks for looking.
