Celestron NexStar 8 SE Follow-Up Review
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- Опубликовано: 1 июл 2024
- The Celestron NexStar 8 SE has proven itself a reliable, durable and enjoyable telescope these past 4 years. I don't think an amateur astronomer can find a better bang for their buck when it comes to a computerized, 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain, that will last for years. The upgrade potential for this telescope is also enormous, so with each passing year you can make it better and better. It is one telescope I will always have in my collection as it is great for observing all objects in the night sky, and easy for anyone to use. Did I mention reliable?
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List of recommended upgrades from most important to least (in my opinion):
1. Celestron f/6.3 Focal Reducer
2. Orion Schmidt-Cassegrain Finderscope base (and a good finder scope)
3. Celestron XLT 2" Diagonal
4. Celestron, Meade or Orion Powertank
5. Celestron or Astrozap Dew Shield (or make your own)
6. 2" eyepieces
7. Orion 13% Transmission Moon Filter
8. Celestron Vibration Suppression Pads (or make your own)
9. Explore Scientific CLS Nebula Filter
10. Celestron SkySync GPS
11. Celestron SkyPortal WiFi Module (Fun to control the telescope on your phone)
12. A new focuser
Serious Astrophotography upgrades:
1. Celestron Equatorial Wedge for NexStar Evolution and 6/8 SE Telescopes
2. Celestron f/6.3 Focal Reducer
3. Orion Magnificent Mini Autoguider Package (If you have #2)
4. Modified Canon EOS DSLR (Full Spectrum or UV/IR cut)
5. Astronomik CLS-CCD Filter for EOS
6. Astronomik H-alpha 12nm Filter
Even without any of the upgrades I listed, this telescope still delivers. It is reliable, durable and a great telescope for the whole family. I highly recommend the Celestron NexStar 8 SE.
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Nine years and 8 months for my 8SE! Still going strong...incredible first telescope purchase. two components eventually failed since then. The red dot finder (which was perfectly fine for me, not sure why so many people criticise that component!) which I replaced with a Telrad for £60 and last year, the handset cable started playing up which I then replaced for £120. Of course I added and upgraded to the eyepieces, diagonal, focal reducer, focuser. It's legendary and I still recommend it as the ideal beginners telescope, though obviously not quite a budget telescope but definitely, the best beginners telescope that can deliver an amazing quality cosmos without a steep learning curve thanks to the 3 star auto alignment without needing to know the name of the stars. And of course durable...almost ten years....I hope I haven't jinxed telescope with this post...
Hey Slymin, I just wanted to say thanks so much for the astronomy videos you post. I'm looking to buy the Celestron 8SE and found your reviews very helpful in making my decisions, not just for the scope but additional accessories to help improve the experience. Keep up the good work pal!
I am waiting to get my Celestron NexStar 8 SE this week. Thank you for your videos because they are very good for me to learn. Take care Cody.
My first telescope was a C-8 on an equatorial mount. I was a young fellow and loved to take my scope to the Orlando Astronomy Club. Over the years I traded scopes and experienced refractors, Maksutovs, Dobsonians, and large aperture binoculars. I'm 73 now, and I want to go back to a C-8 so I can easily set it up out back on our country property 55 miles from Louisville. This model is what I have my eye on. Thanks for this informative video the tips you offered.
I bought a nexstar 5se several years ago. I didn't quite have enough money to purchase the 8" telescope. Long story short, I got it out of the box, set it up, and decided I was going to just point it at a random object in the sky to see what I could see. I picked an object, turned the scope towards it, and almost hit the ground. Completely by accident I settled in on Saturn. I could see the rings so well, and a couple of her moons were clearly visible. I was truly in awe. Now I plan on purchasing the 8" Nexstar to look at deep sky objects more closely. Thank you for your review!
Thanks so much for the reviews. There is so much to learn for us newbie's and I appreciate the guidance. Cheers!
I've had a 5" Celestron for a year (127 SLT MAK), and been considering this one as an upgrade. Thank you for the video, my desicion is made.
Me too.Did you upgrade? How was it?
A very good comprehensive review, I like your delivery style. 👍
Thank you!
Agree 100%. I've had mine 5 years and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Thanks for the thoughtful insights. Very helpful.
To anyone struggling with their red dot finder, you can cut a piece of beer can to size and slide it between back of the finder's mount to and the optical tube, tighten the screws and you'll be able to line the scope up. You may need two or more shims depending on how far out of alignment the finder is in relation to the optical tube, but it is a cheap and permanent fix.
Thanks for your awarnes.....👍
Thank you for this video it was very helpful to me. I just brought one on e-bay with a case
Very helpful review, thank you.
Thanks for all the useful info ,
Thanks Slymin...very informative and useful. I am planning to buy one! Just a have a question - You mentioned the 'Orion mini Autoguider' and while browsing I also found out celestron provides 'StarSense Automatic Alignment Telescope Accessory'. Which one is the better choice...just wanted your opinion!
Nicely done, bravo!!
Slymin, I bought my first telescope watching your first review. Really appreciate your deep inputs.
Awesome! I am glad that it was helpful and that you are into astronomy. It is a wonderful science/hobby.
I love mine also.
It was quite an emotional feeling seeing Saturn's rings for the first time with my own eyes.
Have had mine the same amount of time and no problems.
Thanks for posting.
Definitely agree. Saturn was the first object I ever viewed through a telescope, and I loved it!
Wow, im so happy for you guys. I waited my whole life to get a telescope, just ordering this one this week finallllyy!! : )
When I was a kid, we didn't have a lot of money and I used to fold down the corners of pages in a catalogue of all the things I would love to have - mostly telescopes, binoculars etc. Fast forward 10 years and my passion for astronomy was firmly in the back seat as I was a teen/tween. I was travelling the world on a gap year. In Queenstown in New Zealand, my friend and I decided to hike up a mountain at night so he could get some cool pictures on his DSLR. Half way up the mountain we saw some telescopes left out near the visitor centre. I went over and looked through....and saw with my own eyes for the first time in my life....saturn!! in all its glory. I will never EVER forget that moment. It took my breath away. I was too young for the space race but when people go on about when Apollo took that iconic photo of earth that people saw for the first time... I imagine the feeling was quite similar. Fast forward another few years and I have the money to buy this telescope. So excited
Same here.
I had the same experience with Saturn. It was actually the very first solar system object I found after i set up my scope for the first time. I ran in the house super excited, calling for my wife. She thought something was wrong and there was an emergency based on my shouting for her... She ran down the stairs.. asking what was wrong! I said.. no.. I found Saturn!! She was not happy with me. haha!
Thanks for great review.
No problem!
I enjoy
your reviews
Thanks for sharing
Thanks again for the review. After searching around I ended up getting the Celestron Advanced VX Series 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. It is the same as the 8SE (the tube) but it has the EQ mount already to go and I think the tripod may be sturdier as it seems to be very steady but a bit heavy . I can also use a reflector on it for deep space photography so I get more than 1 "go to" telescope possibilities in one package. looking into the 2" diagonal upgrade already but so far it is an awesome scope.
Great choice! I run my 8" SCT primarily on my Advanced VX as well.
Wonderful review! Thank you.
No problem, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Slymin, nice video. I'm a big fan of 8" SCT and the 8se in particular. Are you autoguiding on the alt-az SE mount without a wedge? Not sure from your video. Thanks.
what focuser would you recommend replacing that one with? Love the video!
I'm getting ready to buy my first 'real' scope. This is on my short list. Thanks for the video.
I purchased a Meade LX90 8" a few years ago. It does not track well and does not track at ALL during very cold observing nights. I attribute this to the gear grease that Meade used when they assembled this scope.
Great video!! I have since mid 2013 a smaller 5” Mak Cassegrain Celestron telescope, the 127 NexStar, but it’s generally the same single arm mount. I had to replace the motors after they failed over the years, but I upgraded them to the third version (SLT-F00-1B, the older versions are SLT-F00-1A and SLT-F00-1 that mine originally had), and now the tracking is better than when I bought the scope!
The focuser unfortunately is the same type and it wobbles the telescope dramatically when you touch it at very high magnifications for planetary observations, so I modified it myself with an Arduino driven stepper motor, with 1/10º accuracy per step. That upgrade in combination with a Bahtinov mask, gives me a very accurate focus without touching the scope at all. (I opensourced it)
I’ve also made my own anti vibration rubber pads. I permanently installed them on the tripod inside the tubes of its legs, and I used some angle adjustable furniture pads that I screwed on them, to make them look as if it was originally manufactured like this.
I’ve programmed an ESP32 to give WiFi capabilities to the hand controller (I opensoursed that too), so now I can connect it to my iPhone/iPad and remote control it from there with SkySafari Pro, or Luminos Pro etc.
One thing that I don’t like at all about the SCT mount, and (correct me if I’m wrong) the SE mount, is that they don’t have a clutch to balance the scope. Ok, you can move the scope in the altitude direction up and down by hand, as if it was always on a friction clutch, but you can’t tell if it’s front or rear heavy, unless you completely unmount it, put it on a rope and mark the spot where it balances out.
I forgot to mention a tip about the focuser: When you’re focusing, always make sure that the final adjustment is done when you’re turning the knob in a way that it’s pushing the mirror up (towards infinity focus). If you do it the opposite way, the scope may be in focus when you stop turning the knob, but the mirror may still have a little travel until it settles by gravity to its resting point, so you’ll end up out of focus soon.
Also, a very cheap upgrade to the focuser for minimising the wobble when you focus is to put a peg on it, and use it as a lever for fine adjustments.
Thanks for review, I’m looking to get one to replace my 10” dob that’s seen better days.
No problem, hopefully that 10" Dob got a lot of use!
Absolutely love this scope
Which mount are you currently using with the 8se? I am looking to upgrade for astrophotography with lunar, planets and some DSO
This is going to be my choice. I have a c90 and 15x70 skymaster bino. With this I will be a happy man.😀 Ty for the vote of confidence. Stay star gazing my friends.🌌🌠
I would love to see a video that helps amateurs/beginners understand how and when to use which objective eye pieces and filters.
E.g., like a best practice or suggested pairing of objectives/filters for practical viewing and also enjoyable options (particularly with filtering). Also, how to employ the Barlow 2x in the same context (what situations call for what).
Most obliged - I just purchased one and I was wondering about some the points you raised
No worries, I am glad it helped.
I have vastly increased the versatility of mine by buying a second-hand Celestron CG-5 GEM for long-duration autoguided imaging, That and the focal reducer make for a seriously versatile telescope.
I wish I loved ANYTHING as much as AstroBlender loves his 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain.
Your reviews are the best. I've been watching for a while and used your opinions in purchasing my first real telescope a Nexstar 6se. Thank you ! I purchased a 8 to 24 mm Celestron zoom eyepiece. With good viewing conditions do you think 8 mm will give me clear Saturn and Jupiter views or will they be blurred ?
On a clear, transparent night, 8mm is probably useful, but that is about as far as I would take it. The views of Jupiter and Saturn should be pretty good. That being said, a dedicated 8mm eyepiece would give better views then a zoom eyepiece, but even then you should still get good views.
Excellent review, thank you. I am doing astrophotography myself and have dabbled a little bit with DSLRS and lenses but not a scope, so can you tell me the difference between the 9.25 and this one, other than being larger will it give me more reach with the 9.25 ? it can get a little confusing. so is the 8 se, does the 8se automatically slew to the area you want.
To improve the focus mechanism, I bought a child's bicycle handle, cut it to fit, and slid it over the focus knob. Makes focusing a lot more easier and precise.
Hi Slymin great followup review and just ordered the 8" SE (my first scope) but used up most of my budget. Forgetting astrophotography for now what would you recommend as the first two accessories (not counting power pack as already getting this). Thanks
Would you still recommend the Explore Scientific CLS Nebula Filter over the Lumicon UHC filter?
Mine is arriving in a few days.......my first ever scope!
How is it?
I am just about to finally buy one of these....I think lol. I currently have an original Nexstar 5, yes not the 5se, and I had fun with it years ago and forgot I had it until recently and started using it again. I bought the Nexstar 5 in 1999 or 2000 so after 19 years it still works so I am SOLD on Celestron. I hope the sights I see in the 8SE will totally blow me away compared to the Nexstar 5. I already have some great eyepieces so I am ready and set to go gazing. Great review sir.
If you go with an 8" I think you will notice a difference for sure. The difference in light gathering power from a 5" to an 8" is quite large!
Hi great video's. I have a couple questions regarding the celestron 8se I plan on purchasing 1 in June. When manually aiming does it stop as soon as you let up on hand controller button? Also if you manually aim do you have to realign scope to use the preprogrammed functions? And have you ever used the celestron omni 120 refractor before I'd like to add that scope to my collection but haven't really found any reviews for it..
Thanks! 🤙🏻
Just got the SE 8 as joint Christmas gift for my husband an I.. We cannot wit to set it up and start looking at the stars!
Awesome! You will be glad you got an 8", there is so much to see out there!
How do you like your SE 8 after having it almost one year?
So if I want to do astrophotography I need to either get an autoguider to use with the alt/azimuth mount...or an equatorial wedge without the autoguider? Doesn't this drive on it's own keep the objects centered long enough for photography? Awesome review. Thanks
which eyepieces do you recommend with this telescope? name them please? I have a 2" diagonal too. I have 0.50x focal reducer too.
Good video! What are the longest exposure times that you have used with your mount without/with a wedge? Do you use a laptop to acquire and run your Astro photography sessions. Thanks!
Hi. I have a 6SE and I can get 30-35 sec exposure time without a wedge, with a wedge it’s the same… but without field rotation. With autoguiding I can get 4-5 min exposure time if I get a very good polar alignment. 8SE has a longer focal length so it may be a more difficult to get those times but I am sure you can get around those exposure times too
Great review....but my budget was small so I have the nexstar 5se coming in this week....can all the accessories you pointed out also working on the nexstar 5se? Also will the focal 6.3 reducer work better than a barlow lens? Am still in the learning process and you have me bit bumped about the red dot finder lol
Yeah, everything I listed should work fine. The f/6.3 reducer will let you see deep sky objects more clearly, and more brightly. I.e. galaxies, nebulae, star clusters etc. A Barlow usually is used for planets. A good Televue barlow works well for that.
That being said, the 5 SE is a great telescope, and all those accessories should work fine. It also comes with a wedge, so you can start doing beginner astrophotgraphy!
Thank you!
Why do you have the rail/ OTA tightener on the 'top'? Great review...love mine!
Thanks for that question, I was thinking the same thing. Does it align correctly being 180 degrees off??
100% agree about your things you don't like about it. I have the exact same gripes and it mainly is the focus knobs adjustment. How sir can that be changed for a better setup? I would like to know if there is such an upgrade because I'd be willing to replace my focus. Second, I'm not a fan of the mount either, I find it is not solid enough.
Hello. Just bought this scope and can't wait to get it. You have links for the Orion auto guider please?
Hello?
A simple fix to the red dot finder out of alignment is to insert a small shim under the red dot mount. I used a medium-size plastic zip-tie cut to the size of the mount. Loosen the mount screws and slip the shim between the mount and scope. With the sighting object in the center of the eyepiece, move the red-dot over the object and tighten the mount screws. I also inlarged the mount screw holes a little to make a finer level of adjustment. The red-dot is right on. Clear Skies!
Good tip!
I put all those upgrade suggestions into Dropbox. (Right now I am leaning to the 8" Edge HD OTA but the list will not probably change much. I will go for a goto Equatorial mount.)
The 8" Edge HD is an excellent telescope! Clear skies!
nice review man. I bought the 8 inch se awhile ago and it was cloudy for a month. sadface. I have a real problem with the focuser. It is crap. The cheap star aligner is not as bad as the focus knob IMO. Otherwise, this telescope rocks. I am saving for a motorized focuser, or a fine tune focus. The 2 inch eyepieces are the very first upgrade IMO. The 1.25 inch is too hard on the eyes.
Great review and very helpful advice. Thank you.
Can you please provide a list of all the add on’s you mention - I just received my 8se. I’m excited to get it set up but I’m bummed about the star finder review you have identified. I’m up at 6500’ in Northern New Mexico and the night sky is incredibly vast and clear. I want to immediately purchase the Orion Starshoot and the Compatible Eveolution Wedge mount - but want to make sure I purchase the right items. Not sure if my 8se is similar to yours after 4 years. Any detailed info you can provide is greatly appreciate. Thank you!
Bought my first telescope and picked this one up, probably cheaper in a few months. But, i am excited to get started now. All the addons seem very pricey. But, i suppose shopping around
Hi Slymin, I really enjoy your videos on the Celestron Nexstar 8SE which I am considering buying. Have you had any of those vibration issues I read so much about? If so, what do you do to resolve the issue. Thanks.
Vibration at high magnifications is a problem for any scope really. The number one thing to avoid is not touching your mount or telescope once you are locked in and focused on the object you want to view. If you can do that, you won't get much in terms of vibration. A nice set of vibration suppression pads, homemade or bought, work nicely also.
Slymin, I'm confused about something. For this telescope you recommend the XLT diagonal and 2" eyepieces, but in a separate review of the diagonal you say that you do not use the 2" eyepieces on an SE mount because of the weight. So if I am buying the Nexstar 8SE, should I buy the diagonal and 2" eyepieces or not?
Hi I'm looking at buying this telescope but I'm a newbie, can you recommend a finder scope and which particular 2" eye pieces to purchase? Thanks for your help!
Hi Slymin, Internal battery for the 8SE is something Celestron should consider.
Did you replace the stock focuser? If you did.. What one do you recommend? Thanks!!
What about hooking up a dslr camera to this telescope? Any issues? All I see are reviews about telescopes and astrophotography , but no one gives the info on how to hook up their camera or what kind of camera . And also no results from photos taken with the unit?
Nice review. Is there a Crayford focuser available for this scope?
Yes, several companies make them, GSO, Moonlite.
Hi Slymin, nice to see a fellow devout amateur astronomer. Nice job here. Celestron craftsmanship is ok, better than Meade but its not Vixen, Questar, or Ritchey Chretien .
Cody - my 8se is from 2014 please cover how to maintain the tripod. Mine needs to be serviced.
Hey there!
Would u be able to tell me which bracket size, holes distance, for the guide scope u suggested to adapt to this telescope? I am making a shopping list of accessories for this 8SE model, which I have not bought yet, but I'm making a list of best and convenient accesorios I should get for it.
I listed the focus reducer, 2" diagonal mirror, 2" lense, power cords donc I've heard this toy takes lots of juice from batteries, so I will plan for a power tank of something like that... thanks much!
huh your adv vx newt, oh you won't need ladder for 8se.. my 8se should arrive next week, nice review.
Nice video👍👍
I have it and love it.
If the telescope points vertically does the eyepiece smash the mount?
Hi Slymin,
at first thank you for your review, I am thinking about to buy exactly this telescope. If you can help me only with that thing- what finder scope will be best to use?
A nice RACI, (Right-Angle, Corrected-Image) finder is a great addition to the telescope. It saves your neck and back!
@@AstroBlender 🔭😀
Great review, thanks. Would I need to move to the cpc for astrophotography? I am re-entering the hobby after many years and would appreciate your advice. Thanks!
If you are truly wanting to do Astrophotography the CPC won't really do the trick as it is also an Altitude-Azimuth mount like the SE series is. If you want to seriously dive in, go for a German Equatorial Mount (GEM). Celestron makes really good ones (Advanced VX, CGEM, CGEM II, CGX, CGE, etc.) Orion, iOptron, Explore Scientific and a bunch of other companies make great GEMs as well. Those are just some options for ya! :) I hope that helps.
First off, a GEM is not required. People have been imaging using equatorial wedges for 40 years. Second, there are a lot of new cameras available that allow you to use an Alt/Az mount and stacking short exposures. Go to the Cloudy Nights web site and check out the EAA Imaging section.
How does the 8se compare to your AVX C6N in terms of visual and astrophotography? I really enjoyed your review of both the 8 and 6 inch Newtonians and plan to buy one for Christmas. I am leaning toward the 6 inch for size and portability reasons, but was curious as to your thoughts on how the 6 inch views of planets and DSO's fairs against the 8se? I realize that it will have a little less resolution then an 8 inch, but would still like your opinions due to your first hand experience with all 3 scopes. Thank you for another great review. Jeff
Well, I feel like an 8" SCT is always going to be better than a 6 or 8" Newtonian for planets. The focal length is long, and the resolution is pretty superb for planets. I love my 8 SE because when used with a focal reducer, it essentially becomes an 8" Newtonian. :) Imaging is good with an SCT, but that is where a Newtonian comes into play. Even with a f/6.3 reducer, the focal length is still a little too long for many nebulae.
So, for images that I want a wide field, I aim to use a refractor or a Newtonian, usually in the 750 to 800mm focal length range. The Advanced VX C6-N is perfect for that, but will give you some coma at the edges for sure. It is a good buy though, because you can always upgrade the OTA. A fantastic choice is the Explore Scientific David H. Levy Comet Hunter.
If it were up to me, I would buy the 6" Newtonian. Then later if you want an 8" SCT you can probably find a used one for cheaper. Then just get a focal reducer f/6.3 and you will have basically an 8" SCT, 8" Newtonian (when using the focal reducer) and a 6" Newtonian. :)
I hope that helps!
Slymin,
This is a great idea and sort of what I had in mind. If I could afford the 8" SCT AVX I would buy it, but my budget is only $1500. I was thinking about the AVX for the mount and the 6" Newt seems to be a good telescope to start out with. I plan to buy some X-Cel LX Eyepieces and a collimation tool, so my budget is about done. But buying an 8" SCT later is a great idea and it's a more compact telescope then an 8" Newt. Your reviews are great, plus your ideas and insights have been very helpful to me. Thank you, Jeff.
so i see the mount screw is on top . did you just turn it so it was there and did it offect the auto aline
Take a shot Every time this guy says "8 inch Schmitt cassegrain" lol great reviews bud keep up the good work.
@@CMB865 lol knew it
*hic*
🥴🤢🤮
Hello. Which is better, this one or Meade LX 90 ACF? Do any of them have decisive advantages?
My first scope was a 4" Meade reflector, and then I moved to a Meade 5" refactor computerized for better image quality and motorized slewing and at the time being a new model they were offering $600.00 dollars worth of eyepieces with case thrown in. Couldn't beat that deal so I jumped on it. It was a new model and didn't find things very well even with time spent with aligning it properly it was sometimes discouraging, but that was 15 years ago I still have that scope setting unused having moved and when we moved I lost the case with everything in it..Eyepieces, computer pad, filters, everything. I figure about a $1000 dollars worth of accessories. Almost cried, LOL.
Now am less then 2 years from retirement and looking with anticipation of getting back into the hobby.. Looking at this model for easy of set-up and the togo feature. 8" aperture is a nice middle of the road size without needing a wheel-barrel to move it around. I miss the quiet nights under the stars, looking for that elusive object, :)
Bummer on losing the equipment! I agree with you though, the 8" SCT is a great middle ground telescope and has a perfect blend between portability and light gathering power. Enjoy retirement and getting back under the stars! Clear skies!
Hello Cody, for astrophotography using the reducer 6.3, what cooled cmos camera is good for this scope?, or is definitely no option for the C8?...I was told bigger than 1/2" sensor size would produce a lot of vignetting. Have you done DSO astrophotography with this scope? If so, what camera did you use?. I have a nice planetary camera and I have done very good work with it but now I want to go further with dso, I don't know what way to go, a hyperstar or a cooled cmos camera... thank you very much for any help. CS!
Hi! Liked your video. I´m planning to build a small observatory in my house and I need to know the space that the mount ocuppies on the floor. Since I don´t have one, I need the dimensions for planning a future small lifting platform Thanks!
Please provide a link to the extras that put it on please. Thanks
How did collimation hold up over the years? How often have you needed to collimate? BTW, my two equatorially mounted manual Celestrons, a C5 from 1970 (allegedly the best optics ever on the C5) and a Classic 8 I bought in 1986 are still wonderful after so many decades--but I'm considering my first ever Alt/Az computer aided C8, am thinking the base CPC version might be a good compromise.
If getting a 82 degree 2 inch lens, whats a good all around magnification? we have a 1 1/4 plossl at 25mm currently, what would you think a good all around first lens, from explorer scientific, (8.8mm? 11mm etc?) looking at planets and nebula
Do you find the SE mount wobbles much from gear or air movement?
hey slymin what would you recommend between a nexstar 8se or a advanced vx 8 inch sct..
Hey very nice review. This was very helpful. I’ll wait around for a sale to come around but my minds pretty much made.
Hey Slymin, did you come up with a way to solve the focusing issue with this telescope?
Should I get a Celestron nexstar 6 SE for planetary Imaging or a Celestron nexstar 8 SE?
arg TMI...my wife wants a replacement for her 10-in Dobsonian....is this a great substitute?
Great idea Slymin,
I have a nexstar 6 and I like your idea of putting a guidescope
What is the most suitable backlash configuration?
Guide programs like phdguiding contemplate the possibility of guiding in azimuth?
I suppose once calibrated for an object, when you change object will have to recalibrate, is it?
Thank you
No, you cant really guide in Alt/Az, you can only guide if you got the NexStar Evolution wedge and used it.
Thank you very much
a greeting
That brings up the question: does the wedge induce the "meridian flip"? when the tracking goes through that virtual line in the sky.
Funny. I like the red dot finder better than the Telrad I had. Great for star hopping.
Hey Slymin,
If you were getting one 2" eyepiece from say Explorer Scientific for the Celestron 8se, which would you get? Best all around?
Thanks great vids!
Well if you are wanting one for a Schmidt Cassegrain, an 82 degree eyepiece should work well. The focal length you choose depends on you, but those are nice, affordable eyepieces.
Thanks for the videos.. I jumped in with an 8 SCT scope and am kinda clueless. If I change to 2" star diagonal/eyepiece will this give me a larger field of view? Or can I stick with the current 1.5" and buy an 82 degree and still get a wide field of view?
It would be great to see images you got with your telescope...
Further I saw there is a review of 6 as well. May I also ask If you just want to do a messier marathon, is 8se minimum or even 4/5/6 se can do it. Also do one need focal reducer and 2 inch eye pieces for that ?
Wish I never sold mine! Can't beat the value, half my channel is Celestron 8se imagery.
In your opinion.. which is better for the celestron nexstar 8Se... The Celestron Star Sense or the Orion Magnificent Miniguide?
Do you only get one eyepiece with the telescope? Should i get some with more magnification?
I 3D printed some offset mounting plates to make the red dot finder usable.
Can you share the STL?