Celestron C6S-GT (Advanced Series)

[michael_jasper@yahoo.com]

Hi - I'm considering getting the newest member of the Advanced Series
SCTs from Celestron - the 6" model which comes with XLT. THis would be
to replace a 127mm Starmax Mak/Cass for situations where portability
and space are important, with a need at times for goto to get the most
out of short sessions, but also to have some deep sky capability. I
know a 6" won't give me great deep sky - but again, it's to replace a
5" MCT.

I heard a while back from Rod Mollise who had heard good things about
this scope I think - but have yet to see any published reviews of it.
Does anyone have any experience with it ? Anyone know of any reviews?

I might be able to push the budget to the 8" in this series, but not
sure how much bigger it will be and if I'll lose the great portability
I've enjoyed in the 5".

Thanks,
Michael

[Phil Wheeler]

michael_jasper@yahoo.com wrote:

One question (and I am relatively ignorant of such things): Will a 6"
SCT really be an improvement over your 5" MCT (assuming equal optical
and mechanical quality)? For some reason I have the impresson that the
SCT has a larger secondary blockage so that the gain in aperture will
not be all that great.

BTW .. there is a reviw here:

http://www.astromart.com/articles/ar...article_id=333

Phil

[Paul Clark]

http://www.astromart.com/articles/ar...article_id=333
for a review

or the celestron-c6s_downunder yahoo group

I have one and it its excellent vfm.
Paul
<michael_jasper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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[Don't Be Evil]

I don't see specs on the 6" SCT, but Celestron's 8" SCT is 16.5 pounds
and 18". Not much considering the size and weight of the mount.

Here's a review:
http://www.astromart.com/articles/ar...article_id=333

Greg

[michael_jasper@yahoo.com]

Hi Paul - Could you say more about it? What kind of observing you've
used it for? Size and weight for transport? What you like least and
most?

Did you consider an 8" ?

THanks,
Michael

[jess]

michael_jasper@yahoo.com wrote:

No C6, but I have a C8-SGT, and the weights I have measured are as
follows:

14.4 lbs OTA, Telrad, finder, piggyback, diagonal 25mm
15.4 lbs Tripod, controller
12.0 lbs Mount
14.2 lbs Counterweight, counterweight bar, spreader/accessory plate

Accessories and case add another 5 lbs or so, I haven't weighed the
small lead-acid battery I have, but I'd guess maybe 7 - 8 pounds. I
also have another 11 lb counterweight needed to balance an SLR and lens
for piggyback photography. I assume the C6 OTA would be a little
lighter, and I think the rest of the components are identical.

The system is pretty easy to transport and set up; it takes maybe 10
minutes to assemble everything, and another 5 minutes for rough polar
alignment. I haven't tried long-exposure photography yet, so I've not
yet been exposed to the intricacies of drift alignment.

I have things packaged so that the heaviest bag is about 35 pounds.
The only tricky part I've found is getting the OTA onto the mount . .
.. it always makes me a bit nervous to be cradling the OTA in one arm
while (hopefully) attaching it to the OTA. I think I'd be a bit more
comfortable with the C6 in that regard (smaller diameter, not weight),
but I can't imagine that portability would be much different between
the 2 systems.

I've been very happy with the telescope, although the seeing just west
of Washinton D.C. leaves a good bit to be desired, especially in my
suburban driveway. The weather has not been cooperative either: it's
been cold, cloudy, or windy for the last 2 months.

I use my 'scope mostly for general viewing of clusters and bright
nebulae, with a little bit of lunar and planetary work when
orientations make it practical. The C8 replaces a 90mm Mak on a
photographic tripod, so there's a world of difference between the two.


My one strong recommendation would be to get something like a Telrad.
I never use the finder that comes with the Celestron at all.

Good luck, and enjoy whatever you acquire!

[jess]

BTW, B&H lists the shipping weight for the C6-SGT as 52 lbs and the
C8-SGT as 55 lbs. From this, I'd guess the dirrerence in weight is
close to 3 lbs (unless the packaging is much different). I haven't
found a weight for a C6 OTA, but I assume it's out there somewhere.
The C8 is listed as 12.5 lbs, which agrees pretty well with the 14.4
lbs I measured for the OTA plus assorted attachments..

[Paul Clark]

I bought this specifically as a low cost small scope for imaging, goto and
tracking. This suited particular purposes. I have a large dobsonian for
deep sky and an alt-az mounted refractor for portability and wide field.

The optics are very, very sharp. I have serveral experienced friends that
agree.

An 8" is a trivial setup up in weight/portability. BTW, I carry the fully
assembled scope about the garden/backyard and break it down into 2 for
transport, the tripod and then the scope n' mount in one piece.

I'll send you an example image.
<michael_jasper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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[Phil Wheeler]

Paul Clark wrote:

How is the ASGT for imaging?

Phil

[Phil Wheeler]

Paul Clark wrote:

How is the ASGT mount for imaging re PEC and such?

Phil