Celestron NexStar 8 SE or Celestron C8-SGT

Hi

I currently have a Skywatcher 130pm Newtownian which is used for general observing and planetary imaging with a Philips SPC900nc webcam. Had this scope for a couple of years to get me into observing and it has served me well, but now I wish to get a little more advanced.

I have a budget of round about £1000 stg and was thinking along the lines of an 8 inch Cassegrain such as either Celestron NexStar 8 SE or Celestron C8-SGT.
Both have similar tubes, but the NexStar is on a single armed Altazimuth Goto mount, the C8-SGT is on a CG-5 Goto mount. Both of these are on Telescope Planet at that price.

I am going towards the SGT because of the mount as it is sturdier and better suited to imaging (I wish to get into DSO's at some stage) I know a wedge can be added to the other scope but the single fork arm to me looks a bit flimsy and possibly suffer from vibration, something that I'm already plagued with on my current scope.

I wonder has anyone already compared these scopes or can advise me further

thanks

CJ

Hi CJ, I can vouch for the cg5, as I have one myself, it not too bad for astrophotography as regards tracking, however it is very loud when slewing to your target, I cringe if i have too bring it out at 2am, it's just too loud, but I don't want you to be put off.

When it's tracking it very quiet, maybe some else can enlighten?

As for the SE, I have no experience of using this one, but i'd imagine that the single arm could be a problem as you say with vibration. Also it may not track well since I think? it's on an alt-az mount?

Keith..

I would be suspicious of Alt/Az mounts for tracking for DSO's. I think for DSO's one needs a german equatorial mount and even then one needs a robust one. One can use a good Alt/Az if on a good wedge but I gather that these are more difficult to polar align - though there are competant astrophotographers who use these.

Keith - with respect to slewing noise - I used to use an ETX 70 that sounded like a coffee grinder - but that system alowed for the option of configuring a slow slew speed (I think it was called "quiet slew" that was much quieter - but it took a lot longer to slew. At least with this option it annoyed me more than my neighbours - do you know if the CG5 has such an option?

CJ - can I suggest that you think about investing more of your budget into a mount suitable for DSO imaging and use your existing OTA until you are in a position to get both mount and OTA? I don't think one grand for OTA and mount is going to get you the DSO imaging experience that you'll be happy with. The mount is where the majority of the investment needs to go - at least to start. One can always find ways of throwing money at the other components (CCD, software, filterwheel and filters, dual-bar mounts for guide-scope, off-axis whatever you call it) but the mount is probably the single biggest expenditure that you can't underestimate the importance of.

For a grand sterling you could get an EQ6 Pro (and I'd welcome any suggestions of others for suitable mounts in the non-extravagant price range). I have the above and my constraints is compentancy rather than technology. It will allow you to get an OTA considerbaly bigger than what you have when you want to move on.

Having said all that - my accomplishments are one good image of Jupiter, one reasonably good image of a galaxy, and one good image of a planetary nebula. So I'm not the most experienced fellow to be giving advice.

Mark

I would agree with the other guys, if you want to get into serious imaging, don't get either. But if it comes down to a choice between the two, get the Nexstar. I have a C6-SGT and had an absolute nightmare with it at the weekend, to the extent that I'm thinking of abandoning the whole mount altogether. The Nexstar is a very solid mount, and easy as pie to use.
And another thing, from what I have read and heard, steer clear of Telescope Planet. Go to First Light Optics instead.

Keith g wrote:

it is very loud when slewing to your target, I cringe if i have too bring it out at 2am, it's just too loud, but I don't want you to be put off.

Is it as loud as the ETX-70's mount? That thing put me off taking it out when I had it...

Keith - with respect to slewing noise - I used to use an ETX 70 that sounded like a coffee grinder - but that system alowed for the option of configuring a slow slew speed (I think it was called "quiet slew" that was much quieter - but it took a lot longer to slew. At least with this option it annoyed me more than my neighbours - do you know if the CG5 has such an option?

Mark, I don't think that the cg5 will alow a 'quiet slew', i'll look into that, but I don't think so, if only...

Is it as loud as the ETX-70's mount? That thing put me off taking it out when I had it...

Yeah ! really Seanie, it's sounds like bringing you blender outside at 2am to make a wood and spoon sandwich : cheer:

Overall CJ, the lads here have made fair comment, the mount is where the bucks have to go first, and the eq6 pro would be a great start!

Keith..