Dilemma

Hi All,
Looking for some guidance on this one.

Had set my mind on buying a Clestron CPC800GPS have done all my research (over many months) and it ticked all my various boxes nicely.

However, just as I was going to make my puschase I see that the CPC925 also with GPS is now significently cheaper. I have done a comparasion between the two models and it seems that the 925 shades it over the 800.

My dilemma is this, am I missing something here is the 925 a better scope than the 800 or is it that the 925 is an older model that's been discounted at a better price to make way for some newer model.

Any advice would be genuinely appreciated.

Many thanks.

Hi Pat,

I was considering getting a CPC myself earlier in the year. I hadn't noticed a price drop anywhere so if you could post details of where you saw that I'd be interested.

The CPC range with GPS and the XLT coatings is a few years old now, but there is no replacement scheduled for it that I know of. So I would assume that the prices you see are for the current models; in fact I think the pre GPS models had a different mount and were called something else.

Though I wish they would update it a little. Have a USB interface as standard for example.

Anyway the 925 is better than the 800 in that it gathers more light. The software is the same, and the mount fork is a bit bigger to accommodate the scope, the tripod is the same.

So what you go for depends on your requirements. The 925 although getting more light will be bulkier. Will you be transporting the scope to observing sites? Taking it up and down stairs? Storing it in a small house? The extra 7kg in weight and bulkier size may be an issue for you. I have a 10"SN and the main reason it doesn't get more use is that its a pain to transport and set up; and that's even after converting it to a dob mount.

Personally I was considering the 8". The size and weight means that I'm more likely to use it than a heavier bigger scope. Though if I had the cash to spend now I can imagine aperture fever creeping in!

Cheers,
~Al

p.s. They don't seem to come up very often secondhand which is unfortunate but at least shows that people are happy with them.

Hi Al

Many thanks for confirming my thoughts on the 925 as the better scope. You know what it's like when you've done your research and are about to hit the buy button when something comes at you from the blind side and makes you stop and think is ithis to good to be true.

Storage is not a problem and the weight factor doesn't enter into it.

I've PM'ed you the link on the 925.

Cheers
Pat

Hi Pat,
Go for the CPC 9.25. I bought my one about 3 weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. I was thinking of going for the CPC 800 but after alot of deliberating and comparing I decided on the CPC 9.25 XLT GPS. I got a great deal from Andy in northdown telescopes. The 9.25 scope is easy to transport and assemble.

Regards
Tom.

Yea, After seeing Toms new 9.25 scope, I'm impressed with it and can see no fault/shortcommings with it, sometimes a good deal is exactly that.

Cheers Guys,
Have decided to go for the 9.25.

Many thanks for all your help and a Happy New Year

Pat