Purchasing Decision

Hi All,

I'm considering the possibility of purchasing a new scope in the next few months and am very interested in a refractor.

I've read quite a bit of information on types, sizes and prices. If money was not an issue, Takahashi would be the one.

At this point I'm considering the Celestron C6-RGT with the CG-5 mount. I found an interesting site from "AstronomyBoy" detailing how to dismantle the mount and improve its performance, but I cannot find any info as to whether the mount will handle the weight of the C6 with a camera piggybacked.

If I do this, I will first sell off my Nexstar 8 with all the goodies I've added to it and use the revenue towards this next buy. I figure with with the money from the Nexstar, I should be able to add another $600 to $800 to my budget (total estimated budget of $1500 to $2000).

Any info, or maybe a suggestion for an alternative scope and mount would be helpful. Thanks

http://www.astronomyboy.com/cg5/

Clear Skies,
David Eccles
Lompoc, CA

Hi David,

I also have a GP mount with a 5”F8 (Burgess 1278) OTA and agree with Paul that you’d be pushing the capabilities of a CG5 mount with a bigger OTA – especially with the way the wind blows in this area! I also mount 8” F4.5 Newt, TEC6, and TV85 OTAs on the GP – the TEC being the best size/performance combo with this mount.

Could you elaborate on why you want to replace your N8 with a 6” Achro? You’d be giving up significant aperture and portability and I’ve seen lots of C8 OTA with nice optics. If piggyback photography is a desire, there’s a wedge available for the Nexstar that would allow you to try this out with your N8 rig.

Regards, Tom