Celestron c 9.25 Carbon Fiber

No one on this forum of late...but in case someone looks...I have a question.

Are they still making the carbon fiber version of the C 9.25? (I think not, but just checking).

Was / is there any advantage/ disadvantage to the carbon fiber OTA over the standard aluminum tube that is currently being sold?

If there is an advantage, any after maket carbon fiber OTA's being made?

Thanks.

Marc Whitsett
Cincinnati, OH

I have the 9.25 CPC-GPS version (fork-mounted), which is a carbon fiber OTA. I think they are still made this way. Mine is a couple of years old.
I think the main advantage of the CF tube verses aluminum, is that the CF has less thermal expansion/contraction.

I have a 1992 C11 that I use for imaging and I can attest to value of a CF tube. Here in MN the temp can and does drop rapidly over the course of the night. With the original aluminum tube, it almost always required refocusing after about one to two hours. I decided to replace the tube with one of Franks's (Public Missiles) CF tubes. What a difference! In the year and a half since I have had it, I have never once needed to refocus during an imaging run (now perfectionists may disagree but it is tough to tell the difference in star size from the first image to one taken three hours later). I usually image at f/12 (3370mm) with this setup. My two cents worth.


Chris
Cedar, MN

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