frebie
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New Celestron Products announced at CES
#5612204 - 01/08/13 03:48 PM
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Celestron has introduced a plethora of new products at the CES show going on now in Las Vegas.
Products include an Advanced VX series of go-to scopes that will replace the current Advanced Series line. They use a completely reengineered version of the Advanced Series 30 pound payload capacity mount. It has permanent PEC, a wider latitude range, tracking past the meridian for imagers, improved electronics with All-Star polar alignment, a built-in autoguider port, new motors for better astrophotography tracking, and more. Scopes will include and 8” EdgeHD version, in addition to all of the current 6” to 11” models currently available. Prices run about $100 more than the Advanced Series.
Speaking of the EdgeHD, a focal reducer for the 8” will be available this spring at a cost of about $299. A StarSense adapter will be available in the spring at a cost of about $329 that will make no-hands SkyProdigy three-minute automatic sky alignment technology available for most Celestron go-to scopes.
There’s a new off-axis guider body available for all SCTs, as well as imaging refractors and other scopes, for about $249. We’ll have complete information on these and all the other products up on our website over the next week or so. We’ll be announcing those additions to our website here as they go online, so check back occasionally to keep up with the new products as they go on-line for ordering and pre-ordering.
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Mark9473
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5612222 - 01/08/13 04:01 PM
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"no hands", as in, plunk down the mount, switch the power on, and sit back till the goto is aligned?
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GeneT
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Reged: 11/07/08
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5612383 - 01/08/13 05:39 PM
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Glad to see that Celestron is not sitting on its hands, but continuing to innovate.
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Astronomics
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: GeneT]
#5612527 - 01/08/13 06:59 PM
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It is going to be plunk it down, turn it on, and watch it work.
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AlienRatDog
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: GeneT]
#5612746 - 01/08/13 09:20 PM
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Doesn't Meade have something similar with its lightswitch scopes?
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MikeBOKC
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5612769 - 01/08/13 09:40 PM
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So this is the redesign of the venerable CG-5 mount. Does it appear it will have the same capacity?
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geminijk
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Reged: 04/03/08
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5612915 - 01/08/13 11:22 PM
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Way to go Celestron! Can't wait to read more about these new products and certainly see them!
John
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watcher
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5612961 - 01/08/13 11:56 PM
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"A StarSense adapter will be available in the spring at a cost of about $329 that will make no-hands SkyProdigy three-minute automatic sky alignment technology available for most Celestron go-to scopes."
Will this be a retrofit for a present production mount, or just new mounts going forward?
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cn register 5
sage
Reged: 12/26/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: watcher]
#5613116 - 01/09/13 03:43 AM
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I've had a beta test version of the AVX mount since late November. I think it's a nice mount. It will have at least the capacity of the AS-GT. It has a RTC, the power connector has a screw on fitting. it guides beautifully.
I have not heard of the Star Sense device but my guess is that it will require a NexStar+ HC and an Aux port on the mount. The challenge with existing mounts will be fitting it, I guess it could fit in place of the finder.
Chris
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AlienRatDog
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: cn register 5]
#5613172 - 01/09/13 06:04 AM
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Any pictures available?
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Footbag
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5613251 - 01/09/13 08:05 AM
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The FR news is great!
The new mount sounds interesting as well. AP'ers need some more good entry level options.
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Astronomics
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Footbag]
#5613444 - 01/09/13 10:18 AM
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Shortly we will have information on the site.
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: watcher]
#5613547 - 01/09/13 11:37 AM
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Quote:
Will this be a retrofit for a present production mount, or just new mounts going forward?
The StarSense will work with most existing Celestron computerized telescopes, not just new mounts. According to Celestron the compatible go-to products include the NexStar SE series, CPC and CPC DX, NexStar GPS, current CG-5 Advanced Series, Advanced VX series, CGEM and CGEM DX, CGE and CGE Pro, NexStar SLT (with Aux port splitter), and LCM (with Aux port splitter).
Non-compatible are the NexStar i series, Ultima 2000, and older generation (Compustar) scopes.
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5613554 - 01/09/13 11:40 AM
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Quote:
Doesn't Meade have something similar with its lightswitch scopes?
The Celestron StarSense is an inexpensive add-on to automate many existing Celestron computerized scopes, not a complete new scope, as is the LightSwitch.
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5613569 - 01/09/13 11:47 AM
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Quote:
So this is the redesign of the venerable CG-5 mount. Does it appear it will have the same capacity?
The payload capacity of the Advanced VX mount remains the same as the CG-5, at 30 lbs. The VX adds PPEC, an autoguider port, new motors for better tracking, more advanced electronics to support future expansions (such as the StarSense add-on), meridian sweep without motor interference with the mount, NexStar+ hand control with nine supported languages, All-Star polar alignment, oversize easy-grop knobs, etc.
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: cn register 5]
#5613576 - 01/09/13 11:50 AM
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Quote:
I've had a beta test version of the AVX mount since late November. I think it's a nice mount. It will have at least the capacity of the AS-GT.
It has a RTC, the power connector has a screw on fitting. it guides beautifully.
I have not heard of the Star Sense device but my guess is that it will require a NexStar+ HC and an Aux port on the mount. The challenge with existing mounts will be fitting it, I guess it could fit in place of the finder.
Chris
The StarSense has a bracket to mount in place of the finder on most non-SCT optical tubes and in the second set of finder holes at the one o'clock position on the rear cell of most Celestron SCT optical tubes.
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Starhawk
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5613579 - 01/09/13 11:52 AM
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Is the SkySense able to autoguide? If so, this is quite an announcement. I'd really like to see this sort of thing pan out.
-Rich
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5613584 - 01/09/13 11:53 AM
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Any pictures available?
They will be shortly. The products were just shown yesterday at the CES for the first time. It will probably be a week or so before images are available.
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Starhawk]
#5613587 - 01/09/13 11:55 AM
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Quote:
Is the SkySense able to autoguide? If so, this is quite an announcement. I'd really like to see this sort of thing pan out.
-Rich
It is not an autoguider. It is simply designed to make alignment on the sky a no-hands three-minute automatic procedure.
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AlienRatDog
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5613665 - 01/09/13 12:42 PM
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I wonder if the motors on the new mount are quieter and/or faster than what is on the ASGT mount...
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Pinbout
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5613683 - 01/09/13 12:52 PM Attachment (65 downloads)
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their booth.
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frebie
Chief assistant to the assistant chief
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5613744 - 01/09/13 01:35 PM
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Quote:
I wonder if the motors on the new mount are quieter and/or faster than what is on the ASGT mount...
Can't speak to the quiet part as they haven't started shipping. Max slew speed is 4°/sec, up from the 3°/sec of the CG-5.
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mightynate
newbie
Reged: 10/04/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5613808 - 01/09/13 02:18 PM
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Is that mean I do not need to do Polar Alignment?
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frebie
Chief assistant to the assistant chief
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: mightynate]
#5613846 - 01/09/13 02:41 PM Attachment (61 downloads)
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We would assume that you would still have to do a polar alignment with a German equatorial mount if you wanted the mount to find and/or track anything. Altazimuth mounts (ike the CPC, CPC DX, NexStar SE, NexStar SLT, LCM, etc.) do not require polar alignment.
Attached is a pic of the StarSense.
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Starhawk
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5613947 - 01/09/13 03:43 PM
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Hmmm. This would seem to be getting into quite a bit of stuff plugged in if you want to guide and do starsense on a scope you're going to do AP on, then. Do you have any way of checking?
Is it possible to get a picture of the VX mount by itself with better lighting?
Quite a bit of new info.
-Rich
Quote:
Quote:
Is the SkySense able to autoguide? If so, this is quite an announcement. I'd really like to see this sort of thing pan out.
-Rich
It is not an autoguider. It is simply designed to make alignment on the sky a no-hands three-minute automatic procedure.
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Peter in Reno
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Starhawk]
#5613982 - 01/09/13 04:07 PM
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I would love to see pictures of C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer.
Thanks, Peter
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Peter in Reno]
#5614080 - 01/09/13 04:53 PM Attachment (41 downloads)
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Quote:
I would love to see pictures of C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer.
Photos are not yet available, but here's a computer-generated rendering of what it will look like. Will put up an actual image when it becomes available.
Incidentally, the StarSense is available on our website for preorder under our part #CSTAR.
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Lee Jay
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5614138 - 01/09/13 05:35 PM
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Quote:
Products include an Advanced VX series of go-to scopes that will replace the current Advanced Series line. They use a completely reengineered version of the Advanced Series 30 pound payload capacity mount. It has permanent PEC, a wider latitude range, tracking past the meridian for imagers, improved electronics with All-Star polar alignment, a built-in autoguider port, new motors for better astrophotography tracking, and more. Scopes will include and 8” EdgeHD version, in addition to all of the current 6” to 11” models currently available. Prices run about $100 more than the Advanced Series.
Does that wider latitude range include 0 or 90 so it can be used in alt-az?
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cn register 5
sage
Reged: 12/26/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Lee Jay]
#5614169 - 01/09/13 05:58 PM
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I've just tried it, the latitude scale range is 0 to 75 and it will adjust to just below 0 without hitting anything.
BUT it's never been mentioned that it will work in alt azm mode and there is currently no option to switch the HC to an AltAz mode.
An AltAz mode would need significantly different firmware because in previous mounts the hour angle axis is equivalent to azimuth and the dec to altitude. If the mount it set to zero latitude then the dec axis becomes equivalent to azimuth and the hour angle axis altitude, i.e. reversed.
I would assume that it is not a dual use mount unless Celestron says that it is.
Chris
PS it seems a bit quieter than the AS-GT but it's not silent.
Edited by cn register 5 (01/09/13 06:03 PM)
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Peter in Reno
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Lee Jay]
#5614171 - 01/09/13 05:58 PM
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Is the focal reducer at the CES show? If so, can anyone photograph it and post the photos here?
Thanks, Peter
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Lee Jay
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: cn register 5]
#5614175 - 01/09/13 06:01 PM
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Quote:
I've just tried it, the latitude scale range is 0 to 75 and it will adjust to just below 0 without hitting anything.
BUT it's never been mentioned that it will work in alt azm mode and there is currently no option to switch the HC to an AltAz mode.
An AltAz mode would need significantly different firmware because in previous mounts the hour angle axis is equivalent to azimuth and the dec to altitude. If the mount it set to zero latitude then the dec axis becomes equivalent to azimuth and the hour angle axis altitude, i.e. reversed.
I would assume that it is not a dual use mount unless Celestron says that it is.
Chris
If it can physically do it, then Celestron would be foolish not to spend the time to give the software this capability, when they clearly already have this capability in other versions of their mounts, both dedicated alt-az such as Nexstar and dual-use such as CPC on a wedge or the new AZ-EQ6.
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Footbag
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Lee Jay]
#5614456 - 01/09/13 08:23 PM
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Are there any details of the FR? .7x reduction? Sensor spacing requirements?
and to really work you hard... 
How about a pic of the OAG?
Thanks.
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Peter in Reno
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Footbag]
#5615229 - 01/10/13 10:49 AM
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This FR is now at Celestron web site but no photos yet.
http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/edgehd-7x-reducer-lens-8-inch.html
It says 105mm back focus. I am not happy about this much shorter back focus than 133mm for F/10.
Peter
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Footbag]
#5615572 - 01/10/13 01:43 PM Attachment (31 downloads)
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How about a pic of the OAG?
Here it is. The Celestron off-axis guider is compatible with all Celestron EdgeHD and SCT telescopes, plus imaging refractors and other telescopes. It has a high-quality helical focuser, adapters for several configurations, a 12.5mm multi-coated BaK-4 pickoff prism, 48mm clear aperture with full illumination for camera sensors up to 35mm, adjustable prism height, 360° independent camera and telescope rotation. It includes Off-Axis Guider body, male and female M42 T-threads, male and female M48 adapters, SCT/EdgeHD threaded adapter, 15mm M48 spacer, and 8mm, 15mm, and 30mm M42 spacers. Price is $249.95.
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Peter in Reno
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5615600 - 01/10/13 02:01 PM
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New OAG is also at:
http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/off-axis-guider.html
It says $219.
Peter
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frebie
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Peter in Reno]
#5615611 - 01/10/13 02:09 PM
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That's interesting. Their price list says $249.95. We're checking with Celestron to see which is correct.
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frebie
Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Reged: 04/29/08
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5615683 - 01/10/13 02:54 PM
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The $249.95 price on the off-axis guider is correct and has been corrected on the Celestron website.
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Footbag
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5615691 - 01/10/13 02:57 PM
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Look at all of the spacers and adapters for the OAG. It would cost you $100 to buy them alone. Seems like a good deal.
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Peter in Reno
Post Laureate
   
Reged: 07/15/08
Loc: Reno, NV
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Footbag]
#5615705 - 01/10/13 03:09 PM
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Thanks for the price update. The three thumbscrews at both sides of OAG looks like they are for securing Celestron dovetails adapters. It does not look like there are threads at each side of OAG. I think it allows you to rotate at both sides of OAG. That's fine, I am just trying to figure out how the OAG works. The Helical focused at the guide port is a nice feature.
Peter
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Peter in Reno
Post Laureate
   
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Peter in Reno]
#5615760 - 01/10/13 03:47 PM
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Hi frebie,
Can you find out if the back focus distance for C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer is 105mm? I am hoping it's a typo. I was really hoping they would maintain the same back focus distance as for F/10 which is 133mm.
Celestron should know better that 105mm is too short for many imaging equipment. What about Adaptive Optics, rotator, etc? 105mm will not work with these equipment.
FR for C-11 and C-14 EdgeHD maintains the same back focus distance (146mm) as for F/10 and I thought that was a great idea. I assumed they would do the same thing for C-8 but they didn't.
I had to cancel the order for On-Axis Guider (ONAG) because ONAG will never meet the 105mm back focus. The absolute minimum with my equipment to work with ONAG is 115mm, but in reality, it would be more like 120mm. ONAG back focus is 66mm.
Peter
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wolfman_4_ever
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/15/11
Loc: El Segundo, Ca, So. Cal
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5615809 - 01/10/13 04:12 PM
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Quote:
We would assume that you would still have to do a polar alignment with a German equatorial mount if you wanted the mount to find and/or track anything. Altazimuth mounts (ike the CPC, CPC DX, NexStar SE, NexStar SLT, LCM, etc.) do not require polar alignment.
Attached is a pic of the StarSense.
What's the usb port for? USB scopes or does it have an onboard lit-ion battery and the port is for charging the battery? The camera needs some sort of power I would think.. And more current.. More than the Aux port (amps) could provide? Future update expansion as well?
I guess it has it's own hand controller???
The StarSense Adapter is now on Celestrons Site Here:
http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-starsense-accessory.html
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cn register 5
sage
Reged: 12/26/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Lee Jay]
#5615818 - 01/10/13 04:15 PM
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Quote:
Quote:
I've just tried it, the latitude scale range is 0 to 75 and it will adjust to just below 0 without hitting anything.
BUT it's never been mentioned that it will work in alt azm mode and there is currently no option to switch the HC to an AltAz mode.
An AltAz mode would need significantly different firmware because in previous mounts the hour angle axis is equivalent to azimuth and the dec to altitude. If the mount it set to zero latitude then the dec axis becomes equivalent to azimuth and the hour angle axis altitude, i.e. reversed.
I would assume that it is not a dual use mount unless Celestron says that it is.
Chris
If it can physically do it, then Celestron would be foolish not to spend the time to give the software this capability, when they clearly already have this capability in other versions of their mounts, both dedicated alt-az such as Nexstar and dual-use such as CPC on a wedge or the new AZ-EQ6.
You would need to go to 90 deg latitude to have an alt azm mode. At zero deg the axes are the wrong way round and it would be really complicated.
I'm going to continue on the thread in the Mounts section, it seems more appropriate.
Chris
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wolfman_4_ever
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Reged: 07/15/11
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: cn register 5]
#5615829 - 01/10/13 04:23 PM
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"The StarSense Accessory includes a small digital camera that attaches to the telescope’s optical tube, along with a specialized hand controller. Just set up the accessory, push the Align button on the hand controller, and StarSense starts capturing and comparing images of the night sky against its internal database of 40,000 celestial objects. In about three minutes, StarSense will gather enough information to triangulate its position and align itself. Then, press the Sky Tour button: StarSense will automatically slew to all the best stars, planets, galaxies, and more based on your exact time and location."
Almost.. not completely, but almost seems like it replaces your current computer...
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frebie
Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Reged: 04/29/08
Loc: Neither here nor there.
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Peter in Reno]
#5615879 - 01/10/13 04:53 PM
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Hi frebie,
Can you find out if the back focus distance for C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer is 105mm? I am hoping it's a typo. I was really hoping they would maintain the same back focus distance as for F/10 which is 133mm.
Celestron should know better that 105mm is too short for many imaging equipment. What about Adaptive Optics, rotator, etc? 105mm will not work with these equipment. Peter
I hate to assume anything, but I would suspect that the 105mm figure is correct, as it appears both online on the Celestron site and in the new product information that they sent to dealers and handed out at CES. I'll ask, but I don't think it's going to turn out to be a typo.
I would further hazard a guess that they feel that the 8" OTA is going to be used primarily by beginning imagers, as their web page says specifically "Optimized for APS-C sized sensors, including most DSLR cameras and Nightscape CCD cameras." I get the feeling that they assume that the more serious imagers with long multi-component imaging chains are more prone to use 11" and 14" OTAs, or a dedicated astrograph, rather than an 8" scope. Optical design constraints may also play a role, as designing this thing was a much more involved process than simply resizing the larger reducers.
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cn register 5
sage
Reged: 12/26/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: frebie]
#5616005 - 01/10/13 06:23 PM
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105mm is the same distance that the original 0.63 focal reducer used. The original accessories, such as the OAG were designed for this with a T ring on a film camera.
I'd have no trouble using this with a CCD (17mm) and a filter wheel (23mm), that leaves 65mm for connectors and spacers. The original OAG was 50mm so I'd need a 15mm spacer. All I need now is the 8" ED and the FR 
Chris
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Peter in Reno
Post Laureate
   
Reged: 07/15/08
Loc: Reno, NV
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: cn register 5]
#5616024 - 01/10/13 06:33 PM
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I am aware of the original F/6.3 FR back focus distance. It's the way Celestron has been advertising that's somewhat misleading. First they started selling FR for C-11/C-14 EdgeHD gloating about maintaining same long back focus distance with or without FR. To me, they implied that they would do the same thing to C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer.
I have no issues of getting 105mm back focus but it's going to be less convenient and tighter than I had planned. If the original C-8 EdgeHD forces people to set to the recommended back focus of 133mm, don't you think it's backwards to force us to reduce BF with FR. What if people spent big bucks on buying equipment to tightly fit in 133mm BF and now they can't do that anymore? It forced me to cancel the order for ONAG due to lack of back focus distance. ONAG would have worked for 133mm BF but not with FR. That does not sound good business to me.
Peter
Edited by Peter in Reno (01/10/13 06:48 PM)
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VectorRoll
super member
Reged: 11/27/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: Peter in Reno]
#5620531 - 01/13/13 11:04 AM
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With all these new products coming out, I have to ask. Are they going to be discontinuing older products and selling them at a discount any time soon, like what has been done before for some vendors?
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
   
Reged: 02/25/06
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: VectorRoll]
#5620895 - 01/13/13 02:16 PM
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Common sense would indicate that the CG-5 is toast. It's been selling at a substantial discount (unofficial) for some time.
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frebie
Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Reged: 04/29/08
Loc: Neither here nor there.
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: VectorRoll]
#5621033 - 01/13/13 03:12 PM
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The Advanced Series scopes and CG-5 go-to mount have been discontinued and may no longer be available from Celestron. Their dealer website lists all the discontinued products as "Call for availability," which usually means they might have a few pieces left, but are about to run out. I doubt that Celestron has enough inventory for a reduced price sale. The optical tubes can all be used on the new VX mounts, so there would be no need to sell those at a reduced price.
I think that any sales are going to come at the dealer level. At Astronomics, we have already closed out all of the discontinued Advanced Series scopes and mounts we had in stock at sale prices, with the exception of one last 10" Newtonian on a CG-5 mount which is going at $200 off its former price.
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George N
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Reged: 05/19/06
Loc: Binghamton & Indian Lake NY
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: wolfman_4_ever]
#5623611 - 01/14/13 11:02 PM
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Quote:
"The StarSense Accessory includes a small digital camera that attaches to the telescope’s optical tube, along with a specialized hand controller. Just set up the accessory, push the Align button on the hand controller, and StarSense starts capturing and comparing images of the night sky against its internal database of 40,000 celestial objects. In about three minutes, StarSense will gather enough information to triangulate its position and align itself. Then, press the Sky Tour button: StarSense will automatically slew to all the best stars, planets, galaxies, and more based on your exact time and location."
Almost.. not completely, but almost seems like it replaces your current computer...
Unless I don’t understand what this thing does….. It automates the typical Celestron GEM initialization procedure, i.e., the old “two stars plus calibration stars” drill. Using this unit you no longer have to center the stars and push buttons. You “push one button” and the procedure is then automated.
I’d rather do it myself and have the 300 bucks in my pocket. However, I can see it being of value for a remote control of the mount, for people who need to be doing other things when setting up, or for lazy people.
In my case, I mostly now observe with both Obsession 20 and ES127ED on a CG-5. It would be nice to have the refractor’s mount doing the initialization routine itself while I did the same with the Dob, but….. I can’t see spending 300 bucks for that.
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aberrs
member
Reged: 08/23/11
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: George N]
#5623689 - 01/15/13 12:21 AM
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((I am still curious what the USB port is for...))
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oo_void
sage
Reged: 11/13/09
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: aberrs]
#5625181 - 01/15/13 08:53 PM
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You can call me "Lazy" then ...
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George N
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 05/19/06
Loc: Binghamton & Indian Lake NY
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: oo_void]
#5626579 - 01/16/13 04:54 PM
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Celestron now has a FAQ page on the StarSense Accessory here: web page
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Peter in Reno
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Reged: 07/15/08
Loc: Reno, NV
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: George N]
#5626652 - 01/16/13 05:34 PM
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After reading the FAQ, I have a feeling the USB port on StarSense is for upgrading the firmware, just like NexStar hand controller.
I am curious. If the Star Sense camera is not well sync with the main scope, then how accurate will the GoTo be for the main scope? Maybe another purpose for USB port is for syncing the Star Sense camera with the main scope. Star Sense may come with a PC software to allow you to view the Star Sense camera on the computer monitor and center both Star Sense camera and the main scope. You may have to do this only once.
Peter
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C8er
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Reged: 09/15/12
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Re: New Celestron Products announced at CES
[Re: aberrs]
#5641466 - 01/24/13 08:54 PM
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With regard to the use for the second port on the starsense accessory, Baader's website has a news pdf that says this below about the starsense accessory's extra port.
"More features But that´s not all of the advantage. The Star-Sense camera has two ports – one to connect to the scope, the other one is an USB port that can be connected to the computer for software updates – and to use the photos of the camera for other purposes, like autoguiding or for wide angle astrophotography.
Celestron is currently working on several software adaptations to further increase the functionality of the amazing StarSense module."
Celestron's website (their blog about the starsense accessory) says the starsense accessory cannot "currently" be used for autoguiding because its camera is only 20mm and f2. They do have a cryptic comment though saying they acknowledge feedback on that, and they use the words "not currently" able to be used to autoguide.
Also this from the baader news pdf on the starsense accessory
"T-Point functionality. Another advantage is the possibility to extremely increase the positioning accuracy by a „TPoint“ like mapping function. You can „map“ as many stars as you want - means, you point the telescope to a star, center it exactly and save the position with pressing ENTER. That´s it – and after mapping 10 stars this way, the pointing accuracy is equal to that of a highly professional mount!"
Is that possibly a replacment for what used to be calibration stars on the older HCs, when the accessory and its new HC are used on an EQ mount, or is it something different?
Also this from the baader pdf about using the accessory on EQ mounts.
"Equatorial mounts with Star Sense „Star Sense“ can also be attached onto equatorial mounts. At first the user has to do a short polar alignment with the revolutionary Celestron „All Star Alignment“. It is only necessary to drive to one single star and center it with the ALT and AZ axis. It does not matter wich star it is, Polaris must not be visible.
After performing this rudimentary „All Star Alignment“, the „StarSense“ electronic takes over and takes 3 photos of the sky to find orientation. No input of the user is necessary, no coordinates, no time, no alignment stars. 3 minutes later you can use the telescope!"
I don't know whether those things from baader are correct or not, but that is what they are saying about this beast.
Cheers.
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