sacase
journeyman
Reged: 07/16/08
Posts: 5
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Hello Everyone!
Recently I decided to see if I liked amateur astronomy. So like I went out on the web and looked around looked at some reviews and eventually found this website. After spending a lot of time reading and slowly figuring things out My girlfriend and I went out and got a used Meade DS-114EC. Not the best thing in the world but good enough for me to decide if this is a hobby I want to spend a significant amount of money on. Well, that night I took the scope and the girlfriend outside and we got a chance to look at the moon for about an hour. We didn't realize that much time had passed and we decided to pack it up, however we wanted to see something different so we got a look at Jupiter (I think) Couldn't see much as again we are rather new at this so I hope as I learn more things will improve significantly. Needless to say we are both hooked and my other half agreed that we needed to make a significant upgrade.
So, I started doing more research into a scope that would suit our needs. Both of use would like to get into the photography side of things. She wants to take good pictures, I just want to see nebula and galaxies if possible as well as some planetary viewing.
So here comes the twist. I remembered that my uncle gave me a used scope a many years back so I went into my storage to see if I could find it. Low and behold it was a Cellestron C90. It is just the scope as you can see from the pic. The only thing wrong with it that I could tell is that one of the screws on the finder scope is missing. So my first questions are:
1)Is the scope worth putting money into to “save”?
2)How much would we be able to see if we do decide to “save” it?
3)Recommended Parts for it? IE Mount? Lens? Etc.
Now with that said I was also looking at getting a brand new one. I figure I am willing to spend around $1000 for stater scope for us. Again, we would eventually like to get into photography and CCD imaging. Are there any recommendations for brand/type? Please keep in mind I live in an apartment so portability is important.
Thanks for your time.
Shawn
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Snow dog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/05
Posts: 1614
Loc: Alberta Canada
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Welcome to Cloudy Nights Shawn. I can't really tell but I think you are missing more than a screw(In the scope that is  ). I don't see any focuser either. If you did not mention you wanted to get into astrophotgraphy I would have said to get a Dob. It will give you the most for you money. You could easily get an 8 inch or maybe a 10 for what you are looking to spend. For imaging you need a mount that tracks which for a good one, it could cost what you have alone without a scope. Another option for you could be a used LX90 or equivalent with tracking. You have many options and others will also give their input. You have come to the right place. We love helping people spend their money 
You can see quite alot with a 90mm scope but I'm not sure if it's worth putting the money into that one or getting one thats allready to go with a tripod and all.
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Marc
Someone get these crazy dogs off me
12" LX200 Classic
ETX-90PE
Meade DSI
Bushnell Astro 675 X 4.5" Reflector
Canon AE-1, T-80
My Home Page
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Rich N
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/22/04
Posts: 5153
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, Calif...
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Hi Shawn,
Welcome to Cloudy Nights!
I suggest you start with a visual scope. You can get the most bang for the buck with a simple single tube Newtonian telescope on a Dobsonian mount. This type of scope is usually just called a Dob. You can get a very nice 8" f/6 Dob for about $300. This is not a toy. It is a real telescope that will show far more than your C90. An Orion XT-8 Classic Dob is a good example.
After you have some experience observing with the 8" (diameter) Dob you will be in a better position to make a decision about an imaging telescope.
The equipment for imaging can run into quite a bit of money. The mounts need to be driven. The mounts need to be stable. You need equipment for doing fine guiding, etc.
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vinnie
Latinist
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 1242
Loc: Queensland, Australia
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GDay Shawn,
Sorry I am not familiar with that scope, but welcome to CN anyhow!
Vin
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Vin
Vixen VMC200L Cass, Skywatcher 127 Mak, Vixen NA120S Ref, Skywatcher ED80 Ref.
Skywatcher EQ6, HEQ5, EQ3-2 Mounts. Too many EP's
"If a straight line is the shortest distance between two points, a circle is the longest distance between the same point, provided the circle is big enough" - W.C.Sellar & R.J.Yeatman
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Rich N
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/22/04
Posts: 5153
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, Calif...
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The C90 can be a nice spotting scope if you put it on a photo tripod. It looks like you will need an eyepiece or two and a diagonal mirror.
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sacase
journeyman
Reged: 07/16/08
Posts: 5
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Quote:
Welcome to Cloudy Nights Shawn. I can't really tell but I think you are missing more than a screw(In the scope that is ). I don't see any focuser either. If you did not mention you wanted to get into astrophotgraphy I would have said to get a Dob. It will give you the most for you money. You could easily get an 8 inch or maybe a 10 for what you are looking to spend. For imaging you need a mount that tracks which for a good one, it could cost what you have alone without a scope. Another option for you could be a used LX90 or equivalent with tracking. You have many options and others will also give their input. You have come to the right place. We love helping people spend their money
You can see quite alot with a 90mm scope but I'm not sure if it's worth putting the money into that one or getting one thats allready to go with a tripod and all.
Thanks for the quick responses so far! Well as far as the scope, I think there is a focuser on that one. The whole orange part above the black ring turns and I belive focuses it. But then again I am just guessing.
I think I should have been a little more clear. I am willing to spend around $1000 or the scope alone. Mounts and cameras I know cost a nice chunk of change and I am willing to spend on those as well. My main concern is doing it right the first time so I don't have to rebuy stuff over and over.
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werewolf6977
Lord High Smasher
Reged: 12/15/03
Posts: 7020
Loc: Hanover, Ohio
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I she's willing ti wait on AP as it's got quite the learning curve, a Nexstar could fit the bill, and you'd get a goto mount thrown in. Speaking of mounts, if you're going to do AP, you need a beefy one. With Periodic error correction (PEC). The ota might be relatively inexpensive, but the mounts for AP get expensive ... quick.
DANG!! Forgot, WELCOME TO CN!!
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Pete
6" Apogee/LXD55 - "The Beast"
Starhopper 6" Dob - "Shiva"
Spaceprobe 130 EQ - "Spacey"
Bushnell Fatboy
The Abomination
Sun Pak Pro 7500 Platinum Edition
10X25 Bushnell Camo Roofies
7X35 Tasco Classic Plastic (good views though)
7X42 Tasco Rare Bird
10X50 Nikon Actions (Type 7)
15X70 Skymasters - "DroolMeisters"
One ratty old IBM 600E LapTop
Edited by werewolf6977 (07/19/08 03:14 AM)
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stargazer 50
member
Reged: 02/18/07
Posts: 35
Loc: Leominster, MA
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The C90 you have was frequenly used as a lense for photography, by connecting the lens with a t-adapter. Here's a short past forum on the scope, and your correct about the focus, turning the entire barrel.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/653227/Main/653227
Here is an example of what the little scope is capable of doing http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196442
The scope you have needs a diagonal and eyepiece(s). A sturdy photography tripod,and it would make a great grab and go telescope. Some people would feel the expense would be a waste, as you could get a new C90 at about the same expense.
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Meade 2080 LX3 - now there's an oldie
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james royce
member
Reged: 03/28/08
Posts: 25
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i'm waking on non expertise water,,but from the knowledge i have accrewed=it seems that a schmit casagraian would be the way to go!! i have never owned one and in fact have never looked through one!!! but having owned 14 diffent sopes(reflectors 6-8-10 dobs-127-102 maks-80mm-127 mm ach/refactors on eq mounts)it it seems to me a good 8"scmit fills all kinds of bills-photography with all kinds of equipment designed for scope observation enjoyment and mounts to assist in photography-heck i've sold myself! ha! not kidding i have a cg5asgt and iwill start looking at the market-seriously you need some apature for what you have planned jim
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Lamb0
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/25/07
Posts: 560
Loc: Fairbury, Nebraska
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Welcome! 
Quote:
So like I went out on the web and looked around looked at some reviews and eventually found this website. After spending a lot of time reading and slowly figuring things out My girlfriend and I went out and got a used Meade DS-114EC. Not the best thing in the world but good enough for me to decide if this is a hobby I want to spend a significant amount of money on.
 Great plan early on, both of you! 
Quote:
Needless to say we are both hooked and my other half agreed that we needed to make a significant upgrade.
Wow!, you really are keepers! 
Quote:
Both of use would like to get into the photography side of things. She wants to take good pictures, I just want to see nebula and galaxies if possible as well as some planetary viewing.
Good thing you've started with multiple telescopes with your varied interests. You may be viewing more, (got binoculars?), with larger aperture, but she'll want tracking capability real soon now! 
Quote:
1)Is the scope worth putting money into to “save”?
Yes! You can think of it as an f/13.3 90mm telephoto lens. Therein lies the problem. Without a suitable mount your subject matter is limited to bright objects where you can capture images quickly, i.e. the Moon, planets, some of their moons, and some other easier stuff. I'm not an experienced astrophotographer/imager but it's much easier, and can be less expen$ive to start at shorter focal lengths. 
Quote:
2)How much would we be able to see if we do decide to “save” it?
Here's an article about Useful Magnification Ranges for Visual Observing. Bear in mind that your current telescopes are relatively small. Aperture rules, but you can't afford a heavy inventory in weight or $, (yet)! 
Quote:
I figure I am willing to spend around $1000 for stater scope for us. Again, we would eventually like to get into photography and CCD imaging. Are there any recommendations for brand/type? Please keep in mind I live in an apartment so portability is important.
 I would get a heftier mount than the C90 Mak needs. SCTs are a common recommendation, but for portability, and start-up costs I recommend a pair of smaller scopes and a decent mount. The 1200mm f/l C90 can be used by itself visually, photographically, and as a guide-scope with it's narrow field and high power - perhaps on the same mount as a shorter focal length scope for wide field imaging, perhaps an ST80 with a 400mm f/l. Everything adds up, eyepieces, mount, scope, accessories - don't blow the budget on the larger C8 SCT with fewer observing/photography options within your budget. Keep the Meade DS-114EC for visual use for now. $ave your money for the far more versatile Celestron 9.25, or equatorial mount for a large reflector later, so the better half gets good starter photography/visual support that much sooner. But keep an eye open for a used 8-10" Dob! 
 Be warned... a good mount for Astrophotography can cost more than the telescope! 
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"Have eyepiece - will travel!"
8" f/5 Dob w/2.14" sec in a 12" alum tube 'The Mortar' - w/PCorr 2° TFoV @ 36.5X ~70% illum *NICE*
Typical eyepieces: 32 Burg, 24 Pan, 20T5, 5-8 SW, Others ALL 2": Pcorr, 2X PwrMt, Ast H-b, Lum UHC + OIII
60mm $50 Walmart Special in training - aka "Backpack Observatory"
Minolta Activa 12x50 , Steiner 15X80
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Bob Griffiths
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 3689
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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Welcome aboard Shawn !
As usual its the little lady that is going to present you with a problem....LOL get used to it..
Seriously Imaging is in my opinion a completely different hobby they visual astronomy and as others have stated a much more expensive hobby...You stated that both of you went out and used the 114 TO SEE IF ASTRONOMY was for you.! Thats important and to be honest I started with a Celestron 114 GT so I know that sized scope can really show you a lot ...BUT my concern at this point is how well both handle going out in the middle of winter in freezing temps...I spent way more money on clothing my first winter then I did on eyepieces etc...a LOT more...
What I would do ....Hold your cards...use the 114 or if the money is burning a hole in you pockets drop 3-4 or 500 into a .8 inch Dob and use the scope...OR spent your $1000 on something like a Celestron 6 SE which is a very nice visual scope that has goto tracks well and is also capable of simple
short exposure imaging by stacking images...
Living in an Apartment could be a problem with storage and having to "walk" your equipment outside ,,,but ya gotta do what ya gotta do....
Just my opinion and I wish my wife of 45 years had at least "some" interest in Astronomy..
Clear Skies...
Bob G.
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CPC1100
Nexstar 8i + GPS & Rays Brackets
Denk S1 power switch
Orion 100 mm Refractor
Meade LXD 55 ...AR-5 127 mm Refractor
Exploradome Observatory S.I.E. (Smiling Irish Eyes)
39*21'03" N
77*28'12" W
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 1771
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I remembered that my uncle gave me a used scope a many years back so I went into my storage to see if I could find it. Lo and behold it was a Cellestron C90 ...
1)Is the scope worth putting money into to “save”?
Definitely. The C90 is a classic; if you don't use it, you can sell it for a significant chunk of change. People spend quite a lot buying new scopes that are no better than this one.
Having said that, the C90 was manufactured over a huge stretch of time, and the quality varied considerably. And of course, you have to assess the condition for yourself. But I bet that if you bought a diagonal, you would have one sweet little scope -- something that would in many ways outperform the new 66-mm APO refractors that people spend quite a lot on, and at the same time being even more portable than those 66-mm scopes -- which is saying a lot.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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albert1
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 731
Loc: Northern New Jersey
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Welcome to CN Shawn and GF. I just picked up the C90, early 80's model and from everything I've read it's a keeper unless you want to sell it to help finance some other stuff you'd rather have. The views through mine are very nice though nothing like my 10" mirror. I'm keeping it for now as a great grab and go and nature study. I can't see your photo otherwise I would have offered my comments. Enjoy you're new found hobby. Hold onto you're wallet .
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Albert
XT10i w/COL and Hyperion's
1984 C90 Astro, (cool little thing)
Upgraded to 1.25 visual back from .965
made a big difference in viewing quality.
Criterion Dynascope RV6
(another cool vintage scope)
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john D
All you have to do is ask!!
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 4179
Loc: Midlothian, VA
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Welcome to Cloudy Nights Shawn! 
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Meade ETX-125EC (SEPT.7)
Orion 90mm mak-Cass
Celestron NS GOTO mount
Philips SPC900NC webcam
MY BLOG
 -Midlothian VA
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scopethis
super member
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 174
Loc: Kingman, Ks
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As stated the C90 focus is like a camera lens. You can use it as a 1000mm telephoto lens if you put a T-adapter and a T-ring (for use on a SLR or DSLR camera). It also makes a great spotting scope. In order for you to use 1.25" EPs you'll need a hybrid diaginal or a LER (Large Accessory Ring) to screw onto the back.
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Patrick
Postmaster
Reged: 05/16/03
Posts: 6542
Loc: Franklin, Ohio
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Uncle Rod has a listing for your C90 in his Used CAT Buyers Guide on page 113.
Rather than being a Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT), this scope is a Maksutov-Cassegrain (MCT or Mak). The scope focuses by turning the barrel. You could have a nice scope there once you get it mounted and add a diagonal and a few eyepieces. For a mount, you can try it out on a sturdy photo tripod, but as Rod mentions in his article, it will need to be sturdy...no walmart specials.
Having said that, it still is only 90mm in aperture...less than the 114mm scope you already looked thru.
As far as an imaging setup...there's a couple of ways to go. If you're really serious about imaging galaxies and other deep space objects, be prepared to spend upwards of $3000 for a setup. You can see my 'low cost' imaging rig HERE.
You can start out with something like a C6S-GT for about a grand and gradual build from there.
I also agree with one of the other posters that it's a good idea to start out as a visual observer and work your way up do photography. It does take some time to get familiar with what objects are out there and where they are located and which ones are best to image. There is also a significant learning curve involved in image capture as well as image post-processing.
I'd highly recommend you start out with an 8" or 10" Dobsonian. Some of the newer models coming out are pretty portable. SkyWatcher 10" LightBridge 10"
Patrick
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Discovery 10" f/6 Split Tube Dob
Celestron C6S-GT SCT
Denk Binoviewers
AT66ED Refractor
Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Binocular
475B Geared Tripod & 501HDV Head
Oberwerk 9x60 Binocular
Celestron Regal 8x42 Binocular
Canon 30D DSLR
My Astronomy Pages
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Joe Aguiar
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 609
Loc: Toront,Ontario
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That scope doesnt have a regular focuser like most you twist the front part of the scope where that blackround part is. This is more like a spotting scope & you will need a EP & diagonal, the finderscope is not real useful.
My personal option is to sell many people would buy it & buy something much bigger that will keep you happy for many years.
Cheers
Joe
All the scope I have owned * is what I have right now
-4.5" F/8 generic reflector on EQ1
-6"F/5 Omcon reflector on EQ3
-10" F/10 Meade S.C.T LX6
-3"F/5 Jason reflector on table top
-3.1"F/5 Celestron refractor on EQ1
-4.7"F/9 Antres refractor on EQ4
-3.1" F/5 Celestron G.T (computer go-to scope)
-6"F/5 Sky Mender reflector on EQ4
-8"F/4 Sky Mender reflector on EQ4
-6"F/8 Celestron refractor on CG-5
-16" F/4.5 Meade Dobsonian (partly custom made)
*-8"F/10 Celestron Nexstar G.T /With telrad
-10"F/5 Sky Mender reflector Dobsonian
*-4"F/5 Skywatcher refractor on AZ3 with rigel finder & Antares 2" crayford dual speed focuser
-3.1"F/5 Vista refractor on EQ2
-14"F/10 Meade LX200 G.P.S Smart mount
-6"F/8 Skywatcher refractor on EQ-6 mount
-6"F/8 Skywatcher refractor to make a custom made dual 6" binoculars in the making now
-5"F/13 Skywatcher maksutov on EQ2
*-12" Meade LX90 G.P.S/S.C.T/ F10 with telrad & feather touch 2 speed focuser
*-7" Meade Mak/Cass F/15 LXD-75 with telrad & feather touch 2 speed focuser
-Cornado solar maxscope 40 on EQ-3 mount
*-Cornado Solar maxscope 60 on EQ-3 mount
*-Antares 152mm F/6.5 refractor on LXD-75 mount with rigel
*80mm F/5 refractor on a Table top EQ-1 mount
*Nexstar 6SE
Not counting any EP filters ETC... I got 2 cases full & would take up another page to list them all.
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d1anderson
super member
Reged: 10/11/07
Posts: 156
Loc: North Central Texas
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Hi Sacase and welcome to CN.
Just thought I'd add my 2 cents worth. I'm still very new to the hobby and like you I started with ideas of imaging. I started with a small 60mm Meade department store scope and, like you, the moon and Jupiter really hooked me. It wasn't long before I wanted more aperture and be better able to find objects in the night sky. In that vein, I bought another Meade. This one was the DS2130AT which is a 5" Newtonian scope on a goto alt-az mount (still with imaging in mind). After buying some T-ring adapters to be able to connect a camera to the scope and playing with it for awhile and reading on what is really required (in skill, talent and money) to do imaging. My focus changed. I decided there were enough people out there doing some really fine imaging that I could enjoy and even compare to what I was seeing at the eyepiece. I also decided that I really wanted to learn the night sky. I know that imaging isn't incompatible with learning the night sky (in fact it's absolutely necessary) but I really wanted learning the sky to be the focus. So now I'm an observer and I like taking time to really observe. I'm now the owner of a Zhumell 12" Newtonian on a Dobsonian mount and I'm still learning what's in the sky at what time of the year.
I'm not saying that imaging is completely out of the question, but I'll have to convince myself that I can produce something that I would be happy with and be happy to share with the amatuer astronomy community with the resources I have available to me.
I guess this is saying that I'm squarely in the camp that says get a good, large aperture dob and do a lot of observing and read all you can on what it takes to do good astrophotography. Then proceed with what ever trips your trigger.
Clear Skies
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Dewayne
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Z12 dob
MEADE DS2130AT NEWT 494goto
MEADE NG60 REFRACTOR
A Bunch of supplied Eye Pieces
The more you look the more you'll see!
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Skip
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 744
Loc: Austin, Texas, USA
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Hello and welcome to Cloudy Nights! I'm no expert on either the C90, astrophotography, or on Maks in general, so I'll let others advise you on that. (Acutally, I no "expert" on much of anything!  )
I could go either way in advice on what to get: a good dob (more aperture for the price and simple operation) or a go-to SCT (go-to and tracking at a "reasonable" price).
But if you really want to spend a grand on a new scope, IMHO you couldn't do better than the Celestron NexStar 6SE (agreeing with BobG). With this scope you get excellent optics, mid-sized aperture, good portability (~35# for the whole enchilada), a small learning curve to do good alignments, very good go-tos (which means you can observe stuff while learning your way around the sky), and tracking (which means you don't have to keep moving the scope as the Earth rotates, thereby keeping the object in your field of view for fairly long periods of time). As you can see in my signature block, I have a 6SE and a fairly large dob. Both good scopes! I love them both, but for my grab'n'go scope it is definitely the 6SE. I use it almost exclusively for quick private observing sessions and for public star parties - I can get to objects quickly and accurately and keep them in the eyepiece field of view long enough to work through a fairly long line of people doing the observing. With the 6" aperture, I can see lots of the deep sky objects (often referred to here as DSOs), including star clusters, nebulae, and the brighter galaxies.
I know you would enjoy the 6SE, but I will confidently say you will enjoy whatever solution you come up with! Welcome to the hobby and come back here often to share your experiences and get advice.
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Skip
Celestron NexStar 6SE (Small Caliber)
Orion SkyQuest XT10i Intelliscope (Howitzer)
2 25mm Plossls; 24mm & 13mm Hyperions; 10mm Plossl; 6mm BO/TMB; 2X Barlow
Telrad
7Ah PowerTank
Starbound Observing Chair
“It’s impossible to make things foolproof because fools are so ingenious.” (Unknown)
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sacase
journeyman
Reged: 07/16/08
Posts: 5
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Thanks for all the good advice so far. It has ben really helpful. This morning my other half asked me if I had found a telescope yet. LOL
Well I think my price point has moved up a little. I do agree with all of you that we need to learn the sky first, so we need a set up that we can eventually adapt to photography. The C6S-GT is looking pretty nice right now. I can easily see us buying a good scope and mount first, then getting a better mount and finally the cameras.
You guys have been great to us and we thank you for all of the advice we are getting.
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