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JoeyV
member
Reged: 09/09/08
Posts: 54
Loc: San Diego, CA
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probably just a waste of time asking this....
I have no idea which I should buy:
Brand new Celestron Nexstar 8SE at 1400
or
5 Year old Meade LX90 8" with solar filter, dew heater, and electronic focuser for around 1100
The meade is probably a better deal, but Im a little uneasy about it being used. I also am not sure that the goto will be as good, and thats a factor because I want to find things fast to show them to friends. What do you all think?
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C8 with Starbright
CG-5 GoTo
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CHASLX200
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/29/07
Posts: 742
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I have bought many used GO- TO scopes and never had a problem. Only thing about the LX90 , dont know if Meade will and or can repair the LX90 is something breaks.
If the LX90 is local then give it a good work out and see if you like it.
Chas
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Hal Pollner
Reged: 08/30/05
Posts: 6223
Loc: Southern California Desert
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I'll always opt for the scope with a true fork, not an outrigger!
Stability is the reason! (I owned a Celestron NexStar 8SE...for a short time!)
HAL
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JoeyV
member
Reged: 09/09/08
Posts: 54
Loc: San Diego, CA
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The only issue is that I cant go and see it.
What do you all know about autostar vs nexstar
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C8 with Starbright
CG-5 GoTo
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Stelios
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/04/03
Posts: 1356
Loc: West Hills, CA
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Most people find Nexstar easier than Autostar. But I have no survey to back that up, just my general take from years on this forum.
However in your case, the difference is brand-new with warranty vs. 5-yo. IMO, there would have to be a colossal difference in price (order of $500) to justify going with an old scope that leaves you no recourse if everything goes down. And even then I'd think twice.
Just recently, my CG-5 handcontrol after 5 years of faithful service decided to give up the ghost (at a star party, of course) and go completely haywire. Fortunately I had a spare (at home) from a damaged mount I bought cheap. What will you do in such a situation, or worse, if something mechanical gives up with the Meade?
If they were both brand-new, the LX-90 would get the edge in stability. However if stability is the big thing, get a CG-5 mount, which allows you also the flexibility of swapping OTA's if your collection of scopes increases.
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APM/TMB 115/805 APO
9.25S - GT
Naglers: 17T4, 13T6, 3-6 zoom
UWANs: 28mm, 7mm
Pentax 10XW, 10mm Radian (shootout coming!!!)
Misc EP: 50mm Parks, 42mm GSO, 2x TV Barlow
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blueman
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/20/07
Posts: 651
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Meade is not likely to repair the Used Scope, if you have a problem.
Celestron on the other hand, you stand a chance that they will repair it.
Meade is now down to about $.31 a share and their move to Mexico has left them with very big issues with repair and service.
Blueman
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14.5" Starmaster with ServoCat and Argo Navis
TV NP101 f/5.4 APO
WO 80mm f/6 APO Televue .8 focal reducer
SBig ST2000xm with CFW-9 filter wheel
Astronomk filters, RGBL, HA,O-III, S-II
Losmandy G-11 Gemini Auto-guided
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JoeyV
member
Reged: 09/09/08
Posts: 54
Loc: San Diego, CA
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from the sound of all of you, the meade looks like it will break. even if it does, I could just take it to a shop and it should cost pretty close to what meade would charge wouldnt it?
so is it safe to say get the celestron to avoid the risk?
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C8 with Starbright
CG-5 GoTo
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hammerhead
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/18/07
Posts: 737
Loc: MA
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Quote:
(I owned a Celestron NexStar 8SE...for a short time!)
LOL... what don't you own for a short time Hal!
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-Brian
CPC 1100
Televue TV-85
WO Megrez 110ED
Televue Gibraltar with Sky Tour
31mmT5, 26mmT5, 20mmT5, 13Ethos, 10mmXW, 7mmXW, and 5mmXW
Oberwork 15X70, Coronado 10x25 Solar, Orion 7x50.
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KerryR
sage
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 324
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The older LX-90's are rumored to be nearly bomb-proof. Try the LX specific forum and ask what kinds of probs people had. Don't know about the Celestron.
I would not say that it sounds like the Meade will break, just that you won't have any sort of warranty if it does. And, with Meade moving to mexico, you could have problems getting them to work on it even if you pay. The safer choice is probably the Celestron, for the warranty. Getting things done on warranty is usually a pain, though.
I've heard that Autostar is more feature rich. It is easy enough to maneuver. Don't know how it compares to Celestron.
The LX-90 can be used un-powered because the alt and az axies are clutched, the Celestron SE can't, as power is required to move the scope.
You'll be happy with either scope, though. I'd like to see a bigger price gap, I guess. But, you will need some sort of dew control (dew shield or heater) unless you live in a desert. This usually costs about $160 new for 1 corrector heater and 1 controller, so factor this in.
How much do you have to spare? Sounds like it could be a dollar and cents decision. Do you need money for eyepieces? What about power? The Celestron get's less time out of it's on-board supply, but both scopes eat batteries, so you're going to need exterior power. If this is to be a power-tank, factor that into your cost.
Another option is to get the 6" celestron new-- you get the warranty and save money that you can put into accessories.
Kerry
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Kerry
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Brooklyn
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 870
Loc: Central New Jersey
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Yea i bought a meade lx-90 EMC in late 2002 and its been my main telescope since.
I am going to use it tonight...i have never upgraded the autostar, never serviced the mechanics, the only thing i did was clean the corrector plate and my eyepieces, thats it.
The scope works just like i got it on day one, oh and ive been using batteries in it the entire time, which is thought to be bad for the electronics.
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Meade 8.25"(209.55mm) LX-90 EMC (SCT)
Albert Einstein =>
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.”
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gatorengineer
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/28/05
Posts: 725
Loc: Hellertown, PA
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How about a Used C8 or Meade 8 and a new CG5 or Sirius for under a grand?
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16" & 20" Dobs
4" Triplet Refractor
10" LX200R OTA
8"F20 Dall Kirkham
12.5" F3.5 Newt
CGE
Lots of binos---
Nikon 8x30, 10x35, Prostars,10W/18 x 70 astrolux; 10x50 Fujis. Collectors items 12x60 BLC, 10x80 Flaks, Gas Masks, US Mark 28, 30, 41, 43's
Telescopes Past - 8" Stf Mak, C8, Meade LX10-10", SN8, TAL150K, Orion 150MC, Jason 60mm refractor, ATM 6" F8, WO 110FLT, 92mm Off Axis Newt, Nikon 20x120 bino's, 15x110 Boarderguards, Kuhne Flaks
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dvb
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/18/05
Posts: 1924
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If it's a moral question, the moral answer is to buy neither, but to donate the purchase price to Doctors without Borders!
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Skywatcher 10" f/4.7 Newt on Matilda
Skywatcher 10" f/4.7 Collapsible Dob
Meade 8" SN f/4
Celestron C8 SCT
Celestron C6 SCT
Skywatcher ED100
Skywatcher ED80
EQ6 Pro "Matilda"
AT Voyager
Skymaster 15x70
Mallincam HyperColor Plus
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sang33ta
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/08/08
Posts: 539
Loc: UK
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My LX-90 was a bag of nails, I'd rather have the new scope and have some warranty, but I'd go for a CG-5GT mount though.
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Hioptic 152mm f12.5 Maksutov
Celestron Advanced CG5-GT Mount (Mr Noisy!)
Meade 4000 Super Plossl Set
Casio QV-2900UX
Got fed up of waiting for Meade ETX-150 so put this together for £500/$1000 
Edited by sang33ta (09/14/08 06:52 PM)
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Bob Griffiths
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 4195
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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I do not know enough to compare the two scopes...
BUT I do know enough to compare a Meade Autostar HC (AR-5 on an LXD mount...vs a couple of Celestron HC' (8i and CPC scopes) ...
I find that the Celestron HC's are much more user friendly..easy to do the little simple things without having to go thru menu after menu..scrolling the night away....
I guess that once one becomes really accustomed to either they have no problem...I have both...use both...and I much prefer the Celestron' ...
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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davidpitre
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/10/05
Posts: 1410
Loc: Central Texas
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I had an LX90 8" . It was a very nice scope with the best SCT optics I've ever looked through.
I now own a Nexstar 9.25" (fork mount"). The Autostar system is absolutely better in my book. If given the chance, I'd pay a couple hundred more for it.
I think in some form, Meade is bound to continue. Celestron's customer service has always been though.
I wouldn't consider buying a single arm 8" SCT. Too heavy an OTA for the mount.
As far as "finding things fast", goto and max slew speeds are about the same.
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David
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Craig
Vendor (Stark Labs)
Reged: 09/16/03
Posts: 449
Loc: Irvine, CA
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I've owned both scopes and which one is better depends on the use. The LX-90 is a fine scope and in alt/az is a pretty easy setup to put out. Its drive was quite decent and on a wedge I was able to do some AP work on it. It's a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. But it is a jack of all trades.
The 8SE is a very different beast and it has one thing going for it that no other scope has. It's a GOTO 8" grab-and-go. No, seriously. It's more grab-and-go than some people's refractors on alt-az mounts. It's insane what a easy / lightweight rig this is. I would routinely take the entire scope + mount and lift it one handed over a fence to use it in a neighbor's yard. If something is in the way, there's no need to worry about moving it. One-handed you can move a full-on GOTO 8" setup. I'd not dream of doing anything other than lunar / planetary work on it, but that's not it's forte. If you're looking for something quick to setup that actually brings in photons and ease of use / setup is at a premium, this is your scope. Oh, and I had no problems with the rigidity of the setup *if* I did a few things. First, all hardware must be tight. Second, I used an eyepiece helical fine focuser. With those caveats, it was easy to use and stable.
FWIW, I don't find one hand controller easier to use than the other.
Craig
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Stark Labs Astrophotography software
Borg 101 ED f/4, CPC 1100 XLT, and too many cameras to mention
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Mobius1
sage
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 472
Loc: Madison, WI / Gurnee, IL
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I agree with David. I owned an LX-90 about five years back, so probably the same model you're going for. Sold it for about the same price actually and had similar accessories. It is a really great scope for the money. The fork mount is quite stable, and (after lugging my cast iron LX200 around), quite light as well.
And you dont have to power the scope up to use it- it makes a great grab and go Alt-Az setup in my book. I've used a CPC briefly and didn't much care for the Nexstar. The only two negatives I ever had with my LX-90 is that the collimation was just terrible from when I picked mine up (and I was too nervous to fix it), and that I burned my Autostar out with a homemade power supply (there is no diode in the Autostar PC board to safeguard against system failure from incorrect polarity- thanks to cheap mass production). I dont think either of these are something you are going to face.
I say LX-90 all of the way. I have nothing against celestron scopes (in fact I'm putting together a CGE-1100), but a single fork 8" SCT is ridiculous I think. Great idea, but too big an OTA.
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Martin
Orion 100ED
Orion 120-ST EQ
PST-Ha
Celestron CGE 1100
Canon Rebel XSI
DSI-IIC
Yerkes Observatory Volunteer
(24" Cass on weekends)
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coutleef
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/21/08
Posts: 823
Loc: Montreal and St-Donat, Québec,...
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Quote:
but a single fork 8" SCT is ridiculous I think. Great idea, but too big an OTA.
Quite the opposite in fact. If it was ridiculous, nobody would buy it.
The only issue i would have with the single fork arm is if you want to do astrophotography. Then, really do not go for the 8SE.
I have a 8Se and find it quite stable for visual use. If you are only doing visual, don't worry about getting a 8SE.
I have nothing against meade. The 8SE is just more of a grab and go scope. It depends if that is important in the equation versus stability for AP.
My major concern would be to buy a used scope. Especially considering the difference in price that is quite low. Unless you have an astronomy store nearby that will repair your scope, that will make your life easier. But for the difference in price comparing two scopes with Go to, i would buy the new scope with the warranty, Meade or celestron.
Maybe i am just too careful and do not take any risk.
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François
Nexstar 8 SE
50mm StellarVue finderscope, Astronomik UHC-E and Orion OIII filters
WO Swan 40mm; TV Pan 22mm; TV Nagler 9T6, 12T4, 17T4; TV Plossl 11mm and 15mm.
WO 2" dielectric diagonal retrofitted with Denk Power Switch (and now reach the zenith with the shorty adapter).
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TheSheriff
sage
Reged: 07/15/07
Posts: 218
Loc: Oregon
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I have a 8Se and find it quite stable for visual use. If you are only doing visual, don't worry about getting a 8SE.
I have nothing against meade. The 8SE is just more of a grab and go scope. It depends if that is important in the equation versus stability for AP.
That matches my experience. In fact, I'm sorta amazed anyone questions the stability of the 8SE for visual use unless they have some level of expectation I cannot fathom, or it's based strictly on the "principle" of a single fork mount.
I only do AP now, but when I routinely used my 8 for visual , any complaints I had, had nothing to do with stability. And Craig is correct...you won't find another extremly usable G&G, goto, with this size light bucket, at this price point.
Though I can't help with your choice as I have no experience with the Meade.
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Brad
C8SE XLT, TMB 80SS, Orion ST-80
Atlas EQ-G/EQMOD
40D (stock), SSAG
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2992
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Quote:
Quote:
(I owned a Celestron NexStar 8SE...for a short time!)
LOL... what don't you own for a short time Hal!
Yeah, says you, Brian  
Seems lately you might be a "Hal in training" on that front!
We now return you to our regular programming...
clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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