JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6880
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Must just be my luck on new SCTs. Bought this C-6 XLT SCT during the big Celestron sale a few months ago. Then, of course, the Summer monsoons prevented using any scopes so it sat in the box. Finally had a reasonably clear (full Moon though) night this week and mounted the C-6 up. A perfect size for grab and go and I'm hoping it will outperform an old MK-66 Mak that's been around some time now.
On the Moon it looked pretty good. Blinding of course with no filter but the edge looked great in a 19 Panoptic. Then tried to find M-15 and there was just a hint. Not a lot of detail. Slewing into a star field the problem was obvious. After purchasing a number of Celestrons (at least one or more of: C-14, C-11, C-9.25, C8) one finally arrived out of collimation. In short order it was back online but I noticed some pretty good spherical aberration in this sample.
As I tweaked the collimation screws the headlight caught something on the corrector lens. Seemed to be a smudge.... a really big one. It had just come out of the shipping box for the first time so it was already on it. A light touch with an AP cleaning cloth did not alter it so it's on the inside of the corrector. Moral of the story? Even the best can have a momentary QC lapse now and again. Check um out good as soon as they arrive.
I took a few pics. The flash really brings out fine dust but the scope looks much cleaner (except for the smudge) than the images show.
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6880
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Here's another view.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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tboss70
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 1993
Loc: Missouri
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DANG IT!!
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Todd
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6880
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Todd???? Look at your clear sky clock. Ya need to be outside! How I crave one like that.... even with the Moon.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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Dubboy
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/05/05
Posts: 2147
Loc: Northern Michigan
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Thanks for that info, Jerry!
Sorry about your "smudgie" corrector. Hope you can get it resolved.
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Don
"Don't worry about what telescope you own, or its quality. Just get out under the night sky and enjoy God's wondrous universe" Thomas Back.
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doug76
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 2651
Loc: SE Louisiana
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Looks less like a smudge and more like a soft abrasion. Return it, but get another one. They are a great little scope. Love mine.
Doug
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Doug
The Truckstop Astronomer
Meade 12" Lightbridge/Dob Driver II
Celestron C6 SCT
Celestron C6R/Moonlight focuser
Celestron XLT150
Astro-Tech AT80EDT
TOWA 60/700 (under construction)
Celestron CG5-ASGT, CG-4
Celestron Nexstar SE (large)
Meade SWA 34mm
Televue Panoptic 24mm
Pentax XW 10mm, 7mm
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Astro-Tech AT66ED
Celestron Nexstar SE (small)
Televue Plossl 32mm
Smart Astronomy Solar System 14.5mm
BO/TMB Planetary 9mm, 7mm, 5mm, 4mm, 3.2mm, 2.5mm
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Brooklyn
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/24/08
Posts: 870
Loc: Central New Jersey
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darn jerry sorry to hear that.
I am a person who expects his optics to be near flawless when he receives them in the mail. If they aren't, that scope is going strait back where it came from.
IF you decide to take off your corrector plate, be really careful! You must place the corrector back the same way you took it out, it has to be rotationally identical from when you took it out. If it isnt, the entire optical system might be compromised.
BE CAREFUL! If you don't want to do this yourself, that's totally understandable. Most people don't have the skills needed to take off the corrector and put it back on. I myself have never tried to do this, but have not had the need to.
Let us know what you do.
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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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CHASLX200
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/29/07
Posts: 742
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Looks like a 20 y old scope, maybe it's a coating defect.
I would send it back.
Chas
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6880
Loc: Lexington, SC
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I'm sure Celestron will swap it out. I've never had a problem with their service (but their stuff is really good and only had to use support two times).
Thanks Brooklyn. I'll get it replaced. Even after swapping out Au tubes for carbon fiber on my C-11 and working inside a number of Meade and Celestron 14" and smaller SCTs, I wouldn't touch the inside of a new scope. Best to start with a clean slate and only work on the inside when there is no other option.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6880
Loc: Lexington, SC
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I sent a trouble report to Celestron late last night and the EMail was full of response from Celestron this morning. Had an RMA, shipping label and instructions. Good show Celestron. Outstanding support.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6880
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Hadn't heard a thing from Celestron since the post above. Emailed them and got a rather terse reply that they were experiencing an increase in the number of returns and the work is done in the order received. I guess that means they will get around to it.
How long does it usually take Celestron to repair a scope?
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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skj
super member
Reged: 04/13/07
Posts: 119
Loc: McKinney, Texas
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I bought mine a little less than a year ago and it arrived in similar condition. In fact, It was so dirty that I doubted it was new. Mine had a similar smudge on the corrector, a big blob thing on the secondary and a small smudge on the mirror. A close examination of the screws convinced me that it had not be opened, however and after thinking it over, I decided to clean it myself.
It came out fine and it is an awesome scope... I use it almost every clear night!
Good luck.
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Steve Johnson
Celestron C100ED Refractor
Celestron C6 SCT
SkyView Pro Mount
Free access to God's amazing creation
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danm
sage
Reged: 04/27/08
Posts: 231
Loc: Northern California
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The new C6's have been coming out that way. Mine did, and I've heard the same from others. Simple cleaning fixes the problem. Too bad, you shouldn't have to do this out of the box, but I decided I would rather clean it then mess around with RMA's and such.
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TV Ethos 13mm
Oberwerk Ultra 15x70
Celestron C6 f/10 & AT Voyager Alt/Az mount
8" f/6.3 Newtonian (Dad's ATM) & AT66 red tube
12.5" f/4.1 Telekit (Dad's ATM Mirror)
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RichfromRoch
journeyman
Reged: 01/30/08
Posts: 8
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Ditto here. My new C6, opurchased three weeks ago, has two prominent smudges and dust on the inside of the corrector lens. I was debating whether to call the supplier or e-mail Celestron.
Rich
Rochester, NY
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dvb
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/18/05
Posts: 1924
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I guess I was lucky. My $399.00 C6 from OPT was pristine, with great collimation.
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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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