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BobH
super member
Reged: 01/03/08
Posts: 143
Loc: PA
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I have no experience with Celestron, but have an ETX-125PE and am dissatisfied enough with it to now be considering Celestron for my next scope (of the grab-and-go class).
The etx is certainly grab-and-go, but slewing accuracy for me has been lousy, and tracking is so jumpy that astrophotography is out of the question. The possible solution is a "Supercharge" but I have to ask why should I have to pay another $300+ on an $800 scope to get it to work well? The bottom line is you get what you pay for and an $800 set of scope/mount/eyepiece is cheap.
Be very careful about the AP claims. Some high-profile pictures touted as being taken through the etx were actually taken through an etx piggy-backed on a much larger scope (LS 200 8-14") and some of those in an observatory!
I am extremely upset about the way we true amatures are being taken. All the major vendors and publications warn against the so-called "department store" telescope claims, but I submit that the major players in the amature astronomy field are really not much better.
Good Luck.
Bob
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"Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise." - Cato the Elder
Meade 8" LX200 GPS
ETX 125 PE
Tasco 50mm x 600mm
StellarVue 115ST on MiniTower
Orion Astroview 100
Celestron 8x42 Outland LX
'03 Harley FXDL (oops, wrong forum)
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 6754
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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Both these scopes would make fine general purpose visual scopes and should be okay at basic lunar imaging. However, anything beyond very basic planetary imaging and very, very basic deep sky imaging requires a much better mount than either of these scopes have. I bought my ETX-125PE as a visual companion to my imaging gear and in that capacity it has been a great little scope and a good value. I also like using it for taking quick, full-disk images of the moon using my DSLR. I've also used the SE scopes and I was impressed with them, but I prefered the ETX design and the MCT optics set.
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-John
================================================
Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I, II, & III), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4561
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Quote:
I am extremely upset about the way we true amatures are being taken. All the major vendors and publications warn against the so-called "department store" telescope claims, but I submit that the major players in the amature astronomy field are really not much better.
Good Luck.
Bob
And the same goes for PC makers, car makers, washing machine makers, and television set producers. And it always will. The solution for amateur astronomers is to educate yourself.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 13787
Loc: CyberSpace
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Well, the 6 SE is 6 inches vs. ETX-125 which is 5 inches... 
Plus the 6 SE motor mount gear train is all metal while some of the ETX motor mount gear train is plastic.. 
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Sony Digital Media player..
MX 460 earbuds
Celestron 2x Barlow Lens
Orion Collimation Eyepiece
Rigel Quick Finder
Assorted Bino's 
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4561
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Quote:
Well, the 6 SE is 6 inches vs. ETX-125 which is 5 inches...
Plus the 6 SE motor mount gear train is all metal while some of the ETX motor mount gear train is plastic..
I believe you will find some plastic in the transfer gears of the Se as well...but it really doesn't make any difference. If properly done there is no problem with that at all. If. 
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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brianb11213
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/25/09
Posts: 2091
Loc: 55.215N 6.554W
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Quote:
believe you will find some plastic in the transfer gears of the Se as well...but it really doesn't make any difference.
More to the point is the design difference: the ETX has a worm drive (good) but the worm wheel is so small it looks like a refugee from a Swiss ladies mechanical watch movement. The SE drive train uses spur gears. Both mounts tend to have rather a lot of backlash ... experience seems to be that the SE mount, properly set up, "finds" objects more accurately.
Also the Celestron handset is, in my opinion and that of most others who've used both, considerably easier to navigate.
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Joe Lalumia
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/24/07
Posts: 3600
Loc: Rockwall, Texas, USA
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Let's face it--------- NONE of the hand controllers are as difficult to navigate as say an XBOX game controller! Kid's navigate game controllers all day long.
The ETX does just fine- IF you calibrate motors, train drives, calibrate sensors and do an accurate 2 star alignment. Then use a 26mm or so eyepiece to LOCATE the sky object.
Mine has been running just fine for over 3 years now. If you want big metal gears and a stable platform for imaging get something like an Atlas mount for $1500 AND AN 80MM TRIPLET refractor for $3000 more. The ETX and the SE are both visual grab and go telescopes.
Just the rantings of an old guy. 
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LX90 8" LNT, SV Nighthawk & TelePOD, SV 80/9D & M4 mount, ETX 90, Orion XT10i, 20x80 binoculars, SV-BV3s-- www.texasastro.org
"Great minds discuss ideas;Average minds discuss events;Small minds discuss people." Unknown
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blb
sage
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 214
Loc: Piedmont NC
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Quote:
The ETX does just fine- IF you calibrate motors, train drives, calibrate sensors and do an accurate 2 star alignment. Then use a 26mm or so eyepiece to LOCATE the sky object.
Mine has been running just fine for over 3 years now. The ETX and the SE are both visual grab and go telescopes.
Just the rantings of an old guy.
I agree! Mine is over five years old now and is still working great.
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C-11, C-6, XT10i Dob, ETX125PE, TV102, & AT66
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Jim10
newbie
Reged: 10/07/08
Posts: 4
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I own an ETX 125 PE. It's optical clarity depends on what has occurred during the last submission to Meade for repair. For short periods the unit has exhibited outstanding optical characteristics. However, when the scope would be returned from a repair session for some other reason, it would exhibit different characteristics. I take this to mean that the optics are great. However, the problems are arising from the mechanical parts that are used to adjust/focus the unit. When I observed the SCTs used on public nights by my local Club, I noticed that Celestron was far and away the most popular brand. My replacement for the ETX will be a Celestron.
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John Zimmerman
member
Reged: 10/05/09
Posts: 15
Loc: California
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In the past several years I have bought a number of new Meade and Celestrons. Every Meade I bought had to be sent back to the factory for repairs. I am very reluctant to ever purchase another Meade instrument, which is unfortunate, because they are very good optically and their GOTO system has many nice features.
I have had much better luck with Celestrons, and only had to send one back for repairs. I have more confidence in the reliability of a Celestron.
As for the ETX-125 v 6SE, The 6 will gather more light. But you are also comparing a 5" Mak against a 6" SCT, and the Mak will tend to give more contrasty, refractor-like images. And, to complicate the decision-making process, the 6SE is $200 more than the ETX-125.
Still, in the end, if I had a choice, I would get the 6SE because I would be confident it would not ask me for a trip to the factory.
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John Zimmerman
Celestron NexStar 11GPS
Celestron Nexstar 8SE
Orion Astroview 120ST
Celestron NexStar 4
Meade ETX 90PE
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