Nippon
member
Reged: 10/22/09
Posts: 54
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After years of being an apo refractor fan I became interested in an 8" SCT after a friend gave me an Orange tube C8. I was amazed at how good the optics were. My attention turned from getting a goto GEM for my refractor to an 8SE. I have had it about a month now and have logged plenty of time under the stars and the optics are even better than the orange tube. Anyway the stock tripod is okay and I know you can put it on the heavy duty CPC tripod. But who has $350 or so laying around after buying a new scope. Does anyone make an adapter for the SE mounts that would perhaps let you put it on a Vixen GP tripod or any of the aftermarket tripods that are available?
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rick rian
The Lockster
Reged: 08/03/04
Posts: 21212
Loc: Upper Midwest
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Hi Nippon and welcome to Cloudy Nights and the NexStar forum in particular!
I have not seen the adapter you are looking for, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist ... just that I'm not aware of one. Maybe someone else has more info for you ... the other thing you can do is look for an older Celestron heavy duty tripod on the usd market. I have done this and I can't say enough about the added stability.
I hope this helps, and again welcome aboard!
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Rickster
NexStar 8i
TV85
Canon 15x50is Bins
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Tel
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 3984
Loc: Wallingford England
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Hi Nippon,
Let me also wish you a very hearty welcome to CN and to this Nexstar forum ! 
Not to add to the sound advice Rickster's already provided, but just to say that while you're looking around for that heavy duty tripod, you might do what many of the folks do here to improve the stability of their mounts, and that is to suspend either the scope's energy source, (e.g. Power Tank or Automotive Jump Start battery) or even a sand bag from the central tripod brace. This will have much the same effect as the HD tripod in giving your mount and 'scope the rigidity and stability you seek.
Best regards,
Tel
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Truth is the cubed root of Verbosity.
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Midnight Dan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 2768
Loc: Brockport, NY
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Hi Nippon and welcome to Cloudy Nights!
Another thing you can do to improve the stability of your tripod is to purchase anti-vibration pads: http://tinyurl.com/ykpekmu They're a bit expensive, but they really do make a big difference.
For those who like the 8SE optics, but really want a more stable setup, the usual option is to take the OTA off of the 8SE mount and put it onto a GEM. Of course, you then lose the lightweight, easy to use, 8SE mount system.
One of the 8SE's best features is that it is so light weight and portable for a scope with a fairly large aperture. But the tradeoff is that it is not as stable as other types of mounts. Adding anti-vibration pads and hanging a weight from the spreader will help a lot and is the most you can do without moving to a different mount completely.
Good luck!
-Dan
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Scopes: Celestron NexStar 8SE, Orion EON 72mm ED/APO, Orion ShortTube 80
Mounts: NexStar Alt/Az GoTo, Orion Astroview (EQ3) w/single axis drive
Eyepieces: Baader Hyperion 36mm (Aspheric), 21mm 13mm, 8mm, 5mm;
Other: 2x & 3x Barlow, 0.63x Focal Reducer, Dew-not strips, DewBuster controller, SQM Meter
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Bob Griffiths
Postmaster
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 6592
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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Nippon:
I honestly did not know what the Vixen GP tripod looked like But after seeing a picture of it I do not see what the problem would be... you can make an adapter to fit a metal plate on the top of the tripod pretty darn easy...
I have a Lxd55/75 tripod which I assume is about the same... making a wood or metal block to insert in the Meade Tripod tripod was not hard to do..OR just modify a second vixen adapter.. and bolting a plate on that block is not hard to do... then mounting the original top plate (off the 8se's tripod to the plate is not hard to do...
I did this when I used an Antares Portable pier..which came with my choice of useless adapters for the common Gem mounts...I just took out the old hacksaw and modified the adapter so I could bolt a plate on top of the thing..
Then drilled 3 holes in the plate and removed the legs from my 8is' tripod and bolted the 8is' top plate to the plate I added on to the adapter...
when I wanted to use my AR-5 I just removed the 8i and the adapter and placed the stock Meade adapter in the piers top...
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)
Gerbring Heated Motorcycle clothing in the winter
39*21'03" N
77*28'12" W
The sky over my head....
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Nippon
member
Reged: 10/22/09
Posts: 54
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Thank you all for good advice. I do have vibration reduction pads and I keep the tripod legs extended only about 6" and I must admit that it is as stable as the orange tube C8 which has the triangle lock tripod. I like to participate in public observing and have found that some have a little trouble getting into a low chair to look through an eyepiece that's 30" or so of the ground. I think I will keep my eye open for a used CPC tripod or save up and buy a new one.
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Nippon
member
Reged: 10/22/09
Posts: 54
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Thank you all for good advice. I do have vibration reduction pads and I keep the tripod legs extended only about 6" and I must admit that it is as stable as the orange tube C8 which has the triangle lock tripod. I like to participate in public observing and have found that some have a little trouble getting into a low chair to look through an eyepiece that's 30" or so of the ground. I think I will keep my eye open for a used CPC tripod or save up and buy a new one. Thank you all by the way for the information about these scopes that you have learned through experience and posted on the forum. It allowed me to align my SE in five minutes the first time as well as set anti backlash, cord wrap, goto approach and all the other not exactly clear in the owners manual stuff
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7331Peg
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 733
Loc: North coast of Oregon
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You might want to consider removing the aluminum legs and replace them with wooden ones. I did that on a 6SE and it improved the stability quite a bit. I used a set of old Vixen Polaris legs. You should also be able to use the wooden legs that Hands On Optics sells -
http://handsonoptics.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_74 (fourth item on the page)
I had to offset the legs to one side - one ear of the leg was inserted into the center of the casting on the bottom of the mount plate and the other was outside the casting - and used three or four washers as spacers in order to get a tight fit. Stability wasn't affected because all three legs were offset equally.
John
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Nippon
member
Reged: 10/22/09
Posts: 54
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That is a thought and actually I have figured out a way to make a wood tripod for my 8SE. I have carpentry tools and some skill. But I am gaining respect for the stock tripod so I don't know that I will bother. I had the SE out doing a comparison between the 8SE and my vintage orange tube C8 and the SE was actually steadier. The old scope has the fixed height chrome triangle lock tripod that from everything I have heard is well respected. But in fairness the SE was on anti vibration pads and the old orange lady was not. Both were set up on my back lawn. The pads are amazing. I've had the C8 set on concrete and you can hardly focus with a 32mm eyepiece then put the pads under the legs and it just steadies right up and any small vibration during focusing stops the second you take your fingers off the focus knob.
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7331Peg
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 733
Loc: North coast of Oregon
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Interesting comments on the anti-vibration pads. I've been tempted to try those, but I always wondered whether they were really worth the price. May just have to give 'em a try - thanks!
John
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ibase
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/20/08
Posts: 1568
Loc: Manila, Philippines 121*E 14*N
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Did some testing with the vibration pads here. They really work especially when the scope is on a concrete floor.
Best,
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Hernando
Nexstar 8/CG-5 ASGT; WO Megrez 102ED SV; Antares 6" 1529; WO ZS66SD; Orion ST80
TV Naglers 5T6, 9T1, 12T2; Panoptic27; Hyperion 8-24mm Zoom,21mm; WO 7.5-22.5mm
BO/TMB 2.5/3.2/4/6mm;UO HD 5;BGO 6;Meade-RGO 7;UO-V 9/12.5;Brandon 16mm;Ultima18
TV 2x,3x barlow&8/11/15/20/32plossl; Aspheric31;Siebert36-OB;Paragon40;Meade56Smoothie
C-f/6.3FR;OIII,UHC,SkyGlow,U-block,8"S-flter;GLP/Telrad/MRF/9x50RACI; NexImge;Canon RebelXS
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Midnight Dan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 2768
Loc: Brockport, NY
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Quote:
Interesting comments on the anti-vibration pads. I've been tempted to try those, but I always wondered whether they were really worth the price. May just have to give 'em a try - thanks!
John
Money well spent. Occasionally I forget to use mine, but I notice it immediately when I start using the scope. HUGE difference in my opinion. They work best on hard to semi hard surfaces like concrete, gravel, or even normal dirt/grass. They even help some on the dreaded "wooden deck". The only time I've found they didn't make much of a difference is on very soft, water-saturated soil where the tips of the tripod easily sunk into the ground. In that case, the ground becomes the vibration pad and works nearly as well.
-Dan
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Scopes: Celestron NexStar 8SE, Orion EON 72mm ED/APO, Orion ShortTube 80
Mounts: NexStar Alt/Az GoTo, Orion Astroview (EQ3) w/single axis drive
Eyepieces: Baader Hyperion 36mm (Aspheric), 21mm 13mm, 8mm, 5mm;
Other: 2x & 3x Barlow, 0.63x Focal Reducer, Dew-not strips, DewBuster controller, SQM Meter
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rick rian
The Lockster
Reged: 08/03/04
Posts: 21212
Loc: Upper Midwest
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Or, you can make your own anti-vibe pads ... Sorbothane is the product that is at the center of all anti-vibrations pads, be they Celesron, Meade, Orion, etc.
A piece of this will make several pads, works like a charm, too!
Once again, my 
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Rickster
NexStar 8i
TV85
Canon 15x50is Bins
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Nippon
member
Reged: 10/22/09
Posts: 54
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I resisted them for years because who wants to spend $50 on what just look like high tech furniture coasters but it turned out to be some of the best money I've spent on astro gear. The first set I bought were Meade but one of them cracked in half the first month I had them.I figured well just a bad batch of plastic.I glued it back together but also ordered a second set from Celestron so I would have a set for each scope. But just last week another one of the Meade pads cracked in half. I have never heard anyone else have this problem so I must of just gotten a set from a bad batch run.
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burb scope
member
Reged: 04/18/08
Posts: 57
Loc: Canton, MI
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Just my 2-cents on vibration pads... Remember those old Edmund Scientific "dead balls" ? One ball would bounce, but the identical one would not? I cut a couple of those flat (the non-bouncy balls) and rest my tripod legs on them. They work OK, and I'm sure that they will crack apart sooner or later. What the heck, they were just lying around anyway!
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Darrin
member
Reged: 01/29/09
Posts: 28
Loc: Northern Ireland
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I am going to try three empty tuna tins half filled with Silicone and see if that will make do.
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Celestron NexStar 8SE
Bresser 10x50 Binoculars
Hyperion Zoom 8-24
Plossls 25mm
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Peter9
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/30/08
Posts: 810
Loc: Yorkshire - Born & Bred
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That's Tuna Sarnies all round then.
Peter.
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Some of the pleasure I get from life I owe to Astronomy.
Astronomy does not owe me a thing.
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Nexstar 8se
150mm Helios Newton Reflector EQ 3 G.E.M.
6.3mm 10mm Plossls. Celestron 25mm & 40mm E.Ps. 8mm x 24mm Baader Hyperion Zoom. 2x Barlow. 9x50 R.A.C.I Finderscope. G.L.P and Bracket. Dew Shield. Home made Solar filter. Home made H.C Holder.(Great Asset). Maplin's 12V 17ah Auto Start Unit.
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Peter9
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/30/08
Posts: 810
Loc: Yorkshire - Born & Bred
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Speaking of Tuna puts me in mind of a little ditty my Dad used to say.
Two little fishes met in the sea,
One was a Whale and one was a Sole,
Ha Whale said the Sole,
Ha Sole said the Whale.
Peter.
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Some of the pleasure I get from life I owe to Astronomy.
Astronomy does not owe me a thing.
-------------------------------------------------
Nexstar 8se
150mm Helios Newton Reflector EQ 3 G.E.M.
6.3mm 10mm Plossls. Celestron 25mm & 40mm E.Ps. 8mm x 24mm Baader Hyperion Zoom. 2x Barlow. 9x50 R.A.C.I Finderscope. G.L.P and Bracket. Dew Shield. Home made Solar filter. Home made H.C Holder.(Great Asset). Maplin's 12V 17ah Auto Start Unit.
Edited by Peter9 (11/03/09 07:53 AM)
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Midnight Dan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 2768
Loc: Brockport, NY
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Quote:
I am going to try three empty tuna tins half filled with Silicone and see if that will make do.
That should work to some degree.
Vibrations incurred at the scope travel down the legs and reflect back up and down something like a tuning fork. If the bottom of the leg is set on something that will absorb the vibrations, they won't reflect back up - like touching the end of the tuning fork with your finger. Sorbothane is specifically designed to do this and does an excellent job. If you poke or jab at sorbothane, it recovers its shape slowly which is why it absorbs the vibrations.
Silicone is more jiggly than squishy. When you poke it, it bounces back quickly, more like a rubber ball. So it will reflect some of the vibrations, but it should certainly be an improvement over a hard surface. And for the price, it's worth a try!
-Dan
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Scopes: Celestron NexStar 8SE, Orion EON 72mm ED/APO, Orion ShortTube 80
Mounts: NexStar Alt/Az GoTo, Orion Astroview (EQ3) w/single axis drive
Eyepieces: Baader Hyperion 36mm (Aspheric), 21mm 13mm, 8mm, 5mm;
Other: 2x & 3x Barlow, 0.63x Focal Reducer, Dew-not strips, DewBuster controller, SQM Meter
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