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Starmix
member
Reged: 10/11/09
Posts: 44
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Which would you choose? Is there a lot that can go wrong with the older Nexstar i series?
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Bob Griffiths
Postmaster
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 6592
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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Now this is a tough question....
I do run an 8i....and after I added Rays Brackets
and updated to the new Skyalign Hand controller I honestly feel it is a Better scope then the Brand new 8Se's.... (and I purchased a 8Se for my granddaughter last year rather then give he my scope ... so I compared the two side by side more then a few times...
HOWEVER buying a 6Se will get you 2 full years of Warranty which is nothing to sneeze at...
Most scopes are going to have a problem within the first year IF they are going to have a problem...so I'm betting the 8i will be just fine and problem free...
HOWEVER the 8i been around the block and is like any piece of electrical appliance .. over time the electronics may just stop working...
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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rick rian
The Lockster
Reged: 08/03/04
Posts: 21212
Loc: Upper Midwest
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Welcome to the NexStar forum, Starmix! 
As with anything used, it depends on how it was taken care of. Unless it 8i was dropped, dented, chipped, overloaded or abused in some way, it should be good to use. Mine is holding up very well! 
You'll get more aperture with the 8i, obviously, and a it'll be a bit heavier that the 6SE ... to be honest you'd be happy with either.
I hope this helped, once again, welcome aboard!
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Rickster
NexStar 8i
TV85
Canon 15x50is Bins
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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A 6SE with it's XLT coatings is also going to be quite close visually to a worn 8i. So depending on how old the 8i is and what condition it's optics are in you might not see much of a difference.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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Starmix
member
Reged: 10/11/09
Posts: 44
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Thanks guys! Well the tube has been dented but the optics are supposed to be good. It has been upgraded with Rays and a new controller. What do you now think?
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Bob Griffiths
Postmaster
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 6592
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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Quote:
A 6SE with it's XLT coatings is also going to be quite close visually to a worn 8i. So depending on how old the 8i is and what condition it's optics are in you might not see much of a difference.
Mark....I do not quite understand your statement..
How are the optics going to get worn in the 8i ???? besides just getting dirty ???
I personally discount the coatings.. when I purchased my granddaughter an 8Se NOBODY could see any difference in the views it put up vs my 8i (Starbright coatings) using the same targets and the same eyepieces...
I just do not see the 6 matching the 8..and this is by no means knocking the 6 as its just fine...
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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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Bob,
Yeah, dirt would likely be the biggest issue. An older 8i though, if the primary and corrector have been cleaned more than a few times, with Starbright coatings on the corrector, and with the normal dust and dirt would be noticeably a little "softer" visually than a brand new C8 with XLT. I've seen this difference in side by side comparisons. It's only going to be apparent on very specific subjects (difficult stars at the very edge of visibility - E and F stars in the Trapezium, secondary companions beside very bright primaries - Sirius B, or high contrast with very bright sources like lunar details in the shadows to mention just a few).
A new smaller C6 is never going to equal an older C8 but I think just how small the differences are is going to surprise folks.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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Tel
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 3984
Loc: Wallingford England
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Hi Starmix,
A warm welcome to CN and to this our Nexstar forum !
Only you can make the final judgement as to the specific quality of the N8i you are being offered; the risk of its breakdown against its presumably bargain price, and indeed all else, compared to a new and fully guarantee supported 6SE. However, if I were asked to choose between a brand new 6SE and MY now 4-5 year old N8i, I would have no hesitation in sticking with what I have.
From what you say, this particular N8i already has a Ray's Bracket fitted which is for these 'scopes an absolute "must" and one which gives much greater fore and aft setting flexibilty and base clearance to the N8i's OTA than the 6SE's Vixen dovetail arrangement.
As to the upgraded, Version 4 hand-controller, I regard mine more as a bonus : (I have both HCs : the original, with its better, {IMO} Auto Two Star Align system, and the upgraded version which incorporates some very some nice extra features -- which of course would come with a new 6SE).
I also value that the N8i was among the last models of this series to be built in the USA; notably because, again in my opinion, it has a better set of drive motors which are certainly quieter and faster than their Chinese equivalents.
Regarding the coatings quality; like Bob, I was able, (once), to compare the XLT coatings of a friend's 8SE with the Starbright coatings on my old N8i side by side, but again, like Bob, saw no significant improvement from the former under the conditions prevailing at the time.
Finally on the topic of viewing, assuming this N8i's optics are, in your view, acceptable, you will have an OTA which is capable of gathering around 80+% more light than the 6" tube is capable of.
A biased view ? Yes ! -- because I have enjoyed fabulous views and reliabilty from my old N8i and I'm sure it will continue to deliver !
Best regards,
Tel
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Truth is the cubed root of Verbosity.
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Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1184
Loc: South Yorkshire, UK
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Hi Starmix
Welcome to the NexStar forum.
To add my 
If the tube is dented, I'd start to wonder about how well the scope had been looked after & that would raise concerns as to what else might have befallen the scope in the past, for example the owner thinks the corrector looks a bit "dirty", so breathes on the lens & wipes it clean with his handkerchief! 
So me, I'd probably walk away, bargain though it may be.
Like I said, just my
YMMV
Art
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
=======================================================
Meade ETX105 (a nice "Grab & Go" scope) & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs.
Various EP's from 6mm to 26mm, Baader Hyperion 8-24mm Zoom, a 2x Barlow, 2" diagonal and 7Ah PowerTank.
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope - both for the 6SE's OTA, whilst the ETX gets a plain RDF.
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 13821
Loc: CyberSpace
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Well, if the 8i is mint with XLT coatings and the price is under $799 I would buy the 8i. And the HC computer can be upgraded to Sky Align for about $150..
Good Luck... 
--------------------
Sony Digital Media player..
MX 460 earbuds
Celestron 2x Barlow Lens
Orion Collimation Eyepiece
Rigel Quick Finder
Assorted Bino's 
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Starmix
member
Reged: 10/11/09
Posts: 44
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It's $600, but the dent thing is giving me a little pause, but at the same time it is a fully upgraded 8i.
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letimotif
No Complaints
Reged: 05/20/07
Posts: 2019
Loc: Far Flung Isles of Langerhans
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I have an 8i, or actually my wife does. Even without Ray's Bracket it's a wonderful scope. And we paid a bit less than your price.
Now, all that said, I'd pass on the 8i. If it has a dent, chances are there might be other mechanical issues that will show up later, and those are going to be the showstoppers big time. My wife got hers as a consignment from a local dealer, and this proved fortunate. Sure enough, there was an electrical problem and the dealer stood behind the sale and made the necessary repairs at no charge. Before he did so, we had a really cool coat rack, and not much else.
Getting one of these repaired is time consuming, and expensive.
Much as I enjoy my 8i, I just wouldn't feel right recommending you pick up this particular one based upon the information you supplied.
You'll see quite a difference, at least I think you will, between a 6" cat and an 8" cat. I know it's not an option you've mentioned, but seriously consider saving up a bit more and picking up an 8SE.
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Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?
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DeepField
super member
Reged: 08/17/09
Posts: 107
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New 6SE or dented old 8i? Is this a trick question or something?
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Scott
Nexstar 6SE
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ibase
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/20/08
Posts: 1568
Loc: Manila, Philippines 121*E 14*N
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Used to have a 6SE (XLT) and an original (used but got it in mint condition) Nexstar 8 (Starbright, no XLT); the 6 was gathering more dust than photons so I sold it and kept the 8. Aperture rules!
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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The thing I would worry about with the dented OTA on the 8i is damage to the azimuth gear train. There is no clutch in that axis, so if the OTA got whacked in the right direction, it could put undue force on those gears. This could lead to poor goto and tracking accuracy, or outright early failure of the components. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell how things look without taking it apart, and even then you might not see cracks in the gears or teeth that could lead to problems.
If it was between those two, I'd take the 6SE. At least if you want to move up to the 8 later, you'll be able to sell the 6SE for a pretty good buck - assuming you don't dent it!  The dented 8i will not have the greatest resale potential.
Best bet - save for a new 8SE or look for a used 8SE in good condition. The 6SE is an excellent scope, but the difference in clear aperture between the two means that the 8SE has about twice the light gathering capability as the 6.
-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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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Buy the 6SE, use if for a while and keep your eye out for a good C8 ota and dovetail. When you find one buy it and sell the C6 ota (they tend to hold their value quite well).
This way there is virtually no risk (especially if you can find a known good C8 locally) and you won't have to spend too much initially.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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Starmix
member
Reged: 10/11/09
Posts: 44
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Can I mount any OTA(8", 9.25") with a dovetail to the se's mount?
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rick rian
The Lockster
Reged: 08/03/04
Posts: 21212
Loc: Upper Midwest
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Quote:
Buy the 6SE, use if for a while and keep your eye out for a good C8 ota and dovetail. When you find one buy it and sell the C6 ota (they tend to hold their value quite well).
This way there is virtually no risk (especially if you can find a known good C8 locally) and you won't have to spend too much initially.
Beat me to that advice, Mark ... the 6SE and the 8SE share the exact same mount, oh yes!
--------------------
Rickster
NexStar 8i
TV85
Canon 15x50is Bins
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Midnight Dan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 2768
Loc: Brockport, NY
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Quote:
Can I mount any OTA(8", 9.25") with a dovetail to the se's mount?
8" yes, 9.25" no - too heavy. You can mount any scope as long as the OTA and accessories are not much heavier than the 8"OTA with its accessories (I think in the 15 pound range or so?). The mount has a standard Vixen dovetail and works well with any suitably sized refractor, Mak, SCT, etc. With some configurations you might not be able to reach zenith, but the mount has slew limits you can set to eliminate any potential problems.
-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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coutleef
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/21/08
Posts: 1733
Loc: Montréal and Saint-Donat, Québ...
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Quote:
Can I mount any OTA(8", 9.25") with a dovetail to the se's mount?
Also realize that the C9.25 is only 1.25 inch in terms of aperture but is a much bigger OTA. The lenght of the 9.25 is closer to a C11 than a C8. And it is heavier. I find the difference between a C8 and C9.25 bigger than between a C6 and C8 (that may be my bad memory).
The C8 looks like a portable scope. The C9.25 looks at the limit of beeing one. During my backpain crisis due to a hernia, I could manage a C8, a C9.25 was way out of my limit.
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François
Scopes: Nexstar 8 SE with Ron's rail and Denk S1 Powerswitch. EPs list is on my Bio.
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