dogeddie
sage
Reged: 03/26/10
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Celestron Super C8+
#5604453 - 01/04/13 10:17 AM
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I am considering checking out this scope. Cost is $800 and it comes with this:
Celestron-Byers worm gear clock drive
Adjustable tripod and equatorial wedge
Eye Pieces (7mm, 7.5mm, 25mm and 40mm)
2.5x Barlow
Mylar solar filter
SLR camera and telescope adapter
Telescope and eye piece cases
Thoughts from the experts? Things I should check for?
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tim53
Postmaster
Reged: 12/17/04
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5604460 - 01/04/13 10:21 AM
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I wouldn't pay that much for a 20+ year old telescope, especially since used SCTs are so common. Maybe $500.
-Tim.
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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/17/09
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: tim53]
#5604596 - 01/04/13 11:26 AM
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I picked one up last year for $300. It only came with the stock 26mm Silver Top Plossl eyepiece and tripod/wedge.
The 40mm eyepiece is worth a little as well as all the accessories included, but I think $800 is way too much.
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Napersky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/27/10
Loc: Chicagoland
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: Datapanic]
#5604604 - 01/04/13 11:33 AM
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Way too expensive.
Darren Drake picked up a reg, not Byers C8 this year for FREE!
I bought mine of Craig's list two years ago for $300. I had to drive a ways to pick it up and the eyepieces that came with the scope were worth $300 by themselve.
C8's are great I highly recommend them but not at that price. There is a dealer in Tuscon who sells them for $500-$600 plus shipping.
Mark
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dogeddie
sage
Reged: 03/26/10
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: Napersky]
#5604617 - 01/04/13 11:40 AM
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Thanks. Any good way to ensure it is a decent scope if I can't check it out at home before buying?
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Blake Andrews
sage
Reged: 07/31/08
Loc: Iowa
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5604733 - 01/04/13 12:52 PM
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The Celestron Super C8 Plus was an amazing scope. I got mine in 1983. The all-black model Starbright. Serial number 824733. Between my young eyes and its superb optics I was able to galaxy hop through Virgo/Coma down to better than 17.5 magnitude as confirmed by a fellow astronomer using a 17.5" Dob following me and verifying my descriptions of each galaxy.
Having said all that, my Starbright coatings started to fail about 10 years ago. Small pinpoints of oxidation on the primary and spiderwebbing oxidation on the secondary. Very sad and I've still kept the scope for sentimental reasons.
Before I got my CPC 1100 I bought Celestar 8 from a gentleman in Chicago via that electronic auction site. With tripod, the scope cost about $500 in 2007. I drove from my home in Iowa to Chicago to inspect and daytime star test the scope (and to save the shipping fees and risk). It produces images of a quality of my Super C8 Plus in its heyday.
Bottom line: $500 is the typical going rate. Optics on older scopes can and do fail even with proper care. Do visually inspect and star test so you know what you have, even if you have to drive a few hundred miles to do so.
Hope this helps!
Cheers!
Blake
PS I still use the Celestar 8 when the CPC 1100 is to heavy or impractical and I still enjoy it.
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dogeddie
sage
Reged: 03/26/10
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: Blake Andrews]
#5604930 - 01/04/13 02:35 PM
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http://madison.craigslist.org/pho/3414693490.html
what do you think of this one?
Where can I ask the seller to see if it has special coatings, or where the serial number is?
Edited by dogeddie (01/04/13 02:38 PM)
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orion61
Vendor(Clear Edge Optical)
Reged: 10/20/07
Loc: NW Iowa BURRRR
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5605018 - 01/04/13 03:23 PM
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That scope was built in the Halleys era, They had very very good drives if you are going to do AP with it you will need a drive corrector, the Silver zTop lense is worth about $60.00 on a good day, Some of the optics I have personally seen were not that great but others were fantastic so it was kind of hit and miss, Spherical Aberration seems to be the main culpret But I agree $800.00 is at least $200.00
too much, you can buy a much better LX200 Meade for about that much!
I would not pay over $600.00 MAX, $500.00 seems to be the going rate.
There are Orange tubes for sale now for around $400.00
Personally MY favorite. 
But it is YOUR money and you can spend it as you wish.
If it is in MINT/NEW condition and has exceptional optics and Starbright the Black tube is worth about $400.00
By itself, I havent quite figued it out because fork mounts sell at a fairly constant rate, and OTA's are the same way but both together don't sell for much more than the tube alone??? GO FIGURE???? 
Offer him less and be prepaired with past sales prices from the Classes here and A-Mart, He'll probably come down, but some people still believe they are worth that much and will die with them,  Then the Estate will sell them for $200.00
GOOD LUCK! keep us posted...
Edited by orion61 (01/04/13 03:26 PM)
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dogeddie
sage
Reged: 03/26/10
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: orion61]
#5605085 - 01/04/13 04:00 PM
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Here is the other one I mentioned first. All things being equal and accessories aside, which one should I pursue? Thanks
http://appleton.craigslist.org/for/3435028243.html
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Blake Andrews
sage
Reged: 07/31/08
Loc: Iowa
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5605088 - 01/04/13 04:02 PM
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Quote:
http://madison.craigslist.org/pho/3414693490.html
what do you think of this one?
Where can I ask the seller to see if it has special coatings, or where the serial number is?
orion61 is correct.
This is indeed a Halley Era scope. The optical quality of these scopes needs to be evaluated as Celestron was producing so many scopes at the time of Comet Halley, a few dogs escaped the pound.
If the scope has special coatings there should be a sticker on the top of the tube at the front that says "Starbright" (all silver) or "Special Coatings" (MgF coated aluminum). If no sticker then just an aluminum coated mirror.
The serial number is under the orange cap covering the secondary mirror housing. I don't advise popping it off.
Hope this helps!
Blake
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Blake Andrews
sage
Reged: 07/31/08
Loc: Iowa
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5605106 - 01/04/13 04:08 PM
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Here is the other one I mentioned first. All things being equal and accessories aside, which one should I pursue? Thanks
http://appleton.craigslist.org/for/3435028243.html
This looks of similar vintage to the first. I'd advise you to keep looking
Cheers!
Blake
PS I spent several months looking at used scopes before making my purchase. That's too much $$$ for me to impulse buy.
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dogeddie
sage
Reged: 03/26/10
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: Blake Andrews]
#5605127 - 01/04/13 04:15 PM
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Thanks - I know the "non Super C8 +" scope could be had for a maximum of $450, but I have not spoken to the Super C8+ owner yet. Guess I should wait.
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tim53
Postmaster
Reged: 12/17/04
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5605181 - 01/04/13 04:42 PM
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I would wait. These and Meade 8" SCTs are plentiful, and come up for sale quite often.
Have you looked in the CN classifieds? Or astromart?
-Tim.
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Blake Andrews
sage
Reged: 07/31/08
Loc: Iowa
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: tim53]
#5605196 - 01/04/13 04:51 PM
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Hi Tim,
Enjoyed seeing your avatar - King Crimson, right?
Cheers!
Blake
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orion61
Vendor(Clear Edge Optical)
Reged: 10/20/07
Loc: NW Iowa BURRRR
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: Blake Andrews]
#5605248 - 01/04/13 05:26 PM
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Also A word of warning Blake, the tripod that is on the SC8
has the worst designed leg locks ever made, they either break(usually) ir will slide slowly.
I had a C8 fall over because of those darn tripods..
Went inside to warm up, came out 1/2 hr later to a busted telescope, the locks are just flippers they dont screw down
like tripods today, and they cant be adjusted.
Looks like that one is leaning as we speak.. beware...
I saw one the other day for $390.00
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5605283 - 01/04/13 05:45 PM
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I am considering checking out this scope. Cost is $800 and it comes with this:
Celestron-Byers worm gear clock drive
Adjustable tripod and equatorial wedge
Eye Pieces (7mm, 7.5mm, 25mm and 40mm)
2.5x Barlow
Mylar solar filter
SLR camera and telescope adapter
Telescope and eye piece cases
Thoughts from the experts? Things I should check for?
That is twice what it is worth. The C8+ quality? I had one. It was OK. Not as good as the Super C8 (no plus) I sold to buy it. 
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Geo.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/08
Loc: Upstate NY
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: rmollise]
#5605328 - 01/04/13 06:19 PM
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The Classic C8 was introduced in 1989, which was well after the Halley era. That's not to say the thing wasn't some left over inventory.
The C8+ used the DC powered base first seen on the C5+ in the mid-nineties. The optical tube is the same as that found on the contemporary Ultima 8s. The RA drive was built around a pretty accurate microprocessor controlled servomotor pushing a spur gear. A similar drive was used in the DC Ultima mount, but the Ultima had a worm gear drive. The C8+ got new forks and a integrated tripod/wedge and was rebranded as the CeleStar 8 in 1996.
Assuming the optics are the same I'd lean toward the C8+ for it's better drive system, portability, better tripod and later manufacture. But $550 would be high market for the C8+.
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tim53
Postmaster
Reged: 12/17/04
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: Blake Andrews]
#5605418 - 01/04/13 07:26 PM
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Hi Tim,
Enjoyed seeing your avatar - King Crimson, right?
Cheers!
Blake
Yep!
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dogeddie
sage
Reged: 03/26/10
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: orion61]
#5605419 - 01/04/13 07:28 PM
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Also A word of warning Blake, the tripod that is on the SC8
has the worst designed leg locks ever made, they either break(usually) ir will slide slowly.
I had a C8 fall over because of those darn tripods..
Went inside to warm up, came out 1/2 hr later to a busted telescope, the locks are just flippers they dont screw down
like tripods today, and they cant be adjusted.
Looks like that one is leaning as we speak.. beware...
I saw one the other day for $390.00
So were the bad tripods on the Super C8+ or the Classics C8 models?
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actionhac
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/09/08
Loc: WA
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Re: Celestron Super C8+
[Re: dogeddie]
#5605505 - 01/04/13 08:18 PM Attachment (14 downloads)
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I have a Classic 8 I bought recently for $350. The corrector had a film on the inside requiring the corrector to be removed from the tube and cleaned which I did. This I feel is why the price was a very reasonable amount. At least I was happy to pay $350
You can see it was not usable really:
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