ponz
super member
Reged: 07/18/12
Loc: Kansas City, MO
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Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
#5623204 - 01/14/13 06:35 PM
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My girlfriend dug this up from her basement. It has a tiny finder scope on it along with a Hybrid Diagonal #94 106 and Celestron 25mm SMA 1.25 Wide angle eyepiece.
Is it good for anything?
Can I utilize it in any way with my new Skywatcher Pro ED80?
Thanks - Ponz
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bremms
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/31/12
Loc: SC
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: ponz]
#5623258 - 01/14/13 07:15 PM
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Yes, they get some bad press, but some have good optics. I had one that I sold to a friend that gave nice images. It is super compact, you can get a 1.25 inch back, but hey are a little hard to find.
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CharlieB
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/11/07
Loc: Southern NH
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: ponz]
#5623603 - 01/14/13 10:54 PM Attachment (30 downloads)
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If it's like this one, it's a keeper. Was there a mount with it? It's a good lunar, planetary and double star scope. The longer focal length will complement your ED80. Or you could look at it as trash and send it to me...
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: ponz]
#5623934 - 01/15/13 07:51 AM
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Quote:
My girlfriend dug this up from her basement. It has a tiny finder scope on it along with a Hybrid Diagonal #94 106 and Celestron 25mm SMA 1.25 Wide angle eyepiece.
Is it good for anything?
Thanks - Ponz
It is good for quite a few things. You can read my thoughts on the little guy here...
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ponz
super member
Reged: 07/18/12
Loc: Kansas City, MO
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: CharlieB]
#5623937 - 01/15/13 07:52 AM
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If it's like this one, it's a keeper. Was there a mount with it? It's a good lunar, planetary and double star scope. The longer focal length will complement your ED80. Or you could look at it as trash and send it to me...
Similar. Mine is all black with a different focus ring.
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ponz
super member
Reged: 07/18/12
Loc: Kansas City, MO
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: rmollise]
#5623952 - 01/15/13 08:04 AM
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Quote:
Quote:
My girlfriend dug this up from her basement. It has a tiny finder scope on it along with a Hybrid Diagonal #94 106 and Celestron 25mm SMA 1.25 Wide angle eyepiece.
Is it good for anything?
Thanks - Ponz
It is good for quite a few things. You can read my thoughts on the little guy here...
Thanks Rod - I did re-grease it a few months ago, but haven't given it a fair chance yet!
Ponz
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actionhac
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/09/08
Loc: WA
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: ponz]
#5624301 - 01/15/13 12:25 PM
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I absolutely love my C90.
I even went as far as buying another one just in case I wear out my present one in the time I have left here. I did the same with my Converse all-stars.
The amazing thing about the C90 is how Celestron managed to get the little Mak to work so well visually at f11. I thought Maksutov's needed to be around f15+. Good for us though, because it makes the C90 much nicer to use. I have a 90mm f13.9 Mak and it has a much narrower field of view. And also because the 13.9 has a smaller secondary it also has a smaller baffle tube, too small in my opinion I'm having trouble controlling stray light on brighter objects.
So yes I do love the C90 and thankfully the are not very expensive in comparison to anything else in the same optical quality and aperture.
Robert
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terraclarke
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/29/12
Loc: Over the river and thru the wo...
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: actionhac]
#5624482 - 01/15/13 02:06 PM
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Robert, It sounds like you feel about your Converse All Stars like I feel about my black Converse One Stars 
"Stars" = not off-topic
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jezz
member
Reged: 02/25/12
Loc: Utah
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: ponz]
#5624547 - 01/15/13 02:35 PM
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I was given a brand new one with case in the 90's for xmas one year - Armourcoated or something to that effect - 2nd worst scope I ever owned - sold it shortly thereafter.
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actionhac
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/09/08
Loc: WA
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: terraclarke]
#5624708 - 01/15/13 04:01 PM
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Robert, It sounds like you feel about your Converse All Stars like I feel about my black Converse One Stars
"Stars" = not off-topic
I was afraid they might stop making them, and my feet are molded to the Converse, its hard for me to wear anything else.
They really are not a very good shoe though, no support. But then the all-star was designed for basketball and worn for only a short time.
Robert
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actionhac
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/09/08
Loc: WA
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: jezz]
#5624733 - 01/15/13 04:14 PM
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I was given a brand new one with case in the 90's for xmas one year - Armourcoated or something to that effect - 2nd worst scope I ever owned - sold it shortly thereafter.
This is very common feeling I've noticed. The C90 through history has had a mixed review. I really think more people hate than like the scope.
It would be interesting to do a survey and find out exactly what the likes and dislikes are.
I personally don't like the camera lens style helical focuser for astronomy, for anything else its a nice fast focuser and Its great. Otherwise I think the C90 is the cats meow. But then I've owned 5 Corvairs so what does that tell you?
Robert
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Mike Lynch
sage
Reged: 04/07/06
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: actionhac]
#5624760 - 01/15/13 04:32 PM
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And if you need an instruction manual, "Littlegreenman" has one for sale at the CN classifieds now! 
Mike Lynch
Frankfort KY USA
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Mike Lynch]
#5624873 - 01/15/13 05:48 PM
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1.25" visual back for a C90? Piece o' cake!
http://www.cncsupplyinc.com
Click the link in its left sidebar for this item:
Rear Port Adapters (Visual Backs) ETX/C90 (34mm)
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Glen A W
sage
Reged: 07/04/08
Loc: WEST VIRGINIA USA
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5624886 - 01/15/13 05:55 PM
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WE had this problem last week, but I was able to find two 1.25 visual backs which were stamped by Orion.
I like the scopes well, but the focusing, while it works well, does cause problems if your tripod is not real sturdy. Overall, the image is pretty dim, too, but the scopes are tough and fun to use.
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Glen A W]
#5625008 - 01/15/13 07:23 PM
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The misgivings I had in assessing the only C90 I've ever used appear to be quite common, along with enthusiasm for having so much optical power in so small a package. I wish I could attend a big star party of only C90s. I'd love to look through a lot of them, to see whether any have truly stellar optics, or whether they all feel so compromised as mine. Given the occasional wild enthusiasm reported on these forums and Uncle Rod's blessing in his blog, some C90s must be truly wonderful.
Today through my borrowed C90 and a 25mm Plossl (50x), I watched three juvenile bald eagles on the ice a mile away across the lake. I was not yet dressed to go outside, so this was additionally through a window and the screen porch outside. Even with the screen being especially damaging to the image, I was impressed that anything so little gave such a good view. Contrast? Feh. Clarity? Through a screen?! Good enough. Honest. Even if mine were among the best of them, so compromised a scope would still offer effortless portability and a far better view than the naked eye.
So, is it good for anything? You betcha! Especially when it came to you free out of your girlfriend's basement. It may not replace your 4" Unitron or your coveted Nippon Kogaku, but you would not lug them where you'd effortlessly float the C90.
I suspect that birders love the scope more consistently than astronomers. The same C90 that feels compromised on the stars and lacks the resolution to be truly pleasing on distant objects excels on close-ups of birds that are already close in bright daylight. Before I got the C90, I twice watched those bald eagles eat lunch in a tree not 100 feet from my window. Imagine that view! Coulda counted the blood vessels in the predator's eyes, or seen every last filament of his feathers.
Now if I could only decide how much to offer on my borrowed C90. It's portable and serviceable, but I suspect not the finest of its kind.
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johntrob
sage
Reged: 03/14/11
Loc: Georgia, USA
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5625059 - 01/15/13 07:46 PM
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As they say, Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I love my C90, for many of the reasons Joe stated.
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Geo.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/08
Loc: Upstate NY
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5630385 - 01/18/13 06:45 PM
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Now if I could only decide how much to offer on my borrowed C90. It's portable and serviceable, but I suspect not the finest of its kind.
I've picked them up with "issues" (usually loose baffle tubes) for as little as $40 and sold them for as much as $275 (love the French!). Orange tubes are going in the $90-175 range and black tubes $75-$125. The prices are very dependent on the presence of OEM accessories such as the finder, eyepieces, diagonal and Barlow. These have to be present to get into the upper range in prices.
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Geo.]
#5630440 - 01/18/13 07:20 PM
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Thanks for the help!
Mine is a black tube. It has the 8x20 finder with cross hairs intact, and the foam-lined, hardshell case, but nothing else. The seller admits there is something odd with its optics. I suspect they may be serviceable, but not the finest ever made, and that better accessories may help at added cost. This puts the scope on the low end of the scale.
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Rand Barthel
member
Reged: 12/16/12
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Joe Cepleur]
#5630600 - 01/18/13 09:14 PM
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I bought a C90 astro scope just like the one in the OP back in about 1981 or 82. I thought it might be possible to stargaze with it from the roof of the apartment building I was living in in Cambridge Mass. That proved to be largely wishful thinking, but I found I could also use it as a spotting scope for birdwatching (remove it from the astro mount and put it on a photo tripod). I also used it as a long telephoto lens. I found, once I equipped it with an equatorial wedge and tripod, that it was possible to use it on planets, the Moon, and the more prominent deep-sky objects. The smallness of the mount and the lack of clearance between the mount and the back of the scope made it hard to observe anything near the north pole because I had trouble getting my face and eyes positioned to look through the scope. For astro uses my RV-6 is clearly a better proposition, but it's hard to be more grab-and-go than a C90.
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Joe Cepleur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/18/10
Loc: Dark North Woods
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Re: Celestron C90 - 1000mm f/11 ?
[Re: Rand Barthel]
#5630669 - 01/18/13 10:12 PM
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Thanks, Rand;
The C90's one-armed bandit astro mount was tempting to look at, something every grab-and-go enthusiast might covet, but your experience suggests there was good reason so few were sold, and perhaps so many deforked. I've though of finding one, just because they are so cool. Functionally, would you say I'd be better off with a good alt/az mount than an original Celestron one-armed fork?
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