New Celestron Products announced at CES

I would love to see pictures of C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer.

Thanks,
Peter

I would love to see pictures of C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer.

Photos are not yet available, but here's a computer-generated rendering of what it will look like. Will put up an actual image when it becomes available.

Incidentally, the StarSense is available on our website for preorder under our part #CSTAR.

Products include an Advanced VX series of go-to scopes that will replace the current Advanced Series line. They use a completely reengineered version of the Advanced Series 30 pound payload capacity mount. It has permanent PEC, a wider latitude range, tracking past the meridian for imagers, improved electronics with All-Star polar alignment, a built-in autoguider port, new motors for better astrophotography tracking, and more. Scopes will include and 8” EdgeHD version, in addition to all of the current 6” to 11” models currently available. Prices run about $100 more than the Advanced Series.

Does that wider latitude range include 0 or 90 so it can be used in alt-az?

I've just tried it, the latitude scale range is 0 to 75 and it will adjust to just below 0 without hitting anything.

BUT it's never been mentioned that it will work in alt azm mode and there is currently no option to switch the HC to an AltAz mode.

An AltAz mode would need significantly different firmware because in previous mounts the hour angle axis is equivalent to azimuth and the dec to altitude. If the mount it set to zero latitude then the dec axis becomes equivalent to azimuth and the hour angle axis altitude, i.e. reversed.

I would assume that it is not a dual use mount unless Celestron says that it is.

Chris

PS it seems a bit quieter than the AS-GT but it's not silent.

Is the focal reducer at the CES show? If so, can anyone photograph it and post the photos here?

Thanks,
Peter

I've just tried it, the latitude scale range is 0 to 75 and it will adjust to just below 0 without hitting anything.

BUT it's never been mentioned that it will work in alt azm mode and there is currently no option to switch the HC to an AltAz mode.

An AltAz mode would need significantly different firmware because in previous mounts the hour angle axis is equivalent to azimuth and the dec to altitude. If the mount it set to zero latitude then the dec axis becomes equivalent to azimuth and the hour angle axis altitude, i.e. reversed.

I would assume that it is not a dual use mount unless Celestron says that it is.

Chris

If it can physically do it, then Celestron would be foolish not to spend the time to give the software this capability, when they clearly already have this capability in other versions of their mounts, both dedicated alt-az such as Nexstar and dual-use such as CPC on a wedge or the new AZ-EQ6.

Are there any details of the FR? .7x reduction? Sensor spacing requirements?

and to really work you hard...

How about a pic of the OAG?

Thanks.

This FR is now at Celestron web site but no photos yet.

http://www.celestron...ens-8-inch.html

It says 105mm back focus. I am not happy about this much shorter back focus than 133mm for F/10.

Peter

How about a pic of the OAG?

Here it is. The Celestron off-axis guider is compatible with all Celestron EdgeHD and SCT telescopes, plus imaging refractors and other telescopes. It has a high-quality helical focuser, adapters for several configurations, a 12.5mm multi-coated BaK-4 pickoff prism, 48mm clear aperture with full illumination for camera sensors up to 35mm, adjustable prism height, 360° independent camera and telescope rotation. It includes Off-Axis Guider body, male and female M42 T-threads, male and female M48 adapters, SCT/EdgeHD threaded adapter, 15mm M48 spacer, and 8mm, 15mm, and 30mm M42 spacers. Price is $249.95.

New OAG is also at:

http://www.celestron...xis-guider.html

It says $219.

Peter

That's interesting. Their price list says $249.95. We're checking with Celestron to see which is correct.

The $249.95 price on the off-axis guider is correct and has been corrected on the Celestron website.

Look at all of the spacers and adapters for the OAG. It would cost you $100 to buy them alone. Seems like a good deal.

Thanks for the price update. The three thumbscrews at both sides of OAG looks like they are for securing Celestron dovetails adapters. It does not look like there are threads at each side of OAG. I think it allows you to rotate at both sides of OAG. That's fine, I am just trying to figure out how the OAG works. The Helical focused at the guide port is a nice feature.

Peter

Hi frebie,

Can you find out if the back focus distance for C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer is 105mm? I am hoping it's a typo. I was really hoping they would maintain the same back focus distance as for F/10 which is 133mm.

Celestron should know better that 105mm is too short for many imaging equipment. What about Adaptive Optics, rotator, etc? 105mm will not work with these equipment.

FR for C-11 and C-14 EdgeHD maintains the same back focus distance (146mm) as for F/10 and I thought that was a great idea. I assumed they would do the same thing for C-8 but they didn't.

I had to cancel the order for On-Axis Guider (ONAG) because ONAG will never meet the 105mm back focus. The absolute minimum with my equipment to work with ONAG is 115mm, but in reality, it would be more like 120mm. ONAG back focus is 66mm.

Peter

We would assume that you would still have to do a polar alignment with a German equatorial mount if you wanted the mount to find and/or track anything. Altazimuth mounts (ike the CPC, CPC DX, NexStar SE, NexStar SLT, LCM, etc.) do not require polar alignment.

Attached is a pic of the StarSense.

What's the usb port for? USB scopes or does it have an onboard lit-ion battery and the port is for charging the battery? The camera needs some sort of power I would think.. And more current.. More than the Aux port (amps) could provide? Future update expansion as well?

I guess it has it's own hand controller???

The StarSense Adapter is now on Celestrons Site Here:

http://www.celestron...-accessory.html

I've just tried it, the latitude scale range is 0 to 75 and it will adjust to just below 0 without hitting anything.

BUT it's never been mentioned that it will work in alt azm mode and there is currently no option to switch the HC to an AltAz mode.

An AltAz mode would need significantly different firmware because in previous mounts the hour angle axis is equivalent to azimuth and the dec to altitude. If the mount it set to zero latitude then the dec axis becomes equivalent to azimuth and the hour angle axis altitude, i.e. reversed.

I would assume that it is not a dual use mount unless Celestron says that it is.

Chris

If it can physically do it, then Celestron would be foolish not to spend the time to give the software this capability, when they clearly already have this capability in other versions of their mounts, both dedicated alt-az such as Nexstar and dual-use such as CPC on a wedge or the new AZ-EQ6.

You would need to go to 90 deg latitude to have an alt azm mode. At zero deg the axes are the wrong way round and it would be really complicated.

I'm going to continue on the thread in the Mounts section, it seems more appropriate.

Chris

"The StarSense Accessory includes a small digital camera that attaches to the telescope’s optical tube, along with a specialized hand controller. Just set up the accessory, push the Align button on the hand controller, and StarSense starts capturing and comparing images of the night sky against its internal database of 40,000 celestial objects. In about three minutes, StarSense will gather enough information to triangulate its position and align itself. Then, press the Sky Tour button: StarSense will automatically slew to all the best stars, planets, galaxies, and more based on your exact time and location."

Almost.. not completely, but almost seems like it replaces your current computer...

Hi frebie,

Can you find out if the back focus distance for C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer is 105mm? I am hoping it's a typo. I was really hoping they would maintain the same back focus distance as for F/10 which is 133mm.

Celestron should know better that 105mm is too short for many imaging equipment. What about Adaptive Optics, rotator, etc? 105mm will not work with these equipment.
Peter

I hate to assume anything, but I would suspect that the 105mm figure is correct, as it appears both online on the Celestron site and in the new product information that they sent to dealers and handed out at CES. I'll ask, but I don't think it's going to turn out to be a typo.

I would further hazard a guess that they feel that the 8" OTA is going to be used primarily by beginning imagers, as their web page says specifically "Optimized for APS-C sized sensors, including most DSLR cameras and Nightscape CCD cameras." I get the feeling that they assume that the more serious imagers with long multi-component imaging chains are more prone to use 11" and 14" OTAs, or a dedicated astrograph, rather than an 8" scope. Optical design constraints may also play a role, as designing this thing was a much more involved process than simply resizing the larger reducers.

105mm is the same distance that the original 0.63 focal reducer used. The original accessories, such as the OAG were designed for this with a T ring on a film camera.

I'd have no trouble using this with a CCD (17mm) and a filter wheel (23mm), that leaves 65mm for connectors and spacers. The original OAG was 50mm so I'd need a 15mm spacer. All I need now is the 8" ED and the FR

Chris

I am aware of the original F/6.3 FR back focus distance. It's the way Celestron has been advertising that's somewhat misleading. First they started selling FR for C-11/C-14 EdgeHD gloating about maintaining same long back focus distance with or without FR. To me, they implied that they would do the same thing to C-8 EdgeHD focal reducer.

I have no issues of getting 105mm back focus but it's going to be less convenient and tighter than I had planned. If the original C-8 EdgeHD forces people to set to the recommended back focus of 133mm, don't you think it's backwards to force us to reduce BF with FR. What if people spent big bucks on buying equipment to tightly fit in 133mm BF and now they can't do that anymore? It forced me to cancel the order for ONAG due to lack of back focus distance. ONAG would have worked for 133mm BF but not with FR. That does not sound good business to me.

Peter

With all these new products coming out, I have to ask.
Are they going to be discontinuing older products and selling them at a discount any time soon, like what has been done before for some vendors?

Common sense would indicate that the CG-5 is toast. It's been selling at a substantial discount (unofficial) for some time.

The Advanced Series scopes and CG-5 go-to mount have been discontinued and may no longer be available from Celestron. Their dealer website lists all the discontinued products as "Call for availability," which usually means they might have a few pieces left, but are about to run out. I doubt that Celestron has enough inventory for a reduced price sale. The optical tubes can all be used on the new VX mounts, so there would be no need to sell those at a reduced price.

I think that any sales are going to come at the dealer level. At Astronomics, we have already closed out all of the discontinued Advanced Series scopes and mounts we had in stock at sale prices, with the exception of one last 10" Newtonian on a CG-5 mount which is going at $200 off its former price.

"The StarSense Accessory includes a small digital camera that attaches to the telescope’s optical tube, along with a specialized hand controller. Just set up the accessory, push the Align button on the hand controller, and StarSense starts capturing and comparing images of the night sky against its internal database of 40,000 celestial objects. In about three minutes, StarSense will gather enough information to triangulate its position and align itself. Then, press the Sky Tour button: StarSense will automatically slew to all the best stars, planets, galaxies, and more based on your exact time and location."

Almost.. not completely, but almost seems like it replaces your current computer...

Unless I don’t understand what this thing does….. It automates the typical Celestron GEM initialization procedure, i.e., the old “two stars plus calibration stars” drill. Using this unit you no longer have to center the stars and push buttons. You “push one button” and the procedure is then automated.

I’d rather do it myself and have the 300 bucks in my pocket. However, I can see it being of value for a remote control of the mount, for people who need to be doing other things when setting up, or for lazy people.

In my case, I mostly now observe with both Obsession 20 and ES127ED on a CG-5. It would be nice to have the refractor’s mount doing the initialization routine itself while I did the same with the Dob, but….. I can’t see spending 300 bucks for that.