19 replies to this topic

[hosemonkey]

Close to purchasing the cpc 9.25 want to do it before rebate ends, but can someone please tell me why such a big price difference compared to the xt12 intelliscope dob?

I want GOTO and to see all different things in the sky, What is that xtra $1000 getting me with the cpc?

I will be taking the scope to different locations.

Thanks

[Hal Pollner]

HEY MONKEY: (name, please)

The Intelliscope is not a GoTo, it is a Push To, and it is not a Tracker.

That's where the extra Grand comes in for the CPC!

HAL

[hosemonkey]

Thanks, didn't read enough into it............

Doug

[rboe]

That and the SCT has the extra glass in the corrector; more metal in the base (tripod) and mount vs. particle board for the dob.

The dob will see deeper (but it really won't be that obvious). Push to can be faster than goto but then you don't get tracking. Tracking is HUGE for outreach and showing friends/family cool stuff at high power.

Other than that it's like comparing apples and oranges. Until you spend time with both you may not know which you prefer so at this point get the 9.25. It's a great scope.

[hosemonkey]

well, against the advice some my life, they think I will get bored with it, I will order the cpc...........

I do tend to get into hobbies then drop them...........

[Bob Griffiths]

well, against the advice some my life, they think I will get bored with it, I will order the cpc...........

I do tend to get into hobbies then drop them...........

Why not spend a lot less money and buy an inexpensive telescope for now and see if Astronomy is for you or not...

Astronomy is a hobby that requires a little effort to enjoy...in the dead of winter you have to be willing to stand outside in the cold, and after a hard days work at the Mill finding the effort to lug a lot of equipment outside may be harder then you think...

Personally I'd recommend a much less expensive scope at first.then if you get hooked like most of us here on CN sell the darn thing..if you find that astronomy is not for you then sell the thing and think of the loss (not a lot) as cheap rental
etc...

Bob G

[BruceNorEast]

I agree with Bob, and there are lots of good deals for used equipment; if you shop them for a bit, you can get a good idea for what's fair market value and should be able to recoup your money if you decide that it's not for you.

As an aside, since I purchased my "real" scopes (a 120mm refractor and an 8" SCT), I've probably only had a couple of nights of good seeing - far more involved lugging everything out, letting it cool down (which took a long time in the winter months) only to see the clouds roll in or badly scintilating stars & blurry planetary views, or DSOs washed out in moonlight.

As much as I'd love to purchase a CPC with more aperature (my C8 only has an RA drive to follow objects), I'm currently thinking that I'd get much more benifit from some kind of roll-off-roof shed; I could be operational in minutes, and the bother of setup/cleanup would not be a hinderance...

[rboe]

He lives in Florida, the dead of Winter will be perfect viewing weather and longer nights. You guys!

Besides, he buys it, gets out of the hobby and sells to us for a discount. Win Win!

HM: There is the Winter Star Party down your way come next Winter - highly recommended that you check it out. Lot's of folks, lot's of gear and a great way to pick up on some pointers (to say nothing of stealing views in some very nice optics). Good way to bench mark your own gear (you'll find that the C9.25 will do very well compared to some high priced scopes with sterling reps).

[Hal Pollner]

HEY DOUG:

I also agree with Bob. Start with something simple, small, inexpensive, and manageable, just to see if the hobby is for you.

Something like this, my former 17.5" Discovery PDHQ, for example:

Hal

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[Zoomster]

HoseMonkey- Stop by MOSI sometime for our public viewing nights, the next one is in June, the 17th I believe, we have a couple of 12 inch Dobs, A couple of CPC 9.25s and various others set up by the MARS Club. That way you cn compare side by side. I may even bring out my CPC 1100, ya' never know and it's always a good time.

Kurt

P.S. Give me a call at MOSI @ 813-987-6050 if you want more info.

[Bill Harden]

You can pick up a pre-owned Celestron 8" Nexstar for between 4 and 7 hundred bucks. These scopes are an excellent introduction to AA. You will get the apeture, clarity, and most bang for the buck. Then if you're not turned on, re-sell it and not lose dime (maybe).
Good Luck

[Barry C]

I also agree with Bob. Start with something simple, small, inexpensive, and manageable, just to see if the hobby is for you.

Something like this, my former 17.5" Discovery PDHQ, for example:

[hosemonkey]

Have an old 114 celestron I bought my daughter 8 years ago. Never did get it out much because it was a pain to find anything other then the moon and took much time getting a hold of saturn. This is why I would like a goto scope and if I get one I would like to while there is a rebate..........

Where is this winter star party rboe?

[rboe]

Here you go, the site of the Club that puts it on.

Don't blame me if you spend too much money.
http://www.scas.org/wsp.html

[rboe]

I had to go back a few pages but here is the thread on our site about it. Its' quite long so if you jump to the end you'll see some pictures.

[BruceNorEast]

Florida?
DOH!

Thanks Ron.

PS; in my weaker moments, I'm dangerously tempted to put one of those shiny new goto SCTs on my charge card...

[Digital Don]

"PS; in my weaker moments, I'm dangerously tempted to put one of those shiny new goto SCTs on my charge card..."

Strike while the iron's hot and the $200 rebates are flying!

That's what convinced me... not that I needed much convincing!

Don:usa:

[rboe]

Exactly what I did back in '02 or so. Chance let me buy a big dob a few years later - I've found I prefer dobs unless I really really want to find something (oddly enough the SCT is a killer on the planets so I prefer it for those too - and outreach).

[hosemonkey]

"PS; in my weaker moments, I'm dangerously tempted to put one of those shiny new goto SCTs on my charge card..."

Strike while the iron's hot and the $200 rebates are flying!

That's what convinced me... not that I needed much convincing!

Don:usa:

Too make it more interesting, Telescope.com has free financing for a year........

[hosemonkey]

One more thing guys...Fot the price of the above scope, I am wanting to see more then planets, Ive looked through scopes at planets, moons and a cluster and know what to expect,but is this scope going to bring in many clusters, and other sites that don't all look the same?

Also, can you power the cpc from any car battery or does it have to be a certain amperage?