6 replies to this topic

[psybiggs]

I'm super excited - just picked up a Celestron CB-80 off Kijiji for 50 bucks Canadian (I know, right!?).  It's in great shape, optics are clean, the focuser is smooth - included original silvertop 26mm plossl, finder, mount, tray and a triangular shaped accessory case which I'd never seen before.  The seller was telling me his wife had bought it for him 35 years ago.  Are they really from the early 80's?  My first scope was a C4.5 which I bought in the late 80's, but I don't remember the CB-80. And what does the B stand for?  Cheers.

[randcpoll]

These were made from early '80s into the '90s. The fact that the model is CB-80 and not C80 indicates it's an earlier one. I haven't found anyone who can state for sure why the CB. You have a nice scope but you will want to put it on one of your other mounts to use it on the sky. The triangular plastic cases were standard for many of the Celestron scopes of the era.

[Jon Isaacs]

Steve:

 

Great find..  I love those 80 mm F/11's .

 

You do realize posting at least 2 photos is mandatory ? 

 

Jon

[sdedalus83]

These were made from early '80s into the '90s. The fact that the model is CB-80 and not C80 indicates it's an earlier one. I haven't found anyone who can state for sure why the CB. You have a nice scope but you will want to put it on one of your other mounts to use it on the sky. The triangular plastic cases were standard for many of the Celestron scopes of the era.

Didn't Celestron sell an 80mm f12.5 on the same mount in the early 80s?  

[psybiggs]

Steve:

 

Great find..  I love those 80 mm F/11's .

 

You do realize posting at least 2 photos is mandatory ? 

 

Jon

Jon, here you go...

[kansas skies]

It's just speculation on my part, but I'm wondering if the "B" might signify black. If this is an early C80 model, it's possible that it was made during the transition from orange to black.

 

Bill

[memento]

Nice scope. The tube of this one looks exactly the same as my brother's Super Polaris C80. Same non-adjustable lens cell and fixed finderscope.

 

 

He bought his new in 1988 in Germany, they were imported a short time like that by the Dr. Vehrenberg KG which was THE Vixen and Celestron dealer over here back in the days. They sold the Vixen branded ones all the time and those black Celestron ones were only imported very briefly, basically they were marketed more like as special edition over here.

 

I am not sure if the different lens cells (collimatable or not) or the finder scopes (can be mounted in different angles or not) help with dating the scope. Sometimes it seems to be more that Vixen just rolled a dice every morning to decide which variant they're building that day. Thomas