20 replies to this topic

[maknswarf]

Hello everyone, I found a nice looking SP-C6 for sale on FB with the Super Polaris mount and tripod for $380. The guy said the mirror needs cleaning but he is scared of "opening it up" to take a picture, so he invited me to come check it out, I can imagine its really dirty due to the amount of dust on the tube.

It just seems like $380 is too high for a 1980s scope, is this scope as good as I have heard some people say it is, and can drive motors be attached to the mount?

Thanks for all the help!

[mashirts]

Not horribly unreasonable.  The OTA's go for $100-$200.  I don't know the market for super polaris mounts.   

 

It took a year of following an 80's 80mm refractor and mount on a local craigslist ad that started at $150.  I kept his phone number and kept in touch with him.  Got it for $80 eventually.

Edited by mashirts, 21 June 2019 - 12:12 PM.

[Terra Nova]

Agreed! $200-250 for the mount and tripod depending on condition, $150 for the OTA. Offer $350 but $380 is still a fair deal.

[aa6ww]

When I was a kid, that was the big dream scope I wanted once I had my 60mm Tasco. I never got one but I still look for a clean one when they go up for sale.

 

Any price is right if you want it bad enough and can pay the price.

 

...Ralph

[Nippon]

I had one for years in the 90s and liked it a lot. Vixen no longer makes the motors or controllers for the SP or GP mounts. I know the dual axis drive for the Orion Sky View Pro will work on a GP and will work in theory on an SP. The SP mounts used the same Vixen motors as the GP but the mounting of the RA motor was done with a dovetail on the motor and grub screws to mount the RA motor rather than a through bolt like the GP and Sky View mounts. Earlier SP mounts used a separate bracket to mount the declination motor while later versions the bracket was cast in to the tube saddle. I can tell you from experience drive components for SP and GP mounts are hard to find. That said SP mounts have very smooth slow motions and very nice setting circles and the SP C6 is a very nice rich field scope and does better than one would think on planets. The focuser is a sled type and I don't believe there is any way to use 2" eyepieces.

[CHASLX200]

I would go $400 for a complete super nice setup.  With working motors $500.  I have had two in the past and both had super optics.

[RAK on Tour]

There actually is a way to use 2-inch eyepieces with an SP-C6. Search for SP-C6 in cloudynights for the various threads on this scope. One user found a way, using a couple of adapters. It's been awhile since that thread was posted.

 

Roger

[maknswarf]

Thanks everyone for the info, I'm going to go check it out when I get back from vacation, the guy said I'm the 1st to contact him about the scope. Although, I told him if he gets an offer to feel free to take it, since I really shouldn't be buying another scope😂

It is a real beautiful piece (besides the dust) though I'm not sure if I want to drop $300+ on a scope thats as old as I am, plus the added difficulty of the sled focuser. Ill let y'all know if I pick it up😁

Edited by maknswarf, 21 June 2019 - 09:00 PM.

[*skyguy*]

A few years ago, I purchased a Celestron/Vixen C6 f/5 reflector (sled focuser model) on a Celestron/Vixen Polaris mount (not the SP mount). The optics in the OTA were very good. They compared very favorably with those in my Criterion Dynascope RV-6 reflector.

 

I was really only interested in the Polaris mount, so I placed the 6" OTA for sale on CN. The scope sold within a couple of hours for my asking price of $200 USD. Super Polaris mounts go for around $250 in very good condition. Adding options like a clock drive and polar scope will boost the price. So, $380 for the both the scope and mount isn't unreasonable. However, I won't mention the the super great deal I got on my C6 scope and mount.

 

BTW, I've owned three scopes with sled focusers ... the C6, Celestron Comet catcher and a homemade 2" sled on my 26" Dobsonian. The Celestron sleds have small screws that will make fine adjustmens to the tension on the tracks. It's a little tricky to get it right, but when properly adjusted, its performance is very similar to a standard rack and pinion focuser.

[apfever]

The brood. One more Polaris mount not shown, special C6 version.

I like the basic ballpark all the prices have hit in. 

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[apfever]

Here are the two SP, one full manual, one full factory drives.  Both of these are for an SP-C6 as labeled. 

Don't get a side by side look often.

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[apfever]

This is the full manual SP-C6 package.  I have an appreciation for originality, and using quality.  By having all the goods, it's kind of like the box was just opened when using it.  This one is perfect to the parts list in the manual. It's interesting that the ortho was......18mm instead of 25?  I'd have to check the numbers, but it's the exact same model. I kept these on the enclosed back porch last season for grab and go. I brought them in for the winter and here they still sit, with other scopes I'd like to use now. The pamphlet page is the C4.5 and C6.  This booklet is loaded with several pages of typical Celestron pictures. 

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[apfever]

I'd highly suggest checking the C6 sled focuser for a brass gear instead of the plastic gear.  I've never seen the brass fail, I have seen the plastic fail.

Edited by apfever, 22 June 2019 - 01:41 PM.

[No N in collimation]

When I was a kid, that was the big dream scope I wanted once I had my 60mm Tasco. I never got one but I still look for a clean one when they go up for sale.

 

Any price is right if you want it bad enough and can pay the price.

 

...Ralph

 

You still looking for one, Ralph? There is one for sale here on CN: 

 

https://www.cloudyni...p-c6-telescope/

[danielgolite]

   I used to own this telescope and would also say to look at the sled focuser carefully. Mine had the plastic gears and was not as smooth as I would have liked. The focus knob didn't seem securely attached.

 

     One other point- the collimation of the primary mirror on mine was controlled by a "push-pull" system. Pairs of screws were spaced around the bottom of the primary mirror. If you loosened one screw, you would tighten the other in the pair and this controlled the mirror. Sounds easy but in practice I never became skilled in collimating it. It is an f5 mirror so you really want it to be collimated or planetary views won't be sharp.

 

    The telescope is impressive to see and the mount is very nice. 

[msbluelicious]

I'm so glad I came upon this post! did you end up getting this scope? I have it and only recently have gotten a chance to use it. I say use it loosely tho hahah 

If anyone here can share more info/experience with it, tips, etc. I would love to hear about it!  

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[msbluelicious]

forgot to mention that there were some folks here on CN that helped me figure out the spacer tubes/how to use it too! here's a pic!

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[TwitchyMcJoe]

I've actually been trying to purchase an SP-C6 for a week or two (turned out, a six-month-old ad was still up on FB marketplace, and the scope was promised to someone else after there were no takers), but I did find: https://www.cloudyni...ror-cell-apart/ with a lot of information in the description. Everlastingsky has a lot of good info and pictures with SP-C6 modifications.

The manual for the scope, however, is no longer on celestron's website. (That's one reason I was looking at that aforementioned FBM ad, it had literally everything from when it was bought in 1986.)

EDIT: Speak of the devil, it looks like I'm picking the aforementioned one up on Sunday.

EDIT EDIT: Assuming all goes well, I'll scan the original manual, since I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Edited by TwitchyMcJoe, 22 December 2021 - 02:56 PM.

[TwitchyMcJoe]

I don't like double-posting, but I did upload the manual that came with my SP-C6 onto archive.org (https://archive.org/...n-sp-c-6-manual).

Does anyone else know of another source since Celestron removed it from their website?

I thought I could find the Vixen manual for it, but I also can't find a manual (English or Japanese) for the Vixen R150S.

[msbluelicious]

thank you for uploading the original manual~ looking forward to seeing pics!

[Exnihilo]

I would go $400 for a complete super nice setup.  With working motors $500.  I have had two in the past and both had super optics.

Working motors are one thing, a working drive controller is quite another, they are harder to find.