5857 replies to this topic

[CHASLX200]

Had one. In very good seeing, it will do more than 450x on Saturn and stay razor sharp.

 

Bob

Should be better than the 2 6" ED's i had.

[starman876]

Had one. In very good seeing, it will do more than 450x on Saturn and stay razor sharp.

 

Bob

The 6" F8 AP I had would do 450x and more.   These were the scopes that were advertised by AP to do 600X

[CHASLX200]

The 6" F8 AP I had would do 450x and more.   These were the scopes that were advertised by AP to do 600X

600x is dim jim in any 6" on the planets.  450x is about the max before Jup and Sat become dim.

[apfever]

AP, TAK, toss in a Zambuto too, why not.  I need a break. 

 

Let's go total cheese ball low end kiddie corner scope. Well sorta, it's going to creep back into the ritzy snitzy world (royaly) but I'll get to that part of the find later. This also ties into the "Classic Ads" string because it's about packing by Shop Goodwill (dot com). Each SGW location is independent so your luck and your mileage might vary.  You're doing good if you get this particular location.

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[apfever]

This packing job actually kind of freaked me out because I made no special request, no contact, I let it fly and it's a delicate scope. This was worth the quest. I took the pictures as I went, no back track, you see it as I did.  All five top sides had a FRAGILE sticker and nicely place by any other label on that side.  

 

The original scope box was nicely suspended on all sides by this stuff that I haven't seen before. It's better than packing peanuts in my book. 

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[apfever]

It's shredded cardboard strips. Not only does it do a great job but it's a way cool 'green' way to go.

 

The original scope box looked a little loosy goosy in the auction ad.  It was completely wrapped with the stretchy self tack shipping plastic stuff.

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Edited by apfever, 23 June 2025 - 11:09 PM.

[apfever]

The ad photos showed the box open with the scope inside. There were delicate floppy tabs and the 'handle' which was in two parts that folded together.  Somebody at that store carefully put the tabs back in their lock slots without even buckling the tabs, then folded the handle together and laid it flat before the plastic wrap. Couldn't have been done better. I popped it open for the photo (crispy tabs)....hadn't looked inside yet. It's always the flubbered loose contents that are a concern....

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[apfever]

Unbelievable.

 

It wasn't as crammed as it might appear. The case opens across the middle and it also puffed a hair when I opened it. Not too tight and not loose. 

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[apfever]

Pretty much perfect condition for cosmetics, mechanics, and accessories. The optics are very nice, nothing gunked up. The primary could be touched up just a little but certainly not necessary and the eyepiece as good as it gets.  It was first light in daylight, before collimation, and not too shabby at all. I'd have to say for the level of the scope and construction it deserves a Freaky Sharp. Did you catch that Chas? Good detail in the power line towers miles away, and hills behind them.  THEN I collimated it according to the instructions (took 30 seconds). 

 

The top of the box is a little concave from sitting correctly upright for probably decades, but still crispy sharp and I can re form the top back straight. I think this scope spent almost all it's life stored somewhere - safely. A little dusty in the cardboard top but it looks like SGW dusted off anything heavy before the wrap. 

 

That's a wrap. For now.

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Edited by apfever, 24 June 2025 - 12:04 AM.

[starman876]

Pretty much perfect condition for cosmetics, mechanics, and accessories. The optics are very nice, nothing gunked up. The primary could be touched up just a little but certainly not necessary and the eyepiece as good as it gets.  It was first light in daylight, before collimation, and not too shabby at all. I'd have to say for the level of the scope and construction it deserves a Freaky Sharp. Did you catch that Chas? Good detail in the power line towers miles away, and hills behind them.  THEN I collimated it according to the instructions (took 30 seconds). 

 

The top of the box is a little concave from sitting correctly upright for probably decades, but still crispy sharp and I can re form the top back straight. I think this scope spent almost all it's life stored somewhere - safely. A little dusty in the cardboard top but it looks like SGW dusted off anything heavy before the wrap. 

 

That's a wrap. For now.

wow.  Nice job packing,  Someone cared to make sure you would get it in one piece.    

[apfever]

SGW might have had a scope person there. The ad had 6 pictures including the primary, all sides, even the back, the box, the works. I took screen shots. 

[Cavs56]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

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[starman876]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

nice looking scope.

[ericb760]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

I thought I was satisfied with my C4.5, but after seeing this I may have to sysrt my own hunt for one. Beautiful scope!

Edited by ericb760, 24 June 2025 - 07:43 PM.

[apfever]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

That is an exceptional score beyond what the eye can see, looking at it or through it.  Check the label on the OTA to see if it is designated as only a C6 or the later SP-C6.  You are short a standard counterweight that came with it if it is strictly a C6 on Polaris mount. It came with a large weight shown and a smaller weight that is the C4.5 size. 

The C6 came with a much heavier latitude bracket for the fine adjust lat bolt. The weight of the OTA and the two counterweights was too much stress for the standard C4.5 bracket. 

It has the longest of the threaded weight shafts.

The tripod legs are some of the nicest on all the Polaris and Super Polaris Celestron series. There were two versions of these adjustable legs.  The very earliest ones have large leg tips that are flat(ish) on the front and back, and very hard to find. The later C6 Polaris legs have round tips. 

All the above can be seen. What is inside the mount can't be seen.

 

The C6 Polaris mount and the very earliest C4.5 Polaris have heavier gears inside. They also have solid piping with better fits which were lightened up later with open slots. There are other small details - I don't remember them all.  Here are the two types of RA gears in the Polaris mount. Most of them are the kind on the right. You get the kind on the left. These mounts usually have red numbers on the DEC setting circles instead of being all black, but not always. 

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Edited by apfever, 24 June 2025 - 10:01 PM.

[apfever]

I found some of my files on these. This is something to look for. See if you have a brass gear or a plastic gear for the focuser. You can see the gear by looking at the focuser from inside the OTA. Check the condition of the gear if it is plastic. I've never seen brass go bad but I've seen some chewed up plastic ones - not many. 

Also pick up one or two metric nuts M16x2.0 and a few 5/8" nylon washers. Flick your counterweights onto them, you'll like it.  

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[Cavs56]

The postage stamp says 1-85. So made in 1984. I have a spare Polaris mount that had two weights. I took the 2lb weight off and added it to the C-6 it now balances properly. I also took the toe saver nut off of the spare mount. The focuser has plastic gears. I have a focuser rebuild kit from Celestron if needed. Why I have it I don’t know I have an old telescope wood box full of crap. Glad I kept it just in case.

[CHASLX200]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

The last of real Newts.

[apfever]

There is a small focuser lock to the far right of the focus knob. Remove it and run the focuser down. You can then see the crazy needle point on the lock screw, and the narrow track on the sled it goes into. It wasn't a great idea and will tear things up left and right (literally) when you lock and forget about it. 

People try to use it to set the focuser tension and that tears things up. There are two very small micro set screws on the other side of the focuser to set the sled clearance. 

 

I've had a few of these over the years from the earliest with the heavier legs to the Super Polaris SP-C6, all gone now. Every last one had great optics to where I did more critical viewing test on some of them, not all.  Great Optics!   

 

These are a collector item and were a short run before Celestron moved the OTA to the Super Polaris SP-C6 series. You'll find the mount maxed out for the OTA and extra weights but it works. Complaints about the load is what had Celestron quickly move the OTA to the SP. I never had an issue with one, I'll do a light finger touch to stabilize things without thinking about it.  You Scored on a vintage performer, sweet OTA, and best Celestron Polaris mount.  Congrats. I'm a little envious as I never had the C6 Polaris come with a drive. I did have some SP-C6 come with drives. 

[Senex Bibax]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

Sweet. I assume from its year of manufacture that it is sourced from Vixen?

[CHASLX200]

Sweet. I assume from its year of manufacture that it is sourced from Vixen?

Ya. Only scopes Celestron sold that would avg very good since Vixen made them.

[apfever]

Yes, Vixen for every model and configuration OTA and mount/tripod in the series as far as I know.  These are almost all gone now. I still have my O.T. C80 on Polaris and a C4.5.  I've worked through a lot more than this over the years.  OHHHHHH, Big change: Cavs56's mount should have the steel RA worm casting instead of the later brass ones. The worm/pinion shaft is a single casting and the steel is far superior but once again short lived before going brass Chas. (I couldn't resist)  The entire RA and DEC worm assemblies with mounting blocks are interchangeable.  The RA is a double shaft, the DEC are single shafts. I put a double steel shaft on the RA and DEC of my O.T. C80 Polaris. 

 

The red arrow points to the 'square' tipped tripod only used on the first C6 Polaris. I put them on that SP mount. 

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[CHASLX200]

Yes, Vixen for every model and configuration OTA and mount/tripod in the series as far as I know.  These are almost all gone now. I still have my O.T. C80 on Polaris and a C4.5.  I've worked through a lot more than this over the years.  OHHHHHH, Big change: Cavs56's mount should have the steel RA worm casting instead of the later brass ones. The worm/pinion shaft is a single casting and the steel is far superior but once again short lived before going brass Chas. (I couldn't resist)  The entire RA and DEC worm assemblies with mounting blocks are interchangeable.  The RA is a double shaft, the DEC are single shafts. I put a double steel shaft on the RA and DEC of my O.T. C80 Polaris. 

 

The red arrow points to the 'square' tipped tripod only used on the first C6 Polaris. I put them on that SP mount. 

All super well made and BOOM what a huge step down C took in 1997 with the bad CG4 and 5 mounts and dumbed down OTA's from China with the first gen stuff.

[jkmccarthy]

Picked up a c-6 Celestron today. Excellent condition mirrors look great. Came with two Celestron/Vixen eyepieces and the 12v clock drive. All the original paperwork including the original envelope addressed to the buyer from Cincinnati. I think I’ll take it Florida this winter. Doesn’t need anything, I collimated it and hope to get it out tonight.

Congrats Cavs56 !    I just wanted to chime in that --- judging from the large majority of comments found in the CN forums --- the Vixen hand-controllers are happier (and live longer) if supplied with 9V DC power (center negative for all except the DD-3) rather than 12V.     Posts #233 -- #251 starting in a Vixen-specific CN Mounts forum thread here:

 

https://www.cloudyni...ade/?p=13482598

 

... survey numerous options available for providing portable 9V DC power having center-negative polarity.  Contributors radiofm74 (post #240) and beecee (post #249) describe what strike me as the most elegant options, but take a look and see what you think ....

 

Hope this helps,

 

        -- Jim

[starman876]

Yes, Vixen for every model and configuration OTA and mount/tripod in the series as far as I know.  These are almost all gone now. I still have my O.T. C80 on Polaris and a C4.5.  I've worked through a lot more than this over the years.  OHHHHHH, Big change: Cavs56's mount should have the steel RA worm casting instead of the later brass ones. The worm/pinion shaft is a single casting and the steel is far superior but once again short lived before going brass Chas. (I couldn't resist)  The entire RA and DEC worm assemblies with mounting blocks are interchangeable.  The RA is a double shaft, the DEC are single shafts. I put a double steel shaft on the RA and DEC of my O.T. C80 Polaris. 

 

The red arrow points to the 'square' tipped tripod only used on the first C6 Polaris. I put them on that SP mount. 

love those wood tripods