19 replies to this topic

[erseavetir]

Hi all!

 

I am a beginner and I had an urgent question as I am trying to buy this "Celestron NexStar 4 SE Maksutov" telescope as it's $330 off on it's regular price and it's one of the only computerized telescopes with a good Black Friday sale that is still in stock on the Adorama website:

adorama.com/cnn4se.html

 

I live in Toronto with light pollution so I'll use this telescope to view planetary objects but what I am most excited about is to view the great conjunction on December 21st and I'll get to receive this telescope before that by the looks of it.

 

My question is, I wanted to get the "Celestron 93230 8 to 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece" for this telescope as I love zoom eyepieces and that's also on sale on the website but I am not sure if this zoom eyepiece would go well with that telescope.

 

Can someone please help me with this? I'd really appreciate any help.

 

Thank you all!

[jgauthi845]

I have the Celestron Zoom 8-24 for the Nexstar 6 SE and was very pleased with its performance. I also used it in an older C8 and it also worked fine. I think you will enjoy it!

[Sky King]

Hi, Yes they will work together. You may also want a barlow lens to make the planets appear a little larger. This field of view calculator will give you an idea of what apparent size to expect. Pick visual, Jupiter, add Celestron 4se and 8mm celestron lens and add to view, then do it again with the same info and a 2x barlow added.

Edited by Sky King, 27 November 2020 - 03:36 PM.

[Stargezzer]

I have this zoom EP and use it on all of my scopes. It is a real time saver and will let you know very quickly your useful magnification. The post that mentioned getting a Barlow is right on....also a very useful tool.

[f74265a]

If you get the zoom you won’t need the Barlow for the conjunction. I believe your scope is 1325 mm focal length meaning the 8 will get 165x. The conjunction will be super low in the sky from Toronto so the murky atmosphere will preclude any clear views at high power— I suspect the atmospheric limit will be well south of 165x. Barlow could be good for planet season next summer when they will be higher in the sky

[erseavetir]

Thank you guys so much indeed, super useful info! I can't wait to finally own my own telescope like my father and I am very curious and excited to see the computerized mount in action. 

 

If I may ask one other question; would it be OK if I left the telescope on the balcony time to time or should I always keep it inside. My balcony will be very cold as I'll be in 15th floor and I am not sure if this type of telescope should be stored properly or if it doesn't matter when I leave it in the balcony (I'll only use it in my balcony). Thanks again!

Edited by erseavetir, 27 November 2020 - 09:14 PM.

[LDW47]

Thank you guys so much indeed, super useful info! I can't wait to finally own my own telescope like my father and I am very curious and excited to see the computerized mount in action. 

 

If I may ask one other question; would it be OK if I left the telescope on the balcony time to time or should I always keep it inside. My balcony will be very cold as I'll be in 15th floor and I am not sure if this type of telescope should be stored properly or if it doesn't matter when I leave it in the balcony (I'll only use it in my balcony). Thanks again!

As long as it doesn’t get rained on or thrown around by the wind it will be OK, just cover it litely but securely against the TO weather off the big lakes ! I kept mine in my shed down to -40° ! Its a pretty lite scope, it won’t be hard to move in and out as required.

Edited by LDW47, 27 November 2020 - 09:51 PM.

[LDW47]

Here is a couple of pics I took with my 4se with a Samsung Note 4 attached to an iOptron Universal Adapter and its own 10x ep !

 

[erseavetir]

Amazing images! Btw, I think I'll end up buying the Celestron NexStar 6 SE over the 4 SE since I may as well get a better one while I can. 8 SE goes way over my budget so I won't go that far. I assume the celestron zoom eyepiece would still work well with the 6 SE as well?

 

Considering I live in Toronto with light pollution and I'll only use my telescope on the balcony (L shaped with two different angles luckily), if you guys happen to know a better telescope (beginner friendly&computerized, easy set up etc.) on the same price range ($1250 CAD at most), like a better (Black Friday) deal on another telescope that ends up being on the same price range as the 6 SE or lower price range but still comparable to 6 SE, then please let me know. 

 

I was initially hunting for a good Black Friday telescope deal but couldn't really find one with these higher end beginner friendly computerized models and that Adorama website was saying $330 OFF for the 4 SE but when I looked on other websites I could find similar deals (plus they wanted a whooping $150 for shipping which is insane to me, especially if I get hit with the custom duties as well which the website says I may and I don't know if the price they are giving me is in Canadian dollars or American dollars even after I connect to PayPal so it's very sketchy) and after watching this video: "CELESTRON NEXSTAR 8SEvs 6SE vs 4SE" I thought 6 SE would be way better for me than 4 SE. 

 

At the moment I'll just try to compare the price point of the websites (shipping to Toronto, tax&duties, which website has better Black Friday promo codes etc.) that has the 6 SE in stock currently and then probably make my purchase over the weekend but in the meanwhile I am open to any other telescope suggestions if you guys know good deals for today that wouldn't ship the telescope for more than 8 business days.

 

I may still end up buying the 4 SE or maybe even the 5 SE depending on how much I'll like the price differences after I see the checkout prices but we'll see.

Edited by erseavetir, 27 November 2020 - 11:20 PM.

[Sky King]

Yes the zoom will work with the 6SE too. If you have a lot of light pollution you might want to explore EAA. You could start with a less expensive camera like the ASI224MC or ASI120MM. Have fun! 

[LDW47]

Amazing images! Btw, I think I'll end up buying the Celestron NexStar 6 SE over the 4 SE since I may as well get a better one while I can. 8 SE goes way over my budget so I won't go that far. I assume the celestron zoom eyepiece would still work well with the 6 SE as well?

 

Considering I live in Toronto with light pollution and I'll only use my telescope on the balcony (L shaped with two different angles luckily), if you guys happen to know a better telescope (beginner friendly&computerized, easy set up etc.) on the same price range ($1250 CAD at most), like a better (Black Friday) deal on another telescope that ends up being on the same price range as the 6 SE or lower price range but still comparable to 6 SE, then please let me know. 

 

I was initially hunting for a good Black Friday telescope deal but couldn't really find one with these higher end beginner friendly computerized models and that Adorama website was saying $330 OFF for the 4 SE but when I looked on other websites I could find similar deals (plus they wanted a whooping $150 for shipping which is insane to me, especially if I get hit with the custom duties as well which the website says I may and I don't know if the price they are giving me is in Canadian dollars or American dollars even after I connect to PayPal so it's very sketchy) and after watching this video: "CELESTRON NEXSTAR 8SEvs 6SE vs 4SE" I thought 6 SE would be way better for me than 4 SE. 

 

At the moment I'll just try to compare the price point of the websites (shipping to Toronto, tax&duties, which website has better Black Friday promo codes etc.) that has the 6 SE in stock currently and then probably make my purchase over the weekend but in the meanwhile I am open to any other telescope suggestions if you guys know good deals for today that wouldn't ship the telescope for more than 8 business days.

 

I may still end up buying the 4 SE or maybe even the 5 SE depending on how much I'll like the price differences after I see the checkout prices but we'll see.

When buying astronomy gear from the US, if it is clearly identified on the customs declaration on the outside of the package there is no duties but you will have to pay Canadian sales tax on the Canadian value of the item. The tax is usually paid when you pick it up from the carrier before they release it to you ! Always deal with companies that ship USPS its the best of them all buy far, many couriers charge exorbitant brokerage fees ie. as you said $150 to ship, USPS would be less than half that !

[AJK 547]

erseavetir, I think you’re gonna like the 6SE quite a bit!  When I got my 1st 6SE a few years back, I was rewarded with some of my best views of Jove and Saturn on a ‘magical’ evening of steady air.  I easily saw Joves ‘festoons’ in the NEB... and even observed ~3 ‘barges’ within the NEB that evening.  Saturns ‘Cassini’ presented itself as distinct and ‘crisp’... with subtle surface banding in the northern hemisphere.  I use my Baader Hyperion zoom quite often on both the C6’s and C8-A, and if conditions and visual target require a barlow, the 2.25X Baader barlow is a nice match to the BHZ.

 

I know you don’t want to consider the C8, but I thought I’d tease you a bit with a simple ‘afocal’ image I took with my C8-A + Vixen HR 3.4.... FWIW, when you carefully collimate, acclimate the ‘scope to ambient temps, pay extreme attention to precise focus and wait for those few visual observing nights of extremely stable air column... you are rewarded with some great views.  

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by AJK 547, 28 November 2020 - 11:13 AM.

[LDW47]

Here is a couple of pics I took with my 4se with a Samsung Note 4 attached to an iOptron Universal Adapter and its own 10x ep !

 

43BE7A48-2DFC-4B58-AED1-82E23F3ACAA4.jpeg

29FCAC14-35C4-4451-8E69-164769982E2B.jpeg

C030CC93-5F7B-484D-B587-DB0774C12699.jpeg

These were taken in the middle of the afternoon not at nite !

[Stargezzer]

I keep my gear inside and have had no issues for many years now. My equipment is just like a child.....don't leave them out in the weather! BTW I had a 6se and it was an excellent OTA. I have had my 8se for 6 years and have no complaints.

[ShaulaB]

Yes, I have this Zoom and use it with a 4SE. Before covid, this combination was mainly used for outreach. Changing eyepieces is not something you want to do with 20 people in line.

[YoungStargazer]

Hi all!

 

I am a beginner and I had an urgent question as I am trying to buy this "Celestron NexStar 4 SE Maksutov" telescope as it's $330 off on it's regular price and it's one of the only computerized telescopes with a good Black Friday sale that is still in stock on the Adorama website:

adorama.com/cnn4se.html

 

I live in Toronto with light pollution so I'll use this telescope to view planetary objects but what I am most excited about is to view the great conjunction on December 21st and I'll get to receive this telescope before that by the looks of it.

 

My question is, I wanted to get the "Celestron 93230 8 to 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece" for this telescope as I love zoom eyepieces and that's also on sale on the website but I am not sure if this zoom eyepiece would go well with that telescope.

 

Can someone please help me with this? I'd really appreciate any help.

 

Thank you all!

Hahahaha... wow a lot of people jumping in for pretty much the same factors.

 

Hi, fellow Torontonian here as well.

 

I also picked up a new NexStar SE because of Black Friday sales, also one of the many reasons was to watch the Dec 21 Saturn + Jupiter conjuntion

 

Unfortunately all the stuff I ordered will not arrive until after that date.

 

I did a lot of research, review, and reading before picking up all the accessories.

 

Anyway for the Lenses / Zoom I went with the Hyperion 8-24mm Mark IV Zoom Eyepiece which was on sale along with Hyperion Zoom Barlow Lens both were sold out.

 

Originally I was going to pick up a Lense Kit until I read they were really not that useful, instead a single adjustable zoom lense is more intuitive and easier to use than swapping lenses for different zooms.

 

The Celestron 93230 8 to 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece you are referencing was also one of my top choices as it was a no brainer going with the same brand, but then I did some more research and reading more into it, it appeasr the Hyperion zoom piece is the most favoured one by the Pros, it's pretty much the same thing, but the Hyperion has the click-lock feature, it's a very minor thing, but it feels more like the DSLR camera lense with the clicks as your rotate the zoom, so you know how many level you zoomed in or zoomed out.

 

I'm also looking for a good lense for light pollution in Toronto and the GTA area. I got a threat going here "Does Celestron 94123 work to filter out light pollution?"

Edited by YoungStargazer, 29 November 2020 - 06:50 PM.

[LDW47]

Hahahaha... wow a lot of people jumping in for pretty much the same factors.

 

Hi, fellow Torontonian here as well.

 

I also picked up a new NexStar SE because of Black Friday sales, also one of the many reasons was to watch the Dec 21 Saturn + Jupiter conjuntion

 

Unfortunately all the stuff I ordered will not arrive until after that date.

 

I did a lot of research, review, and reading before picking up all the accessories.

 

Anyway for the Lenses / Zoom I went with the Hyperion 8-24mm Mark IV Zoom Eyepiece which was on sale along with Hyperion Zoom Barlow Lens both were sold out.

 

Originally I was going to pick up a Lense Kit until I read they were really not that useful, instead a single adjustable zoom lense is more intuitive and easier to use than swapping lenses for different zooms.

 

The Celestron 93230 8 to 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece you are referencing was also one of my top choices as it was a no brainer going with the same brand, but then I did some more research and reading more into it, it appeasr the Hyperion zoom piece is the most favoured one by the Pros, it's pretty much the same thing, but the Hyperion has the click-lock feature, it's a very minor thing, but it feels more like the DSLR camera lense with the clicks as your rotate the zoom, so you know how many level you zoomed in or zoomed out.

 

I'm also looking for a good lense for light pollution in Toronto and the GTA area. I got a threat going here "Does Celestron 94123 work to filter out light pollution?"

First you don’t need the click lock, when you are going at it viewing you will lose all track of the clicks, what they represent, you’ll be too busy lookin’ ! There are zooms for about 1/4 the price that more than hold their own against the Hyperion but if you are a little doubting, a little inexperienced then stick with the high priced eps ! Clear zoomed skize ! 

[Second Time Around]

I recall that in a head-to-head comparison one of the new Svbony/Orion E series zooms came out sharper than the Celestron but behind the Baader.  The Baader has much the biggest field of view, the Celestron was a little ahead of the Svbony in FOV.

 

I have both the Svbony 7-21mm and Baader 8-24mm zooms.  The Baader is definitely sharper and has more contrast away from the centre of the field of view.  This however is at f/6, but there's likely to be less difference in your Mak.  I don't have experience with these so am not qualified to say for sure.

 

The Baader zoom is a better eyepiece than the Svbony/Orion, but whether it's worth the extra money is up to the individual.

 

By the way, the Svbony 7-21mm is reputed to be identical to the Orion E series.  I'm in the UK and bought the Svbony from Aliexpress; it arrived in less than a week.

[SteveG]

 

If I may ask one other question; would it be OK if I left the telescope on the balcony time to time or should I always keep it inside. My balcony will be very cold as I'll be in 15th floor and I am not sure if this type of telescope should be stored properly or if it doesn't matter when I leave it in the balcony (I'll only use it in my balcony). Thanks again!

This will actually beneficial, as the SCT has thermal issues and wants to be kept at ambient temperature. You will want to cover it with something weather protective. You'll also want something under the cover to keep it dry. We used to use a simple incandescent light bulb for this - just enough heat to keep it dry, or perhaps a chemical moisture absorber.

[erseavetir]

Thank you all for all the help! I've realized that non of the telescopes I wanted were going to arrive before December 21st and then I started looking at second-hand telescopes at much cheaper prices to at least have something on time and later on I've decided I didn't wanna invest too much money on my first telescope.

 

After searching a few days, I've found this beauty on Facebook Marketplace. (Meade Refractor Telescope DS-2102AT-TC) and I feel super lucky to have this for only $100 Canadian. The people who owned it had it for 5 years but they said that the kids set it up and used it only once and it was collecting dust since then. When I brought it home today and looked at the moon, I was kinda satisfied (not sharp/focused visuals yet) but I know that the eyepiece it came with is pretty basic&bad so I can't wait to get the Celestron zoom eyepiece to observe the solar system and to see how much better the moon will look like. (@YoungStargazer I looked at the Hyperion Zoom Eyepiece but it's so much more expensive than the Celestron one)

 

Thank you guys so much for your time, you are all amazing!