setting up the celestron c8

[@renes4302]

I'm so new to this and there isn't a lot of information available on how to use this scope! Any chance you could do some more teaching videos? This one is very helpful! Thanks!!!

[@renes4302]

We were just gifted a Super C8 Plus! It belonged to my husband's uncle. He bought it new in March of 1986. His cousin said it was used for just a short time..., I believe to view Haley's Comet. It's complete & in immaculate condition. Now we just need to learn how to use it!

[@mikecasbon5606]

They are great scopes, and will give awesome planetary views. The one I'm setting up here was donated to my astronomy group, and we lend it out to new members, this video was intended to help them get to grips with it. (the speed control on the side is a DIY fix to replace the missing control box, so your scope won't have one there) Have fun with your scope, and Clear Skies!

[@skygazr33]

Wow! That’s a Celestron Powestar C8! I still have mine. Bought it in the mid ‘80’s. It’s going to get a new home on a new Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount this fall.

[@hutchinsonsolarlunarplanet538]

Beautiful instrument! There's no school like old school.

[@mikecasbon5606]

There's a lot of power in a compact and easy to transport unit, no doubt about it. The motorised yoke design is so simple and effective I wonder why they abandoned it. I was half way through building a scope when I saw this one and immediately redesigned the stand to work in the same way.

[@hutchinsonsolarlunarplanet538]

@@mikecasbon5606 Possibly the company was bought out and developed a policy of trying to "reinvent the wheel"/"if it aint broke don't try and fix it", to try and make a new way of raking in the dollars????? Either way its the most in tip top shape/looks like brand new instrument I've seen in a long time. I bought a few old scopes over the years and brought them back to life. Wish I would have filmed it for viewers. Keep up the great work you do!!!!

[@christopherleveck6835]

Thank you for this video I just bought one of these pulled it out of my truck and had it up and running within 10 minutes.

[@jomon723]

I like the natural look of your yard 😁

[@robligeti8353]

Thanks for this video!

[@szaki]

20 years ago had a Meade LX-5 8" fork mounted telescope. I was a newbie, but never could align it, no matter what I did! Had better luck with EQ mounts /w polar scope, like the Vixen GP DX mount! 🤔😁

[@Zealor365]

Excellent video. There are still a lot of the C8 scopes out there finding new homes. You can place a "Dead Mouse" furry cover on your microphone to reduce the background noise of the trash truck and lorry in the street.

[@k.h.1587]

Dead mouse, I never heard that one before. We always called them afros

[@ElCineHefe]

Can you please do a video on how to use the hand controller? Is it even needed? And how do you get it to track on Polaris? Thanks!

[@Apollo-16]

Thanks! This helped greatly.

[@randallpatrickc]

Mike, I like the look of that right angle finder scope. What is it? Can I get one and would it fit the two little holes on my C8 that have the original finder 6x50

[@mikecasbon5606]

It's a Celestron Polaris 8x50, it was on the C8 when I got it. I think it was bought at the same time as the main scope. I've no idea if modern versions are available to fit the two hole mount - but it shouldn't be that hard to work something out. SVbony sell a bracket with a curve one side to fit the scope and a dovetail to hold the finder on the other. I'm sure a friendly dealer will help you out.

[@Wellin220365]

Nice video. But I’m surprised you could find your telescope in that garden.. you teach me how to set telescope up etc and I’ll sort your garden out 👍👍👍👍

[@klttrll]

If I had one Do I need it to be computerized? or jus use it manually

[@mikecasbon5606]

These early scopes don't connect to computers, it's all manual.

[@elmoreglidingclub3030]

Excellent! What mount and tripod is that?? Looks great!

[@mikecasbon5606]

It's the original Celestron mount for the C8 - they don't make it anymore, it's too simple and effective.🙂

[@Oxfire95965]

Any info on your spotting scope I have the same exact setup my tripod is just as heavy little different but I would love some information on your spotting scope please

[@mikecasbon5606]

It came with the scope, about 7 x 50 from memory. Not really enough for my light polluted skies to be honest. You can get something similar from any good telescope retailer. Brackets might involve a bit of discussion, so it might be worth paying a bit extra to go to a shop that does good customer service.

[@randallpatrickc]

Great vid! I'm looking at an orange tube one of these. Are they still worth getting? It is for sale at $850 over here in USA

[@mikecasbon5606]

They are great scopes if still in good condition, I got a lovely video of Io transiting Jupiter the other week, using a Celestron NexImage 10 plugged into mine. $850 seems a bit steep to be honest. Celestron had some quality issues over the years so read up before buying, and check it out with a star test. Degraded mirrors can be fixed, but it's expensive and tricky to get the thing back together properly.

[@randallpatrickc]

@@mikecasbon5606 thanks Mike. I was suckered in for $600. Apart from the tripod legs’ chrome being in poor shape, it looks in good shape to me (but what do I know!?) - has a bunch of Japanese “research quality” eyepieces - EDSCORP 20, 12.5, 9, a Meade 20 wide angle (whassat), 28, 40, illuminated reticle 12 (whassat?) and a couple of boxes of bits. The motor works and the guy who was selling it has owned it from new. I see what one motor does - what about the other one? The original manual came with it but I don’t understand enough about tracking yet. What’s a star test? All Inhabe looked at so far are the leaves next door 😊. Also an “off-axis” mount - is that for a camera?

[@mikecasbon5606]

@@randallpatrickc With those bits it sounds like a reasonable deal. The motor which turns the whole thing is the important one, as that keeps the image still as the earth spins, the other one is a bit of luxury to help you get it pointed at your target. some also have a focus motor, which is handy, as touching the scope to turn the focus knob by hand sets the picture wobbling for a while. A star test is looking at stars through it, and checking they are nice sharp points of light, not all fuzzy with comet tails coming off them (coma) To check the collimation, find a bright star and set it in the middle of the view, then wind the focus way off. so that it turns into a big fuzzy disc, with the shadow of the front mirror ideally right in the middle so it looks like a donut. if the shadow is not central in the fuzzy disc, pop the plastic cover off the front mirror, which will reveal three screws arranged around a central one - leave the central one alone and slightly adjust the other three to get the shadow central. It's described pretty well in the instruction book.

[@randallpatrickc]

@@mikecasbon5606 Thanks so much for the help Mike. I'm going to have a go at the collimation. Is it something you do often (how do you know it needs doing (apart from checking it))

[@k.h.1587]

One thing about that scope, if you have that model with the din socket for the hand box, all the circuitry is in the handbox, the scope won't track without it. The version without the hand controller has the circuitry in the base . This one apparently has been modified, that speed knob wasn't stock.

[@onebadwestie]

What year was this made? I'm looking to get one just like this but can't tell how old it is by the pictures. He's asking 625. It has the starbrite coatings and everything looks like new.

[@mikecasbon5606]

About 1985. That sounds like a good deal, but check the motor drive, handsets for the controller are hard to find. Also any accessories like eyepieces and finder scopes

[@phillong01]

Lol, nice vid, but how can you see the stars in the middle of that jungle! Grass is tall as hell

[@mikecasbon5606]

The 60 to 80 foot high trees are more of a problem.

[@salmacias901]

I'm missing the mounting screws that go into the telescope, do you happen to know the size

[@mikecasbon5606]

sorry, it's a club telescope I was fixing up for them and I don't have it anymore. Probably going to be UNC about 5/16" - but that's a guess from memory!! If you try a screw in the holes only use your fingers to turn it, force a wrong thread in with a spanner and it will get messy.

[@ElCineHefe]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@chris-ip4pk]

Sell it and buy a lawnmower

[@barrysuss4421]

😂