Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope by Celestron
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Digital camera reviews of Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope
Digital camera Review: Amazed more as weeks pass on
Summary: 4 Stars
Coming from a basic refractor, every time I turn on my new Celestron NexStar 8 SE I feel like a kid ready to discover something new from my location. The scope's portability and neat image, specially with my new set of lenses and filters, also by Celestron, make a it nightly joy to gaze above. As weeks pass on, I am amazed more and more at observing the beautiful creation within our human reach.Digital camera Review: Amazing Scope
Summary: 5 Stars
I love astronomy and have to say this was my first real purchase of a telescope. I placed my order and in 2 days my product was at the door. I was shocked how fast it came. I was very excited about viewing the planets and hopefully some deep sky objects. Novice would be the best way to describe my viewing experience. However, I was able to get the scope setup and struggled with the star alignment. Then I used the CD that came with the product and got to know the night sky. Yes I know, read the material first then play but I was like a kid in a candy store and just couldn't wait to start viewing.
I did get the sky align to work and then tested the alignment by having it go to the easiest target in the sky. (The moon). Boom it was center view. In a full moon phase right now so the obvious light polution is tremendous but I was able to view Jupiter and see 3 moons (due to the light conditions it wasn't to detailed). Everything else was bleed out by the moon.
I read the reviews before I purchased and did alot of research on scopes and have to say this one hit the nail on the head. It does take 8 AA batteries to operate and I read someone elses review that the batteries do not last long, so I purchased the power pack along with it.
The power pack was a good idea however, take heed that it plugs into where the scope rotates and if you are not careful you can find that your power cable is getting wrapped around the scope as it rotates.
GPS - I was considering purchasing the GPS but decided that google earth will provide me the Long and Lat just as easy.
Leveling - the little bubble level they give you works fine but make sure you keep track of that little bugger cause it's very easy to loose. They give you some double sided tape which proves to by useless because it throws off the bubble. Don't bother with the tape and just place it on the mount to level it.
Accessory pack - I did purchase the Celestron 94304 Nine-Piece Accessory Kit and feel that was a wise purchase. You get the barlow scope, some filters and my son loves the "shakey flashlight" (what he calls it).
Motors - Yes the motors are just a tad noisy but not that bad. It lets you know that it's working :). It tracks very well.
Mounting your scope: Do not make the same mistake I made and just slide it into it's mount and not pay attention to the vertical alignment. Make sure you mount it far enough in so that your scope can go vertical without it hitting the angle lens and preventing it from hitting it's target.
Finder Scope: Very nice- and once aligned works great. I love the red dot LED. It's nice to be able to adjust it's brightness so that it doesn't bleed out what you are trying to target.
Over all. If you are just starting out in astronomy and love to view the night sky. If you ever sat outside at night and wished you owned a telescope because it was a great night to view some planets and deep sky objects. If you were afraid of a telescope because your night sky knowledge was limited. This is the scope for you. I can't say enough good things about it. Not only does it find the stars and planets for me it is also teaching me as it goes.
Digital camera Review: Awesome telescope
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this telescope last year because Celestron was having a huge rebate. They tend to give a 200 dollars off rebate every 1/2 year. Since then, I've added a light pollution filter and a heater to it, along with a Denkmeier Power Switch. The quality of this telescope is top notch, and I've been able to hook up my laptop to it for control. I use a 12 volt, 2 amp power adapter when I'm outside in the garden. So far, from my suburban light polluted environment, I've seen over 60 Messier objects. The telescope is perfectly collimated. I highly recommend anyone looking for a computerized telescope to select this one.Digital camera Review: Celestron Customer Service
Summary: 2 Stars
While the Celestron 8SE is an easy telescope to set up, and moderately easy to use the company customer service leaves much to be desired. The scope I received lasted 3 days before the hand controller failed. After never receiving any email responses to web requests for customer service I called. they agreed that the hand controller failed (I saw many discussions of this on the web). They wanted me to send it in as well as the rest of the mount. I paid more than $100 to overnight the unit to Celestron and after 5 days of silence I called and they said it was their policy to have a 30 day repair time for warranty. Several email queries to status havegone unanswered.
The customer service and turnaround times for repairs under warranty are excessive and the company has no sense of urgency that you spent thousands and are sitting with a useless piece of equipment after 1 week of use.
Digital camera Review: Excellent Telescope !
Summary: 5 Stars
When I opened the package I was surprised the quality of the product. I went right away to test it in my first night. Due to Florida's terrible rainy days lately it was mostly cloudy yet I was able to see Mars, Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moon and clouds, even behind a tinted glass! That's how high quality these optics are. Able to gather celestial light even with such terrible viewing conditions.
The eyepiece that came with it(25mm)is of very good quality itself, I bought a an eyepiece set but I still find myself using it a lot. The tracking does drain batteries fast so I had no choice than to upgrade to an AC power supply. Due to high humidity, dew was a problem on the optics, had to buy a dew shield.
To summarize, every penny spent on it was well worth it. This really isn't an entry level telescope so it does cost a lot but it also shows on the quality and what you can see through it.
I definitely recommend buying this telescope if you are serious about astronomy or want a real good telescope.
It's no wonder this is the most popular telescope these days.
~Leonel & Lennier
11/18/2010
Just an update on the reliability of this product (mount/optics) for anyone interested on its longevity. After 2 years of use it still works as great as the first time. No fail electronics or jammed magnifier. Works perfectly; thus in our opinion it was a great investment.