Celestron CPC 800 Telescope

Life is good when a product like the classic Celestron 8 reaches it's zenith in quality and that's what's happened with the CPC line of scopes.

What is it?
The CPC 800 XLT is a compact folded optical system (SCT) that uses mirrors to keep the scope tube short compared to refractors and newtonian designs. This 8 inch scope is the smallest and lightest in the CPC line and costs aprox. 2000.00 US. The scope is mounted on a rigid fork and the entire system is controlled by a motorized system that, once aligned properly, will slew to virtually any object in it's vast database. The scope and fork assembly are mounted on a heavy duty, but still fairly light weight tripod which is adjustable. The scope ships with NO power supply and ONE 40mm Celestron eyepiece of fairly good quality.

What's the REAL cost?
Before I go further allow me to responsibly explain that you are only just getting started for the entry price of two grand. You'll need a selection of eyepieces and a power supply to even get started. The power supply will cost 50-100 dollars, but eyepieces can be 30 dollars each or 500 dollars depending on how far you wish to go. If you want to take pics of the planets or piggy back shooting you'll need adaptors, wedges, guide scopes and software. A typical investment overall cost for the CPC 800 XLT is closer to 3000.00 when all is said and done and it's easy to spend far more. Just like buying a DSLR, the basic scope is only the start of your expenditure if you pursue the hobby.

First Night
Well, I've had several scopes before, but here's the typical experience:
Unpack the two boxes. Open the tripod and lock in the support plate which also holds eyepieces. LEVEL the tripod via the built in level. Remove the optical assembly and mount and place it on tripod. Twist base until it clicks into place. Three screws lock it down. Assemble finder scope and align. Plug in scope and turn on power switch. Follow directions for align. My scope locked GPS in less than a minute. Point scope to ANY bright stars and press align button. When done the scope will know where it is and when, plus it will know it's EXACT orientation to the sky. You can enter in objects directly or choose TOUR mode where the scope will show you a vast assemblage of sights. On my first session this worked PERFECTLY. I entered M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) and the scope whirred into position. There was the faint fuzzy patch in view comprised of a billion suns.

Here's a piggy back (Nikon D300 riding on scope for tracking) shot of M31 that very night....
http://ghostlight.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p677285558-5.jpg

How Portable?
I ordered the Celestron 8 SE first and that is a very nice scope. It weighs 33 lbs assembled, but it really lacks the sturdy nature of the CPC series, making it less usable for photography. The CPC 800 is a bit of weight to heft for some folks. Some ladies might struggle with it. But most people can handle it well enough. If you're lucky, as I am, to have dark skies right out the door, then the CPC 800 is perfect.

Why the 800?
There is also the 9.25 and 11 inch versions. Make no mistake: The 11 is BIG and quite a lot of weight to deal with. It's a scope I plan to buy, but after I build my observatory in 2009. I may even go for the Celestron 14. The 9.25 is a great compromise, but this IS my "grab N' go" scope in effect. I wanted it to be as small as possible, while still allowing for the features I wanted. My previous GEM mounted ASGT 8 inch was VERY hard to handle and always a job to set up. The CPC series 8 is ready in 5 minutes.

What about Meade?
There's nothing wrong with Meade. They make good scopes. In fact the Meade version is priced the same and has the same optical quality. In my experience Celestron has been a better company, so I stick with them.

A good 1st telescope?
Well.....if you really know that astronomy is for you, then go right ahead and live large. This is a VERY advanced and well made instrument. It's level of automation is fantastic for most beginners and it's a very good photographic platform as well. I'm not in the camp that suggests small scopes, slow cars or small boats!

Summary
I love this scope! It's exceeded my expectations even though I've had 8 inch scopes before. That says a lot for the mount and technology employed.

Capt. RB