Posts Made By: Cam Hui

Here are the complete details:

http://www.optcorp.com/pdf/CelestronPDF/StarbrightXLTAd.pdf

Derek,

I have been considering a C9.25 as well. With a GEM, you might consider either the Losmandy GM8 or G11. The GM8 is more portable and would be ok for visual use, but the G11 is more beefy.

There may be a Fastar version of the C9.25 coming out soon. There is a thread on the C9.25 Yahoo group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/C9-25/

Paul,

I have a FS102 on a GM8 and I was in a similar position. I looked for more aperture but I also like the goto and portability of the GM8. Here are some suggestions for more aperture (with my GM8):

1) C9.25, good optics for the money, downside is the time to cool down a SCT
2) Orion Optics (UK) 10" Newtonian weighing 20 lbs., good optics, so-so OTA mechanics, faster cooldown than a SCT, may be too big for a GM8 to handle properly, though
3) Takahashi CN212, fast cooldown, some reviews have said that Newtonian mode may be problematical, pricey

Nothing is perfect, it depends on what you want to look at. I settled for keeping the FS102 and bought a used Collins I3 eyepiece to increase my effective aperture for deep sky.

Hope this helps.

No, you are not being picky. I looked over my "wish" list and modifications for the following scopes:

A C9.25, to be mounted on a Losmandy GM8 or G11:
1) Flocking
2) Dew shield
3) Change the visual back to accept 2" eyepieces
4) Losmandy dovetail plate
5) Mounting rings for dovetail plate
6) Replace finder
7) Lymax cooler, or equivalent

A high quality 10" Newtonian, to be mounted on the same:
1) Flocking
2) Replace focuser with 2-speed focuser
3) Laser collimator
4) Barlow for collimation
5) Paracorr
6) Mark primary mirror for collimation purposes

I agonized over the choices and I continue to do so. Only with high end manufacturers like Takahashi are most of these modifications already done.