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Celestron C6-SGT

4.5 (2 Reviews) Read Reviews Write Review
Brand Celestron
Part Number
Availability available

Product Info

Overview

5.9" f/10 C6-A (XLT) optical tube on a computerized CG-5 German equatorial mount

Reviews

4.5 (Based on 2 Reviews) 100% of reviewers recommended this product.
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    1. DigitalDon

      DigitalDon New Member

      Skill Level
      Unknown
      Time with Product
      Unknown
      User Notes:
      1261421100
      Dec 21, 2009

      4.0 Celestron C6-S Tube Assembly and Celestron CG-5 GT Mount

      Pros:

      Excellent optical and mechanical performance.

      Cons:

      Front cell cover design.

      Comments:

      My backyard observatory is a great setup, but there are times when its location and the height of the walls prevent particular celestial objects from being seen. Since a transit, eclipse, or other event might occur during one of those times, I wanted a small scope that I could easily set up anywhere in the yard to observe them.

      I considered various telescopes but for numerous reasons none of them was selected. And while I already have a CPC 800 ‘travel scope’ that’s easy to set up, it really wasn’t what I was looking for. My research brought me to Celestron’s 6” Schmidt-Cassegrain tube assembly with their CG-5 GT mount which I ultimately purchased.

      The C6-S tube assembly reviews I read were quite favorable. Reviewers commented on its compact size and the high quality of the optics and Starbright XLT coatings. On the other hand, reviews of the CG-5 GT mount were mixed. Most users found the mount to be quite respectable within its class. However, myriad problems related to the electronics or firmware were also reported. I actually owned a CG-5 GT mount several years ago. While it was quite stable when carrying an appropriately sized instrument, I was disappointed with its GOTO performance.

      My new CG-5 GT mount appears physically identical to the unit I had before. That however, is where the similarity ends. With my original mount - even after centering the alignment stars using a crosshair eyepiece - I was lucky if a GOTO placed an object near the eyepiece field, let alone in it.

      The current firmware makes the CG-5 GT completely different! Using my new C6-S and a 9mm reticle eyepiece I began the “2 Star Alignment” routine. I was surprised when the mount chose Vega and Deneb since they are relatively close together and on the same side of the meridian. But I centered and aligned them per the instructions on hand paddle.

      What really sets the ‘new’ CG-5 GT apart from the ‘old’ is what happens next. After the first two stars are aligned, the display asks if you want to add a ‘Calibration Star’. I chose to do so and the mount picked Capella. That made sense since it was on the opposite side of the meridian and far from the first two stars. I centered and aligned Capella and the hand paddle again asked if I wanted to add another star for calibration. I did, and Mirfak was chosen and aligned. The manual recommends using a minimum of two calibration stars.

      After completing the alignment procedure, I replaced the crosshair eyepiece with a 24mm Panoptic. Now for the moment of truth… GOTO M 57. The Ring Nebula was almost perfectly centered. Subsequent GOTOs were equally good. What a change from my original CG-5 GT experience!

      As for the C6-S tube assembly, it is indeed compact and lightweight and Starbright XLT coatings are standard. The main tube is finished in gloss black with the word “Celestron” applied in orange vinyl lettering. The front and rear cells are also black, but with a textured finish. A front cover and a cap for the visual back are included along with an eyepiece, diagonal, and a 30mm straight-through finder with a bracket. An orange anodized Vixen-style dovetail is bolted to the bottom making this scope easy to attach to many contemporary mounts. I should mention that the front cell covers supplied with the CPC scopes have spoiled me. They employ a ‘bayonet’ style lock that prevents them from falling off even in cold weather. For whatever reason, Celestron chose the older push-on, fall-off style for the C6-S.

      My particular C6-S arrived somewhat out of collimation. However, Schmidt-Cassegrains are probably the easiest telescopes to collimate since there is only one optical element to adjust and only on adjustment to make. Once collimated, the stars showed very similar patterns on both sides of focus. During moments of good seeing at moderate power, in-focus images showed the Airy disk and relatively thick diffraction ring typical of telescopes with larger central obstructions.

      Optically, the C6-S compares favorably with any Schmidt-Cassegrain I’ve looked through. As is common with many commercial Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, there is some image shift when focusing this C6-S, but not an excessive amount. While I haven’t had the opportunity to compare it to anything else directly, the images are sharp, bright, and have good contrast. Overall, I am quite pleased with its optical performance.

      For my intended use, the C6-S on the CG-5 GT mount has proven to be the ideal combination. Because of the relatively small size of the tube assembly, the setup is portable, quite stable, and provides excellent GOTO capabilities for visual observing.

      If you are seeking something similar, the C6-S/CG-5 GT is highly recommended.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
    2. george

      george Developer

      Skill Level
      Unknown
      Time with Product
      Unknown
      User Notes:
      1199463600
      Jan 4, 2008

      5.0 Short analysis of Celestron C6S-GT

      Pros:

      Takes all standard size SCT accessories

      Cons:

      Limited realistically to 1.25" eyepieces.

      Comments:

      I'll keep this short. Optics outstanding, really bright and contrasty images, especially in light of the large center obstruction. Under not great seeing conditions, have had it to 300x on Jupiter and the detail was amazing. Really acts as if it were larger than 6". Takes all the standard size SCT accessories. Using mine with the .63 focal reducer. CG-5A EQ GOTO mount very accurate. Even at 109x with a 70 deg eyepiece, targets are very near center of field. Believe it to be the best overall value in a complete unit today. I can see M31 in this scope nearly as well as through my 12" Dob. Star images nearly identical inside and outside of focus. Of the 3 scopes I now own, this one, I believe, will always be with me. Truly a fine instrument.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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