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I am giving serious consideration to this scope. I would like some
feedback on peoples opinions of the mechanics, finish, and most
importantantly the optics. Please email me direct at
paulatkinson22@...

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul. I graduated from a 1979 C8 (with outstanding optics) to the
C14 in March 2000.

The fit and finish is excellent. I have used it 30-40 times and it
shows on signs of ware. Mechanically it is very good. There is very
little focus shift at f11 with the ST237 CCD. Also, the scope can be
easily set up by one person in the field. I don't have a permanent
location for the scope, and my set up and take down time is only 10-
15 minutes!

The optics seem quite good. The Ronche test with 4-5 lines shows
very streight and smooth. The star tests are very good and show
excellent, to my eye, identical, in and out of focus images.

I also used the SBIG Hartman Mask Analysis software with a 24 hole
mask. Results show all angles at .24 waves or less. I am not
totally aware of all that this software measures. Since the test
uses real stars, and also measures all the variables such as tube
currents, seeing, etc, I guess it really looks at the entire optical
environment for measurement. I guess all this means is that the
scope is probably difraction limited as advertised.

The scope has a very narrow field of view. For DSO's I usually use a
f7 focal reducer and Meade UltraWide eyepieces. This combo gives
breath taking views under a dark sky.

With good seeing, planets are wonderful. I frequently use a 8.8mm
Meade UW at f11 to give around 440 magnification. Gives really
outstanding views. The scope does seem to be very sensitive to
collimation so I usually tweak it a little before viewing Saturn and
Jupiter.

I also image at f2 with the Fastar configuration. This gives very
wide fields, and very short exposure times. Celestron does not seem
to promote this much, but it is a powerful and unique feature that is
not available anywhere else.

I have some images posted to "files" as "Ken's Images" if you want to
look. They are really my first efforts, so there is lots of room for
improvement in technique!

Ken

Good afternoon Ken:

Can you please tell me what mount you have the C-14 on? I have not
had real good luck with the C-14 in Fastar mode on the CI-700.

Clear skies,
Kevin Dixon
ksbtk@...

--- In C14@y..., "kberna1376" <kberna1376@a...> wrote:

Hi Paul. I graduated from a 1979 C8 (with outstanding optics) to

the

C14 in March 2000.

The fit and finish is excellent. I have used it 30-40 times and it
shows on signs of ware. Mechanically it is very good. There is

very

little focus shift at f11 with the ST237 CCD. Also, the scope can

be

easily set up by one person in the field. I don't have a permanent
location for the scope, and my set up and take down time is only 10-
15 minutes!

The optics seem quite good. The Ronche test with 4-5 lines shows
very streight and smooth. The star tests are very good and show
excellent, to my eye, identical, in and out of focus images.

I also used the SBIG Hartman Mask Analysis software with a 24 hole
mask. Results show all angles at .24 waves or less. I am not
totally aware of all that this software measures. Since the test
uses real stars, and also measures all the variables such as tube
currents, seeing, etc, I guess it really looks at the entire

optical

environment for measurement. I guess all this means is that the
scope is probably difraction limited as advertised.

The scope has a very narrow field of view. For DSO's I usually use

a

f7 focal reducer and Meade UltraWide eyepieces. This combo gives
breath taking views under a dark sky.

With good seeing, planets are wonderful. I frequently use a 8.8mm
Meade UW at f11 to give around 440 magnification. Gives really
outstanding views. The scope does seem to be very sensitive to
collimation so I usually tweak it a little before viewing Saturn

and

Jupiter.

I also image at f2 with the Fastar configuration. This gives very
wide fields, and very short exposure times. Celestron does not

seem

to promote this much, but it is a powerful and unique feature that

is

not available anywhere else.

I have some images posted to "files" as "Ken's Images" if you want

to

look. They are really my first efforts, so there is lots of room

for

improvement in technique!

Hi Kevin. I am curently using a Losmandy G11. That mount is not
solid enough with the C14 at f2 to do CCD in any but the calmest wind
conditions It is very difficult to get any acceptable images at
longer focal ratios. I am taking delivery of an AP1200 in February
which should solve any vibration, tracking or other instability
problems.

Ken


--- In C14@y..., "starmaster08083" <ksbtk@h...> wrote:

Good afternoon Ken:

Can you please tell me what mount you have the C-14 on? I have not
had real good luck with the C-14 in Fastar mode on the CI-700.

Clear skies,
Kevin Dixon
ksbtk@h...

--- In C14@y..., "kberna1376" <kberna1376@a...> wrote:

Hi Paul. I graduated from a 1979 C8 (with outstanding optics) to

the

C14 in March 2000.

The fit and finish is excellent. I have used it 30-40 times and

it

shows on signs of ware. Mechanically it is very good. There is

very

little focus shift at f11 with the ST237 CCD. Also, the scope

can

be

easily set up by one person in the field. I don't have a

permanent

location for the scope, and my set up and take down time is only

10-

15 minutes!

The optics seem quite good. The Ronche test with 4-5 lines shows
very streight and smooth. The star tests are very good and show
excellent, to my eye, identical, in and out of focus images.

I also used the SBIG Hartman Mask Analysis software with a 24

hole

mask. Results show all angles at .24 waves or less. I am not
totally aware of all that this software measures. Since the test
uses real stars, and also measures all the variables such as tube
currents, seeing, etc, I guess it really looks at the entire

optical

environment for measurement. I guess all this means is that the
scope is probably difraction limited as advertised.

The scope has a very narrow field of view. For DSO's I usually

use

a

f7 focal reducer and Meade UltraWide eyepieces. This combo gives
breath taking views under a dark sky.

With good seeing, planets are wonderful. I frequently use a

8.8mm

Meade UW at f11 to give around 440 magnification. Gives really
outstanding views. The scope does seem to be very sensitive to
collimation so I usually tweak it a little before viewing Saturn

and

Jupiter.

I also image at f2 with the Fastar configuration. This gives

very

wide fields, and very short exposure times. Celestron does not

seem

to promote this much, but it is a powerful and unique feature

that

is

not available anywhere else.

I have some images posted to "files" as "Ken's Images" if you

want

to

look. They are really my first efforts, so there is lots of room

for

improvement in technique!