Nexstar 8 SE which accessories to get first?

[Psalm 19]

Hello All,
I ordered an Nexstar 8 SE and should receive it in about 10 days. My question is, what accessories would you recommend to get first? Please skip over the portable power unit as I'm convinced that it is a necessity. I am more concerned about eyepieces or filters. I'd like to know what your top 3 to 5 would be and the reasons for your choices.
What about the ac adapter? I will be using the scope in the yard and have a heavy duty 100 foot extension cord. Also, is there any such thing as a filter for solar viewing? I know I am to never look at the sun with the naked eye or through a scope. I think I read something about a solar filter but just can't remember for sure.
Any and all help/comments/suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks & God Bless You,
Joe

[Bigzmey]

Congrats Joe! This is very capable scope.

What budget do you have for the accesaries?

[Psalm 19]

Hi Bigzmey,
No budget as such. It will probably be a "get as can afford" type situation. Do you have any suggestions as to "most affordable" as compared to "most beneficial"?
Thanks & God Bless You,
Joe

[hal2000]

Hi Joe, and congrats on selecting a fine scope. If this is your first scope, and apologies if it is not, then don't buy any accessories just yet. You will be supplied with everything you need to get started.

Instead, take time to get to know the scope, how to set it up properly, how the go-to works etc. Take the opportunity to have a look at a wide range of objects with the eyepiece supplied, and while doing this, ask yourself questions. Do I need more magnification for some of those objects? Or less magnification? Would I like a wider field of view? Take a couple of months to think about all this. Make notes if that helps.

Very soon, you will learn what other equipment you need, but that will be based on your experience. It would be easy to say to you to get this or that eyepiece, or this or that filter or whatever, but only you know what you really need or want.When you are ready, come back here and we will provide you with all the advice you could want (and more!). Don't be in a hurry to start gathering all your accessories at once, take your time and be prepared to wait for the right piece of equipment. Many of us on here have taken many years to get our equipment together, and I'm sure most would agree that they have probably replaced and discarded much more over the years than they now own.

What I would recommend is a good observing guide, something like "Turn left at Orion" You may also wish to consider a chair, although I find this type of telescope easier to use standing up.

You can either buy or make a solar filter, but, as you yourself realize, you need be careful with it and read all instructions fully. I'm not a big fan of using solar filters of any type on large telescopes, you can get a good view of the sun in a small refractor with a suitable filter, but that's just me.

So, take your time, good luck, and I hope you get many years of enjoyment from your new scope

[JayTee]

This is an accessory that is often passed over as, "I didn't even think about that," -- an adjustable height chair. Using an SCT and having to stoop over all the time to look through it, trust me an observing chair will make all the difference between comfortable observing or a backache.

Cheers,
JT

PS, look on Amazon for the Vestil 800 Pro adjustable height chair.

[Lady Fraktor]

Baader Solar film can be used to make a filter for the telescope though there is little happening at the moment.
You can practice your focusing on the surface granulation for when the sunspots start to appear again though
The telescope comes with a reasonable 25mm so a 15mm and a 10mm would be good focal lengths.

[Psalm 19]

Hello All,
Thank you all for your responses.

hal2000,
This is my first telescope [not counting a cheap, low end one from 40 or more years ago]. As I researched scopes, I figured my first scope would be my only scope so I wanted to try to get something of quality. I was impressed with the reviews from various groups and individuals. Thanks for mentioning the chair. I do have back problems and it should prove to be most valuable.

JayTee,
Thank you not only for suggesting a chair but also for providing a specific model to look at. I had to go on disability about 12 years ago because of a bad back.

Lady Fractor,
Thank you for the eye pieces and solar film you recommended. I forgot about it but I do have a small scope I picked up from a garage sale this past Summer . It is a Celestron FirstScope 60AZ. Might just be the thing for using the solar filter as a test bed.

God Bless You All,
Joe

[russmax]

Joe,
I also have an 8" SCT. My first accessory would be the f/6.3 focal reducer. Otherwise, the moon won't quite fit in your view with that 25 mm eyepiece. That one piece will make you scope a lot more versatile. Without the reducer, you get planets, binary stars, and little star clusters. With it, you get nebulae and galaxies. With that one piece, you may not ever feel a need for another telescope.

After that, maybe a 10 or 12 mm eyepiece. I found dew to be a problem on the front lens of my SCT, but you can buy or fabricate a dew shield for cheap. I'd skip the ac adapter, I think.

I added a 9x50 RACI illuminated finderscope to mine. It's the Celestron version, but I'm not sure I like it. It has to be re-sighted every time I use it, but it's fine once it's sighted. I think I need a custom case to keep it from getting jostled. These days, I mostly just use a red-dot finder, similar to yours. My scope came with a 6x30 non correct-image finder, and I really hated that one. You're better off with the red dot.

Clear skies,
Russmax

[Bigzmey]

Joe,
I also have an 8" SCT. My first accessory would be the f/6.3 focal reducer. Otherwise, the moon won't quite fit in your view with that 25 mm eyepiece. That one piece will make you scope a lot more versatile. Without the reducer, you get planets, binary stars, and little star clusters. With it, you get nebulae and galaxies. With that one piece, you may not ever feel a need for another telescope.

After that, maybe a 10 or 12 mm eyepiece. I found dew to be a problem on the front lens of my SCT, but you can buy or fabricate a dew shield for cheap. I'd skip the ac adapter, I think.

I added a 9x50 RACI illuminated finderscope to mine. It's the Celestron version, but I'm not sure I like it. It has to be re-sighted every time I use it, but it's fine once it's sighted. I think I need a custom case to keep it from getting jostled. These days, I mostly just use a red-dot finder, similar to yours. My scope came with a 6x30 non correct-image finder, and I really hated that one. You're better off with the red dot.

Clear skies,
Russmax

Yes, dew shield is a must. I started with Celestron SCT dewshield which works fine, but now prefer DYI dewshields from black crafting foam.

On F/6.3 reducer opinions are divided, kinda like with barlows. Some like them and some not. I feel that for visual observing with 8" SCT better approach is to go with wide field EPs or use longer focal length EPs for wider field of view.

8" SCT uses relatively narrow baffle tube (37mm diameter). Using F/6.3 reducer with it results in vignetting for most of EPs except short focal lengths. Vignetting results in a loss of light, brightness and contrast. So, for something large and bright like Pleiades one could benefit from the reducer. For targets of 60' and smaller, in particular faint galaxies you will get better results without.

[smeyer8015]

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR!!!!!!!!!

[gregl]

I also have a NexStar 8SE and I agree with Stevie (hal2000) above. Wait. Other than a chair and a dew shield, you need time with the scope to discover what you need. I think all of us probably have bought stuff we thought we needed only to find out we really don't. For me it was the zoom eyepiece and the anti-vibration pads. A waste. Others will heartily disagree. I also have a rarely-used focal reducer. I must have 12 or 15 eyepieces but I really only use two or three of them. I like orthos for planets and use a 10.5 or a 16.8 for that. Otherwise my favorite eyepiece is the ES 18/82° but it requires a 2-inch diagonal. I also keep a cheap 25mm plossl on hand for public outreach (I don't want fingerprints and eye makeup on my expensive glass.). You can get the whole moon with that, and it works well for lots of other stuff.

Over time I've customized the rig with a different tripod, a GLP finder, a RACI, better grease on the gears, fine focus ring, homemade dew heaters, and a front-end weight to help with backlash. But none of this is necessary — I did much of it just because I wanted to.

Other than a chair and a dew shield I'd think about a right-angle finder, and putting SkySafari on an iPad or cell phone as a field reference. A small folding table to set your stuff on is also useful. But hold off on the rest of it for a while. Join a club and go to their observing sessions and borrow stuff for a few hours at a time before you buy.

A useful resource is Mike Swanson's NexStar Resource Site: https://nexstarsite.com. There is lots of interesting stuff there.

[Psalm 19]

Hello russmax, Bigzmey, smeyer8015, and greg!,
Thank you all for your responses. I apologize for the delay in replying to your posts.. I've read your comments/suggestions and am a bit overwhelmed.

russmax,
Concerning the items you mentioned, "Are there different manufacturers and differences in quality". What exactly would the 10mm or 12mm eyepieces do?

Bigzmey,
How big a piece of black crafting foam would be needed to make a dew shield? Do you know if it would be available at Hobby Lobby? What are wide field and longer focal length eye pieces?

smayer8015,
Thanks for directing me towards an adjustable chair. I believe yours is the third vote for one so I'm convinced that it will be a very beneficial piece of equipment.

greg!,
Please help me out by defining orthos 10.5 or 16.8, eyepiece es 18/82, 2"diagonal and glp finder. I take it that the RACI is a finder scope as was mentioned in another post?

I appreciate everyone's time and help but please remember I'm greener than green when it comes to this. I'm so green I make those that are green look like experts :veryconfused:.

I am interested in a power unit and would appreciate suggestions on which to get. I was thinking that Celestron only had one model but see there are several. In the old Astronomy forum I thought that I had read somewhere one could be purchased from Wal-Mart.

Thank you again for all of your kindness.
God Bless You All,
Joe

[Mick]

The first accessories I got for my NexStar 8se was a Telrad finder to replace the craptastic red dot finder, and a Astrozap dew shield.
For EP's you don't need to go for expensive ones as the NexStar 8se has a Focal Length 2032mm so for myself BST Starguider 8mm 12mm 18mm. and a Celestron Omni Plossl 32mm.

[gregl]

...
greg!,
Please help me out by defining orthos 10.5 or 16.8, eyepiece es 18/82, 2"diagonal and glp finder. I take it that the RACI is a finder scope as was mentioned in another post?
...

Sorry for throwing out a bunch of astronomy slang at you, Joe.

• Orthoscopic eyepieces are a particular design with four glass elements that give excellent image quality. The drawback is that they have a relatively narrow field of view. Thus they are great for planets but not so great for large objects (I almost wrote "DSOs" — deep space objects) such as galaxies and star clusters. The numbers refer to the focal length. A lower number is a shorter focal length and results in greater magnification. On my 8SE the 10.5mm eyepiece gives me 194 x magnification, which is about the maximum I can use with the atmospheric conditions around here. And even then there are nights when that is too much due to atmospheric turbulence.

• The ES 18/82° refers to a popular eyepiece sold by Explore Scientific. (Their entire line of eyepieces is well-regarded.) It's an 18mm with an 82 degree field of view. The 18mm gives me 112x which is great for lots of targets. The wide field of view (f.o.v.) is great for those larger star clusters or for viewing objects in the context of their neighbors. Some folks compare narrow f.o.v. eyepieces to looking through a soda straw, while wide f.o.v.s are more like looking out of a bubble porthole. You really don't need the wide f.o.v. for planets. (The f.o.v. of an ortho would be about 40 – 45 degrees.)

• A diagonal is the gadget at the eyepiece end of your scope that reflects the light 90 degrees up into the eyepiece. The diagonal that comes with your scope is sized for eyepieces with 1 1/4-inch barrels (the barrel is the end of the eyepiece that fits into the scope). Eyepiece barrel diameter is determined by the focal length (f.l.) and f.o.v. of the eyepiece. So the ES 18/82° requires a 2-inch barrel and thus a diagonal that is sized for that. By the way, some folks get confused about barrel diameter and make decisions based on that. But, as I just wrote, the barrel dia. is the result of the optical characteristics of the eyepiece, so you select an eyepiece based on f.l. and f.o.v. and let the barrel dia. fall where it may. Many wide-field eyepieces require a 2-inch barrel.

• GLP finder. That's a green laser pointer (GLP) that's mounted to a bracket on the scope. A green laser pointer throws a beam of light into the sky that is easy to see. You've probably read about folks who have been arrested for pointing them at aircraft. Mounting one on a scope makes it a simple matter to make a rough alignment of the scope on a target. Here's a shot of a GLP in a bracket.

• A RACI is a Right Angle Correct Image finder. They are much easier to use than a straight-through finder as you don't have to twist your neck into strange positions. Here's a RACI:

By the way, for power I just use a 12-volt battery like those used in gate openers and wheelchairs. (Check Home Depot or Lowes.) I don't need all the other stuff that comes with the various power tanks that are sold for scope power. Also, the battery is handy on my workbench when I need 12 volts for some project.

Hope this helps. And have fun with your scope. I've seen some amazing things with mine and while I sometimes get the urge to upgrade to something bigger, the way the SE breaks down into separate pieces for transport is a big plus.

[Psalm 19]

Hello Mick,
Thank you for helping me out. When you mention the BST Starguider 8,12,18mm eyepieces, is BST Starguider a brand or type? :veryconfused:
God Bless You,
Joe

[Lady Fraktor]

The BST is a brand name sold by various retailers.
Orthoscopic actually is not a specific eyepiece design though you will see it refereed to as such.
The design gregl mentions in his first point is an Abbe, Orthoscopic just means free of aberrations.
Many eyepieces that are properly made can be referred to as orthoscopic in their view.

[Psalm 19]

Hi greg!,
No need to be sorry. I am grateful to you [and all] who are willing to stamp out ignorance wherever it is found. Or at least to stamp out ignorance on my part. WARNING! It will be a long hard job.
God Bless You,
Joe

[Psalm 19]

Hello Lady Fraktor,
Thanks for the clarification. I'm getting so much help I will have to file it away for future use.
God Bless You,
Joe

[Bigzmey]

Hi Joe
For the dewshields on my scopes I use 3mm 22" x 39" Large EVA Foam Sheets.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3mm-26-x-39-1p ... 2749.l2649

The length of the dew shield should be 16" and it should be slightly conical. Wrap it around the OTA and fix the ends with staples or tape.

The range of EPs I am using in my 8" SCT are from 10mm to 50mm. Your scope comes with 25mm Plossl which is a descent EP. For starters I would just get 32mm Plossl and 10mM Ortho for Moon and planets. Use these 3 EPs for awhile before investing in more expensive stuff.

Another great option is to get this set which has great quality Orthos, Plossl and Barlow, and even EP turret (which I use and love). The Barlow provides two factors 2.3x and 1.3x. So, no matter what scope you have this set will cover the whole range of EPs required. I wish someone suggested to me this set when I was starting up. Would be much less money wasted on mediocre EPs.

https://agenaastro.com/baader-classic-q ... 57000.html

[depratnt]

it comes with one eyepeice 26mm, i would suggest a 10mm for closer views of the planets and moon. A moon filter is another great accessory (the variable polarizing filter 1.25 inch) for when the moon is in its waxing phases. A phone adapter such as the Celestron NexYZ is pretty cool and allows you to take photos of the moon and planets with your smartphone:)