Celestron C150-HD

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Brand and Model:Celestron C150-HD
Price ($USD):$499.00
Type:Newtonian
Attributes: un-checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:152mm (6")
f Ratio:f/7
Focal Length:1000mm
Finder:6x30
Electric Power:12v
Mount:CG-4/EQ-3
Tripod:Adjustable Aluminum
Weight (lbs):39 lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):35"
Description:Optics of these heavy-duty telescopes are manufactured to Celestron 's uncompromising standards. The star images are classic textbook Airy disks.

These telescopes are mounted on very rigid German equatorial mounts. A counterweight, latitude scale, setting circles, and slow motion controls on both axes are standard, so you have a fully loaded telescope right from the start.

These mounts are the most rigid and stable type in their price range. They feature precision gears for extremely smooth motion.

The C150-HD and G8-N use a state-of-the-art optical design incorporating an auxiliary correction lens to reduce aberrations, flatten the field and allow the tube length to be shortened -- and it is superior to most fast parabolas.


Celestron's C150-HD Page

Vote Highlights Vote
Celestron C150-HD
Very Good scope for the money. Low and Medium power are fantastic, and as most experienced observers (including myself) will tell you - high power is generally not better. High power, however, is good but not great. Overall very good performance for the price ($450-$500) and for the aperture (6").

Charles
Nashville, TN USA

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:9 Ease of Use:10 Value:7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=485718

Celestron C150-HD
I have owned a C150-HD since 2001 and I find it to be a great scope. I get sharp, bright views of both DS and planets. The GE mount makes it greatly easy to follow the sky as the Earth rotates. The aperture and size are a good compromise between large, heavy scopes and lighter weight scopes that also have smaller apertures and leave out too much to be seen.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=330204

Celestron C150-HD
I've got the C150-HD just a few day, and i think the low voting of other people is not right. I think that this is the quality that you get for that price. I owned a smaller newtonian (4.5") and when i compare the 2, then the 1.5" bigger telescope gives the expected quality / light power.
Strong magnifications are not so good, but i coul'd see some Messier objects in bad seeing & a lighter place, that i only could see under perfect conditions with the 4.5". Great telescope for $400, if you want better you have to pay more money to get a C8 or something like that.
Clear skies!

Overall Rating: 7
Optics:7 Mount:6 Ease of Use:7 Value:8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=131090

Celestron C150-HD
This is the inferior Chinese instrument that caused Celestron's previously good reputation to crash. They are currently in bankruptcy as a direct result of selling such junk!

Overall Rating: 2
Optics:1 Mount:2 Ease of Use:3 Value:1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=126223 

>This is the inferior Chinese instrument that caused Celestron's previously good reputation to crash. They are currently in bankruptcy as a direct result of selling such junk!

Reply:

You must be using the ultimate Televue scopes or something or you don't like Celestron due to a previous episode or something.
Celestron C150-HD
Great general purpose scope for the price

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:7 Mount:9 Ease of Use:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=107425

Celestron C150-HD
I found the orion XT8" dob a much more practicle telescope for this price range. The celestron C150's optical design makes this a telescope for only low power viewing. Even after proper collimation I found this telescope offered poor views of the planets and details of the moon. Transporting this telescope is about as difficult as the orion dobsonian. There are better value out there.

Overall Rating: 5
Optics:5 Mount:8 Ease of Use:5 Value:4
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=66706

Celestron C150-HD
This scope's mount and construction were good - ultra-compact, lightweight, good focuser and finder. Unfortunately, its optical performance was very disappointing.

I decided to try this scope out as a more compact, longer focal length, coma-free alternative to my 6" f/5. Deep sky views were pleasant - contrasty and sharp to the edge of the field with the corrector lens - but couldn't come close to those achieved by my older 6" scope in a side-by-side comparison. Images were noticably dimmer, stars were not sharp pinpoints, open clusters showed fewer stars and globular clusters were mottled fuzzballs without any resolution.

These shortcomings would be tolerable if you don't want to look at the planets, but most of us do. While its planetary images were nice at 125-150x, they became seriously degraded at any magnification above this. Cloud bands vanished, Cassini's division in Saturn's rings became a shadow and Mars blurred into a bland orange ball. The corrector lens also introduced a great deal of chromatic aberation and caused pronounced halos around bright objects. Whether because of the large central obstruction and vanes, the corrector lens or a poor optical design, this scope just wasn't up to the challenge. I actually achieved sharper, higher resolution planetary images from an old 4.5" Newtonian.

I should also mention that Celestron's customer service in addressing my problems with the scope was pitiful. Shipping the scope back to them for inspection was an expensive and frustrating process that yielded no results because the scope's poor optics were "within specifications." As a result, it is unlikely that I will purchase Celestron products in the future.

If you want a good, all-purpose 6" scope, steer clear of this one in favor of one of the many 6" f/5 or f/8 scopes offered by Orion, Discovery, Meade, Skywatcher and others.

Overall Rating: 4
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40134

Celestron C150-HD
This is the first serious (read non-department store) scope I owned. It is a short tube newtonian with a doublet lens for increasing the effective focal legnth and flattening the field. It comes on the CG-4 mount (which is adequate)and aluminum tripod legs (NOT adequate). The legs make steady viewing at >200X very difficult. I got mine with the motor drive and hand controller which both work very well. It also comes with an excellent 6X30 finder and a 'silver top' 20mm plossel eye piece.

The light gathering ability is very good (at least as good as any other 6" reflector I've seen). It's resolution is very good as well and smooth in any part of the FOV. The corrector lens appears to be multi-coated (it is located between the primary and secondary mirrors close to the secondary). The wide field views are great with excellent flatness and sharp resolution. Planetary/Lunar views are good for a reflector with a large central obstruction. Very sharp but lacking a little in the contrast dept.

The mount is very smooth and works great with this lightweight tube. Tracks very well with only a rough polar alignment. The dec axis had a slight amount of slop in it but I probably wouldn't have noticed except that the RA axis is so 'slop free' in comparison.

The tripod looks to be the same one Orion ships with the newer EQ-2 mounts (same mount as the CG-3) and really has no business being on a mount of this size. The result is jiggling when trying to focus at high power or in almost any wind at high power.

OTA = 10
EQ Mount = 9
Tripod = 5

Because the scope's weakest area is the tripod (which is also the cheapest to replace) I have weighted my score accordingly. Great deal for the $500 I paid and even better at the current street price of $399-$449. Recommended

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40133

Celestron C150-HD
Well I have only just taken delivery of my CR 150 HD today and am looking forward to some clear skies, not only because I am from Australia, I havent seen the northern hemispere skies for many years, but as I couldnt work for 11 months, my 10" Meade had to go, but am exited with the C150, from all the reviews and especially the price.
I really dont care about the mount, they are simple modifications, by adding either steel rods or hardwood and that is the major critisume
I have heard that the optics are great and am looking forward to a new hemisphere when the skies are clear, Interested in any feedback, especially if in of you cobbers live in Michigan.
You can contact me on hurryitup1@chartermi.net
Regards
Terry
PS. Clear Skies

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40132

Celestron C150-HD
Good beginner scope if you want a Newt. Although I sometimes think I should have gone with the Orion 8" Dob. Scope is easy to move and track objects. Havent used in winter. Last week around 6am saw best view of Saturn ever @ 300x...(dallas TX) saw cassini div and cloud bands using televue 2xbar and mead 4000 6.4mm. A few times I have pushed lunar to 450x w in/out stable view. Usually this scope is only good for 150x. As for vibration problems, I just purchased the celestron vibration pads off ebay and they are worth every penny!!!!!!!! This scope should be sold with the pads. You will need a 30 or 32mm EP to view globular clusters (m6 or m7)or veil nebula. OIII filter on Orion Nebula is day/night difference. Other comments... viewing from zenith is a pain. In general I prefer alt/az mount over eq mount. The focuser on this scope is cheap. The finder scope is ok. I would opt for the vertical mount telrad. Scope balances well with most EP. Ive tried every Nagler/pentax combo w barlows (1 1/4" ep only). The nagler 7 and radian 4 are best options for planetary. I paid $600 for mine but got some intro instruction from a store. My email is scott.mcmanus@worldnet.att.net if anyone wants to share ideas or has ques.

Overall Rating: 6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40130

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