Excelsis Ratings/Reviews - Celestron Star Hopper 8"

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Brand and Model:	Celestron Star Hopper 8"
Price ($USD):	500
Type:	Newtonian
Attributes:	Go-To PEC
Aperture:	203mm (8")
f Ratio:	f/6
Focal Length:	1220mm
Finder:	None
Electric Power:	N/A
Mount:	Dobsonian
Tripod:	N/A
Weight (lbs):	56 lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):
Description:	Aluminum Tube Optional Comes with 25mm SMA Eyepiece (1.25") Celestron's Star Hopper Page

Vote Highlights

A very nice scope. I sold it when I got my SCT, since my wife has a one scope rule. But I still sometimes miss it for it's simplicity and quicker cool down. Gave very nice views.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:8 Ease of Use:9 Value:9
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date: 06/14/2006 04:33:18 am PDT
By: tedkord
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=509306

Reply Replies: 0

I'm not an expert by any means, but I have used this scope a lot in the last 2 years. It gives excellent views of both planets and deep space objects. It easily splits the double-double. I gave it a rating of 8 because the focuser was installed incorrectly from the factory. I also had to go down to Home-Depot in order to get screws that would let me mount the mirror cell. (The screws that were supplied with the scope were too short.) Also, the optics show some problems in a star test. Specifically, everything looks perfect on one side of focus, but on the other side, the image is dark and streaking. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm pretty sure that it is not correct.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 08/20/2001 03:50:51 pm PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.211.72)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37846

Reply Replies: 0

Very decent scope,stock secondary is to small,replace it with at least a 1.83" or 2" secondary as this allows the scope to work at its rated 8" and improves edge sharpness,another cheap improvement you can make to this scope is to make a new spider,i used the plans at http://home.europa.com/~swayze/spider/spider.html ,,,this makes centering your secondary a snap and cuts down on the "flares" the stock stalk shows while planetary observing.This is an excellent scope with a little effort put into it.Hope this helps some of you.

Happy Gazing !!!!!

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 06/14/2001 11:21:00 am PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.60.232)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37845

Reply Replies: 0

Excellent starter scope for the budjet minded, lots of bang for the buck, but ample room for improvment. Have had mine more than a year now, have since modified mount, secondary, and focuser. Overall I've been pleased. Mount is adequate but required minor modification to improve motions and ground clearance, mirror cell excellent, optics very good, balance adjustment cumbersome and inconvenient, needs a 2" focuser option and better spyder. This scope met my immediate needs but did however leave me longing for something better. In hindsight, I somtimes find myself wishing I had waited till I could have afforded something nicer, but had I done so, I might never developed the interest in this hobby, that I have now.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 01/06/2001 05:23:27 pm PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.146.95)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37843

Reply Replies: 0

I've had a lot of dobs. I like this one the best. When I first got the scope I found the optics were so bad that I couldn't even focus it. I was sick. I called celestron and they told me to send it in. I got it back in a couple weeks. Thats fast in my book. They redone the mirror. It is now the best optics I've had. I won't tell you what I compare it with, you wouldn't believe it anyway. I tip my hat to celestron.
There is really nothing I can find to fault about this telescope. The mount is held togather by big screws,nice. It's pyrex glass with enhanced coatings. Metal
mirror cell,Good focuser,oversize tube for better cooling, Good balance system.
The only thing that's sud standard is the finder. I've looked through two other starhoppers and they were excellent also. Who says you need an expensive refractor or long focal length reflector.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 12/23/2000 11:11:46 am PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.217.57)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37842

Reply Replies: 0

I have owned or looked through a lot of dobs but this scope has the best optics of any i have owned. I can push it to 400-500X on good nights and see razor sharp images. Detail on planets is comparable to a 10" galaxy mirror i once had. I realize optics will vary from scope to scope but as for this one it is awesome. Steal for the money.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 12/23/2000 07:22:55 am PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.136.50)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37841

Reply Replies: 0

Good optics, mediocre mount, poorly designed secondary mount. Needed work to get motions smooth, rubber feet on base where inadequate and had to be replaced. The single stalk secondary was horrible and needed to be replaced, secondary had prominant rail marks, and was also replaced. Focuser was adequate, but was replaced with 2" size. Wish I'd spent a little more and gotten one of the semi-custom dobs now available.

Overall Rating: 6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 10/20/2000 08:51:41 pm PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.146.95)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37839

Reply Replies: 0

Performs very well for the price tag

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 10/06/2000 08:10:29 pm PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.201.187)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37838

Reply Replies: 0

Scope performs well. Cooling time from 30-45 min. Great views of the planets, deep sky objects such as the Ring Nebula. Seeing the Cassini division is the norm.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 10/06/2000 06:55:42 pm PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.4.217)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37837

Reply Replies: 0

I've had my Celestron dob for 2 years now and I'm quite happy with it. I have the sono tube design so it weighs a little but so what, the optics are exellent. I've made a few modifications since then and I'm not about to give up the scope anytime soon. I can make out fine details of the planets and deep sky.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date: 09/15/2000 06:57:48 pm PDT
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.115.239)
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37836

Reply Replies: 0

Click here to see all votes (24 total)