Celestron Ultima 8


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Brand and Model:Celestron Ultima 8
Price ($USD):n/a
Type:Schmidt-Cassegrain
Attributes: checked Go-To checked PEC
Aperture:203mm (8")
f Ratio:f/10
Focal Length:2032mm
Finder:8x50
Electric Power:9v
Mount:wedge
Tripod:
Weight (lbs):lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):
Description:superb optics, ease of use

Vote Highlights Vote
Celestron Ultima 8
I've had my Ultima C8 for almost 17 years. An incredibly well built scope with superb optics. Collomated it during a recent Star Party and after the moon rose, compared it against a Tak FSQ 106. The image from the Celestron using same power was as good if not better. The Tak out-performed it only in the area of contrast particularly looking at Plato v/s the surrounding area.

As Ron says...
Peace

Chuck Rippel
Chesapeake, VA

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:9 Mount:10 Ease of Use:5 Value:6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=499506


Celestron Ultima 8
I have a grey tube Ultima 8. After collimation, everything viewed was acceptional with no false color or chromatic aberration at all. It is easy to use and very precise on the fork mount using the slow motion controls. Talk about solid...
The other day I had the OTA and forks off the wedge and tripod sitting on a small table next to the window. My wife opened the window and a few minutes later a big ol' gust of wind came through blowing the curtains into the scope...and
arghhhhh, the scope tumbled over and crashed onto the hard wood floor! I was afraid to look...but, all that came out of it was a little loss of paint at the aperature end (very tip, about
a 1/2 inch by a 1/16th of an inch)...the collimation stayed dead on...can you believe it!! Wow, what a scope!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=247089


Celestron Ultima 8
This scope is an _Ultima 8_, non-goto telescope, the original model of the U8, which was sold with the initial non-rechargeable battery pack but without the later PEC feature. This is NOT an Ultima 2000, which was called the "Ultima 2000"...this is an Ultima 8! :-)

At any rate, this is a very good scope, with a heavy duty fork. Unlike the later U8 PECs (the last of 'em, anyway) it does not include the heavy duty C11 wedge, so it's not quite as good steadiness-wise as it could be. Some folks are also encountering dead batteries and dead electronics now. The batteries can be replaced easily, and the electronics are still available from Tangent Instruments, who built 'em. Optically, these are usually very good scopes. The oldest of them were built during the time when Celestron was still recovering from Halley Madness, however, so testing one on the sky prior to purchase would be a wise thing to do.

Rod Mollise

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:8 Mount:8 Ease of Use:10 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=49199


Celestron Ultima 8
The Ultima 2K is a beautiful performer.
PROS:
(1) Ability to manually move scope without losing position
-This allows me to still "Star Hop" if I so choose
-This saves battery life, fast slew is highest battery draw
(2) Quiet- At our club's Dark Sky sight the LX-200's are whirring and whining- the Ultima 2000 can barely be heard. Part of the tranquility of the night
is the quiet.
(3) Weight - much lighter than comparable 8" SCT's, but still a stable system.
(4) Optics- Exquisite hand-figured - Note that the corrector plate is crown
glass, as opposed to the LX200 float glass (except the 12"). The Crown
glass has improved light transmission characteristics over float glass.
(5) Fastar capable - Allows f 1.95 CCD imaging if you desire (with an ST-237).
This is similiar to having a CCD Schmidt camera, excellent option for those
who want a scope they won't outgrow
CONS:
(1)Only 10,000 object database (hook it to a laptop to get more objects, not a
show stopper)
(2)Planet GOTO is off quite a bit, if it is calculating midnight position, that
is still not a feature but a bug.
(3)Tripod Leg Clamps are prone to breaking - should have been steel rather than
aluminum casting.

All in all a solid perfoming scope.
The Benefits outweigh the minor negatives by 9 to 1

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39987


Celestron Ultima 8
I owned an Ultima 8 for 5 years up ontil the time I purchased my CG-14. The Ultima 8 at that time was the finest scope that Celestron had coming off the production line.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39983

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