WTS : Nexstar 5i (SOLD to France)

Post by **VinSnr** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:58 pm

Hi,

I never thought I will ever consider selling this wonderful scope, but my new 11" truss-tube is about to be ready and it is just as portable.

This scope has amazing GOTO accuracy. I am not kidding. Level the tripod, point roughly north, align two stars and that's it. I did all this normally in 3-4 minutes and the GOTO is so accurate, I am astounded! I think those who own Nexstar 5 or 5i before can testify this. Tracking is also very good.

But the best part of this scope is that this is the first SCT I ever owned that has no image shift or whatsoever! Put it at 200X and there is still no image shift! I try hard looking for it, but I can't. The focuser is ultra smooth (maybe too smooth) which is typical for Celestron (Meade's focuser are tighter). Optically it is very good too. The last time I use it was with the full moon nearby and Saturn still look amazing at 208X (use with TMB/Burgess 6mm Planetary eyepiece). The first time I use this scope on M42, I was surprise at how much a 5" scope can offer. I really didn't expect that (I am using 8 inch scopes and above most of the time). From my balcony looking at above some roof tops (certainly not a good place to view), M42 shows a great deal of nebulosity. Trapezium was easy. The only thing that this scope doesn't have is that I didn't give it any dark skies, which I feel really guilty about it. Didn't do it justice. It is also because of this scope that lead me to purchase a 5" refractor just for the thrill of no obstruction 5".

Because of no image shift, I was thinking of using it for astrophotography. However, if that's my intention, I might as well get a good eq mount and use my Burgess 127 instead. For portability, I can use my 11" truss tube as a quick setup.

And in true honesty, this scope is with me for about 8 months, and I didn't use it at all for the first 5 months. I was busy shifting houses then and I was thinking what can a 5" SCT show me anyway? I am also tired with GOTO thinking it is going to give me more problems then pleasure. So I wasn't enthusiatic at all in using this scope initially. I bought just for a quick grab and go but I was too bog down with my shifting for any astro observing.

Then after I have settled down at my new place, Orion was rising then (somewhere last Nov) above some rooftops, I decided just view and see how it performs (viewed from my cramp balcony) Without any cool down , I just pop in my Pentax 21mm and M42 was amazing! Ok..this look interesting...so I decided to collimate my scope using Rigel. Collimation was just slightly off, so no problems in tweaking it back. My initial plan is just to spend 10 minutes to see how the optics perform and I ended up spending half an hour there collimating and enjoying the views.

So few weeks later, I brought it out to a field and test its GOTO. Works wonderfully as mentioned earlier. Seeing no image shift on Saturn at 208X is a joy. I have only use this scope for about two times in eight months.....once was in the field.

The scope is in great condition. Comes with Dewshield and even a solar filter. No case though. But have original shipping box.

As for the price, I saw that CC put up his Nexstar 5 for SGD$1200 which I think is fair. So for this scope, the 5i, which is a later version, I think the price of $1300 should be reasonable. I paid far more than this when shipping and GST is included. You are also getting a proven scope.

Let me know if you are interested.

Post by **acc** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:09 pm

Good deal for a great scope! Very portable for a 5" and you don't need a tripod for it. And best of all, it has the 2-star auto-align instead of Celestron's new very-tedious-and-raise-your-blood-pressure-"revolutionary" 3-star align.

Post by **VinSnr** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:09 pm

acc wrote:Good deal for a great scope! Very portable for a 5" and you don't need a tripod for it. And best of all, it has the 2-star auto-align instead of Celestron's new very-tedious-and-raise-your-blood-pressure-"revolutionary" 3-star align.

One thing I like is also the red-dot finder. I only align it one time (the first time I use the scope) and I have left it on the scope ever since. It is small, doesn't take up a lot of space on the scope, and it kept its alignment very well.

So all I do is level tripod, point roughly north, go to the first alignment star, switch on the red dot finder and use it immediately to center to alignment star, go to the next star, center it, and done! All in 3-4 minutes. No need to waste time aligning finder and all that.

Post by **VinSnr** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:20 pm

still no firm offers...which is really a waste.

By this weekend if still no offers, it will have to go to Astromart.

Post by **Airconvent** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:55 pm

bro...I guarantee you if you had an 8i at such an offer, I will be the first at your HOUSE, not call you! heh heh...but yes, your 5i offer is quite good...

Post by **VinSnr** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:44 pm

Airconvent wrote:bro...I guarantee you if you had an 8i at such an offer, I will be the first at your HOUSE, not call you! heh heh...but yes, your 5i offer is quite good...

haha.....the offer can be made even better if someone is really interested.

My concern is more on retaining the scope here.

Post by **Airconvent** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:12 pm

VinSnr wrote: haha.....the offer can be made even better if someone is really interested.

I know...one year ago when I was looking to upgrade my ETX105 to something bigger yet lighter, the N5i would have been it. But now that I have already moved to 8"...I know that no matter how great the 5i is, its aperture will not satisfy me anymore....that's why I am selling my C5 away...

quick! go out and buy an N8i....PLEASE!!!

Post by **VinSnr** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:17 am

Airconvent wrote:
VinSnr wrote: haha.....the offer can be made even better if someone is really interested.
I know...one year ago when I was looking to upgrade my ETX105 to something bigger yet lighter, the N5i would have been it. But now that I have already moved to 8"...I know that no matter how great the 5i is, its aperture will not satisfy me anymore....that's why I am selling my C5 away...

quick! go out and buy an N8i....PLEASE!!!

U already have 8" what...why u still want N8i?

Post by **Airconvent** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 11:42 am

VinSnr wrote:
Airconvent wrote:
VinSnr wrote: haha.....the offer can be made even better if someone is really interested.
I know...one year ago when I was looking to upgrade my ETX105 to something bigger yet lighter, the N5i would have been it. But now that I have already moved to 8"...I know that no matter how great the 5i is, its aperture will not satisfy me anymore....that's why I am selling my C5 away...

quick! go out and buy an N8i....PLEASE!!!
U already have 8" what...why u still want N8i?

an 8i allows for optional gps and the newer n8 has the convenient sky align..
that would give me a cheaper "LX200GPS" scope!...

Post by **VinSnr** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:22 pm

BTW, there are a few PMs asking me what is included in the package. Here they are:

1) The scope N5i with hand controller
2) Tripod
3) Original red-dot finder
4) Flexible Dewshield
5) 5" Celestron Solar Filter
6) celestron 1.25" star diagonal (as new)
7) 6.7mm Silvertop Plossl
8) Original shipping box for the scope