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Your cart is empty.What you're looking at is the future of astronomical observation, the CPC-800 GPS XLT 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Computerized Telescope Wifi Kit with Skyportal Wifi Module. This advanced, high-tech telescope is part of Celestron's new CPC Series, featuring revolutionary SkyAlign Alignment Technology. This innovative system redefines the experience for amateur astronomers, offering quick and simple alignment, GPS capabilities, and unsurpassed optical quality. Designed for ease of set-up and use, this powerful telescope boasts an ergonomic design and enhanced computerization, making it a sophisticated choice for astronomy enthusiasts. The 8-inch aperture allows for more light to enter the telescope, resulting in brighter and clearer images, perfect for both visual observation and astrophotography.The kit also includes the Celestron Skyportal Wifi Module, a game-changer in the world of astronomy. This module transforms your smartphone or tablet into your personal planetarium and observatory. Simply plug the Wifi module into your telescope's Hand Control or AUX port and connect to its wireless signal with your device. This allows for wireless control of your telescope, guiding you through the alignment process and slewing to any celestial object with a simple tap.As the SkyPortal Wifi Module slews your telescope to an object, you can listen to hundreds of included audio descriptions on your device, enriching your understanding of the universe with information o
Dan Hobson
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
I bought this scope from another dealer in Nov 2023. Wanted to warn others about buying from Celestron. If I had it to do over again, I would have bought separate components from different companies and built my own setup. There is a lot of info and videos on how to get started in this. But on to my review.Pros:The mount is rock solid. Mechanically, it is well made and can hold most accessories you would want to add to the scope. The optics are very good as well. The optics are clean and well colminated (aligned).Cons:When it comes to the electronics, the company should have never tried to do it on their own. When I tried to update the firmware on the controller board, it became a brick. Their bootloaders are not bullet-proofed. Every firmware developer knows that you have to put in mechanisms to allow only compatible firmware on a board. And when it crashes, it should be recoverable. The response from Celestron tech support was very little and very dismissive. I debugged the issue myself and had to buy a replacement board myself. Reached out to them to offset the cost. They wouldn't give a penny.The Hand Controller is a weakness in their design. It is very sensitive to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), and there is plenty when hooking things up on a cold night. You will need to be careful connecting this to your scope and leave it permanently connected. The bottom of the controller has a USB jack to control the mount from a PC. I highly recommend attaching an isolated plug to this. The Hand Controller is VERY Sensitive to ESD! The Mount has a PC input jack for an Ethernet connection. But it is actually a RS232 connection that requires a special cable just to download firmware to the controller board. It cannot be used to control the mount from a PC. It is set to a different Baud Rate than the CPWI software. The only way to control the mount is through the Highly Over Sensitive Hand Controller!Also, don't waist money on their cameras/imagers. The NexImage cameras only have a dynamic range of just under 9 stops. Most others are well over 12 stops, to 14 stops.Conclusion:Look elsewhere for a good equitorial mount and any cameras. Buy the OTA (Optical Tube Assemblies) from Celestron and attach via Dovetail. And you will be much better off.
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