Celestron CPC Deluxe 1100 HD Computerized Telescope

Outstanding and serious telescope! In my opinion, it's the "best bang for your buck" Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on the market. Before I purchased this model and brand, I painstakingly researched reviews and opinions from buyers and amateur astronomers for months. Since this was my first Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT), I wanted to get it right the first time because of the cost. In the past, I was into refractor telescopes. I began as a Meade fan, but I soon changed into a Celestron stargazer. In sum, I came up with a plethora of notes that swayed me to Celestron and the 8 inch EdgeHD model. I've included ten of those notes below from my research.1. The telescope warranty is two years for Celestron's Schmidt-Cassegrain models as opposed to Meade's one year guarantee.2. Celestron's customer service appears to be superior to Meade's support. Celestron is also based in California. Easy access if worse comes to worse for support.3. Celestron has fantastic quality. Upon examining this scope, it was better than many other brands that I have had the opportunity to view.4. EdgeHD optics beats Meade's Advanced Coma Free system. You can refer to side-by-side comparison data on the web. EdgeHD optics are crystal clear to the edge of the field of view (FOV) where Meade's LX200 series are ever-so-slightly fuzzy. There's plenty of info on the web to back this up as well as personal observations. Whether you like astrophotography or not, the optics were worth the extra money. I'm not into astrophotography, but if I change my mind in the future, I have the SCT to do it. Besides, the EdgeHD model is designed for affordable performance. A "dark sky" rules, but so does optics for deep space viewing. Thus, the EdgeHD in the 8 inch SCT model gives me a high performance FOV of planets and deep space objects. Of course, a good eyepiece matters too.5. The CPC HD 800 has a better tripod (tray) than the regular Celestron CPC series model. It's easy to set up and take down, extremely stable, adjustable, and very well made.6. Weight is everything. I chose an 8 inch SCT because of its manageability. More scope means more weight.7. Celestron's battery system for powering the CPC HD 800 is superior to Meade's small 8 battery system. The CPC can access your car's battery supply via a cigarette lighter (12v) outlet, but I found that unrealistic. Thus, an exterior Celestron battery pack is necessary, which adds to an extra expense. Moreover, the battery pack needs periodic charging cycles when not in use. Still, the extra power was a better choice, and the battery pack can be used in emergencies because of the onboard fixed flashlights.8. The worm drive is precise and strong in the Alt-Azimuth mount. There's no slop in the system. In addition, backlash is adjustable.9. Scope controls are smooth and precise. There appears to be a slight problem in some brands, but not Celestron.10. NexStar+ (upgrade) hand control with GPS is super easy to use on the Celestron. The CPC is very easy to align with multiple methods available, and the control and the tracking is "dead-on" every time. Uranus, Neptune, Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and faint objects were all at or near dead center. Meade's control, although improving, is more cumbersome to use via more scrolling and periodically insufficient displayed info/data. The NexStar+ layout is better from a technical point of view.The CPC HD 800 is affordable for a big, serious instrument when compared to other brands with similar features. It packs so many professional elements. Though, you should understand that this is your initial investment as other equipment may follow. After two months, I purchased a 2 inch star diagonal (standard 1 1/4 inch was included) and higher quality eyepieces that added significantly to the overall cost. Still, the "outcome was worth the income." All-in-all, when it comes to brands, we can debate Celestron and Meade telescopes like Chevrolet and Ford cars/trucks, but the bottom line is "what works for you." Meade as well as other companies build great telescopes. Nevertheless, it is my opinion, as an amateur astronomer, that Celestron builds a better scope. I've come to the conclusion that many colleges carry Meade telescopes because they are a little less pricey. However, their mechanical reliability and quality aren't up to Celestron's level. Of course, that's my opinion too!

Hated go-to scopes until now; user friendly built in gps gets this scope on target fast. Set up is quick, optics are SUPERB!! Celestron customer support is intelligent and streamlined - had a missing part to me with minimum hassle. I bought a li-ion power supply and velcro'd it unobtrusively to the base assembly. Can also be used manually, just unlock the clutches. Maxbrght binoviewer and 23mm Svbony eyepieces make a killer pairing with high point scientific 2" diagonal for astoundingly satisfying images of moon, globular clusters, doubles, whatever there is to see. The apochromatic qualities of this system are praiseworthy. I could have saved money had I bought a C8 years ago, but this Edge 800 HD was worth the wait.

A little bit big and heavy to be considered as a mobile telescopeBut the quality is great and the alignment is acceptable

This is my first telescope and considering I am a rank amateur most people might think that the CPC Deluxe 1100 HD is an overkill. I bought it with the realization that buying a SCT that would meet my needs for at least 3-4 years was worth stretching the budget by 30%. I was particularly interested in the edgeHD optics and preferred the 11" diameter.I live in Melbourne, Australia and used Borderlinx for shipping the packages from a local warehouse address in the US. The telescope arrived at my front door in 6 days from the time I ordered. Shipping and duties cost me roughly 25% of the total cost. Local stores in Melbourne sell the same telescope for almost 75% more than Amazon's price.I had never imagined how big and heavy this telescope is. It is monstrous and quite a sight to behold when mounted on the tripod. While I can set it up by myself in the backyard, I suggest getting help particularly when aligning the locking pin on the base of the OTA to the hole in the tripod base. It can be tricky to do it alone.My first ever viewing experience was a complete disappointment. While I could find the moon in the spotting scope I could see nothing through the eyepiece. I didn't know what to say to my family who were watching the whole show with amusement. The next day, I decided to read the manual again and after a google search, I discovered that I had to "align" the spotting scope with the view through the eyepiece on a terrestrial object and this was best done during daylight. I carried the 30 KG OTA and 15 KG up the stairs to our bedroom balcony and carried out the alignment (basically adjust the spotting scope mounting screws until the view through the eyepiece of the main telescope and the small spotting scope were almost centered at the crosshairs.That night we had our first OMG and HS moments when we saw the quarter crescent moon through the 23mm Luminos wide angled eyepiece. Our neighbor joined the fun and couldn't believe what he was seeing. We have now seen the Jupiter and its moons several times. But that's all we have seen in the one month that we have had the telescope - our moon and Jupiter. I am yet to see other planets or galaxies or ny of the DSO's. I am still a rank beginner. Perhaps I need to wake up or stay awake till when the sky is darker. Perhaps I need to learn how to use the GoTo hand controller better.I have also joined the local Astronomy club and look forward to attending their sessions to learn more. It will be great to meet and discuss with other CPC 1100 owners in Melbourne or anywhere in Australia to learn from them.Overall, I am very happy with the CPC Deluxe 1100 HD telescope and am looking forward to adding the equitorial wedge to the collection and do some astrophotography.

Can’t get the scope to focus. Even the moon is blurry. Tried different eyepieces ( Luminos and Televue) but no success. Feel like I just wasted $4,000 dollars. The tripod legs will not shorten and you have to stand on a ladder to see through eye pieces. The Allen wrenches supplied do not fit the Allen screws. The directions in all the manuals ( one box with several parts but no directions on what they are for) are either non-existent or impossible to follow. Requires at least two people to move scope.

Great telescope! Just getting familiar with all the features. The only difficult problem is setting it up each day because of the weight. It would be great to have a place where it is always setup. Once you get started using the scope you find that you need additional lenses, filters, and wifi connection to your iPad. It is a wonderful hobby and fantastic seeing the planets and stars.