Celestron C14 SC XLT - 356/3910 mm Schmidt Cassegrain OTA
Since decades, the C14 is manufactured by Celestron. Meanwhile it has a very good reputation as a powerful big optical system.
When you see very good astro photos made by a big SC system, you will find out that most of them has been made by a Celestron C14.
It is also used in many observatories because this high performance optical system is still compact and leaves enough space in a standard dome or shelter.
Some properties of this telescope:
Transportable? Well, the OTA weight of 20.4 kg at a length of 78 cm suggests good transportability. Many amateurs use even bigger telescopes in the field. So it´s upon your decision if you want to use the C14 mobile but please consider that this telescope also needs a really sturdy mount. At least a fixed installation is not necessary.
If you need some recommendations regarding a good mount for photography with this big telescope, please feel free to contact us - we appreciate making an offer four you, including the neccessary adaptations.
XLT coatings: Due to the multi layer anti-reflective coatings, Celestron telescopes have very high transmission values. Especially in the field around 500 nm, up to 10% more light can pass. This is the field where the human eye is very sensitive.
Fastar compatibility: The C14 is ready for FastStar - you can convert it to a f/1,9 CCD Schmidt Camera with the HyperStar Kit.
General advantagtes of this Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain system:
Short design: Nearly 4 m of focal length are brought into this compact tube because of the SC design with spherical primary and secondary mirror. This improves transportability.
No focus problems: The focal point is moved by adjusting the main mirror´s position. This causes a very wide focus range allowing the connection of nearly any accessory parts for observation and photography.
Stiff tube: Even astro photography with long integration times is possible. Due to the short tube design, no bending occurs.
Easy connection to the mount: The Schmidt-Cassegrain comes with a Losmandy-style dovetail bar. So it can be easily attached to all standard mounts with this 3" system.
Extreme longevity: The mirror surfaces remain protected in the tube for a lifetime. Dirt at the front of the Schmidt corrector plate can be removed without residue in a short time.
Astrophotographic results obtained with this telescope on Astrobin
Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this telescope model:
Link to Astrobin