Celestron Nexstar SE8 “unshaked”

A stargazer noticeably optimized a Celestron NexStar 8SE using simple means:

Celestron Nexstar SE8 "de-shakes"

It's the same thing every time! You finally find a mount that's truly travel-ready, one that even fits in a small car without having to be disassembled into three or more parts, and then you realize that the thing is a total floppy bastard.
The Nexstar is a very handy mount. But its stability is really borderline. The fact that the manufacturer offers this mount together with a C8 is almost immoral. However, I insisted on this configuration. I have to give my dealer credit for only supplying me with this combination after fierce resistance. Teleskop-Spezialisten.de is very concerned about quality. Once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Kloß for his patience.

http://www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Montierungen-GoTo/Azimutale-Montierung-ALT/AZ/CE820180-Celestron-GoTo-Gabelmontierung-NexStar-SE2-mit-Stativ::403.html

Well, any experienced telescope user would say, C8 and Nexstar, that doesn't work. True! I tried it in its original condition. The post-oscillation duration was up to 9 seconds. You had to hold your breath while observing. I had to find a solution or return my beautiful C8. After a bit of tinkering, I can say: IT DOES WORK!!!

The problem is resonance vibrations caused by the thin struts on the fork arm, the thin tripod legs, and the fact that the C8 is so large that the center of gravity is off the horizontal axis of rotation.
First, I removed all the plastic covers and investigated what was causing this. The setup isn't bad. The only bad thing is the Chinese design. They cut corners no matter the cost. The problem was quickly identified. The housing of the support arm is made of aluminum, self-supporting, and has a large recess for the keyboard, right at the point where the greatest torsional forces occur. This was clearly noticeable when you gave the telescope a horizontal jolt. Here, it literally rocked and fell into a kind of resonant vibration, idling incessantly. There's simply a lack of material on the side walls.

In the middle of the arm, there's only a thin strip of sheet metal without diagonal bracing. Obviously, something like that won't securely hold a 6 kg telescope.

After numerous attempts, I found a way to install a reinforcement that fits under the plastic cover.

The actual reinforcement consists of two 8 mm aluminum tubes and the screw connection for tensioning. The tubes are clamped between the lower aluminum struts and the platform using screws and nuts. The most important thing is: If you do it right, everything can be removed again, for example, if the device needs to be returned under warranty.
The plastic shell on the back of the platform then needs to be unscrewed. It no longer fits because of the two aluminum tubes. Keep it safe for warranty purposes!

The complete description with pictures is posted in the Balcony Observatory Network forum.

Here's the link:
http://www.balkonsternwarten-netzwerk.de/magic_viewtopic.php?f=71&t=3699

And here are some instructions for replacing the inner shell:
http://www.balkonsternwarten-netzwerk.de/magic_viewtopic.php?f=71&t=3734

Oh yes, I also made some external changes. I attached a few strips of Velcro to the mount and glued the counterparts to the back of the hand controller. This allows you to position the hand control where it's easy to reach while spotting and where you can also see the display clearly.

So, the complete setup reads like this:
Nexstar SE2, C8 with Telrad, 6x30 finderscope, 2" deflecting mirror, and 2" 38mm eyepiece.
I placed a 26cm springform pan base on the stiffening plate. The 12-volt battery hangs underneath as a counterweight and vibration damper. Another damping factor consists of three vibration dampers from the hardware store, which are normally used under washing machines.

Who would have thought? A Nexstar SE8 with the tripod 50% extended and a decay time of half a second!!!

Now that's what I call a travel telescope. With the eyepieces in a case with a carrying strap, this equipment can be moved in one go. And at the location, you have a 20cm mirror on a stable mount.

Only one wish remains:

Clear nights!