With the largest aperture of the Celestron CPC GPS line, the Celestron CPC 1100 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope delivers the most light gathering power and a limiting magnitude of nearly 15. The Celestron CPC 1100 GPS takes full advantage of its vast database of thousands of NGC and Abell galaxies and provides a new level of detail to all your favorite deep sky objects.ﾠ
Celestron CPC Telescopes are available in three aperture size choices:
The Celestron 11-Inch CPC Schmidt-Cassegrain with StarBright XLT Coatings offers innovative technology that will allow you to look deep into space. This scope combines new SkyAlign alignment technology, advanced engineering, and a bold new design, all at an affordable price.
In fact, Celestron's Professional Computerized (CPC) Series with revolutionary SkyAlign alignment technology redefines everything that amateur astronomers are seeking. They offer quick and simple alignment, GPS, unsurpassed optical quality, ease of setup and use, advanced ergonomics, enhanced computerization, and value for money. The 11-inch CPC truly has it all.
The Celestron CPC Series includes an internal GPS receiver that automatically downloads the date and time from orbiting satellites, pinpointing the telescope's precise location. This eliminates the need for you to input the date, time, longitude, and latitude manually.
Thanks to SkyAlign, alignment is a breeze. Simply locate and manually point the telescope towards three bright celestial objects - even the moon and bright planets will work. Celestron's NexStar software technology will then model the night sky to determine the position of every star, planet, and celestial object above the horizon.
Once aligned, the remote hand control allows direct access to each of the celestial catalogs in its remarkably user-friendly database. The CPC's database contains more than 40,000 celestial objects, including Messier objects, the Caldwell Catalog, as well as NGC Galaxies, nebulae, and planets. User-definable filter limits make navigating through this expansive database quicker and easier. When using the "filter limits" feature, only those objects that are above the horizon at your exact time, date, and location will be displayed.
The new CPC Series telescopes feature meticulously matched and hand-figured optical systems manufactured in Celestron's facilities in Torrance, California. In addition, the CPC is available with StarBright XLT high-performance optical coatings. These use state-of-the-art, thin-film, vacuum-deposition technology. To ensure consistent optical coatings of the highest quality, the process is tightly monitored and controlled by highly trained technicians. The result is image clarity so stunning it must be seen to be believed.
This telescope includes the NexRemote software, enabling you to operate it remotely from a PC or laptop. NexRemote supplicates all of the functions and features of the NexStar software on the standard NexStar Hand Control. It also offers speech support, allows you to create and save custom tours, and uses Night Vision Mode to preserve night vision. The drive base and mechanics have been redesigned with larger gears and a quick-release clutch. It includes a new heavy-duty steel tripod with accessory tray and center leg support bracket to ensure stability.
Includes:
- 8x50mm finderscope with quick-release bracket
- 40mm Plossl eyepiece (70x)
- NexRemote software CD with license
- RS-232 cable to connect telescope to PC or laptop
- Car battery adapter
Powering your Celestron CPC Telescope
The Celestron CPC Series Telescopes include a DC power cable, the kind you can plug into a automobile cigarette lighter. The CPC series telescopes do not take batteries. Won't take batteries! What! Actually this is a good thing. These larger telescopes eat through batteries pretty quickly. Its best to have a more reliable power source. You can also purchase an AC adapter Accessory if you will be using the telescope within reach of an AC power outlet. We highly recommend the use of the Celestron PowerTank accessory. This is a great accessory for powering your CPC telescope with the included DC adapter. A Celestron PowerTank is great for traveling to darker sky locations.
Astrophotography with the Celestron CPC Telescopes
While astrophotography could not be summed up here in one paragraph, a very common question for the CPC telescopes is how to connect a camera to it. Astrophotography is a hobby of patience and lots of trial and error, and plenty of errors will be had once you get started. But the rewards of good images is well worth it. Let's start first with connecting a DSLR camera - as these have become so popular over the last few years. I will use the example of connecting a Canon EOS Digital SLR Camera. First you will need a T-Adapter for a Schmidt Cassegrain telescope. This will thread onto the back of your Celestron CPC telescope. Next, you will need an appropriate T-Ring for your camera. For a Canon EOS, you would use the T-Ring for Canon EOS Cameras. You will remove the lens from your camera, and replace it with this T-Ring. Now you will be able to thread the camera to the back of the telescope. This is an easy way to begin astrophotography with your CPC telescope. We would however, highly recommend also getting the Celestron Focal Reducer as this will dramatically help with shortening exposure times and help you get better results faster.
Available Recommended Accessories
The Celestron CPC Telescopes have many enhancement accessories available. A few of our staff user favorites include:
Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit - 1.25 Inch Format
The 11 Inch CPC Telescope includes a 40mm Plossl Eyepiece. The 11 Inch CPC focal length is 2800mm so this included eyepiece will yield you 70x magnification. To get the most from your new CPC Telescope, we recommend you have a wide selection of eyepieces for high power viewing as well as wide-field viewing. The Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit - 1.25 Inch Format will give you that wide selection of eyepieces. This kit includes five 1.25 inch format eyepieces to give you the following magnification ranges in the 2800mm focal length 11 inch CPC Telescope:
- 4mm (700x Magnification)
- 6mm (467x Magnification)
- 9mm (311x Magnification)
- 15mm (187x Magnification)
- 32mm (88x Magnification)
This wider array of eyepieces will enhance your viewing of lunar and planetary surfaces. Select the Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit - 1.25 Inch Format as a great starter accessory for getting the most of your new Celestron 11 Inch CPC Telescope.
Upgrade to a 2 Inch Diagonal and 2 Inch format Eyepieces
2 Inch Format Eyepieces will deliver a wider field of view. Instead of only having the Andromeda Galaxy in your field of view, now you can also have the same view but with its surroundings. A 2-Inch format eyepiece also gives the feeling of "spacewalking" into the view. Your eyes see substantially more field of view and many find that the 2 inch format eyepieces are more comfortable to view into.
Before you can use a 2 inch format eyepiece on the 11 inch CPC telescope, you must upgrade the 1.25 inch format diagonal that is included with the telescope. By changing to a larger 2 inch format diagonal you are now able to use 2 inch format eyepieces. Most 2 inch format diagonals also include a "reducer" adapter that will continue to allow you to use your 1.25 inch format eyepieces.
Here are some choices of upgrades to change your 11 Inch CPC Telescope to use 2 Inch Format Eyepieces:
One of our favorite options for upgrading the Celestron 11 inch CPC Telescope to use 2 Inch format eyepieces is the Celestron 2 Inch Eyepiece and Filter Kit This Kit comes complete with a 2 Inch Diagonal, 2X Barlow Lens, Three 2 Inch Format Eyepieces, 2x Barlow Lens, and five 2 Inch Format filters. This is a great kit for upgrading your CPC telescope.
Upgraded Diagonal, now select some premium 2 inch format eyepieces
Its common to hear that your telescope is only as good as your eyepiece. The eyepiece is how you deliver the image your telescope has gathered to your eye. A quality eyepiece can mean the difference of seeing major amounts of detail. Here are some favorite choices for 2 Inch format eyepieces:
Power Adapters and Power Sources
The Celestron CPC telescopes include a car battery adapter power cord for powering your telescope through your vehicle. Celestron also offers a AC wall adapter for transforming standard, 110 volt AC house current to 12 volt DC current. But for the ultimate in power accessories, we recommend the Celestron PowerTank.
The Celestron PowerTank will give you many nights of viewing with your CPC telescope on one single charge. This rechargeable battery can be used over and over and even includes a powerful spotlight for cleanup and tear-down of your equipment. No more lost accessories left out overnight! The PowerTank is the best choice for powering your CPC telescope and is very convenient.
Protect your Celestron CPC Telescope with a Hard Case from JMI Jims Mobile
Jims Mobile (JMI Inc.) has been in the Telescope Accessory business for decades. We have selected JMI to provide our customers hard cases for the many popular telescopes available today. The JMI Celestron CPC Hard Case is the very best. If your moving your telescope to dark sky locations, there is no better way to transport your CPC than in a custom fit JMI Hard Case.
Ready For Astrophotography?
The rewards of capturing images from space are endless - so are the accessories and techniques for doing it! The Celestron CPC telescopes are an amazing tool for astrophotography. While we are not going into long detail of astrophotography technique, we will cover here what accessories are used for astrophotography with the CPC series telescopes. There are different methods of mating your particular camera to the CPC, or other choices of astrophotography tools you should know about:
DSLR Imaging - One of the fastest growing and most popular methods of astrophotography is using DSLR Cameras. The most popular digital SLR cameras are from Nikon and Canon. To connect a DSLR camera to your CPC telescope, you will need 2 pieces - A T-Adapter and a T-Ring.
The Celestron T-Adapter for Schmidt Cassegrains simply thread connects to the rear-cell of the CPC telescope. To connect your DSLR camera you will need to remove the lens from the camera, and replace it with a T-Ring. With the appropriate T-Ring attached to your DSLR camera you will then be able to connect your camera body directly to the T-Adapter connected to your CPC telescope.
We also recommend that you use a Celestron Reducer/Corrector. This Focal Reducer accessory will reduce your telescopes focal ratio. This focal reducer attaches first to the rear-cell of the CPC telescope, followed by the T-Adapter, then followed by your camera body with T-Ring attached.
CCD Imaging
Instead of using a CCD chip from a DSLR camera, there are also many CCD Cameras dedicated to astronomy.
Preventing Dew with the 11 Inch CPC Telescope
Dew forming on the lens of your telescope can quickly end an evening of observing. Once dew has formed, its very difficult to get rid of it. The answer is to prevent it from happening at all. Dew prevention can mean taking full advantage of those rare clear sky evenings or packing it in early.
There are two methods of preventing dew from forming. Dew Shields and Dew Heaters.
- Celestron Dew Shield - Simply wraps around the end of the telescopes optical tube, extending the tube out past the lens surface. This extra tube extension slows down the forming of dew substantially. It also blocks stray light from entering your telescope. In our opinion, a must have accessory.
- Dew Heater - A dew heater wraps around the aperture of the telescope near the optical surface, a small amount of heat is sent through this accessory making dew impossible to form. A dew heater must be powered by a dew controller to provide power. For more information, read our article on Dew Prevention here.
