Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is hands down a fantastic instrument. I purchased this scope to have something portable for camping in the summer and something less cumbersome to set up in our pasture for impromptu star parties. I have a 12" Meade lx200 classic with great optics but it's a beast to move around and flat out miserable to take camping where the really dark skies are. I wanted/needed a scope that was easy to transport but had enough aperture to make things interesting. This scope got awesome reviews and everyone seemed to love it so when Amazon had it on a warehouse deal for a scandalously low price I bought it. No regrets at all so far after a couple of months of solid use. When I first looked through the 6se, I was blown away by how bright and sharp the images were for being a 6" as opposed to my 12" Meade which desperately needs its mirrors recoated. This little 6" reignited the spark as I observed favorites like Albireo and the great cluster in Hercules. Amazing views! The single arm mount seems very solid though the spur gears are not optimal for fine tracking needed for loooong exposure astrophotography. I may end up upgrading next year to the nexstar 8 evolution for better gearing and some more bells and whistles. There is a noticeable amount of noise in the gearing as it tracks but really not a big deal in my mind as it does its job very well. I'm impressed with how well it does track though as I've centered an image and come back 2 hours later to find it still centered exactly as I left it so far as I can tell (visual observation, not using a camera). The 6se is about as big as I'd think you could go on this mount however as a scope that is much bigger might be a little heavy for the arm but I don't have an 8se so I'm just guessing there. As far as my original goal of portability goes, I found a cheap hardside suitcase which the packing foam fits in perfectly that makes transportation to observing sights a dream. This is a total winner for my needs and I look forward to years of quality astronomy using it. Highly recommended.