Great scope and package - Celestron CGEM DX 1100 HD 11in Computerized Telescope w/ EdgeHD Optics 11002

Well. . . after three and a half years with the Edgehd and cgem dx I feel that I have a pretty good sense of the pluses and minuses.

On the plus side:

1. 11" of aperture packed into a small space with excellent optics;

2. If you plan to do astrophotography, this is a great place to be. With reducer you can go to .7x, native is F10, and with hyperstar you can do F2.

3. The flat field optics with the edgehd design makes for refractor like views on the best nights.

On the negative side (these depend on your situation):

1. The DX tripod is bigger than you think. Way, way bigger. And heavier. The first thing I did after getting the scope was to get a lighter weight alt az set up for quick sessions on my balcony.

2. This is a big scope, and it can take a good amount of time to cool down. Tempest fans (from deep space products) are a mandatory addition.

3. With a long focal length, it is a narrow field scope. You will max out at about a 1 degree true field. That was fine with me, but you will almost certainly want to pair this scope with a small refractor for wider field views. That makes for a killer combination.