Telescope Reviews: Replacement CGEM delayed (again) I'm turning blue!

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | (show all)

blueman
Vendor Blue Sky Accessories

Reged: 07/20/07

Loc: California

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Lord Beowulf]
#3036264 - 04/10/09 02:09 PM

Not meaning to knock on the CGEM, but that Saddle is pretty poor. I would hate to have to rely on that poor fit with all the dollars hanging on it.
Perhaps a replacement would be worthwhile?
Blueman

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Lane
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/19/07

Loc: Frisco, Texas

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: blueman]
#3036478 - 04/10/09 04:02 PM

I don't think I would call it poor, it just has a deeper groove, which matches the celestron dovetails perfectly. And like someone else said above, regardless of how it looks you could not knock the Losmandy plate out of there with a sledgehammer and I would agree with that, it holds very tight.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

blueman
Vendor Blue Sky Accessories

Reged: 07/20/07

Loc: California

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Lane]
#3036677 - 04/10/09 06:07 PM

Hi,
Hi Lane,
I was referring to the fact that the plate can not sit flat on the saddle due to the casting not being flat.
This should have been machined afterward to get it flat in my opinion. But I guess that is what you get with casting vs. CNC?
Blueman

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Lord Beowulf
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/13/08

Loc: Cedar Park, TX

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: blueman]
#3039016 - 04/12/09 12:04 AM

Of course to add to my list of Celestron quality stories... We just came back from a Yuri Night party to benefit the Austin Planetarium organization that's trying to get a planetarium, Challenger center, and space science museum in Austin, TX. They'd gotten a NexStar 60 SLT for their auction, and a handful of Celestron giveaways that they put out on the tables. The joke is that of the three stubby ballpoint pens on our table, only one worked. The others wouldn't latch the tip out so that you could use it. Of course I never actually tried writing with the one, so who knows if it even writes!

Still, it just reinforces what I've always told our Marketing department. You don't do the company any favors by giving away cheesy stuff with the company name/logo on it, if the giveaways you're handing out are of such low quality that they don't work or break immediately. Even though the giveaway obviously isn't made by the company (although in this case, it probably wasn't made too far away from where Celestron's making their telescopes these days), a poor quality giveaway doesn't reflect well on the company OR its quality! At any rate, I just though it was ironic enough to share...

As far as the event, BTW, Richard Garriott spoke on his trip to the ISS, and while shorter than a previous presentation I'd heard him give, it was still great. And with plenty of Russian music, dancing, food, and vodka, I think everyone had a pretty good time celebrating the first man in space!

Beo

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

LLEEGE
True Blue

Reged: 03/03/05

Loc: Cloud-chester,NY

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: blueman]
#3039168 - 04/12/09 02:14 AM

Quote:

Not meaning to knock on the CGEM, but that Saddle is pretty poor. I would hate to have to rely on that poor fit with all the dollars hanging on it.
Perhaps a replacement would be worthwhile?
Blueman

I've got over $11,000 sitting on mine. I sleep well at night.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Lord Beowulf
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/13/08

Loc: Cedar Park, TX

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: LLEEGE]
#3039384 - 04/12/09 08:41 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Not meaning to knock on the CGEM, but that Saddle is pretty poor. I would hate to have to rely on that poor fit with all the dollars hanging on it.
Perhaps a replacement would be worthwhile?
Blueman

I've got over $11,000 sitting on mine. I sleep well at night.

Frankly, I'm more concerned about the damage that it's doing to the ADM Losmandy rail itself. By the time it's tight enough that it can't slip out, it's putting a lot of pressure on that one line at the tip of the dovetail, which means it's compressing and deforming that point on the rail. Of course if I spring for the ADM saddle to resolve this then I can also mount a single Vixen OTA if desired (not sure why/when I would ever do such a thing, instead of just using my dual saddle, but...). Not to mention that orange knob set looks pretty cool! Still, I would be happier if the existing CGEM saddle had a better fit.

Beo

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

plav1959
sage

Reged: 05/10/07

Loc: Central Florida

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Lord Beowulf]
#3039532 - 04/12/09 10:44 AM

Beo,
I received my CGEM a couple of weeks ago with very similar damage to one leg of the tripod, but the shipping carton was undamaged. After numerous calls and emails to Celestron and my dealer, they agreed to ship a replacement leg. Originally they wanted the whole tripod returned, but finally came around to just replacing the leg.
Worth a shot,
Paul

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Lord Beowulf
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/13/08

Loc: Cedar Park, TX

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: plav1959]
#3039605 - 04/12/09 11:24 AM

Paul,

I have an e-mail in to Celestron, but no comment so far. I suppose I'll have to give them a call next week.

Beo

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

blueman
Vendor Blue Sky Accessories

Reged: 07/20/07

Loc: California

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: LLEEGE]
#3039782 - 04/12/09 12:48 PM

Hi LLEEGE,
That is good to hear!

However, the question would still be, does the dovetail plate fit the top of the saddle? If you are doing photography, it is very important that the two fit tightly so that there is no flexure.
Blueman

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Hank w
member

Reged: 09/10/08

Loc: Loveland, Colorado

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: bryansay]
#3039859 - 04/12/09 01:34 PM

Hi Beowulf: I agree the saddle is poorly machined. My cgem saddle matches yours exactly. In your picture you can see that the left, non moveable, has a better fit then the moveable side with the tightening screws. Those screws do not align properly with the stationary portion of the saddle and when tightened cause an improper fit between the saddle and the rail. The tighter the screws the more the mis-alignment. Really the only answer is to buy an ADM saddle. It will hold tightly the way it is, just shows poor workmanship at a very important location. If ADM can do it I'm sure Celestron can also do it at a lower price especially since it is made in China.
Hank

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Skip
Starlifter Driver

Reged: 01/23/08

Loc: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Hank w]
#3042188 - 04/13/09 07:24 PM

Beo,
PM me when you get a chance. I want to discuss what I'm planning and get your take on it. Thanks, buddy,

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Dr Benway
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/27/08

Loc: Abilene, TX

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Skip]
#3043788 - 04/14/09 04:20 PM

I cancelled my order with Telescopes.com today. The crummy dovetail fit and dented legs, plus the waiting since February 3, was enough for me to call in an order for a Losmandy GM-8 which will be waiting for me when I arrive at the TSP on Sunday. Ta-dah!

John

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Lord Beowulf]
#3044200 - 04/14/09 08:32 PM

Dovetail bars are designed to be divoted, marred and dimpled. I wouldn't give a fig about abusing a dovetail bar. In fact, a dovetail bar that was impervious to divoting, scuffing and dimpling would likely be less secure. Friction is your friend.

I think some folks have AP-900 expectations for what is in truth a cheap imported GEM. So far, the quality seems to be exactly what folks who have owned similar mounts such as the Orion Atlas have experienced. Not perfect but good enough for the price. That's why the Atlas is a perrenial best seller and the CGEM seems to be sold out frequently.

I have both and Atlas and a Losmandy GM-8. The Atlas has a much larger capacity than does the GM-8. I'd rate the GM-8 as a CG5 class mount in fact. It struggles with my 127ED whereas the Atlas handles it without a whimper. The Losmandy has nice machining work for its price, but nothing close to the A-P mounts.

IMO really good mounts generally cost more than $6k. Since I don't image, I am willing to put up with good enough and forego really good.

Regards,

Jim

Edited by jrbarnett (04/14/09 11:15 PM)

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Lane
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/19/07

Loc: Frisco, Texas

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: jrbarnett]
#3044216 - 04/14/09 08:48 PM Attachment (53 downloads)

There is no real problem with the cgem saddle but if you want to be able to put both kinds of dovetails on the mount without a conversion plate then for about $180 (which includes shipping cost) you can get the ADM cgem dual saddle as I just did. Here is a pic I posted for someone else. The arrow is just showing the bolt that is removed to switch them out. There are 3 of those bolts.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

mclewis1
Thread Killer

Reged: 02/25/06

Loc: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: jrbarnett]
#3044285 - 04/14/09 09:28 PM

Jim,

I agree that friction is your friend and in the case of a saddle and dovetail bar the amount of friction is dependent on the fit between the two components. A poor fit between them puts less surface area in contact and therefore reduces the potential amount of friction (and therefore the holding force) between the two pieces. I don't think anyone is overly concerned about cosmetic damage to a dovetail bar or what the CGEM saddle looks like. Most of the conversation has been about the concerns over the fit of Losmandy D type plates in the CGEM's stock saddle or what Celestron calls a "mounting platform".

Interestingly Celestron makes no mention of D sized plate compatibility, in fact there doesn't seem to be any information on the saddle itself (including any statement about it even being CGE dovetail compatible) in the marketing info, product specifications, or the installation manual. Astronomics does however make a specific statement about the mount head accepting either type of dovetail. The CGE saddle on the other hand is a nicely machined unit that grips either type of dovetail very well.

The CGEM saddle doesn't seem to fit Losmandy D plates quite as well as the CGE saddle does. The angles of the sides of the saddle also seem to be a bit different and the corners of the CGEM saddle don't fit into the 3rd party D sized dovetail bar/plates quite as deeply as they do on the CGE or 3rd party D saddles. The assumption is that this is all due to the fact that the CGEM saddle is a casting that isn't created to the same tolerances as if it had been machined.

Is this really a problem? I'm not sure but I do know that if I owned a CGEM I would be concerned about the fit of a Losmandy D compatible plate in the stock saddle. The visuals would make me a bit uncomfortable and I would be extra careful every time I mounted a scope on the mount.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

donsinger1
sage

Reged: 10/28/07

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: mclewis1]
#3044639 - 04/15/09 01:18 AM

From what I could see, I would not worry too much...once clamped down, everything is in very solid. However, I went for the ADM Dual saddle also as it then entails one less piece to deal with when using a Vixen style dovetail, and is also lighter.

Don

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Trebor777
Hazy

Reged: 01/04/08

Loc: Connecticut - U.S.

Re: Replacement CGEM finally on the way! new

new

[Re: Skip]
#3044675 - 04/15/09 02:01 AM

Celestron customer service is a PITA. Especially for replacement parts. I called (and emailed) last Wednesday, they called me back today (Tues) and told me to sed them a check and then they'll send me my replacement part (CGE tripod spreader)

Now, that's 6 days for a response...5 days for my check to get from CT to CA...5 days for the replacement part to be shipped back to me in CT....

16 DAYS for a simple replacement part (that they have in stock) that would take literally 2 minutes to order and another 2 for a human being to package and put a shipping label on it. That's ridculous.

Needless to say I'm not doing it.

I needed a plastic tripod spreader for the CGE. Celestron wants $55 shipped for it. I went to Lowe's (That's Lane) and got a round 18" table top and I'm making a tripod eyepiece tray/extender. Total cost $9.99.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

gsmblue
member

Reged: 04/14/09

Loc: Portland, OR, USA

Re: Replacement CGEM delayed (again) I'm turning b new

new

[Re: Lane]
#3049970 - 04/17/09 09:58 PM

Hi there, I have been lurking on this site for years..... but first post

I ordered my CGEM today. I am sure I won't see it for a long time, but the shop lent me a CG5 in the meantime, very decent of them!!!

Can anyone point me in the direction of a "first look" article on the CGEM?

Thanks!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Lord Beowulf
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/13/08

Loc: Cedar Park, TX

Re: Replacement CGEM delayed (again) I'm turning b new

new

[Re: gsmblue]
#3050715 - 04/18/09 12:06 PM

Welcome GSMBlue! Glad you decided to post. There are a number of threads here with some useful information. Here's a thread I did in January when my original CGEM came in. I captured most of the dimensions of the CGEM to give you an idea what you're getting into. There are a number of other good threads on here too. You can also join the Yahoo CGEM group for more info.

Beo

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

gsmblue
member

Reged: 04/14/09

Loc: Portland, OR, USA

Re: Replacement CGEM delayed (again) I'm turning b new

new

[Re: Lord Beowulf]
#3050866 - 04/18/09 01:49 PM

Thanks Beo, looking forward to you updates!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | (show all)

Extra information

21 registered and 32 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: Bowmoreman, bilgebay, iceblaze

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 4458

Jump to

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics