Telescope Reviews: Celestron VX mount

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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

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tjugo
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/06/07

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: ghataa]
#5613677 - 01/09/13 12:50 PM

FWIW, not much info but probably soon they will post some videos from CES.

http://www.celestron.com/portal/articles/cat/press-releases/post/celestron-de...

Cheers,

Jose

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: ghataa]
#5613809 - 01/09/13 02:18 PM

StarSense looks interesting- I wonder what it means about having an included hand controller. Is it a NexStar+ style controller included? Will it guide? I want to know!

-Rich

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: ghataa]
#5613818 - 01/09/13 02:22 PM

Quote:

Curious what the weight capacity will be. My CG-5 has performed wonderfully (especially after hypertune!) so hopefully this mount is a step forward!

Apparently this was at CES this week.

George

According to what I am told, the same weight capacity as before is being advertised, 30-pounds. Will the mount be able to support more for imaging than it does now, which is around the weight of a C8 - guide scope for the current mount? Only time will tell.

Edited by rmollise (01/09/13 02:23 PM)

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MikeBOKC
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/10/10

Loc: Oklahoma City, OK

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5613849 - 01/09/13 02:43 PM

For what it's worth Astronomics has knocked down the price on the retiring CG-5 to $549 today clearing them out to make room for the new VX model I assume.

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cn register 5
sage

Reged: 12/26/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: MikeBOKC]
#5614000 - 01/09/13 04:14 PM

I've been beta testing an AVX mount since the end of November.

I think people will like it.

The tripod is almost the same as the AS-GT tripod but has a slightly different top, basically the azimuth control peg is further out.
The mount is slightly bigger than the AS-GT and looks like a baby CGEM. Features are:
RTC
PEC
Good motors and gearboxes - no 8/3 error and no cogging. Totally new motor control with two aux ports as well as the HC and guide ports.
Will track 20 degrees past the meridian.
It uses the Vixen style dovetail but with two beefy bolts.

I was able to set it up for autoguiding and do a PEC check - the original PECTool program works. I haven't been able to do enough to get it fully characterised but as far as I can see the PEC on mine is about 25" and seems reasonably consistent from cycle to cycle.

I think it will work well for imaging with at least the same mass as the AS-GT, probably more.

The firmware in the HC and mount seems pretty good, I found some minor problems but nothing that stopped it working. The HC is Nexstar+ only.

Upgrade does NOT use the HCUpdate or MCUpdate programs, there's an updated CFM program.

If they all work as well as the one I've got they will be good.

Hope this helps,

Chris

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mclewis1
Thread Killer

Reged: 02/25/06

Loc: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: cn register 5]
#5614019 - 01/09/13 04:23 PM

Chris,

Thank you for telling us what you can ... it's appreciated.

Good news on the motors/gearbox. I know many CGEM owners will also be watching this aspect of the mount very closely ... and hopefully this will bode well for a proper solution for those folks in the future.

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evilmedic13
member

Reged: 06/23/12

Loc: Chicago,Il

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: cn register 5]
#5614026 - 01/09/13 04:24 PM

Would it be worth the $ to upgrade? I;m looking at snatching a cg-5 now but, if the other would be better for ap, I'll wait. What's your ,now informed, opinion? I don't want details, or anything like that. You couldn't say anyway, and it's irrelevant. I just want to know if you'd upgrade, or be happy with a CG-5?

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mclewis1
Thread Killer

Reged: 02/25/06

Loc: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5614035 - 01/09/13 04:31 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Autoguider port (which the CG-5 already has) New motors (which should mean new gearbox and therefore hopefully won't have the 8/3 period errors)

I know this is something of a problem with the CGEM, but I have never seen nor heard tell of it in a CG5... Mr Ed, what say you?

Rod, I agree, CG-5 owners wouldn't know much about this (with no PPEC not many folks have spent much time digging into PE on the CG-5), but much of the hardware is the same between the mounts (CG-5/CGEM) and presumably with new motors and gear boxes the problem won't be inherent in the VX mount ... and this gives hope to the CGEM owners who do have to live with the 8/3 period errors.

Edited by mclewis1 (01/10/13 12:33 PM)

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evilmedic13
member

Reged: 06/23/12

Loc: Chicago,Il

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: mclewis1]
#5614100 - 01/09/13 05:06 PM

Belay my last post. I just ordered the 5! I've been waiting for it to hit that price for a few months anyway. Going to use it mainly for observing, and maybe ap with the 80mm apo, that's about it.

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cn register 5
sage

Reged: 12/26/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: mclewis1]
#5614103 - 01/09/13 05:09 PM

I think that if the AVX is only $100 more expensive than the AS-GT then it's a no brainer - get the AVX. I found it easier to set up and get good guiding.

But the AS-GT hasn't changed, it's no better or worse than it was yesterday and if it's available at a good price then it might worth getting it, especially if you plan to use it with a light short focal length scope.

So the answer is - as usual - it depends :-)

Chris

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A. Viegas
sage

Reged: 03/05/12

Loc: New York City/ CT

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: cn register 5]
#5614242 - 01/09/13 06:34 PM

Seems to me that the new price point for entry level AP will be closer to $800-900 if we look at the pricing range of the LX80 post introduction. So my 2c would be to snatch up the few remaining CG5-AGSTs now. Sure no PEC and gears and what not so as good as the VX, but if you are doing visual or video astronomy, you dont need much better.

Obviously if the new VX works as anticipated this will put pressure on the basic CGEM, why pay $500 more for basically 10 lbs of additional payload?!? So Celestron will canabalize a higher margin product in introducing the VX. If the finance people think about this, it would obviously beg the question that they need to seriously upgrade the CGEM to keep that price point intact.

just my 2c

Al

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RTLR 12
Post Laureate

Reged: 12/04/08

Loc: Capistrano Beach, Ca

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: A. Viegas]
#5614299 - 01/09/13 07:01 PM

The new VX is shown on the Celestron site...

http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-advancedvx-mount.html

Stan

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ourobouros2k2
sage

Reged: 11/10/11

Loc: okc area, oklahoma

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: RTLR 12]
#5614432 - 01/09/13 08:07 PM

Nice info,RTLR! I especially like the 360 view. I didn't notice any mention of ASPA in the specs though, but surely it must have it.

Edit: there is a sign/icon that says allstar polar alignment above the product spec tab. Just didn't see it

Edited by ourobouros2k2 (01/09/13 08:11 PM)

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RTLR 12
Post Laureate

Reged: 12/04/08

Loc: Capistrano Beach, Ca

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: ourobouros2k2]
#5614448 - 01/09/13 08:17 PM

Yes, they list ASPA in the description along with PEC< RTC, and some other features. Looks like a CG-5 and a CGEM offspring.

Stan

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frozen.kryo
member

Reged: 01/28/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: RTLR 12]
#5614529 - 01/09/13 09:20 PM

Wider latitude range... yet it only does 7 to 77 degrees??

Didn't the CG5 go from 0 to 90 degrees? How do you go wider than that? Am I missing something here?

Anyway, it looks like a great mount. I liked my CG5. Hope this new mount isn't as noisy as the old one.

Edited by frozen.kryo (01/10/13 02:28 AM)

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ghataa
professor emeritus

Reged: 06/20/11

Loc: Central, NJ

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: frozen.kryo]
#5614578 - 01/09/13 09:59 PM

Looks very polished and reasonably priced. Hopefully it has the guts to be a strong performer like its Momma.

George

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5614591 - 01/09/13 10:06 PM

Is it a Sirius/HEQ-5 derivative?

It sounds like Celestron has a great bundle with this new mount plus a C8 Edge HD OTA for under $2k.

I was considering an 8" Edge HD OTA to experiment with anyway. It sounds almost like I'd be nuts not to hold off a bit and get this mount + OTA bundle.

"The star of the series is the Advanced VX 8” Edge HD, which combines Celestron’s best optical design with the Advanced VX for a stellar astroimaging telescope under $2,000."

Star sense also sounds like a nifty little tool for popularizing and democratizing astronomy. So easy even a caveman can use it to align a GOTO mount.

Regards,

Jim

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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: jrbarnett]
#5614708 - 01/09/13 11:40 PM

Quote:

Is it a Sirius/HEQ-5 derivative?

According to the photos, it's a Vixen-themed mount rather than Tak. Looks like an updated CG-5.

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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: A. Viegas]
#5614722 - 01/09/13 11:52 PM

Quote:

Obviously if the new VX works as anticipated this will put pressure on the basic CGEM, why pay $500 more for basically 10 lbs of additional payload?!?

The mounts are more different than the 30 pound/40 pound specs imply. Bigger gears, bearings, etc. The CGEM minus tripod weighs more than twice the weight published for the bare VX so it's substantially beefier (weighs about the rated capacity, rather than 1/2 the rated capacity). The price difference will still be justified for those wanting something more substantial - but with any luck the VX will be even more bang for the buck than the CG-5 was, and that's saying something!

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: jrcrilly]
#5614745 - 01/10/13 12:08 AM

John, where'd you find photos?

Thanks,

Jim

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