amstel78
sage
Reged: 12/21/07
Loc: Manhattan
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EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
#2207306 - 02/21/08 01:59 AM
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Finally got my kit the other day. Installed on my Celestron CG-4 without a hitch, and upgraded firmware to 3.21 tonight. What really impressed me was how quiet these motors are compared to the CG-5/LXD75 mounts. Anyway, that led me to investigate what kind of motors are being used, and interestingly enough the specs are exactly the same as those used in the Atlas/Sirius and HEQ5 Pro and EQ6 mounts. They are 1.8 degree microstepper motors / 64 steps driven.
Also, with the release of 3.21, direct PC control is available. I was wondering if there was a way to get EQMOD running with this rig. I tried it tonight briefly, and while I can get the ASCOM EQMOD driver to initialize, nothing happens on the mount. It will work with the unified Celestron drivers however.
Hmm.... very interesting. 
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aragorn
sage
Reged: 01/14/08
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: amstel78]
#2208210 - 02/21/08 12:47 PM
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What is this GoTo upgrade for the CG-4?
I've never heard of it.
-b
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amstel78
sage
Reged: 12/21/07
Loc: Manhattan
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: aragorn]
#2208592 - 02/21/08 03:05 PM Attachment (282 downloads)
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Unfortunately the kit isn't slated to be sold in the US. You can buy it in kit form or as a whole mount from eftonscience in Canada. The kit will be released sometime in March from what I hear. I happened to buy mine from someone in Singapore who didn't need it.
The pictures aren't mine, but my CG-4 looks exactly like the one shown here.
Edited by amstel78 (02/21/08 03:06 PM)
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amstel78
sage
Reged: 12/21/07
Loc: Manhattan
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: amstel78]
#2208597 - 02/21/08 03:07 PM Attachment (245 downloads)
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Another shot - again, not my picture but my setup looks exactly the same except for OTA.
Edited by amstel78 (02/21/08 03:07 PM)
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aragorn
sage
Reged: 01/14/08
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: amstel78]
#2208746 - 02/21/08 04:02 PM
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Wow! That's exactly what I've been looking for.
I'll have to follow up with the Canadians. Thanks!
Wish I'd seen this before we bought the Celestron kit.
-b
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fuadramsey
member
Reged: 06/26/07
Loc: Orange County, CA
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: amstel78]
#2588828 - 08/18/08 04:41 PM
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How much was the upgrade kit?
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Doug76
Long Achro Junkie
Reged: 12/05/07
Loc: Refractor Heaven
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: fuadramsey]
#2589195 - 08/18/08 07:29 PM
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Quote:
How much was the upgrade kit?
Yes, an approximate price will do for now, and this is just what I have been looking for.
Doug
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Oly Olson
super member
Reged: 02/17/08
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: Doug76]
#2666652 - 09/27/08 06:00 PM
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Is this kit still available anywhere for a reasonable price? The only place I can find it it's $900 which is a non-starter for this inexpensive mount.
Thanks,
Oly
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watcher
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/21/07
Loc: St. Louis, MO
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: Oly Olson]
#2670309 - 09/29/08 03:33 PM
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This has had my head spinning for quite a while now. I like my little Omni cg-4. Even without tuning and re greasing, it is adequate for my 120mm f/8.3 refractor. Would be dynamite for a short tube refractor or a 6 inch Mak, "to go". When I first heard about Ioptron, I sent them an E-mail. They said that their kit would work with a CG-4. It takes me a long time to fill my astronomy budget, so I figured I'd wait for someone with deeper pockets to report on how difficult it was to adapt. Haven't seen anyone use it on the CG-4 yet. If it were a direct bolt on like this Synscan, or if it didn't take too much fiddling with, I think it would be worth the 430 bucks to add to the mount I already have. If the Synscan costs much more than that, or if the Ioptron takes major reworking to adapt, I'll have to give up on using my little CG-4 and go for a CG-5 or lxd75. Not as portable, but more cost effective.
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Doug76
Long Achro Junkie
Reged: 12/05/07
Loc: Refractor Heaven
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: watcher]
#2670480 - 09/29/08 05:01 PM
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Hmm, when I asked they said the iOptron kit couldn't be used on the CG-4, due to gear differences from the CG-5 and the like.
Doug
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watcher
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/21/07
Loc: St. Louis, MO
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: Doug76]
#2670654 - 09/29/08 06:24 PM
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Glad I didn't send my money in because of an over zealous employee.
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evhap
member
Reged: 11/09/10
Loc: California
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: amstel78]
#4730278 - 08/04/11 05:07 PM
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Quote:
Finally got my kit the other day. Installed on my Celestron CG-4 without a hitch, and upgraded firmware to 3.21 tonight. What really impressed me was how quiet these motors are compared to the CG-5/LXD75 mounts. Anyway, that led me to investigate what kind of motors are being used, and interestingly enough the specs are exactly the same as those used in the Atlas/Sirius and HEQ5 Pro and EQ6 mounts. They are 1.8 degree microstepper motors / 64 steps driven.
Also, with the release of 3.21, direct PC control is available. I was wondering if there was a way to get EQMOD running with this rig. I tried it tonight briefly, and while I can get the ASCOM EQMOD driver to initialize, nothing happens on the mount. It will work with the unified Celestron drivers however.
Amstel 78: It is now 3 years down the line. Are you still happy with your GOTO? Because both Ioptron and Celestron have assured me that the kit cannot be used with a CG4. I wonder if the kit has changed, or the CG-4 has changed.
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evhap
member
Reged: 11/09/10
Loc: California
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: evhap]
#4840146 - 10/02/11 08:21 PM
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I'd still like to know what experience other people have had with a CG-4 GoTo conversion. The Skywatcher SynScan Upgrade Kit for the EQ3-2 is no longer available in North America. I got mine at a reasonable price from http://green-witch.com/ in Britain. Installation was a bit difficult, since directions are minimal, and one piece was left over: a foam rubber rectangle 40x50x8mm with a strip of double-sided tape on it. Operation results were mixed. Lots of failures of 3-star alignment, and even when successful, sometimes everything you want to look at is way off. When it does work, it works well, so the problem is probably something I'm doing. I'd love to hear input from others.
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dawsonian2000
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/26/06
Loc: Riverview, FL, USA
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Re: EQ3/CG-4 GOTO upgrade kit installed...
[Re: evhap]
#5680127 - 02/14/13 07:53 PM
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Another year has gone by and I see that no one else has responded. I too am wanting to convert my Celestron CG-4 to goto. It is hard for me to find a vendor in North America to purchase it from. I am even having a hard time finding a vendor in the UK to ship one here. I will check with green-wich.com.
Hey BTW evhap! If you are still following this thread, how is your cg-4/ goto collaboration working out?
Mel
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