PhilCo126
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 1636
Loc: coastline of Belgium
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As I'm hesitating of buying a Celestron CGEM mount, I would like to hear what are the pro's and contra's about this mount.
So far I know:
Pro CGEM:
40,000 elements in NexStar database against 13,400 in Synscan EQ-6
Easier setup for GoTo enabled observation (e.g. daylight solar system)
Better servo motors
Two years warranty
Contra CGEM
Overall plastic look & feel of outside?
Handset cord way too short?
Saddle knobs too smooth?
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TS 152/1200 ( f 7.90 ) Achromatic Refractor
Saving/Looking for 180/1620 ( f 9 ) Refractor
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Assuming you're comparing a CGEM to an EQ-6 and not an NEQ-6 add a Losmandy D type saddle to the CGEM pro column.
Other CGEM pros ... Larger Alt and Az ajustment knobs, more mature software.
Other cons ... hardware not as well proven.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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PhilCo126
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 1636
Loc: coastline of Belgium
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Don't know about the NEQ-6 but would a CGEM also require this overhaul/maintenance:
http://avex.org.free.fr/dossiers-pratiques/eq6/index-eng.html
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TS 152/1200 ( f 7.90 ) Achromatic Refractor
Saving/Looking for 180/1620 ( f 9 ) Refractor
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divers
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/21/08
Posts: 501
Loc: Apopka, FL
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Out of the box...mine has NO issue's at all with the exception of my pickyness over the saddle...not a con, just a note. I love the mount. Tracking is great, goto is great. Seems that someone made improvements to the Atlas and called it a CGEM.
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Black tube C11
Siebert 7mmUltra and 13mmUltra
Siebert 2x 2" Barlow
GIRO II on a Meade tripod
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Lane
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/19/07
Posts: 1515
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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I got a handset cord extender from Scopestuff and that eliminates the short hand controller cord issue. IMO that was the only real con for the CGEM and easily corrected. I don't know why you think it looks plastic because it is completely metal as far as I can tell. Only those big knobs are plastic and I also replaced them with star shaped knobs, but mainly so it would fit in my Hardigg storage case with the knobs still attached.
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Mounts: CGEM, ORION SIRIUS, AT Voyager/motorized
SCTs: C6, C8, C9.25, C11,
Refractors: TV Pronto, Orion ED80
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Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 4785
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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My Atlas is over three years old and has been bulletproof for about 50 or more nights a year of visual use. I did replace the HC to mount cable that shorted about a year and a half ago.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
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AntarcticDave
super member
Reged: 02/03/09
Posts: 126
Loc: Denver, CO
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I'm very happy with mine so far. It handles my 6" achromat easily, and I really like the new polar alignment algorithm - no more bending down to peer through a polar alignment scope.
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Dave
Celestron C102 4" achromat
Antares 1529 6" achromat
CGEM mount
Eyepieces: Proxima 31, Televue 20 Plossl, Celestron Ultima 12.5 & 7.5, TMB 5 & 4
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Olivier Biot
Amused
Reged: 04/25/05
Posts: 16368
Loc: 51°N (Belgium)
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I have seen the CGEM for the very first time this weekend on an astronomy event in northern France. It has a nice design, feels quite solid without being overly heavy. It's definitely a step up with respect to the proven EQ6/Atlas. This mount features some nice enhancements like more ergonomic polar height adjustment.
The counterweight shaft must be unscrewed from the mount head, as it does not retract into the mount (as with the HEQ5/Sirius and EQ6/Atlas).
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Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. Niels Bohr
Tal-200K (#199) with JMI NGF-Mini2M focuser on GEM3 • Astro-Tech AT80ED • Orion Sirius EQ-G with wireless EQDIRECT • Astro-Tech Voyager • Celestron Regal LX 10x42 • Helios 15x70
ATM 14" f/5 (redesigning) • ATM 10" f/6 Portable Truss (polishing) • ATM 10" f/25 Dall-Kirkham (optics)
AstroForecast
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PhilCo126
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 1636
Loc: coastline of Belgium
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Glad to see lots of great comments, ordered mine but there's a six weeks waiting period... 
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TS 152/1200 ( f 7.90 ) Achromatic Refractor
Saving/Looking for 180/1620 ( f 9 ) Refractor
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Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 4785
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Let me add a topic from beyond the fringe of normal use. The EQ6/Atlas/HEQ5/Sirius, using EQMOD, will allow satellite tracking. Now THAT's a capability not many folks talk about!
Just trying to throw another consideration into the mix.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4598
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Quote:
Don't know about the NEQ-6 but would a CGEM also require this overhaul/maintenance:
http://avex.org.free.fr/dossiers-pratiques/eq6/index-eng.html
No...and neither does the EQ6/Atlas. Most of the overhauls were done on the early (non-go-to) EQ6, and the mount has come a long, long way since then. Sure, some people take their mounts apart, but some people immediately take their Porches apart to "make them better" too. The Atlas almost always works just find right outa the box.
Frankly, the CGEM and Atlas are sisters and are more alike than different.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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Victory5
newbie
Reged: 02/11/09
Posts: 3
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I just purchased one last week. It is a solid mount. It does look plastic like, but it's solid metal.
Still getting used to it 1st GEM I have owned so I haven't determined the positive/ negatives. Does seem a tad noisy when slewing. However, it holds my TMB 130, 2 inch star Diag. a 31mm Nagler, and a heavy Williams optics view finder with no problem
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Victory5
newbie
Reged: 02/11/09
Posts: 3
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Does your CGEM slew with minimal noise?
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R Nitzel
member
Reged: 01/14/09
Posts: 52
Loc: Corpus Christi, TX
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My CGEM's a little noisy - more so when fully loaded. The other night, I had my C8 with a DSI III attached, a short-80 with a ssag attached, and a 40D with a 100-400L. It seems to move about fine with that load (plus 1-17# and 2-11# CW's), but it did seem a little louder - or maybe I was listening more closely.
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____________________________
Ryan
CGEM 800 Hyperstar 3
Orion ST80
DSI III
SSAG
A lot to learn
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Lane
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/19/07
Posts: 1515
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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The CGEM definitely makes more noise when slewing, but it also slews faster. When slewing at the same speed they are pretty close to same noise level. The problem is that when you do a goto it always slews at the maximum speed. You can only control slewing speed for manual slewing. This is one thing I wish they would add to a future hand controller update, I know my old Meade lx200 allowed the max goto speed to be selected.
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Mounts: CGEM, ORION SIRIUS, AT Voyager/motorized
SCTs: C6, C8, C9.25, C11,
Refractors: TV Pronto, Orion ED80
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t.r.
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/14/08
Posts: 577
Loc: Upstate NY
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Would the CG-5 pier extension fit the CGEM to get some height? The tripods are the same...
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Present Stable:
Kmart 40mm(first scope @ age 8)
Jason 60mm
C80SS
Tak Sky90II
PST
C6XLT
AP130 "Gran Turismo"
C-11XLT
EQ-2,CG-4,ASGT-5,DenkII's,TV(zoom,plossls,Ethos),Pentax XW's,UO volcano set, ZAOII 4mm,BaaderZoom and other un-notables
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."
Carl Sagan
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 9081
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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I don't think they are, Tim.
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"Okay! You draw the straws. I'm-a taking the parachute."
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PhilCo126
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 1636
Loc: coastline of Belgium
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Although tripods look the same, the bolts might be slightly bigger on the CGEM tripod...
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TS 152/1200 ( f 7.90 ) Achromatic Refractor
Saving/Looking for 180/1620 ( f 9 ) Refractor
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Lane
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/19/07
Posts: 1515
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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CGEM tripod leg diameter is all that is the same (both are 2"). Everything else is different.
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Mounts: CGEM, ORION SIRIUS, AT Voyager/motorized
SCTs: C6, C8, C9.25, C11,
Refractors: TV Pronto, Orion ED80
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t.r.
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/14/08
Posts: 577
Loc: Upstate NY
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Is there a pier extension available for the CGEM then(I should say half-pillar)?
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Present Stable:
Kmart 40mm(first scope @ age 8)
Jason 60mm
C80SS
Tak Sky90II
PST
C6XLT
AP130 "Gran Turismo"
C-11XLT
EQ-2,CG-4,ASGT-5,DenkII's,TV(zoom,plossls,Ethos),Pentax XW's,UO volcano set, ZAOII 4mm,BaaderZoom and other un-notables
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."
Carl Sagan
Edited by t.r. (03/11/09 02:20 PM)
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