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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

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deezdrama
Carpal Tunnel
*****

Reged: 03/29/05

Loc: Central Illinois
celestron cg-5 or clone
      #3073979 - 04/28/09 11:11 PM

Need new mount for my 120ed and decided on a cg-5 type mount.

Ive had one of the konus made cg-5 clones before and it was ok but tripod legs were a bit small.But I can buy one of these new for $180 and then buy a nice wooden tripod or 2" diameter legged tripod and have a decent cheapsettup with dual tracking motors.

Or I could just go for the celestron goto cg-5. Never seen one or used one so dont know if they function any better than the clone cg-5 I had. Goto is not important but would be nice I guess to have. Do these perform better than the konus cg-5 clones? Can they handle more weight?
And can they be laptop controlled?

So I could have the clone setup for around $300
Or about double that and go with the celestron
Suggesstions?
Anyone have experience with both


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deezdrama
Carpal Tunnel
*****

Reged: 03/29/05

Loc: Central Illinois
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: deezdrama]
      #3073987 - 04/28/09 11:19 PM

I also like the white skywatcher heq5 pro mounts but they dont seem to be sold in the usa

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Joe Aguiar
Carpal Tunnel
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Reged: 02/10/07

Loc: Toront,Ontario
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: deezdrama]
      #3073994 - 04/28/09 11:24 PM

your cg5or eq5 mount is fine just get the 2" steel legs go to are not that great in the eq model (atleat to me its not) but to me tracking is a must.

Joe


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deezdrama
Carpal Tunnel
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Reged: 03/29/05

Loc: Central Illinois
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Joe Aguiar]
      #3074011 - 04/28/09 11:33 PM

I forgot- can the cg5 asgt be used manually- doesit have slow mo knobs?

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TomN
professor emeritus
*****

Reged: 01/14/09

Loc: Washington State
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: deezdrama]
      #3074055 - 04/29/09 12:10 AM

I too would like to know the answer to this question, I've been considering a CG-5 goto mount lately. Is it fairly quick to setup for goto?

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HaleBopper
professor emeritus


Reged: 01/14/08

Loc: Land of Ice and Snow
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: TomN]
      #3074324 - 04/29/09 06:53 AM

I have been using a CG5 for 2 years and have found it to be great value for the money spent. The gotos are great, the polar alignment works like a charm, and it is very easy to set up, move, and align.

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Joe Aguiar
Carpal Tunnel
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Reged: 02/10/07

Loc: Toront,Ontario
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: HaleBopper]
      #3074331 - 04/29/09 07:00 AM

i had the asggt i before the lxd-75 but i dont think you can move them manually with slow motion controls as they dont have slip cluches on the dives but i sold the as-gt 2 years ago so i cant say 100% though. You can undo the clutches & swing the ota in both axis but thats not move them in micro movement like a hand controls.

Joe


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Al Canarelli
Post Laureate
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Reged: 12/06/07

Loc: Central New Jersey
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Joe Aguiar]
      #3074416 - 04/29/09 08:20 AM

You can now buy a brand new Celestron CG5 ASGT for $525. I've never seen a lower price.

http://www.telescopes.net/celestron/celestron.html


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Luigi
Postmaster
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Reged: 07/03/07

Loc: MA
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Al Canarelli]
      #3074426 - 04/29/09 08:29 AM

I use the CG5ASGT manually. It definitely has slo-mo, and fast-mo, and medium-mo, simply by using the arrow buttons on the hand controler. Loosen the clutches a bit. Push the scope to the vacinity of the object, then use the buttons. Pretty much the same as I did with my G11. IMO, the CG5 is superior to all its clones wrt to stability. The 2" tripod helps a lot. The go-to afficianados also claim it does superior go-tos. For $525, it's a no-brainer.

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tim53
Postmaster
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Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Luigi]
      #3074540 - 04/29/09 09:40 AM

Not to split hairs, but the cg5 is itself a clone of the excellent Vixen Super Polaris mount and its variants.

-Tim.


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Joe Aguiar
Carpal Tunnel
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Reged: 02/10/07

Loc: Toront,Ontario
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: tim53]
      #3075845 - 04/29/09 08:48 PM

yep tim is right

However Luigi i think he meant by slow motion from what i understand is the manual hand slow motion controls for manual motion. I dont think he was saying can the the hand control box move in differnt speeds.

Here is what i think he was asking in the link these kind of controls
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=3
Joe

Edited by Joe Aguiar (04/29/09 08:49 PM)


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Stevie G
newbie


Reged: 03/30/09

Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Joe Aguiar]
      #3076420 - 04/30/09 04:31 AM

What I wanna know is theCG5-GT adequate for astrophotography? Say, with a SV102ED or thereabouts?

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HaleBopper
professor emeritus


Reged: 01/14/08

Loc: Land of Ice and Snow
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Stevie G]
      #3076506 - 04/30/09 07:05 AM

For entry level AP the CG5 is very capable. I'm not sure how it would work with the SV102ED, but I use an 8" SCT with an 80 mm Orion Short Tube piggy backed and an Orion SS autoguider. It has yielded pleasing results.

If you want better than that for AP, then you'll have to pony up for a beefier mount like a CGEM or Atlas at a minimum IMO.


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Luigi
Postmaster
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Reged: 07/03/07

Loc: MA
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: HaleBopper]
      #3076522 - 04/30/09 07:27 AM

The hand controller can move the mount in RA and Dec in 9 speeds ranging from full slew down to extremely fine movements. It's more convenient and versatile than my non-Gemini G11 was.

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waassaabee
Post Laureate
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Reged: 11/26/07

Loc: Central California Coast
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Luigi]
      #3076815 - 04/30/09 11:23 AM

The CG5 is a fantastic AP mount within it's limits. I ran almost 15 lbs. on mine and could get 10 minutes subs all night long. It's fairly light, easy to set up, AllStar alignment is phenomenal, and GoTo's are spot on!

It will be hard for me to sell mine on it's return from Celestron, but I'm funding an AT8RC....


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Stevie G
newbie


Reged: 03/30/09

Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: waassaabee]
      #3077956 - 04/30/09 09:43 PM

How much you gonna sell it for?

If I buy the SV102D (possibly a SV110ED), I'll need something to put it on.

When is your CG-5 coming back from Celestron? What was the reason it had to go there? (If ya don't mind my askin'.)

Gotta sell my Hasselblad first. It's on AM, but nobody's buyin it so far. Next, I have to pay for my eye surgery.

Then I'll be hot to trot. Couple weeks.

Thanks.
Stevie G


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waassaabee
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 11/26/07

Loc: Central California Coast
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Stevie G]
      #3078850 - 05/01/09 11:33 AM

Stevie, I PM'd ya with the details.

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Terrance
professor emeritus


Reged: 08/11/04

Loc: Near Portland Or.
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: waassaabee]
      #3079260 - 05/01/09 03:26 PM

The CG-5 GoTo (GT) model does NOT have slo mo manual controls. If you unlock the clutches you can move it manually, but that is not slo-mo. If you get the goto version you will therefore really need to use it with power on using the hand controller, which will let you set the slew speed with a push of a button.

I have a SV102ED, and have used it on a Orion SkyView Pro mount (Eq-4), which has tubular steel legs a little thinner than on the CG-5 (1.75" on the SVP and 2" on the CG-5) for visual only and it was fine. Should be better if anything on the CG-5. However I do visual only, and defer to others on its fitness for Astro Photography with a SV102ED. However the SV102ED is about 13 pounds with standard accessories so a CG-5 should do fine.

(NOTE: A friend of mine once got a Celetron CG-5 that was not a goto and said it was defective and too shaky. These do exist, and they have slo mo manual controls unlike the goto model)


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bebert
sage


Reged: 07/21/08

Loc: Louisiana
Re: celestron cg-5 or clone new [Re: Terrance]
      #3086412 - 05/05/09 11:09 AM

For the money and as was stated, within the limits, the CG5 is a great mount. I run it a bit heavy with a C8, guide scope and cameras but it functions well and I routinely get 6 - 10 minute exposures without issue. I bought mine used a few years ago and upgraded the firmware, etc. I recommend it - especially with a lighter scope.

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