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scopelover
member
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 81
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What is the absolute top payload for visual use with this CG5ASGT mount? If I go beyond the 35 lb rating that I'm seeing ..say to 40lbs ... Will I 'kill' the drives or circuit board etc?
NO one talks about Hargraves Strut .... Would that enable this mount to hold more weight for visual use without damaging the mount?
...ps I'm a novice with GEM mounts.
thanks all. 
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Buhlig
super member
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 195
Loc: Derby, KS
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FWIW, I bought (and have for sale if interested) an extension bar for the CW to drive larger loads and keep the total weight down...check out the 10" newt on that thing! Worked like a charm. That's like an 11# and 4# counterweight with a 27# tube.
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Celestron 80mm ED Apochromatic Refractor
Orion 8" Newt
Celestron 80ST achro (guider)
PHD via handcontroller interface
CG-5 Advanced GT Mount
Canon 350D
Philips SPC900NC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/derbysluggers/sets/72157605255114566/
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scopelover
member
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 81
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How much are you asking?
Of course- now I see the logic in using leverage to keep down the TOTAL weight ....
This could allow me to TRADE off the weight of the counterweights and thereby carry a larger OTA....
I was not sure that would work ... or at least that I would not wind up damaging the mount/gears etc.
Feel free to 'private message' me re the extension..
thanks,
alex
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Eddgie
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/01/06
Posts: 2704
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If the balance is good, you won't hurt the electronics.
The strut is useful for supporting long refractors and such, but doesn't really make the mount itself more stable.
35 Lbs. seems like an overload for a CG5. I own one and would not attempt to use it with that much weight. Won't break it, but likely won't be very pleasent to use. If you touch anything hard enought to shake the mount, it will not quiet down very quickly.
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Celestron C14, CGE (Big Al)
Astro-Physics 6" f/8 (Buffy)
Televue 101 (No name, but I call it my Widescreen HD Space TV)
The night sky is my mistress. She seduces me away from all other lovers.
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DaemonGPF
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/22/08
Posts: 3580
Loc: New Mexico
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My first EQ mount was a CG5. It came with 3x11 lb counter weights and a 33 lb C10 Newt on top. After adding on several more pounds with an AR70 guide scope and a couple of CCD cameras, rings, another dovetail, it was well over 40 lbs up top. Ran fine. I didn't keep that configuration long for several reasons so I couldn't attest to the durability with that much weight for long periods.
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-Josh
http://cleardarksky.com/c/AlbuqNMkey.html
My AP Gallery
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DCS357
member
Reged: 10/20/08
Posts: 29
Loc: Lubbock, Tx
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I'm using Josh's old CG5 with a Astro Tech AT8IN (22lbs) and Canon XSi camera. Seems OK so far.
don c
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Astro-Tech AT8IN F/4 Imager
Celestron Omni XLT 120
CG-5ASGT, CG-4 mount, Voyager Alt-z
GSO Crayford focuser
Orion 100mm f\6
Hyperion 17, 8-24 Zoom
Canon 450Xsi
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Tune up a CG-5 (set backlash and gear pre loads, re lubricate with a better, easier running grease, etc.), use a good solid power supply, add some weight to the tripod spreader bar (and keep the legs collapsed), replace the counterweight bar with a longer heavier model and you should be able to handle more than 35lbs of equipment weight for visual work.
The big areas of concern are ...
1) The saddle itself, it's not very big and the cast metal is not very strong. I'd personally be very leery of regularly mounting a 35+lb scope in the stock saddle on a regular basis.
2) The dovetail bar on your scope, and how the dovetail attaches to your scope
3) How much leverage your scope has (how long the ota is and how much weight is out at the ends). A big Newt ota is going to be very different from a triplet refractor. The easiest to mount would likely be a big SCT.
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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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scopelover
member
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 81
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Wow!
Great posts all!
Thank you!!
OK then ... What size Big SCT are we talking about.
I'm going to swap the weight bar for a longer one ....
Then I plan to add a Hargraves strut ... to add to stability.
I've got a SN-10 now .. I may try to go UP in aperture from there ... BUT only with a 'ultra-lightweight' reflector
OR maybe a big SCT if it can handle it.
So ...how big an SCT are you talking about?
Many thanks folks!
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darylf96
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/28/04
Posts: 1391
Loc: Danville, California
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I would not recommend larger than a C9.25 on a CG5-ASGT, and
I would use a 3 inch Losmandy type dovetail and an ADM Losmandy type saddle adapter. The upgraded CW bar would also be a plus.
Daryl
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Intes Micro MN66 - Meade 10" SCT
Orion EON 120mmm ED f7.5 Apo
Skywatcher 150mm f8 Achro
G-11, CG5A-GT Mounts
DM-6 With Sky Commander DSC
Astro-Tech AT80 Refractor f6.9 APO
Stellarvue 20x85 binos - Unimount
Kunming United Optics 7x50 binocs
Canon Rebel XT, Canon 20D, Canon SXi
SBIG ST-8XE
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Takman
sage
Reged: 02/25/09
Posts: 200
Loc: Maple, ON - Canada
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I've used a CG5-ASGT with a C-11 and 3 counterweights. Although useable, I would not recommend it to those intolerant of vibrations as the dampening times tend to be lengthy. This setup is close to the mount's weight limit and I'm certain that operating a mount a near its maximum limit will reduce it's overall operational lifespan.
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Takahashi TOA-130F
Celestron C-11/C-8 with FASTAR
William Optics Zenithstar 66 SD/ED Petzval
Astro-Physics Mach1 GTO/Celestron AS-GT
TeleVue Naglers 26mm, 13mm, 7mm and 3.5mm
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4598
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Quote:
I've used a CG5-ASGT with a C-11 and 3 counterweights. Although useable, I would not recommend it to those intolerant of vibrations as the dampening times tend to be lengthy. This setup is close to the mount's weight limit and I'm certain that operating a mount a near its maximum limit will reduce it's overall operational lifespan.
There is no question that the C11 is shakier on the mount than a C8, but I find that with a set of vibration supression pads, it works very well indeed--for visual use, of course. Reduce the mount's lifespan? Likely not, unless you are way off balance for some reason. My buddy's C11/CG5 is still playin' Engergizer Bunny years down the line. 
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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darylf96
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/28/04
Posts: 1391
Loc: Danville, California
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I guess it can be done. I mount my MN-66 on the CG5-ASGT (important that you make the distinction from the standard CG5), and it is OK visually, but if even the slightest breeze comes up, I am in trouble with planetary viewing. If you are willing to pay the price for big aperture, you should be willing to buy a mount that the scope deserves. Just my opinion.
Daryl
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Intes Micro MN66 - Meade 10" SCT
Orion EON 120mmm ED f7.5 Apo
Skywatcher 150mm f8 Achro
G-11, CG5A-GT Mounts
DM-6 With Sky Commander DSC
Astro-Tech AT80 Refractor f6.9 APO
Stellarvue 20x85 binos - Unimount
Kunming United Optics 7x50 binocs
Canon Rebel XT, Canon 20D, Canon SXi
SBIG ST-8XE
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4598
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Quote:
I guess it can be done. I mount my MN-66 on the CG5-ASGT (important that you make the distinction from the standard CG5), and it is OK visually, but if even the slightest breeze comes up, I am in trouble with planetary viewing. If you are willing to pay the price for big aperture, you should be willing to buy a mount that the scope deserves. Just my opinion.
Daryl
There is no doubt the C11 likes a bigger mount. This combo is VERY workable, however, and WOTTA DEAL!
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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GShaffer
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/28/09
Posts: 646
Loc: Augusta GA
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Agreed......I put my C11 on my ASGT just a few nights ago out on the deck. Works quite well for visual, it is pushing it a bit but perfectly acceptable.
Quote:
Quote:
I've used a CG5-ASGT with a C-11 and 3 counterweights. Although useable, I would not recommend it to those intolerant of vibrations as the dampening times tend to be lengthy. This setup is close to the mount's weight limit and I'm certain that operating a mount a near its maximum limit will reduce it's overall operational lifespan.
There is no question that the C11 is shakier on the mount than a C8, but I find that with a set of vibration supression pads, it works very well indeed--for visual use, of course. Reduce the mount's lifespan? Likely not, unless you are way off balance for some reason. My buddy's C11/CG5 is still playin' Engergizer Bunny years down the line.
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APM 8" f/9.0 Achro
Meade 6" AR6 f/8.0 Achro
Celestron C11, Intes MK67
Vixen ED102SS, FL102S, ED102S, NA140SS, R200SS, WO Megarez 80 w/TMB Fluorite Optics
SV70ED, AT66ED
LXD75/LX200, Ioptron Mini-tower, SP, GP-DX, CG5 ASGT, LXD650, GM-8, GM-100, G11, Gemini 40
4" portable AP convertable 44" or 70" pier
APM 100mm Binos Millenium Mount, Dobstuff 10" DOB
Augusta GA
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