deSitter
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/09/04
Posts: 2926
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Yeah I know this has probably been beat to death, but I wasn't round for the fray so if you could point to the relevant threads I'd be thankful! And any other completely emotional comments would be welcome.
-drl
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Eddgie
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/01/06
Posts: 2701
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To sum it up, both have a lot of fans because both are good mounts.
From a usability standpoint, one of the biggest differences is the Tripod. The CGE folds, but the G11 breaks down. While the G11 might be a bit more to move, it is also probably a bit sturdier.
The CGE will not track more than 11 degrees past the meridian (and while people hate this, if you own a C14 like I do, you know that much past this and the C14 can come in contact with the tripod legs).
Other than this, these are both excellent mounts. The pro-s and cons are minor for each.
If you have some exotiric needs, like mounting a lot of equipiment, or if you are imaging, or ifyou have an unusal scope to mount, then one might be better than the other, but for general use, either would be a fine choice.
I own a CGE, but I have owned a Losmandy too (G8). Both companies know how to build a great mount. I love the craftsmanship of the Losmandy though. They make a beautiful mount. The CGE is well made, but it a different way. I like the integrated packaging of the CGE better.
So, like I said, lots of little differentatiors, but both really excellent mounts.
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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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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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I decided on a used G11 mount. Here is why:
I liked the fact that it was made in the USA. I do own many things made in China but I have to admit I always have misgivings. I TRY to avoid Chinese goods if I can, (and not just astronomical equipment). Not trying to start a debate on this topic, just stating my opinion only.
I also love the sturdiness of the G11. It really looks rock solid and well built, (and it is). Even the DEC, RA, and power cables are heavy duty.
My biggest reason for the G11? After reading comments on the customer service from Celestron, I really did not relish the idea of sending back the CGE mount if something goes wrong and then waiting, and waiting, and waiting for things to get resolved... I know that I can order whatever parts I want from Losmandy and replace them myself. If I burn out my motors, I can order new ones etc. I'm aware that I can wait a while for the parts too, but at least I can work on the mount myself and not be forced to send the whole thing back.
Of course the CGE is an awesome mount, and I would not turn it down, but I give the edge to the G11. The Gemini takes some getting used to on the G11, but it's great once you learn it. Ultimately though, it comes down to preference, and how involved you want to get. Some folks like to tinker with things, others do not.
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8" SCT Losmandy G11, CG5 mounts
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 24mm Orion Stratus
Hyperion 31 mm Aspheric
Pentax 10 mm XW
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Dixie
member
Reged: 03/30/06
Posts: 61
Loc: UK Latitude 53.3 north
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I had problems with my 2003 CGE but they eventually got ironed out through repairs and upgraded firmware. The port which accepts the dec encoder cable can still be an issue, occassionally leading to malfunction. The Nexstar system is very nice - I take for granted how easy it is to perform tasks. It'a quite plus.
Rich
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3943
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Quote:
I liked the fact that it was made in the USA. I do own many things made in China but I have to admit I always have misgivings. I TRY to avoid Chinese goods if I can, (and not just astronomical equipment). Not trying to start a debate on this topic, just stating my opinion only.
The CGE is also made in the USA.
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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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Phil Cowell
sage
Reged: 05/24/07
Posts: 376
Loc: Southern Tier NY
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Quote:
I decided on a used G11 mount. Here is why:
I liked the fact that it was made in the USA. I do own many things made in China but I have to admit I always have misgivings. I TRY to avoid Chinese goods if I can
Isn't the Gemini a German system? The website is a .de
Are you sure it's made in the USA? The Ovision worm is also made in Europe if you upgraded.
I think more of the original CGE was made in the USA as a total system. Not sure about the new ones, if Rod's out there he could answer that.
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If it'll fit on a sig you don't have enough
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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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I know. My fault for not being specific.
I should have made it clear and said that a made in USA mount was something I wanted to have. The Celestron customer service woes I was referring to were some of the CGEM threads I've noticed. At one point I was considering the CGEM, but I decided on spending the extra money for a better mount. That's when I had to decide between the CGE and G11. Comparing the CGE and G11, I opted for the G11 based on my preferences and the potential customer service woes.
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8" SCT Losmandy G11, CG5 mounts
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 24mm Orion Stratus
Hyperion 31 mm Aspheric
Pentax 10 mm XW
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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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Not sure if Gemini is from Germany or not, but I have considerable more trust in German quality control. So if it is made in Germany, I have no problem. The mount itself though is made in the US no? I also bought my mount used. It still has Celestron on it from back in the day when it was sold with a C11. There has been the upgrade to the servo Gemini since of course.
Edited by HaleBopper (10/29/09 11:37 AM)
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SteveC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/15/06
Posts: 1775
Loc: The Garden State
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I had a cg-5 goto a few years back that needed some repairs. Of course, I had to send it to Celestron and I waited about 3-4 months to get it back. I was grateful for the repair under warrenty, but it was my only mount. When it came time to upgrade I opted for the G11. Anybody with screwdrivers and allen wrenches can fix this mount in their homes. All the electronics could blow up and I'd still be able to use this mount while waiting for replacement parts.
Losmandy has a new tripod with folding legs, btw.
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SteveC
TEC 140
Intes Micro 715 deluxe
TEC 110 (on order)
SolarMax 40
Losmandy G-11 w/Gemini, DM-6 w/Sky Commander on SV wood tripod, Vixen Skypod
TEC EP Turret, TMB Supermonos, ZAO II, Naglers, 32mm Konig, 24mm Panoptics, 14mm Meade UWA
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serious_sam
sage
Reged: 10/15/03
Posts: 239
Loc: New York, New York
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Having owned German cars my entire life, I would not put that much trust on German electronics.
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CPC 9.25
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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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Why have you owned them all your life if German electronics are "suspect" 
Just joking. I will take the opposite of what you say though. I do have great trust in german electronics. I have never owned a German car, so I'll not say anything about that, but I do work in a chemistry lab with top notch instuments made in Germany. For example, our LC/MS is a fantastic piece of machinery. My trust in German engineering is not misplaced based on my years of experience. At least on scientific equipment.
I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll say nothing more about this.
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8" SCT Losmandy G11, CG5 mounts
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 24mm Orion Stratus
Hyperion 31 mm Aspheric
Pentax 10 mm XW
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4343
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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"I liked the fact that it was made in the USA...I TRY to avoid Chinese goods if I can, (and not just astronomical equipment)."
The CGE is also "Made in the USA." You excluded a perfectly decent, less expensive mount based on an erroneous belief about its origin.
Here's where I think the G-11 surpasses the CGE:
- Analog setting circles
- More machined (rather than cast) parts
- Easier to self-service (but with its propensity to develop backlash over time, you also will be required to self-service periodically)
- hollow polar axis for easier polar alignment
Here's where the CGE surpasses the G-11
- More intuitive GOTO software
- Bigger, better resourced manufacturer
- Cheaper (by ~$500!)
- Less axial backlash
- Longer warranty (2-years)
I think either works well at this capacity level, and neither come close to more costly mounts from Astro-Physics and Takahashi.
Regards,
Jim
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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[quote
The CGE is also "Made in the USA." You excluded a perfectly decent, less expensive mount based on an erroneous belief about its origin.
Go back and read my response to the first person,(mclewis1) that pointed that out.
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8" SCT Losmandy G11, CG5 mounts
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 24mm Orion Stratus
Hyperion 31 mm Aspheric
Pentax 10 mm XW
Edited by HaleBopper (10/29/09 01:49 PM)
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Phil Cowell
sage
Reged: 05/24/07
Posts: 376
Loc: Southern Tier NY
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If you read my post it was in reply to the made here chest beating. The point is of the earlier CGE's they were probably more American made "systems" than the G 11 with Gemini, if the location of where parts were made was taken into account. There was no denigration of any equipment if you read the posting. Just wondering why China = bad and Europe = good. Both make good kit if you buy the right items from my perspective. It's a global market with no opt out.
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If it'll fit on a sig you don't have enough
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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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No chest beating on my part. I'm neither American, German or Chinese. I simply stated my opinion on Chinese goods. I do have nice stuff from China but I do get a bit nervous on their quality sometimes. Perhaps in a few years things will change.
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8" SCT Losmandy G11, CG5 mounts
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 24mm Orion Stratus
Hyperion 31 mm Aspheric
Pentax 10 mm XW
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4343
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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German software? *shivers* Baaaaaaddddd juju. 
- Jim
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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HaleBopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 500
Loc: Great White North
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Point taken that software is not good and neither is the American one.
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8" SCT Losmandy G11, CG5 mounts
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 24mm Orion Stratus
Hyperion 31 mm Aspheric
Pentax 10 mm XW
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deSitter
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/09/04
Posts: 2926
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I'm getting the impression that the drives on both axes are more refined on the CGE. Yes? Do they have comparable PE?
-drl
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4343
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Hard to say. I'm not an imager, but from what I've read the PE on each (G-11 and CGE) varies quite a lot unit to unit, with some of them pretty good out of the box and some of them quite awful.
If anything I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the "average" G-11 has a bit less PE than the "average" CGE. Neither offers Astro-Physics out-of-the-box experience, however.
- Jim
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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chuckscap
sage
Reged: 07/18/09
Posts: 215
Loc: Colorado Springs, CO USA
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German electronics are fine, now British electronics are quite another matter. When I owned British motorcycles and cars (BSA Lightning, Norton Combat Commando, and TR4-A) which I dearly loved, we used to call Lucas Electronics the "Prince of Darkness" ...
Chuck
Edited by chuckscap (10/29/09 04:14 PM)
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