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DumbGuy
super member
Reged: 09/26/06
Posts: 105
Loc: Upper Marlboro, MD
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With regard to the Marty Cables (from VPI) that everyone's been raving about to replace the stock DEC and RA cables provided for the CGE mount; in VPI's specification area for the cables, the lower operating temperature is given at 32F. Has anyone had problems with these cables below this temperature?
Thanks
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24" f/4 Swayze
CGE 1400
17.5" Coulter GEM
12" Meade LX200 Classic
10" f/7 Cave Astrola
4" f/15 Edmund Refractor
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3943
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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So far not for me ... I've had my CGE (with the Marty cables) operating comfortably down in the low teens F on quite a few nights last year. The cables appear to stay quite flexible well below freezing.
I'm very curious as to why the lower rating is only 32°F.
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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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Tech Hiker
member
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 18
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What is "Marty"? I can't find that on the VPI website. A search for that at VPI yields nothing.
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Tom
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David Pavlich
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 8655
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA 30.22 X 90....
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Quote:
What is "Marty"? I can't find that on the VPI website. A search for that at VPI yields nothing.
Here ya' go! Just scroll down and you'll see two different types. You want to order a pair of 3' cables. And since they are so inexpensive, you ought to order a second pair for that extra feeling of security.
David
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Proud Member; PAS NOLA,
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research..."
A. Einstein
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3943
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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"Marty" was the guy here on CN who found these VPI cables and posted about their applicability for the CGE.
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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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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4343
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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When I ordered my CGE, I also ordered a set of Marty cables. The stock cables have never been plugged into my mount. In addition to the cable swap, I also started with the information in hand (from David Pavlich in fact) regarding the omission in the manual regarding adjustment of the CGE's altitude axis. Allen wrenches are your friend when adjusting altitude and azimuth for polar alignment of the CGE.
With those two tidbits - Marty cables and understanding of the mechanicals around altitude adjustment - you'll have no troubles getting up and running.
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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DumbGuy
super member
Reged: 09/26/06
Posts: 105
Loc: Upper Marlboro, MD
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Folks, other than Mark, no ones answered my question which started this thread.
The lower operating temperature of these cables is listed at 32F. Surely, many of us diehard amatuers have been observing way below this temperature with these cables. I'm interested in hearing whether anyone has had any difficulty with these cables at or below 32F.
Also, why are these cables listed with this rather high, lower operating temperature.
thanks
--------------------
24" f/4 Swayze
CGE 1400
17.5" Coulter GEM
12" Meade LX200 Classic
10" f/7 Cave Astrola
4" f/15 Edmund Refractor
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David Pavlich
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 8655
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA 30.22 X 90....
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I didn't answer the question about the temperature tolerance because I live in the south and rarely deal with temps that low.
David
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Proud Member; PAS NOLA,
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research..."
A. Einstein
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3943
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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You mean you never have to deal with  ? You don't know what your missing 
Stiff moving parts, flexible things that aren't, plastic that breaks, batteries with only half their capacity, fingers and toes that go numb in a few minutes (long before your scope cools down enough to view), frostbite ring from your eyepiece, dew that turns to ice/frost, having to shovel out a spot to observe from, unstable air, serious heat plumes rising from every house in the neighbourhood, and one of my personal favourites ... tears from your eyes freezing on an eyepiece.
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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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David Pavlich
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 8655
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA 30.22 X 90....
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Quote:
You mean you never have to deal with ? You don't know what your missing
Stiff moving parts, flexible things that aren't, plastic that breaks, batteries with only half their capacity, fingers and toes that go numb in a few minutes (long before your scope cools down enough to view), frostbite ring from your eyepiece, dew that turns to ice/frost, having to shovel out a spot to observe from, unstable air, serious heat plumes rising from every house in the neighbourhood, and one of my personal favourites ... tears from your eyes freezing on an eyepiece.
I'm from NE Ohio and also spent 4 yeears in Chicago. I know of what you speak. 
In the summer, do you have sweat dripping off your nose, 8th degree black belt mosquitos, atmosphere as thick as 3 in 1 oil while you're observing? Let's all move to New Mexico! 
David
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Proud Member; PAS NOLA,
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research..."
A. Einstein
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Frank
member
Reged: 01/18/09
Posts: 56
Loc: Netherlands
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The Marty cables reduced my problems at sub-zero (celcius) temperatures, but did not eliminate them. Therefore I've just ordered the Gary Bennet upgrade kit to eliminate these nasty problems.
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Celestron CGE1400 XLT
C6 XLT
Vixen 6" F5.0 Newton
WO Zenithstar 80 FD
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Alph
sage
Reged: 11/23/06
Posts: 259
Loc: Melmac
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Quote:
I've just ordered the Gary Bennet upgrade kit to eliminate these nasty problems.
A piece of paper could fix the problem too.
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CounterWeight
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/05/08
Posts: 1292
Loc: PDX chronoplast
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I'd used mine last winter, in the freeze and snow and down to about +18/+20(F) with absolutely no problems. This was every night possible and so they saw a lot of use. again, YES, they work at lower than rated temp, for me last winter. This winter will try again. I'm in Portland and we dont get much lower than the 20's and that not very often, but when that cold AND clear - sky is a big window, often our best seeing of year if humidity also low.
A work around to the Gary mod is just to solder a copper wire between the connector housings on the RA and Dec heads and the board in the pier, but the Gary mod overcomes many weakness in the original design and is much better IMO.
[edit] just found this pic...
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 - 
CGE (Frankenmount mod.)
Onyx 80ED, Tak FS-128 #02058, TEC APO160ED #030
CCD: Orion SSPDSCIv2, SSI3, SSAG
diags, ep's, tubes, filters, Binocs
My CN Image Gallery
Experience is a difficult teacher, it gives the test first, and gives the lesson later
Edited by CounterWeight (11/03/09 10:44 AM)
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Arbacia
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/18/07
Posts: 696
Loc: Madrid, Spain
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I use a serial cable (9 wires), very flexible, and RJ45 conectors. The 9th wire solder to the ground of RJ45. Besides of that I used Self-Adhesive cable clamps to prevent unwanted movements in conectors
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LightBridge 12", 70´s C8, C11. CGE. ETX125
Set of Takahashi LE EPs; Ethos; DMK 31AF03.AS
CN image gallery
http://www.astrohenares.org
http://www.asociacionhubble.org
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CounterWeight
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/05/08
Posts: 1292
Loc: PDX chronoplast
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Here's an image taken at same time, I think temp's were about ~20(F)
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CGE (Frankenmount mod.)
Onyx 80ED, Tak FS-128 #02058, TEC APO160ED #030
CCD: Orion SSPDSCIv2, SSI3, SSAG
diags, ep's, tubes, filters, Binocs
My CN Image Gallery
Experience is a difficult teacher, it gives the test first, and gives the lesson later
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Frank
member
Reged: 01/18/09
Posts: 56
Loc: Netherlands
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Quote:
A piece of paper could fix the problem too.
You might be right, but I do prefer a permanent and sustainable solution - so that's why I decided to go for this 'Gary Bennet solution'. I do hope to be able to use it first time during next New Moon period - and will see what happens.
Clear skies!
Frank
--------------------
Celestron CGE1400 XLT
C6 XLT
Vixen 6" F5.0 Newton
WO Zenithstar 80 FD
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4343
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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What's a "Gary Bennett Upgrade Kit" and where do you get one?
Thanks,
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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CounterWeight
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/05/08
Posts: 1292
Loc: PDX chronoplast
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Jim,
Are you a member of the Yahoo CGE-telescopesUNCENSORED group? There's everything there about this mod...
after joining...
->look for the "CGE Replacement Cable Kit ..." there's a 'full' and 'lite' depending on which you purchase... it's located in the "Files" section ...
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-
CGE (Frankenmount mod.)
Onyx 80ED, Tak FS-128 #02058, TEC APO160ED #030
CCD: Orion SSPDSCIv2, SSI3, SSAG
diags, ep's, tubes, filters, Binocs
My CN Image Gallery
Experience is a difficult teacher, it gives the test first, and gives the lesson later
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Bowmoreman
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 3989
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Quote:
When I ordered my CGE, I also ordered a set of Marty cables. The stock cables have never been plugged into my mount. In addition to the cable swap, I also started with the information in hand (from David Pavlich in fact) regarding the omission in the manual regarding adjustment of the CGE's altitude axis. Allen wrenches are your friend when adjusting altitude and azimuth for polar alignment of the CGE.
With those two tidbits - Marty cables and understanding of the mechanicals around altitude adjustment - you'll have no troubles getting up and running.
Regards,
Jim
Strongly concur, +1 on both accounts
I used my "Marty Cables" down to -10F at the lowest... at those temps I had more issues with keeping the HC warm enough to read... (used a kendricks dew pad ultimately)...
but the cables handld it with no issues.
Since moved on to the MI250, so now relatively moot...
clear enough skies
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Dave
Imaging: MI-250+ADM/SBS/Optec Libra: C11Hyperstar,TMB80SS
Visual: XT10i RTP
TV: 31T5,22T4,17T4,12T4,13Ethos,8Ethos;2x Powermate,Paracorr, 1.6X Antares, Hyperion8-24Zoom
Cameras: Mallincam Color Hyper Plus, QHY8
Guider: SBIG STV eFinder
Key Add-ons: Gerbings Heated clothes, WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO#90), Speco 9"Monitor
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phanf4
member
Reged: 07/31/07
Posts: 80
Loc: Chattanooga,TN
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I have the marty cables and they seem to work just fine. I also bought the Gary Bennett Upgrade Kit "Light" for a permenant fix. He is a good man to deal with. I have spent a total of about 10hours now building the kit with a 1/4 left to do. This WILL fix this problem for good.
I currently live in TN and the temps in the winter range between 15 - 35 degrees. have not had a problem with these cables.
Now before I hear about how hard everyones else has it compared to me.... I lived in Minot ND for 4 years and Baton Rouge LA for 21 years. Still waiting for my turn in Arizona so someone please make room for me. 
--------------------
Tom,
CGE
1984 C8 'Orange' OTA remounted
Stellarvue 80mm
EPs and Powermate
Stuff and ...Stuff
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