SanDiegoPaul
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/22/05
Loc: San Diego
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: Lane]
#3720622 - 04/02/10 12:01 PM
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Love my CGEM.
The CGEM is pretty stable with a C11 on board and even works well in mild windy conditions. The C8 is a ROCK on the CGEM, even strong wind hitting the OTA has little effect.
Nice. Using just my Stellarvue Raptor-90 on the CGEM without a large OTA, I should be able to do 30-minute image subframes. I can't wait for this last burst of junky weather to go away so I can test this out.
I have done 10 and 15 minute subs very easily. 
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waassaabee
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/07
Loc: Central California Coast
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: SanDiegoPaul]
#3720651 - 04/02/10 12:12 PM
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Great thread, as I am looking to replace the frustration level of my LXD75. A few imaging questions that haven't been asked:
1. What is the periodic error, and how smooth is it (i.e. is it easily guided out)?
2. What is the maximum load for imaging? My SN8 with piggy-backed ZS66 and camera gear is pushing the 40lb limit. Can it really image with a 40lb load and still track smoothly, or would that require the big bucks for a CGEpro?
...Keith
RE: Periodic Error = my CGEM had 13 or so out of the box. PemPRO knocked that down to 2.5 Arc Seconds in one swoop.
RE: Max Load for photography - the general rule is to use a mount at half it's rated capacity if you are imaging. So that would put us at a 20# rating for photog work.
I'm running a little under 30# @1625mm on mine and it does just fine. Seven minute subs guided, and could probably go to ten (I just haven't tried it).
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MikeS
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/06/04
Loc: Quakertown Pennsylvania
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: tedbnh]
#3768422 - 04/25/10 09:08 PM
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So, I shipped it off to Tom Hadoulias at Astro Motion Technologies for his tighten-up tune-up...
Ted, what is your opinion of the Astro Motion Tecnologies upgrade?
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wb9sat
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Loc: Bend, Oregon USA
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#3768510 - 04/25/10 09:53 PM
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Hi All,
I am finding this thread most interesting. I just received my new CGEM and haven't had a chance to turn it on yet. It seems that Orion's EON 120ED dovetail does not fit the CGEM so I had to order a new dovetail from Losmandy today. The reports of this mount are encouraging. I was told that this was the best mount in its class. I can't wait to try it.
Bill
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PhilCo126
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/14/05
Loc: coastline of Belgium
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: wb9sat]
#3768938 - 04/26/10 05:37 AM
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I’ve bought my CGEM new from TS in Germany one year ago and set it up about twice / thrice each month without any problems!
Bringing it outside, loading the refractor and polar alignment is done in 15 minutes. The All-Star polar alignment alone is worth the price of admission. 
No problems nor glitches in 12 months of use and the CGEM knobs seems O.K. for usage in the dark or in cold weather. The ADM upgrade knobs look great in orange color but I don’t know if each of those is available loosely for purchase (e.g. especially the DEC + RA clutch knobs in orange color to find these easier in the dark ) 
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kevc
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/10
Loc: Long Island NY
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: PhilCo126]
#3769502 - 04/26/10 01:01 PM
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I have had the typical HC issues. It would not update through the USB>serial cable. Went around and around with Celestron about it, after three different cables and multiple chats with the tech dept, they finally are sending me a new HC. Don't have it yet, but I will report back when it comes in. The tech dept is NOT the easiest bunch to deal with, the assumption is that the customer is the idiot and that nothing could be wrong with a piece of Celestron equipment. Hope they prove me wrong in the future.
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RWFAPEX
member
Reged: 12/04/07
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#3770031 - 04/26/10 05:50 PM
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Hello all. I am doing a Critical Evaluation on the CGEM EdgeHD 800. If you join the Yahoo!Groups for CGEM you can see my Parts I through IV synopsis. One last set of tests to run (auto meridian flip, wind limits, AllStar Polar Align precision & accuracy) but right now I'd give the CGEM a thumbs up for imaging.
In short, PEMPRO and K3CCD Tools-measured PE was 28 peak-to-peak. Sounds horrible but the amplitude swings are smooth; thus, in no wind, at 2032 mm, I'm able to guide 10 min subs. Due to LP here in Raleigh, NC, I usually stay around 5 mins or less. At 300 seconds, I have anywhere from 75 to 95% sub 'save rate' depending on sky location of target. For $1,400, right out of the box - amazing! Understand I've owned CG5, LXD55/75, Sirius, Atlas (2), G-11 and my current AP900GTO (I'm not going to mention all the CPCs and LX scopes either - lots let's say)!
I did have a runaway Dec incident with new mount. In my case, I traced it to a shorted RJ-11 filament down inside the female on-mount connector. Simple fix but took four hours to find! I've also learned the mount cannot tolerate less than 11.8V - no exceptions during a slew or mount goes bonkers. Since I have discovered both issues, others from all over the world have written to report same issue and all are happy they can resolve themselves.
I may do my own article for Cloudy Nights soon. Lots I didn't report in Yahoo!Groups on EdgeHD particulars as well. Hope this helps.
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tedbnh
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/14/07
Loc: New Hampshire
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: MikeS]
#3770639 - 04/26/10 11:13 PM
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Tom H. still has my CGEM and is communicating several times a week, with long notes and photos of the interior parts. Sometimes I feel like I am following along on an operation by an experienced surgeon. He has found some interesting stuff and wants to keep working on it so I said go ahead. I feel the mount is at the place where it can get the best overhaul possible. Note I have no connection to Tom and have formed this opinion solely upon his communications to me over the last few weeks which have been excellent.
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MySchizoBuddy
member
Reged: 04/22/10
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: tedbnh]
#3771107 - 04/27/10 08:52 AM
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Does the mount come with PemPRO or any other software for control and PEC
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Chris Rowland
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/28/05
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: MySchizoBuddy]
#3771287 - 04/27/10 10:33 AM
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Celestron's free PECTool software is available for the download. It isn't as feature rich as PemPRO but does the basics of automating collecting multiple PEC cycles, averaging them and loading the result to the scope.
It also allows the PEC data to be archived on the PC so if you need to do a factory reset or update your HC or MC you can reload your hard won PEC.
Chris.
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kpendlebury
Vendor Main Sequence Software
Reged: 11/12/08
Loc: Central TX
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: Chris Rowland]
#3772049 - 04/27/10 04:18 PM
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I have had my CGEM for about 10 months now and have take quite a few images with it at short FLs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenastro/). Based on testing and use, I would be a little timid about using the CGEM for imaging at longer focal lengths. My peak to peak PE comes in at about 43 arc seconds (I have seen reports up to 55 - 60 arc-seconds) and seemed to train out well coming in a 6.3 arc-seconds peek to peek. I am not complaining here... for $1400 this mount performs admirably.
Obviously, the blue curve is corrected and the red curve is out of the box PE:
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: kpendlebury]
#3772151 - 04/27/10 05:15 PM
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I have had my CGEM for about 10 months now and have take quite a few images with it at short FLs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenastro/). Based on testing and use, I would be a little timid about using the CGEM for imaging at longer focal lengths.
6.3 arc-seconds without guiding and you would be timid to use it at longer focal lengths? Why?
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Trox
journeyman
Reged: 01/26/10
Loc: Denmark
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: tedbnh]
#3772283 - 04/27/10 06:27 PM
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Tom H. still has my CGEM and is communicating several times a week, with long notes and photos of the interior parts.
Hi tedbnh,
Care to share some of those pic's of the interior of the CGEM? I'm about to buy a CGEM, but stumbled across some post about the gear's material (Gearbox).
/Trox
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Jeff55
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/14/05
Loc: Boston MA
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: SanDiegoPaul]
#3772463 - 04/27/10 08:01 PM
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I've got mine loaded to almost maximum capacity and it just works. Even fit and finish is excellent. In its' price range it is absolutely unbeatable. I love it!
Edited by Jeff55 (04/27/10 08:18 PM)
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kpendlebury
Vendor Main Sequence Software
Reged: 11/12/08
Loc: Central TX
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: rmollise]
#3773633 - 04/28/10 01:08 PM
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6.3 arc-seconds without guiding and you would be timid to use it at longer focal lengths? Why?
You have a fair point Rod. My problems are likely not mount related, but rather user related. I still have trouble with exposures greater than 5 minutes, but this might be due to my own inexperience, polar alignment issues or with differential flexure.
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Bart
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/28/06
Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville...
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: Chris Rowland]
#4329786 - 01/21/11 01:18 PM
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Interesting thread. Thanks Jim.
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Ad Astra
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/12/10
Loc: Riverside Co., California
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Re: CGEM: What's the truth?
[Re: Bart]
#4330002 - 01/21/11 02:50 PM
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I have a CGEM-11 at work for the kids to use in astronomy class. It works great and tracks fine. We don't do a lot of astrophotos on it, though - so I can't say much about photographic performance.
Fit, finish, and reliability have been fine over the last 18 months, and as you may imagine with it being a 'school' instrumnet, it doesn't always get treated with the utmost care it deserves.
Overall, I've been really pleased, and for visual work, I'd recommend one to a friend or buy one again.
This being said, the mount is about at it's limit for weight with a C11. I've mounted my big refractor (40+ lbs, f/12 monster) and it causes the mount to strain and the wobble and vibration dampening to shoot through the roof to totally unacceptable levels.
Dan
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