Telescope Reviews: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.!

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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.!
#4480687 - 03/28/11 09:03 PM Attachment (88 downloads)

I received this mt. a few days ago and am really pleased with it -- a great mt. for quick use out the door, and works well with my TAK FS-102 APO for visual. Here's a pic -- looks really nice too!

Post Extras:

Trev
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/18/05

Loc: Fort McMurray, AB

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4480822 - 03/28/11 09:58 PM

They look good together.

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jason_milani
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/03/04

Loc: Northeast Ohio

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Trev]
#4480888 - 03/28/11 10:30 PM

Very nice setup.

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Mentor
sage

Reged: 09/30/10

Loc: Ontario, Canada

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: jason_milani]
#4480943 - 03/28/11 10:59 PM

I'm jealous.

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Mentor]
#4481018 - 03/28/11 11:35 PM

Trev, Jason and Ian -- thanks for taking a look at this mt./scope combo. It really does work out well with a 4" refractor, and looks sharp, too, IMO.

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jmiele
Patron Saint?

Reged: 12/04/10

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Mentor]
#4481021 - 03/28/11 11:36 PM

Nice looks very accessible

Joe

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: jmiele]
#4481044 - 03/28/11 11:44 PM

Thanks, Joe.

Yep, just a couple of steps out the door and a great view of the S. sky -- nice to share with friends over as well when the scope on the observing pier is also being used.

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Bart
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/28/06

Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville...

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4481492 - 03/29/11 07:51 AM

Looks great.

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t.r.
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/14/08

Loc: Upstate NY

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Bart]
#4481498 - 03/29/11 08:00 AM

The mount does look great with the Tak white scopes! I was going to get one for my Tak Sky 90 when I had it, it would have been "Eye Candy"...

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Erik Bakker
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/10/06

Loc: The Netherlands, Europe

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4481502 - 03/29/11 08:02 AM

That is a beauty.

Congrats and CS,

Erik

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Doug76
Long Achro Junkie

Reged: 12/05/07

Loc: Refractor Heaven

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4482393 - 03/29/11 02:33 PM

Quote:

I received this mt. a few days ago and am really pleased with it -- a great mt. for quick use out the door, and works well with my TAK FS-102 APO for visual. Here's a pic -- looks really nice too!

Yeah, they have really improved it over the original EQ3, and the finish really makes it a sweet looking mount.
I've often wondered why they make so many mounts black, when most scopes are white.
Your picture shows to good effect why the mount should resemble the scopes coloration.

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Doug76]
#4482529 - 03/29/11 03:14 PM

Thanks everyone!

I agree with you, Doug, the white finish on this mt. is nice, too, thick/lightly-pebbled texture/glossy. It's just slightly off-white which goes well with the TAK's colors. I don't know why there aren't more white mts. -- like you say, most of the OTAs seem to be white. The combo of light-colored OTA and mt. looks very clean.

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Bart
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/28/06

Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville...

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4482542 - 03/29/11 03:21 PM

I'm very pleased with my CG-4. The only thing I'm not thrilled with is that the optional drives look unfinished. They work fine, tracks very well, but they could have been designed better. Too bad, otherwise a very nice looking mount.

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Bart]
#4482649 - 03/29/11 04:01 PM

I also have a Celestron Super Polaris mt. (1980's w/wood legs) and the dual-axis motor drives look similar in a lot of ways, gears out in the open, wires sticking out, and just not a very sleek look IMO either. The one advantage the old SP mt. motor drive has is a clutch on both the RA and DEC allowing manual control on both. I didn't bother with getting the drives for this new CG-4 mt. as it's just going to be used more as a grab and go and if I want tracking I'll just use the SP mt.

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Bart
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/28/06

Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville...

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4482668 - 03/29/11 04:08 PM

It would have been nice to have a clutch on the DEC as well. On the other hand, I use the clutches on the mount to rough aim it, then I use the HC to zero in. Works well, so no big deal.

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Bart]
#4483633 - 03/30/11 01:14 AM

Yep, the motor drives just work well on these mts., and they don't use a lot of battery power.

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THEPLOUGH
ELEVEN Grandchildren; FIVE Ducklings

Reged: 01/11/08

Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Crow Haven]
#4483931 - 03/30/11 08:21 AM

Very nice set up....

.... What is the maximum weight you can put on it....

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Bart
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/28/06

Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville...

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: THEPLOUGH]
#4484230 - 03/30/11 10:36 AM

If you don't mind, let me answer that. 18 to 20 pounds is the max.

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Bart
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/28/06

Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville...

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Bart]
#4484240 - 03/30/11 10:40 AM

Maya, I just spent the last two hours living the experience that your Observatory Building Thread has provided! Wow, am I impressed!

Someday I hope to build something half as nice as your beautiful little observatory. Thank you, it was truly an education.

Bart

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Crow Haven
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/09/09

Loc: Betwixt and Between

Re: It's Here -- the "on sale" little CG-4 mt.! new

[Re: Bart]
#4484868 - 03/30/11 03:30 PM

I agree with the wt. limit -- Celestron states that the payload on the dovetail plate is max. at 20 lbs. But it also depends on the type of scope and its balance = a longer refractor or newt will be less steady due to it's dimensions and moment-arm, so with these I'd be happier with the 18 lb. limit....YMMV.

Thanks, Bart, for reading the observatory thread, I hope there are some helpful ideas in there!

Best wishes and clear skies!

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