Telescope Reviews: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls?

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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

Pages: 1

Don Trinko
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/05/09

Loc: Ohio

CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls?
#4502042 - 04/07/11 06:38 AM

I could wait until it comes but I am anxious to know. Does the computerized CG5 have manual slow motion controls or do you need to use the hand control for everything? Don T.

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mclewis1
Thread Killer

Reged: 02/25/06

Loc: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Don Trinko]
#4502205 - 04/07/11 08:43 AM

HC for everything.

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Don Trinko
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/05/09

Loc: Ohio

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: mclewis1]
#4502219 - 04/07/11 08:50 AM

Thanks; Don t.

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Terrance
professor emeritus

Reged: 08/11/04

Loc: Near Portland Or.

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Don Trinko]
#4505861 - 04/08/11 09:13 PM

Well, there is a manual clutch for both axis which if loosened will allow rough movement by hand, without turning on the power. However there is no slow mo manual at all, so this is not a practical method for using the mount.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Don Trinko]
#4506393 - 04/09/11 06:54 AM

Quote:

I could wait until it comes but I am anxious to know. Does the computerized CG5 have manual slow motion controls or do you need to use the hand control for everything? Don T.

Don:

As Terrance said, there are locks or "clutches" that allow you to move the scope by hand but if you do, any GOTO alignment will be lost so using the locks is only practical if you are operating in a tracking mode rather than a GOTO mode.

Jon

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Don Trinko
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/05/09

Loc: Ohio

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#4506457 - 04/09/11 08:07 AM

Thanks; That is what i thought looking at the photo's. I have an 8SE and so far no problems. Hopefully the CG5 will be the same. Don T.

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Nippon
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 10/22/09

Loc: Central Florida

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Don Trinko]
#4507427 - 04/09/11 04:38 PM

Are you sure that moving the scope by hand with the clutches disengaged loses the alignment? Are the encoders built into the motors or are they reading off the RA and Dec.axis. If they are reading off the two axis then you should be able to slew by hand or am I thinking wrong here. I am pretty sure you can slew a CPC scope by hand and maintain alignment.

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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more

Reged: 04/30/03

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Nippon]
#4507456 - 04/09/11 04:55 PM

Quote:

Are you sure that moving the scope by hand with the clutches disengaged loses the alignment? Are the encoders built into the motors or are they reading off the RA and Dec.axis. If they are reading off the two axis then you should be able to slew by hand or am I thinking wrong here. I am pretty sure you can slew a CPC scope by hand and maintain alignment.

The list of mounts using axis-driven encoders is very short and doesn't include any models by Celestron or any other commonly found EQ mounts. They are found in addon goto systems for Dobsonians, though. Axis encoders can also be added to goto Losmandy mounts as an option.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Nippon]
#4507600 - 04/09/11 06:15 PM

Quote:

Are you sure that moving the scope by hand with the clutches disengaged loses the alignment? Are the encoders built into the motors or are they reading off the RA and Dec.axis. If they are reading off the two axis then you should be able to slew by hand or am I thinking wrong here. I am pretty sure you can slew a CPC scope by hand and maintain alignment.

I am sure. If the locks slip you have lost your alignment and will have to realign...

I believe some version of the Celestron Ultima or maybe the Ultima 2000 had encoders on the mount itself.

The Bushnell Northstar with Real Voice also had encoders that measured the actual position of the scope rather than counting turns of the motors. The problem with it was the resolution of the encoders and the fact that there was only one slewing speed, fast.

Jon

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Nippon]
#4507722 - 04/09/11 07:21 PM

Quote:

Are you sure that moving the scope by hand with the clutches disengaged loses the alignment? Are the encoders built into the motors or are they reading off the RA and Dec.axis. If they are reading off the two axis then you should be able to slew by hand or am I thinking wrong here. I am pretty sure you can slew a CPC scope by hand and maintain alignment.

Yes, as soon as you move the scope by hand, alignment is spoiled. And, yes, the encoders are part of the motors.

No, you can't move the CPC by hand. The same thing happens. You _could_ do that with the Ultima 2000, but no one liked it.

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Nippon
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 10/22/09

Loc: Central Florida

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#4507727 - 04/09/11 07:25 PM

That's good to know, thanks. I have been thinking about a CG5 as a possible future purchase. Can you just polar align a computerized CG5 and run it like it was just an RA driven mount?

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Nippon]
#4507732 - 04/09/11 07:27 PM

Quote:

That's good to know, thanks. I have been thinking about a CG5 as a possible future purchase. Can you just polar align a computerized CG5 and run it like it was just an RA driven mount?

Yes. Not sure why you would want to, but yeah, you can avoid go-to and just slew it around with the buttons. A P.I.T.A. IMHO, but it can be done.

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Nippon
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 10/22/09

Loc: Central Florida

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: rmollise]
#4508038 - 04/09/11 10:51 PM

Well actually I was thinking hand slew and just set the locks and the thing would just track in RA. If you have to slew it with the motors yeah that would be a pain and might as well use goto.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Nippon]
#4508213 - 04/10/11 12:56 AM

Quote:

That's good to know, thanks. I have been thinking about a CG5 as a possible future purchase. Can you just polar align a computerized CG5 and run it like it was just an RA driven mount?

Yes you can. That is how I use my ASGT. In the menu, you can set the tracking to EQ North and then the RA motor will just track like an Non-GOTO mount. You can loosen the locks, point the scope as you wish, tighten the locks and use the hand controller to slew or center your target.

I had an older CG-5 with the RA and Dec drives but those drives are so slow to respond, it's frustrating and the CG-5 ASGT has those wonderful 2 inch stainless steel legs so it is a much better mount for my 8 inch F/5 Newtonian.

My ideal EQ mount would have an RA drive and manual slow motion controls on both axises that did not require messing with the locks to use... Unfortunately no one makes a mount like that..

jon

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: Nippon]
#4508685 - 04/10/11 09:50 AM

Quote:

Well actually I was thinking hand slew and just set the locks and the thing would just track in RA. If you have to slew it with the motors yeah that would be a pain and might as well use goto.

Why get a CG5 if you don't want to use go-to? Orion has a Skyview mount without it that is in other ways very similar to the CG5. Me? I'll take the go-to.

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Nippon
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 10/22/09

Loc: Central Florida

Re: CG5 slow motion dec and ra controls? new

[Re: rmollise]
#4509477 - 04/10/11 04:55 PM

Hey man I like goto too but it is nice to have options. I like the program mode that my camera has but I like that I can switch to manual when I feel like it or it is the best way to do a particular thing Don't you ever just want to look around at the sky and just grab the scope and point it at something or sweep through the summer milky way?

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