spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
#5598491 - 12/31/12 06:13 PM
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I am seriously thinking of going C14 on a CGE Pro. BUT, it must go in and out of the house, down 4 steps and an occasional trip to a dark site 1x / month. I'm 57 and still can carry stuff. I move my CPC1100 in and out and the scope/arm assembly is 65 lbs. But its not as fun (?) as it used to be. I just got a 5" refractor and Atlas EQ-G mount and love the ability to take the tripod and head and scope off into very manageable parts and weights. So I thought, hmmm, how about a c14 on a EQ mount. Watched the videos and read the info out there, but I haven't seen or read anything about someone actually breaking it down regularly.
Does anyone have REAL experience with doing this?
Evidently, when broken down, the heaviest part is 45 lbs......which, if true, is a lot lighter than the 65 lb CPC1100 assembly.
I go out and observe in the yard usually for hours at a time, and I plan to use the 'resting on a chair' 1 person mounting method.
So what is your experience with breaking this mount down say 5-7 times a month (if lucky)?
Also, I notice that this sucker is TALL with a c14. I'm 6' tall, and I like to use my Stardust observing chair. Will that even be possible with this set up even looking at 45 degrees and above to the zenith?
I have no chance for a permanent observatory. I have an unheated/uncooled detached garage, but it gets 1" of water in it every now and then when we have a very heavy rain, so that moisture level scares me. That's why I keep my stuff inside the house. Too bad, because I have that pneumatic wheeled dolly that would probably work.....I'm in NJ btw. 95 and humid in the summer and maybe -3 in the winter with occasional snow.
Anyway, I'd love to hear your experiences. Thanks everyone! And Happy New Year.
Sbob
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wolfman_4_ever
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/15/11
Loc: El Segundo, Ca, So. Cal
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5598827 - 12/31/12 10:10 PM
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Your assembly/disassemble time would be longer than your viewing time..probably.. The pro is a beast of a mount. It's probably too tall for you to sit down.. well maybe at zenith it would be ok...
I'm 6 feet as well.. 39.. A few weeks of lugging it in and out of the house to either observe or astrophoto and then to be killed by humitidy and dew quickly gave way to an observatory..
Put it in a separate Rubbermaid shed raised off the ground with a small ramp and use the dolly...
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orlyandico
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/10/09
Loc: Singapore
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: wolfman_4_ever]
#5598945 - 01/01/13 12:10 AM
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an AP900 splits into two parts both of which are under 30lb..
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end
super member
Reged: 08/31/11
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: orlyandico]
#5598960 - 01/01/13 12:25 AM
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I have a CGE PRO, though I have a C11 mounted on it. For several months I did exactly as you describe above. Total setup time for me was 30-40 minutes. Add in 2+4 star alignment and the whole process was probably about an hour. I didn't find it to be that bad. My guess is that the most difficult part will be mounting the OTA, but if you use this trick: ("small portable scope") it shouldn't be that big of a deal. One hour is a lot less than my typical viewing time!
Having said that, I have switched to a situation where I leave the scope out 24/7 with a Telegizmos 365 cover. It works really well and eliminates much of the work of setting up. Between this and a small heater (in my case a lightbulb), the scope stays dry and aligned even through driving rain. I highly recommend it!!
Edited by end (01/01/13 12:28 AM)
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end
super member
Reged: 08/31/11
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: orlyandico]
#5598975 - 01/01/13 12:37 AM
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an AP900 splits into two parts both of which are under 30lb..
The AP900 is a fantastic mount, but the cost is about double a CGE PRO. If you buy the CGE PRO with the 14" OTA as part of the usual Celestron bundle the cost comparison is even worse for the AP900. On the other hand, if the price difference isn't an obstacle, or if you can find a good price on a used one, by all means consider it instead!
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gdd
sage
Reged: 11/23/05
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: orlyandico]
#5599200 - 01/01/13 08:38 AM
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an AP900 splits into two parts both of which are under 30lb..
The Losmandy Titan is closer in price to the CGE Pro. It splits into two 35 pound parts.
Gale
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orlyandico
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/10/09
Loc: Singapore
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: gdd]
#5599265 - 01/01/13 09:35 AM
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yup, but for me (considering the Titan cost less than the 1/4-capacity Mach1 that I ended up with) the problem with the Titan is the eye-popping weight.
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TxStars
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/01/05
Loc: Lost In Space
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599362 - 01/01/13 10:54 AM
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Put a Pier in the back yard and buy a used AP900.
For the dark site get a Heavy Miller tripod or use the AP portable pier.
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WadeH237
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/24/07
Loc: Snohomish, WA
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599460 - 01/01/13 12:04 PM
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I think that you are looking at the wrong specs.
The original CGE is 45lb. The CGE Pro is 75lb for just the mount head, and I do not think it can be broken down into smaller parts.
I own a CGE, and it is pretty easy to work with. I have limited experience with a CGE Pro, but it is a completely different beast. That mount head is a beast to deal with.
I've recently upgraded to an AP1600. While it is a *much* larger mount that an CGE Pro, the RA and dec assemblies separate and it turns out to be much easier for a single person to manage than a CGE Pro.
Just to be clear, the CGE Pro impressed me with its performance on the few nights that I got to use one. My normal visual setup is a C14 on an original CGE, which puts the mount right at its limits. The CGE Pro carries a C14 quite a bit more gracefully than the CGE. The only down sides I remember to the Pro were the weight and the height.
-Wade
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: wolfman_4_ever]
#5599707 - 01/01/13 02:15 PM
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Unfortunately, I couldn't do a rubbermaid shed. The burglars around here would laugh themselves to death as the broke into it. But maybe a modifiation to the garage's side door. Hmmm.... Regardless, let me think about those ideas. See, I have to be able to move it to different locations because of trees and lights. Thanks..
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wolfman_4_ever
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/15/11
Loc: El Segundo, Ca, So. Cal
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599718 - 01/01/13 02:22 PM
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The pro mount head can be split into 2 separate pieces..
My Cge-Pro eats AP900's for lunch...
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end
super member
Reged: 08/31/11
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599719 - 01/01/13 02:23 PM
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When I first got my CGE PRO, I wrote up this short initial impressions review, here: CGE PRO which might be worth looking at. One of the things I did when I got it was weigh each part. The GEM head comes apart into two pieces: a 57 pound top half and an 18 pound bottom half. The top part which contains both DEC and RA axis motors is the heaviest single part.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: WadeH237]
#5599720 - 01/01/13 02:23 PM
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No, according to this link http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-cge-pro-mount.html the head breaks down into a 45 and 30 lbs components. Just how easy/not easy that is is another thing. I'll check out our other suggestions....
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: TxStars]
#5599735 - 01/01/13 02:29 PM
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Can't do a pier. Small yard and trees and lights make me have to be mobile...
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: end]
#5599746 - 01/01/13 02:36 PM
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would you explain a bit more... I guess you're not worried about thieves. I would here. Do you leave the whole OTA and mount outside too? Or just the mount? Do you secure the mount down as an anti theft device?
The light bulb for heat, why do you do that? thanks
Bob
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: end]
#5599777 - 01/01/13 02:58 PM
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When I first got my CGE PRO, I wrote up this short initial impressions review, here: CGE PRO which might be worth looking at. One of the things I did when I got it was weigh each part. The GEM head comes apart into two pieces: a 57 pound top half and an 18 pound bottom half. The top part which contains both DEC and RA axis motors is the heaviest single part.
that's a very helpful write up, especially on the component wieghts. do you move it in and out and if you do, what are the components which you keep together in order to move?
Very helpful and glad you did this for us.
Regards,
Bob
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599781 - 01/01/13 03:00 PM
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Just another question, why is this mount so tall?
Is there some company out there that machines or modifies down the legs by any chance or lowers the height in some other way?
Edited by spongebob@55 (01/02/13 11:44 AM)
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WadeH237
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/24/07
Loc: Snohomish, WA
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599852 - 01/01/13 03:42 PM
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No, according to this link http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-cge-pro-mount.html the head breaks down into a 45 and 30 lbs components. Just how easy/not easy that is is another thing. I'll check out our other suggestions....
Thanks for the clarification on the mount breakdown. The link in the post by end shows how he's broken it down, but he's claiming that the combined breakdown (which does not separate the two axes) still has a piece well over 50lb.
I looked everywhere on the link at Celestron and I can't find where it claims that the mount head breaks down into pieces of 45lb and 30lb.
-Wade
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Alph
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/23/06
Loc: Melmac
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5599902 - 01/01/13 04:14 PM
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Just another question, whay is this mount so tall?
I put this question to the Celestron staff many times. The answer was some people have long refractors. That's a darn stupid answer if you consider that the tripod has extendable legs. I grew tired of that nonsense and decided to spend twice as much money on a portable and high quality mount. If you want portability look elsewhere. A used CGE will do an excellent job with the C14 for visual observing.
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end
super member
Reged: 08/31/11
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: WadeH237]
#5599930 - 01/01/13 04:33 PM
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No, according to this link http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-cge-pro-mount.html the head breaks down into a 45 and 30 lbs components. Just how easy/not easy that is is another thing. I'll check out our other suggestions....
Thanks for the clarification on the mount breakdown. The link in the post by end shows how he's broken it down, but he's claiming that the combined breakdown (which does not separate the two axes) still has a piece well over 50lb.
I looked everywhere on the link at Celestron and I can't find where it claims that the mount head breaks down into pieces of 45lb and 30lb.
-Wade
In just over a week I'll have an opportunity to re-weigh all the components so I'll double check that 57 pound number, but I don't have any real reason to doubt it.
Regarding the height, I made a small modification to my CGE PRO tripod to lower it, and more importantly widen the stance of the tripod. I posted a thread on it here: thread. Basically what I did was replace the bottom aluminum spreaders with slightly longer ones. It was a pretty easy and cheap modification. The key before and after photo is here:
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: end]
#5600032 - 01/01/13 05:46 PM
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No, according to this link http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-cge-pro-mount.html the head breaks down into a 45 and 30 lbs components. Just how easy/not easy that is is another thing. I'll check out our other suggestions....
Thanks for the clarification on the mount breakdown. The link in the post by end shows how he's broken it down, but he's claiming that the combined breakdown (which does not separate the two axes) still has a piece well over 50lb.
I looked everywhere on the link at Celestron and I can't find where it claims that the mount head breaks down into pieces of 45lb and 30lb.
-Wade
In just over a week I'll have an opportunity to re-weigh all the components so I'll double check that 57 pound number, but I don't have any real reason to doubt it.
Regarding the height, I made a small modification to my CGE PRO tripod to lower it, and more importantly widen the stance of the tripod. I posted a thread on it here: thread. Basically what I did was replace the bottom aluminum spreaders with slightly longer ones. It was a pretty easy and cheap modification. The key before and after photo is here:
FANTASTIC!!! I was just on my hands and knees, looking at my CPC1100 and Atlas EQ-G tripod. I had loosened the hex locking set screws and was able to pull out the stainless steel legs. I was thinking of just cutting maybe 1 or 2" off the top and reinserting the leg. I could move the 3 clamps for the 3 armed stabilizer up or down depending. But I noticed that If I move it up too much, when folded, the center disk hits the bottom center bolt stopping it from completely folding. Now I haven't yet read your link yet, but my way would make the footprint smaller, and I dont think thats the best way to go. Now on to reading your link. Thanks very much!!  Bob
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WadeH237
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/24/07
Loc: Snohomish, WA
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: end]
#5600060 - 01/01/13 06:05 PM
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In just over a week I'll have an opportunity to re-weigh all the components so I'll double check that 57 pound number, but I don't have any real reason to doubt it.
I'm not skeptical of your numbers. They make sense for what you show in your pictures. I am skeptical of the claim that Celestron says that the mount breaks down into two pieces of 45lb and 30lb. I haven't been able to find any reference to this.
Oh, and the tripod modification is awesome. I came away really impressed with the CGE Pro after I had a chance to use one for a bit. You've addressed the two issues that I had with it. It's still a bit heavy at 57lb, but that's far more manageable than 75lb.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5600062 - 01/01/13 06:06 PM
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No, according to this link http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-cge-pro-mount.html the head breaks down into a 45 and 30 lbs components. Just how easy/not easy that is is another thing. I'll check out our other suggestions....
Thanks for the clarification on the mount breakdown. The link in the post by end shows how he's broken it down, but he's claiming that the combined breakdown (which does not separate the two axes) still has a piece well over 50lb.
I looked everywhere on the link at Celestron and I can't find where it claims that the mount head breaks down into pieces of 45lb and 30lb.
-Wade
In just over a week I'll have an opportunity to re-weigh all the components so I'll double check that 57 pound number, but I don't have any real reason to doubt it.
Regarding the height, I made a small modification to my CGE PRO tripod to lower it, and more importantly widen the stance of the tripod. I posted a thread on it here: thread. Basically what I did was replace the bottom aluminum spreaders with slightly longer ones. It was a pretty easy and cheap modification. The key before and after photo is here:
FANTASTIC!!! I was just on my hands and knees, looking at my CPC1100 and Atlas EQ-G tripod. I had loosened the hex locking set screws and was able to pull out the stainless steel legs. I was thinking of just cutting maybe 1 or 2" off the top and reinserting the leg. I could move the 3 clamps for the 3 armed stabilizer up or down depending. But I noticed that If I move it up too much, when folded, the center disk hits the bottom center bolt stopping it from completely folding. Now I haven't yet read your link yet, but my way would make the footprint smaller, and I dont think thats the best way to go. Now on to reading your link. Thanks very much!! Bob
Looks great. A question, the 3 arm stabilizer, do you fold that up, or down? The picture looks like the central disc is upside down. Now to see if this would work with a CGE PRO. Many thanks for the link, END. 
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end
super member
Reged: 08/31/11
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5600386 - 01/01/13 09:49 PM
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Looks great. A question, the 3 arm stabilizer, do you fold that up, or down? The picture looks like the central disc is upside down. Now to see if this would work with a CGE PRO. Many thanks for the link, END.
It folds up when you collapse the tripod. The central disk has little cut-outs under each cross bar to allow it to move up. However, I've only collapsed the tripod a few times. Even when transporting the entire rig to a remote dark site I usually put the tripod into the back of the minivan in its spread configuration.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: WadeH237]
#5600507 - 01/01/13 11:04 PM
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In just over a week I'll have an opportunity to re-weigh all the components so I'll double check that 57 pound number, but I don't have any real reason to doubt it.
I'm not skeptical of your numbers. They make sense for what you show in your pictures. I am skeptical of the claim that Celestron says that the mount breaks down into two pieces of 45lb and 30lb. I haven't been able to find any reference to this.
Oh, and the tripod modification is awesome. I came away really impressed with the CGE Pro after I had a chance to use one for a bit. You've addressed the two issues that I had with it. It's still a bit heavy at 57lb, but that's far more manageable than 75lb.
Wade , in the celestron mount video, it shows the pro breaking apart and. They show the weights in the video graphically
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WadeH237
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/24/07
Loc: Snohomish, WA
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5600949 - 01/02/13 10:23 AM
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Thanks for the video reference. I generally don't bother to watch the videos.
In this case, I would take the 45/30 comment with a grain of salt. I would trust End's 57/18 estimates more. The RA/Dec assembly is where the weight is. I doubt that the "wedge" part that is underneath the RA axis could possibly be 35lb.
For what it's worth, the engineer in the video makes a number of other technical errors in his statements. For example, he says that the capacity of the original CGE is 45lb. This is not true. Celestron has always rated the original CGE at 65lb payload. Here is a written reference to the correct number from Celestron.
He also states that the dec worm block is spring loaded, but the RA is not. I believe that this was once true, but the current shipping CGE Pro mounts have both worm blocks spring loaded.
Anyway, my suggestion is to trust the printed materials more than comments in a video. Also, this thread has been a great source of information.
Clear skies,
-Wade
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EFT
Vendor - Deep Space Products
Reged: 05/07/07
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: WadeH237]
#5601154 - 01/02/13 12:17 PM
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You can separate the DEC from the RA axis on the CGE Pro. However, you are disassembling the mount to do this. It requires the removal of four allen head bolts. These bolts are usually thread locked in place. In addition, the DEC can sometimes be difficult to remove. The mount was not designed for this type of disassembly for transport and that is obvious. If it had been, then they would have made it easier to do and would not be threadlocking things together. In addition, the bolts used to hold the axes together on the CGE Pro are much smaller than those used on the original CGE.
The base of the mount is quite heavy, but I would probably put it at more like 25 pounds. I will have to wiegh one sometime. That would leave about 65 pounds for the axes with the DEC being a bit lighter than the RA.
I conclusion, yes you can disassemble the mount for transport but it was not specifically designed for that. It is merely the result of the manufacturing requirements. I don't particularly recommend doing this, but I guess there isn't really a problem as long as you don't strip out the bolt holes or lose the bolts.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: WadeH237]
#5601167 - 01/02/13 12:30 PM
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Thanks for the video reference. I generally don't bother to watch the videos.
In this case, I would take the 45/30 comment with a grain of salt. I would trust End's 57/18 estimates more. The RA/Dec assembly is where the weight is. I doubt that the "wedge" part that is underneath the RA axis could possibly be 35lb.
For what it's worth, the engineer in the video makes a number of other technical errors in his statements. For example, he says that the capacity of the original CGE is 45lb. This is not true. Celestron has always rated the original CGE at 65lb payload. Here is a written reference to the correct number from Celestron.
He also states that the dec worm block is spring loaded, but the RA is not. I believe that this was once true, but the current shipping CGE Pro mounts have both worm blocks spring loaded.
Anyway, my suggestion is to trust the printed materials more than comments in a video. Also, this thread has been a great source of information.
Clear skies,
-Wade
Hey Wade,
Interesting though, if you add End's GEM top half @57 lbs, and GEM bottom half @18.5 lbs, you get 75.5 lbs, which is what Celestron quoted. The individual weights are just quite off from each others component weights. Well, we'll just have to wait for End, when he has time and wants to weigh them again.
For me, I'm trying to get components down under my CPC1100 weight of 69.5 lbs (2 ADM rails and a moonlight focuser only) weird carrying pounds.
Also, if the original CGE had a capacity of 65lbs, and the DX is now rated at 50lbs, something is a bit off. Perhaps marketing has or was in the way of reality, either back in the day or now.
Well, also lets keep one of my original questions in mind, as to how easy (or not)/ or careful one must be) the Pro would be to assemble, disassemble all the time for moving it. Of course this weight issue is really the 1st step in determining that... A great thread!
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: EFT]
#5601184 - 01/02/13 12:38 PM
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You can separate the DEC from the RA axis on the CGE Pro. However, you are disassembling the mount to do this. It requires the removal of four allen head bolts. These bolts are usually thread locked in place. In addition, the DEC can sometimes be difficult to remove. The mount was not designed for this type of disassembly for transport and that is obvious. If it had been, then they would have made it easier to do and would not be threadlocking things together. In addition, the bolts used to hold the axes together on the CGE Pro are much smaller than those used on the original CGE.
The base of the mount is quite heavy, but I would probably put it at more like 25 pounds. I will have to wiegh one sometime. That would leave about 65 pounds for the axes with the DEC being a bit lighter than the RA.
I conclusion, yes you can disassemble the mount for transport but it was not specifically designed for that. It is merely the result of the manufacturing requirements. I don't particularly recommend doing this, but I guess there isn't really a problem as long as you don't strip out the bolt holes or lose the bolts.
Great insight Ed. Interesting though that Celestron makes it a big point in their marketing. Threadlock is to keep things where they are, or when the threads are as tight as they should be, which is bad....
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DaveJ
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/07/05
Loc: NE Ohio
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5601280 - 01/02/13 01:41 PM
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...Also, if the original CGE had a capacity of 65lbs, and the DX is now rated at 50lbs, something is a bit off. Perhaps marketing has or was in the way of reality, either back in the day or now.
You're comparing apples and oranges. The 65lb weight limit was for the CGE (now discontinued) and the DX you mention refers to the CGEM DX - a completely different animal than the CGE. I have both and those limits both seem within reason to me. One would think that somebody at Celestron would be able to think up a less confusing naming convention, wouldn't one?
CGE (now discontinued, but a stated capacity of 65lbs)
CGE Pro (subject of this thread. Stated capacity of 90lbs)
CGEM (stated capacity of 40lbs)
CGEM DX (same tripod & counterweights as the CGE Pro, stated capacity of 50lbs)
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: DaveJ]
#5601611 - 01/02/13 05:12 PM
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Quote:
...Also, if the original CGE had a capacity of 65lbs, and the DX is now rated at 50lbs, something is a bit off. Perhaps marketing has or was in the way of reality, either back in the day or now.
You're comparing apples and oranges. The 65lb weight limit was for the CGE (now discontinued) and the DX you mention refers to the CGEM DX - a completely different animal than the CGE. I have both and those limits both seem within reason to me. One would think that somebody at Celestron would be able to think up a less confusing naming convention, wouldn't one?
CGE (now discontinued, but a stated capacity of 65lbs)
CGE Pro (subject of this thread. Stated capacity of 90lbs)
CGEM (stated capacity of 40lbs)
CGEM DX (same tripod & counterweights as the CGE Pro, stated capacity of 50lbs)
DAG! Thanks, it is confusing, but I know better. DUH 
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
Reged: 04/30/03
Loc: NE Ohio
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: DaveJ]
#5601857 - 01/02/13 08:02 PM
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One would think that somebody at Celestron would be able to think up a less confusing naming convention, wouldn't one?
Yes. And don't forget the ORIGINAL CGE Pro; that one had a capacity of maybe 250 pounds. Prototypes were displayed but that model never made it into production.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5733111 - 03/14/13 10:08 PM
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I've purchased and have put some time on my CGE Pro mount. I've lowered it based on the info/link above. Its 4" lower now. One thing to remember is that the angle on the legs change, so the angle on the eyepiece tray/stiffener doesn't line up anymore. Just the top of the tray leg slots makes contact with the legs. But the mount is fine with this.
In addition, I've replaced the bolts in the electronics pier with thumbscrews and collars so this piece can also be separated from the tripod, making it just a bit lighter, but of course giving you one more thing to carry. The thumbscrews make it go together fast and strong.
I take the mount apart. Its easy, but when assembling it, you have to watch your finger when inserting the polar axis housing inside the side plate frame. You just have to take 2 large thumbscrews out, along with two very small thumbscrews for the latitude indicator. I can do this all by myself and I use my chair to sit the C14 upon and then just mate it to the dovetail. But I'm not that comfortable with the size of the seat on the chair in relationship to the C14's cover, so I'm making a bigger platform for it in order to be larger than the diameter of the cover of the C14. The Go To is super accurate, and I use 5 total stars for alignment. I like how the mount brings the scope to a 'home' position and then aligns from there. You can use that position to get Polaris in a finder eyepiece by adjusting the latitude bolt and azimuth bolts, but that's not necessary according to the instructions, but I do it anyway.
The whole thing is easier than my CPC1100 was, but has more pieces to move.
Clear skies to you all.
bob
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Starblazer999
journeyman
Reged: 03/04/13
Loc: Australia
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Re: CGE Pro 'portability', repeated dis assembly, etc.
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5733418 - 03/15/13 02:26 AM
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 I Take mine out with a sack truck then ad scope and counter weights after just use the wife to help
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