Telescope Reviews: Celestron VX mount

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akawaka
member

Reged: 08/02/11

Loc: Calabasas, CA

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: dr.who]
#5639532 - 01/23/13 08:31 PM

I'm a little disappointed that I bought a CG5 less than a month ago. This mount seems like it would be a nice compromise between the CG5 and the CGEM.

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: dr.who]
#5639541 - 01/23/13 08:39 PM

A SECOND OR TWO OF VIBRATION? Oh noes!

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BRisley
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/04/06

Loc: SW Florida

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5639608 - 01/23/13 09:47 PM

It least the grease looked good. No Synta Glue on what I could see.
Brian

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FoxTrot
sage

Reged: 06/01/06

Loc: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: Whichwayisnorth]
#5640083 - 01/24/13 06:43 AM

Geezez Mike, you're a brave man to take apart a new toy so soon... ;-)

There are a few more nice VX videos on Youtube, posted by Mike Fowler. I must say that the mount has some very neat and thoughtful finishing touches for a "CG5 class" mount. And the sound seems more restrained and less screechy than the LXD75 does. Its a nice contender, for sure! Fox

Quote:

For what they are worth...

Link to the mount sorta disassembled. At least as much as I could with the tools I had. I need a better spanner wrench.

Click here

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Mike X.
professor emeritus

Reged: 06/28/10

Loc: Greece-Athens and Rome-Italy

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: akawaka]
#5640334 - 01/24/13 10:16 AM

Quote:

I'm a little disappointed that I bought a CG5 less than a month ago. This mount seems like it would be a nice compromise between the CG5 and the CGEM.

I can imagine, but if it helps i can tell you that still you chose a really good mount for the money and if you treat it well i will serve you really well both in photographic and visual use.

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: BRisley]
#5640360 - 01/24/13 10:31 AM

Quote:

It least the grease looked good. No Synta Glue on what I could see.
Brian

The grease you speak of hasn't been used in years AFAIK.

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dr.who
sage

Reged: 01/05/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5640442 - 01/24/13 11:06 AM

Quote:

A SECOND OR TWO OF VIBRATION? Oh noes!

Aye! It's a bloody travesty! It didn't bother me but some folks and something about a pea under N number of mattress's...

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zehnmm
member

Reged: 12/24/07

Loc: Alto, New Mexico

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5640513 - 01/24/13 11:50 AM

"Depends on your needs. For visual, the C11 is not too much with the CG5 and likely won't be too much for this mount."

Hi Rod. Thanks. This might interest me. I have been lurking over at the Mallincam Yahoo forums a bit and I see you have posted there.

Question: Do you think I could "reasonably" use a C11 + CG5/VX mount with a Mallincam setup, like the VSS Color?

Thanks!

Steve

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: zehnmm]
#5640605 - 01/24/13 12:46 PM

Quote:

"Depends on your needs. For visual, the C11 is not too much with the CG5 and likely won't be too much for this mount."

Hi Rod. Thanks. This might interest me. I have been lurking over at the Mallincam Yahoo forums a bit and I see you have posted there.

Question: Do you think I could "reasonably" use a C11 + CG5/VX mount with a Mallincam setup, like the VSS Color?

Thanks!

Steve

You could. You'll be a-running the C11 at f/3.3 or so to accomodate the Mallincam, of course. To be honest, while I often use the C11 with my Xtreme, especially when I am after small galaxies, I think the C8 is really better overall...for the larger stuff and the prettier stuff, anyhow. Its field at f/3.3 is just about freaking perfect for the M-Cam.

If you do use the C11, be aware that, naturally, there are gonna be some gotchas for imaging, even with a Mallincam. You will want vibration supression pads under the tripod feet, avoid wind, and, one thing that can really help, add a larger tripod spreader, one that goes a little further toward stablizing the tripod.

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zehnmm
member

Reged: 12/24/07

Loc: Alto, New Mexico

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: rmollise]
#5640637 - 01/24/13 01:02 PM

Quote:

Quote:

"Depends on your needs. For visual, the C11 is not too much with the CG5 and likely won't be too much for this mount."

Hi Rod. Thanks. This might interest me. I have been lurking over at the Mallincam Yahoo forums a bit and I see you have posted there.

Question: Do you think I could "reasonably" use a C11 + CG5/VX mount with a Mallincam setup, like the VSS Color?

Thanks!

Steve

You could. You'll be a-running the C11 at f/3.3 or so to accomodate the Mallincam, of course. To be honest, while I often use the C11 with my Xtreme, especially when I am after small galaxies, I think the C8 is really better overall...for the larger stuff and the prettier stuff, anyhow. Its field at f/3.3 is just about freaking perfect for the M-Cam.

If you do use the C11, be aware that, naturally, there are gonna be some gotchas for imaging, even with a Mallincam. You will want vibration supression pads under the tripod feet, avoid wind, and, one thing that can really help, add a larger tripod spreader, one that goes a little further toward stablizing the tripod.

Thanks much Uncle Rod! Great information. 'Preciate that you took your time to help!

Steve

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cn register 5
sage

Reged: 12/26/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: zehnmm]
#5641044 - 01/24/13 04:49 PM

From a look at the two mounts side by side I think that the AVX will carry any load at least as well and the C5 and probably better.

If you find the CG5 impossibly wobbly it's unlikely that you will find that the AVX enough better to be satisfactory but I think you will find it to be better.

Opinions about what counts as rigid or not seem to be far too subjective to be definite.

Chris

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kepler22
member

Reged: 12/31/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: cn register 5]
#5641423 - 01/24/13 08:37 PM

i dont know why people keep saying this will carry more
than a CG-5 its just a much better CG-5 with way better
motors and a lot more things but the pay load is still
the same 25lbs and thats pushing it bigtime its really
a cgem lite redesign on a CG-5 frame.

about two years ago a celestron engineer told me the
CG-5 was made for the C-6 and C-8 thats why the cgem
was made because of payload peoblems with the C-9
nevermind the C-11 then people started complaining
about payload problems when imaging with the C-11
that why the cgem dx was made this VX mount will
go into the astronomy history books i have no doubt
but to put a C-11 on it just defeats its purpose.

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RTLR 12
Post Laureate

Reged: 12/04/08

Loc: Capistrano Beach, Ca

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: kepler22]
#5641539 - 01/24/13 09:28 PM

Payload for the CG-5 is listed at 35lbs and the pay load for the VX is listed at 30lbs.

Stan

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Orionis91
sage

Reged: 03/01/10

Loc: Maryland USA

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: RTLR 12]
#5641679 - 01/24/13 10:48 PM

The CG-5 was "listed" at 35, however there is nothing about it that makes it carry more than the other CG-5 clones, as they were listed for 30, so the CG-5 really carries 30, although some people, really don't care about what is "listed" heeheheh I have seen some LOADED cg-5s...

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Mike X.
professor emeritus

Reged: 06/28/10

Loc: Greece-Athens and Rome-Italy

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: Orionis91]
#5641732 - 01/24/13 11:34 PM

35lbs for visual use probably won't break it..but photographically...35lbs is way optimistic for the CG5.Talking about Long exposure.
My opinion from personal experience is that this mount will perform well up to 25-26 lbs maximum and with short OTAs and even better with less weight on it.
Of course that's my opinion only.

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A. Viegas
sage

Reged: 03/05/12

Loc: New York City/ CT

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: Mike X.]
#5642988 - 01/25/13 05:06 PM

I have had my CG5 with C8 + C80ed+ finder + filter wheel + malincam. Total weight 29 lbs. unguided I could easily do 30 seconds and guided 1-2 mins no problem, 3 mins showed oval stars. So maybe not great if you are trying Ccd or dslr imaging needing +5 mins. But for video astronomy... No problem! Can't beat it if you can buy slightly used less than $500!

Al

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Ken Hutchinson
sage

Reged: 04/24/03

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: A. Viegas]
#5643355 - 01/25/13 09:03 PM

The C6R OTAs are terribly nose heavy. As they come from the factory when they are balanced around the DEC axis the eyepiece end has a close encounter with the ground whenever they are pointed near the zenith. Maybe that is not a problem for those who live closer to the equator but here in northern Illinois the ground is very, very cold this time of year. Triple dog dare or not, no one wants to lay on the ground to look through the EP because forget about your tongue, your whole body sticks to the ground in the winter!

The long introduction explains why my C6R has a counterweight on the EP end so it will balance farther forward to keep it far enough above ground level to sit in an observing chair. As a result it clocks in a little heavier than a C11. I have used it for years on my ASGT. People who like a super steady visual mount won't be happy but it works fine on the ASGT for many people's taste. It works better on the AVX. The long tube of the C6R gives it a higher moment of inertia and a longer damping time so the C11 is only going to work better. Ultimately you have to let your own taste in these matters decide. The AVX can sling the weight around without breaking a sweat, it will point it quite accurately, and it settles fast enough to satisfy me.

Ken

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dr.who
sage

Reged: 01/05/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: Ken Hutchinson]
#5643432 - 01/25/13 09:47 PM

Since we are talking weight load and since I am getting more into the AP side but do not want to deal with the weight of a CGEM (hence why I bought this mount) would you all mind giving me your thoughts on imaging with an ES 127mm APO on it?

Per the website the ES weighs in with all the accessories on it at 18.5 lbs/8.16 kg and is 41.75/1060mm long. That would be with dew shield, finder/guidescope, and Canon XSi. The XSi is 16 oz and the diagonal that comes with it is close to that and the finder it came with is replaced by a Stellarvue 60mm with SBIG ST-iC but I could save weight by about 2 pounds or so by pulling the dew shield...

Much as like the 80mm APO it just too small for what I want to do...

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orlyandico
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/10/09

Loc: Singapore

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: dr.who]
#5643633 - 01/26/13 12:23 AM

i know someone imaging with the ES127 and a G11. it's not a walk in the park. the issue with the ES127 is that it is long. you'll have a lot of vibrations and it will be very susceptible to wind.

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dr.who
sage

Reged: 01/05/12

Re: Celestron VX mount [Re: orlyandico]
#5643645 - 01/26/13 12:40 AM

Thank you Orly for the reply.

Good grief! It has problems on a G11?!? That mount is a tank! I think I can tackle the vibration issue via vibration suppression pads but the wind issue is going to depend on what you mean by wind. If it is a case of winds like you find on a prairie plain or on a busy city street with tall buildings funneling it then I am ok since I am in an isolated area in terms of wind most times but if its a gentle breeze or the air displacement as the ground cools I will be toast...

Or am I fooling myself and need to look at a 102mm APO paired with a FR on the C8...?

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