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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
*****

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA
Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ
      #5666841 - 02/07/13 10:53 AM
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It's nice to see both Celestron and Orion refreshing their mount offerings. I have a couple of questions about each of these mounts.

First, the VX. Is the VX's base compatible with the CG-5's and Sirius'/HEQ-5's bases? The latter three mounts share a common base (along with the Orion SVP) allowing them to share accessories such as Antares piers and the Orion SVP 18" extension. It would be nice if the new mount had the same interface as these older mounts for backward compatibility.

For the Atlas Pro AZ/EQ, one thing that troubles me is its use of belts. Automobiles, too, use belts and these are a routine service item that have to be replaced periodically. I realize that the belts in a vehicle have a much harder job (high heat, high RPMs, etc.), but does anyone anticipate that the belts in the Atlas Pro may become a wear/service item down the road? In other words, will the belt drive wear more quickly than a metal-to-metal geared system?

Thanks!

- Jim

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
*****

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: jrbarnett]
      #5666861 - 02/07/13 11:01 AM
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Oh, one more question: Can the "N" azimuth pin on the tripod for both mounts be re-positioned from being between two legs to being aligned with a single leg (i.e., so the CW shaft hangs directly over a "N" leg)?

Thanks!

- Jim

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cn register 5
sage


Reged: 12/26/12

Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: jrbarnett]
      #5667187 - 02/07/13 02:25 PM
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I think these have been asked and answered on the other AVX thread, briefly:
No, the base is different to the CG5.
Yes, the N peg can be moved - at least there's a suitable threaded hole.
As far as the timing belt goes, if it's got the same lifetime as a car timing belt it should last for several thousand years.

Chris

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cliffy54
sage


Reged: 03/14/10

Loc: ma
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: cn register 5]
      #5667198 - 02/07/13 02:30 PM
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Working with alot of power equipment and such I'll take a belt drive over gear or direct drive any day.

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
*****

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: cn register 5]
      #5667339 - 02/07/13 03:51 PM
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I was actually thinking of serpentine belts for the power steering and the like which typically are replaced multiple times during the life of the vehicle.

Regards,

Jim

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Ricky
Carpal Tunnel
*****

Reged: 09/09/03

Loc: Nor Cal
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: cliffy54]
      #5667343 - 02/07/13 03:52 PM
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I think most of the folks doing SiTech conversions are also using belts...

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cliffy54
sage


Reged: 03/14/10

Loc: ma
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: jrbarnett]
      #5667395 - 02/07/13 04:12 PM
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Not to get off topic But, My Toyota is 9yrs old with 109,000 miles never had to replace the serpentine.

Now that I said that it will break tomorrow.

Edited by cliffy54 (02/07/13 04:16 PM)

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bilgebayModerator
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 11/06/08

Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: cliffy54]
      #5667415 - 02/07/13 04:21 PM
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rmollise
Postmaster
*****

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: jrbarnett]
      #5667476 - 02/07/13 04:57 PM
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Quote:

I was actually thinking of serpentine belts for the power steering and the like which typically are replaced multiple times during the life of the vehicle.

Regards,

Jim



Same deal...think of the stress and the environmental conditions they are subjected to compared to telescope mount parts.

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johnpd
sage


Reged: 04/13/08

Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: jrbarnett]
      #5667532 - 02/07/13 05:26 PM
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Quote:

Oh, one more question: Can the "N" azimuth pin on the tripod for both mounts be re-positioned from being between two legs to being aligned with a single leg (i.e., so the CW shaft hangs directly over a "N" leg)?

Thanks!

- Jim



Yes. That is the first thing I did to my Skywatcher AZ/EQ6 when I got it. Otherwise it is difficult to access the polar scope. I am not sure why they deliver it on the other side unless it allows rotating the scope without hitting the legs. I never tried it.

JohnD

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Peter in Reno
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 07/15/08

Loc: Reno, NV
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: rmollise]
      #5667534 - 02/07/13 05:27 PM
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Bisque Paramount MX and ME mounts use tooth belts without issues. They do not use any reduction spur gears, just tooth belts. I wouldn't worry about tooth belts. Tooth belts contact better than serpetine belts and should not slip a tooth. Belts in theory are better than gears because they don't have backlash like gears do.

Peter

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David PavlichAdministrator
Transmographied
*****

Reged: 05/18/05

Loc: Mandeville, LA USA
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: Peter in Reno]
      #5668076 - 02/07/13 11:12 PM
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I've seen the new Atlas-like Alt/Az scope and it looks like a well thought out piece of hardware. If there's one thing I wasn't really crazy about, it's the saddle. It's quite short. I think it would be better with a longer saddle, but other than that, it looks like a winner!

David

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SteveSMS
member


Reged: 03/29/08

Loc: Jersey Shore USA
Re: Mount Musings: Celestron VX and Atlas Pro AZ/EQ new [Re: David Pavlich]
      #5677223 - 02/13/13 08:48 AM
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Hi,

I used my new VX for the first time last night with a Vixen 102EDSS and a pair of BVs operating at 139x. I leveled, rough polar aligned , and used 2 calibration stars in set up. The mount put every object that I tried within a .47 deg fov every time. It held Jupiter steady for the half hour that I observed it. The mount is fast and quiet compared to my CG-5 ASGT. As others have already stated, the Orion extension doesn't fit, and the north peg can easily be moved to sit over a leg. All in all, I'm very happy with this mount's initial performance. Time will tell if it is durable.

Clear Skies

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