Celestron CGX - Equatorial GoTo Mount, Mount Head
The CGX mount: The new standard for mobile astronomy and astrophotography!The CGX is an equatorial mount developed from the ground up to meet high demands with a load capacity of 25 kg, yet designed for mobile use.
New product design: The saddle plate sits closer to the right ascension axis. The reduced lever in this way provides more rigidity and better oscillation behavior. The declination motor also serves as a counterweight. The CGX can be carried very comfortably thanks to integrated handles. The tripod can also be easily folded without having to unscrew the storage plate. The clamps of the tripod legs are located on the inside so that you cannot get caught on the screw handles with your trouser leg. Thanks to the notches in the tripod legs, you can always quickly find your preferred leg extension length. The improved tripod also has a higher stand width, so it is even more stable. The wiring of the motors is done inside the mount. Only the hand control box and the power cable are exposed. The connections of these two cables are placed in such a way that the sockets do not move with the mount. All in all, this design ensures that no tripping hazards occur or a cable can break off. Large handles for the two clamps of the axes, for the azimuthal adjustment and for the polar axis. The inclination of the polar axis can even be changed under load. There is also no need to open the clamps, which change the setting again when tightened. The saddle plate is also equipped with large, glove-friendly grips. The saddle accepts both Losmandy and Vixen style dovetail bars. The CGX can track objects up to 20° beyond the meridian. An automatic stop prevents the mount from spinning completely: No collision with the tripod and no internal cable break is possible this way.Excellent mechanics: The improved high-torque motors provide clean start-up and tracking even with heavy loads. The toothed belt drive ensures short response time and minimizes the gear backlash that is noticeable when changing the direction of rotation. The mount starts smoothly, without the painful screech of pure gear drives. A spring pressure mechanism ensures uniform contact pressure between the worm wheel and worm. This reduces friction and optimizes the running of the gear unit.Improved electronics: The new control software is a joint development of Celestron and Planewave Instruments. This provides a very accurate GoTo and further advantages especially in remote operation. The CGX is equipped with the latest NexStar+ hand control. This has a USB port for easy connection to the PC. An internal clock stores the last setting of observation location and time. Two AUX ports can be used to connect additional accessories, such as the SkyPortal module. Of course, an autoguider port is also available.With the All-Star Polar Alignment integrated in the control, you do not need a polar finder scope. You can just roughly align the mount and fine tune it by setting any star. The excellent mechanical design allows this even with a full load. Initializing the goto, the Star Alignment, is also a breeze with all new Celestron mounts.
With the CGX mount, Celestron has brought a very mature product to the market that reflects the superior product design of this manufacturer.
This is how polar alignment works without a polar finder scope:0. it is important that the calibration object is very exactly in the south.
1. set up the telescope exactly horizontal
2. set the latitude as accurately as possible
3. position, time and date must be exact
4. switch on and make home position (also very accurate)
5. make Quick Align (alignment without calibration stars)
6. then approach target exactly south and center with latitude and azimuth fine adjustment.
7. then switch off/on
8. after that make normal 3 star alignment.
Pictures often say more than words - a video:If you want to know more about the features and benefits of the CGX mount, we recommend the
manufacturer´s video.
Where to get the latest software?You can get the latest software quickly and easily from
Celestron under "Downloads". There you will also find a tutorial in English.